This post may feature affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Try vegan churros for a sweet, simple, and satisfying dessert! Only 3 ingredients are required for the dough, but each one turns out perfectly crispy on the outside with a warm, tender interior. Enjoy this treat as-is or pair it with a rich and velvety homemade chocolate sauce to dip it in.

Table of Contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vegan-friendly: You won’t find butter or eggs in this traditional recipe, which means just about anyone can dig in!
- Crispy yet tender: Bite your way through a crispy, cinnamon-sugar exterior to a soft and chewy center. You will love the textural contrast!
- Flavorful: Both cinnamon and sugar add a delicate sweetness and warmth to these vegan churros.
- Simple ingredients: Using easy-to-find pantry staples, this recipe tastes just like they make it at churrerias!
If you love egg and dairy-free desserts like vegan churros, you should check out our vegan brownies, buñuelos, deep-fried Oreos, tempura ice cream, and gorditas de piloncillo.
🍫 What are vegan churros?
Churros are an iconic dessert served all over the world, especially in parts of Europe and Latin America. This popular Spanish dessert traditionally starts with a simple dough of flour, water, and salt.
The dough is piped out of a churrera and deep-fried, resulting in a golden brown and irresistibly crispy treat. You’ll likely be able to identify churros by their characteristic long, ridged shape and a satisfying combination of crispy exterior and soft, delicate interior.
They are usually coated with sugar or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, giving them a sweet and warm flavor profile. Occasionally, you may see churros formed into other shapes, such as circles, spirals, and hearts.
Other times, they are hollowed out and filled with sauces like cajeta, chocolate, cream, jam, or dulce de leche. To best enjoy these vegan churros, serve them alongside a rich and decadent dark chocolate sauce or vegan hot chocolate for dipping.
🍳 Spanish vs Mexican churros
Although the rules are not set in stone, there are a few key differences between Spanish and Mexican churros. Here are the basics:
- Spain: Spanish churros are generally made from just flour, water, and salt. They are sometimes coated in sugar and served for breakfast with either a thick hot chocolate or café con leche (coffee with milk).
- Mexico: Since their introduction to Mexico, eggs, butter, and sometimes milk have become a common addition. Churros mexicanos are served with a cinnamon-sugar coating and eaten mainly as a snack. Typical dipping sauces include chocolate, dulce de leche, and cajeta.
Fun fact: Some food historians think churros descended from a Chinese pastry, called youtiao. What do you think?
🌱 Are churros vegan?
Depending on where they’re made, churros may be vegan or not vegan. The ingredients you should be mindful of or ask about are the following:
- Eggs: In some churros mexicanos, there are eggs. If you’re ordering them out, it’s always good to ask. We don’t find eggs necessary though.
- Butter: Again, the Spanish version is made with just flour, water, and salt, so that’s what we have stuck to in this recipe. But, you can add dairy-free butter if you prefer.
- Milk: While not a common ingredient, milk or milk ingredients are sometimes found in churros, especially in restaurant or packaged varieties. We just use water.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe. You can also try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, though we haven’t made churros this way.
- Oil: For the dough and to fry the churros. Use a neutral vegetable oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, corn oil, or peanut oil.
- Cinnamon: One part of the outer coating, cinnamon provides a warm, sweet flavor. Make sure to use Ceylon cinnamon over cassia cinnamon as it’s healthier for you and tastes better.
- Sugar: Adds a delicately sweet element since the dough doesn’t contain sugar. Plus, cinnamon and sugar are part of what encompasses churros mexicanos.
- Chocolate: A typical dip for both Spanish and Mexican churros is thick hot chocolate. We use dark chocolate mixed with coconut milk for a decadent (but dairy-free) option.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make vegan churros
Step 1: Prepare the dough
Bring the water, salt, and vegetable oil to a low boil in a saucepan. Once it has come to a bowl, combine the mixture with flour and let the dough cool for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: Mix the coating
While the dough is cooling, mix the cane sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl or plate. You can also prepare a plate with just sugar to change up the coating flavor.
Step 3: Shape the churros
Fill a churrera or piping bag with the cooled dough, and attach a large star tip to form the characteristic churro ridges. If you don’t have a star tip, don’t worry! Just cut a small corner off of a freezer bag and transfer the dough in.

Step 4: Fry the churros
When deep-frying, use vegetable oil with a high smoke point. Once it has reached 350 or 375 degrees F, squeeze 2-3 pieces of dough out at a time over the pot. Cut each piece with a pair of scissors or a knife, then fry the churros until they turn golden brown.

Note: It’s ideal to use a thermometer when working with oil. If you don’t have one, test if it’s ready by dropping a small piece of dough in. If it sizzles and floats to the top, you should be good to go.
Step 5: Coat the churros
Transfer the churros out of the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate or wire cooling rack. Let them rest while you get the next batch started, then roll each piece in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Step 6: Make the chocolate
Make the chocolate sauce by melting some dark chocolate, coconut milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a double boiler over low. Serve this sauce on the side of your warm and crispy vegan churros. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making vegan churros at home, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
☕️ Serving suggestions
If you’re making a batch of vegan churros, you need something to serve with them! Other than chocolate sauce, here are some more popular dips and drinks to go alongside:
- Café de olla: A traditional Mexican coffee made with cinnamon and piloncillo.
- Champurrado: A creamy atole infused with Mexican chocolate.
- Mexican hot chocolate: Made with Mexican chocolate and spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and more.
- Dulce de leche or cajeta: Mexican caramel sauce made dairy-free.
- Jam: Experiment with fruity dips like strawberry or raspberry jam.
- Vegan condensed milk: Prepared with just coconut milk and sugar.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
If you can’t eat your vegan churros right away (we wish you luck with that), you have a few storage options. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Room temperature: Once the churros have completely cooled, wrap them in a paper towel and store them in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days.
- Fridge: We don’t recommend storing vegan churros in the fridge as they will turn soft and soggy.
- Reheat: Bake churros for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees F. If you’re using frozen dough, let it thaw completely and refer to the same instructions on our recipe card.
- Make ahead: Pipe the churro dough out onto a baking sheet and freeze it. Transfer the frozen churros to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. You can cook the churros straight from the freezer.

♻️ Variations
- Gluten-free: If you have a gluten intolerance, you can try these with a gluten-free flour brand like King Arthur Baking Company. We haven’t tried them this way, so leave a comment if you do!
- Filled: A common way of serving churros in Mexico is to hollow out the center portions and fill them with sauces like chocolate, cajeta, cheese, jam, peanut butter, etc.
- Mini: For bite-size treats, pipe out smaller portions of the churro dough.
- Pumpkin spice: For a festive spin on the traditional, try adding pumpkin spice to the dough and the coating.
- Matcha: Add a teaspoon or two of matcha powder to the dough for a vibrant green color.
- Café: Incorporate instant coffee or espresso mix into the dough.
- Sugar: Try dusting the churros with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.
- Citrusy: Add orange zest to the dough for a bright, citrusy flavor.
- Chocolatey: Add cocoa powder to the dough for decadent churros.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Let the dough cool: Before transferring it to the piping bag, let the dough cool down.
- Practice piping: Try using the churrera and piping the dough onto parchment paper before frying so you can get comfortable with the technique.
- Opt for scissors: We find scissors to be the best tool for cutting the piped dough. You can also use a serrated knife if you don’t have kitchen scissors.
- Use a thermometer: Use an oil thermometer and keep the temperature between 350-375 degrees F.
- Fry in batches: Fry the churros in small batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too low and prevent the dough from sticking.
- Go slow: Lower the churros gently into the oil so you don’t splash and burn yourself! You can also pipe them onto a baking sheet and lower them in with a slotted spoon.
- Use a slotted spoon: Use a slotted spoon or tongs to safely remove your churros from the oil and allow excess oil to drain.
- Watch the chocolate: Keep an eye on the chocolate sauce to prevent it from burning or turning grainy.
- Serve churros while hot: Serve your vegan churros immediately for the best taste and texture.
- Coat quickly: Toss the churros in the cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm to help the coating adhere.
- Use a churrera: For classic-looking churros mexicanos, splurge on a churrera to create deeper ridges. It won’t affect the flavor, but it creates crispier edges.
💬 FAQ
Churros are not typically gluten-free since they are made with all-purpose flour. You can try using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
If you don’t have a churrera or piping bag, you can use a large plastic bag with the corner cut off. This way, you’ll still achieve an even churro (just without the ridges).
Yes, you can bake the churros at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until they turn a golden-brown color. Just know that the texture and taste won’t quite live up to traditional fried churros.
You’ll know the churros are cooked completely when they turn a deep golden-brown color and feel firm to the touch.
🍴 More dessert recipes
If you enjoyed making these easy vegan churros, check out some of these other treats:
- Buñuelos: Similar to churros, but with a crispier texture and a different shape.
- Fresas con crema: Mexican-style strawberries and cream.
- Mazapan: A close relative of marzipan made with peanuts and sugar.
- Mexican chocolate milk: The more deluxe version of plain chocolate milk.
- Plátanos fritos: Sweet fried plantains served with optional cashew crema, jam, and cinnamon.
- Tempura ice cream: Dairy-free ice cream balls coated in tempura and panko, then fried until golden and crispy.
- Palanqueta: Mexican peanut brittle made with peanuts, amaranth, and piloncillo.

Best Vegan Churros (With Chocolate Sauce)
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Large stockpot
- Piping bag & large star-tip attachment
- Scissors
- Slotted spoon or tongs
Ingredients
Churros
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5-6 cups oil for frying
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Chocolate Sauce
- 50 grams dark chocolate
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Churros
- Bring the water, salt, and ¼ cup of vegetable oil to a light boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, transfer mixture into a bowl with the flour. Mix well, then let the dough cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the cinnamon sugar coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Set aside.
- Transfer the dough to a churrera or piping bag with a large star-tip attachment. Heat ~5 cups of oil (enough to fully submerge the churros) to 350-375°F in a large pot.
- If you don't have a thermometer, test if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough in. If it sizzles and floats, then you should be good to go.
- Squeeze 2-3 pieces of dough out at a time over the pot of oil (around 4-6 inches long). Cut each piece with a pair of scissors or a knife. Don't cook more than 3 at a time since the oil temperature will drop.
- Cook churros until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer them onto a paper towel-lined plate. Let them sit for about 30-60 seconds, then coat in cinnamon sugar.
Chocolate Sauce
- Melt the chocolate, coconut milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve the churros while warm with a side of chocolate. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- Let the dough cool: Before transferring it to the piping bag, let the dough cool down.
- Practice piping: Try using the churrera and piping the dough onto parchment paper before frying so you can get comfortable with the technique.
- Opt for scissors: We find scissors to be the best tool for cutting the piped dough. You can also use a serrated knife if you don’t have kitchen scissors.
- Use a thermometer: Use an oil thermometer and keep the temperature between 350-375 degrees F.
- Fry in batches: Fry the churros in small batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too low and prevent the dough from sticking.
- Go slow: Lower the churros gently into the oil so you don’t splash and burn yourself! You can also pipe them onto a baking sheet and lower them in with a slotted spoon.
- Use a slotted spoon: Use a slotted spoon or tongs to safely remove your churros from the oil and allow excess oil to drain.
- Watch the chocolate: Keep an eye on the chocolate sauce to prevent it from burning or turning grainy.
- Serve churros while hot: Serve your vegan churros immediately for the best taste and texture.
- Coat quickly: Toss the churros in the cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm to help the coating adhere.
- Use a churrera: For classic-looking churros mexicanos, splurge on a churrera to create deeper ridges. It won’t affect the flavor, but it creates crispier edges.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
Made half batch this morning. No leftover! I managed to make 15 pieces (5in long) but I want to make bigger ones next time as they looked like breadsticks. Nonetheless, they’re perfect. Thank you for this.
I was thinking of adding a bit more oil though…
Hi! Will it still be good if I cook it the night before, ready for a family getaway the next day?
Hi Rosena,
It should be fine! It might be best to transfer it to the piping bag right away and store it in your fridge this way. The next day, if it is too hard to pipe, let it warm up for a few minutes first. Let us know how it goes!
Can the batter be put in the fridge if there’s some left over?
Hi Jade,
Yes, absolutely! Just let it warm up for a few minutes before making more.
Very nice. Just finished baking them (I don’t fry food myself although I enjoy it when done by other 😉
They smell gorgeous and cinnamony.
Thank you for the recipe
Hi Brigitte, you are so welcome 🙂 Thank you for the comment!
That’s a great way to make these healthier, and definitely equally as tasty!