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Inspired by Chocolatería San Ginés 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain Kid-friendly

Churros con Chocolate

Crisp, golden churros and a cup of chocolate thick enough to stand a spoon in

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Yield
About 16 churros and 4 cups of chocolate
Level
Intermediate
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The legend behind it

Spaniards have eaten fried dough for centuries, and churros became a fixture of Madrid street stalls and cafés in the nineteenth century. Where the name comes from is uncertain. One popular theory says the ridged shape looked like the curly horns of the Churra sheep of the Spanish plains, but that is folklore rather than fact. What is certain is the Madrid ritual: churros dipped in a cup of hot chocolate so thick it is almost a pudding.

The best-known place for it is Chocolatería San Ginés, tucked into a narrow passage off Calle del Arenal near the Puerta del Sol. It has served churros con chocolate since 1894, and for much of its history stayed open through the night, feeding theatregoers, early risers and people heading home after a night out. Its green-and-white tiles and marble tables are one of the city's best-known sights.

This is our home version inspired by San Ginés, not their recipe. Madrid churros are a simple dough of flour, water and salt, piped through a star tip and fried until crisp, and they have only a little sugar. The chocolate gets its thickness from a spoonful of cornstarch. Children love helping pipe the dough, but leave the frying to an adult.

This is our own home recipe inspired by the dessert served at Chocolatería San Ginés. It is not the official recipe and we are not affiliated with Chocolatería San Ginés.

Tips for success

  • Use a star tip. The ridges make the churros crisp, and smooth dough can burst in the hot oil.
  • Keep the oil at 375°F (190°C). If it is cooler, the churros come out greasy and pale.
  • Madrid churros are not rolled in cinnamon sugar. Add some if you like that style, but the plain version lets the chocolate stand out.
  • The chocolate thickens as it stands. Whisk in a splash of milk to loosen it.

Churros con Chocolate

A Spanish churros con chocolate recipe inspired by Madrid's Chocolatería San Ginés: crisp, ridged churros with thick hot chocolate for dipping, made at home in about 40 minutes.

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Yield
About 16 churros and 4 cups of chocolate
Calories
~450/serving

Ingredients

For the Spanish hot chocolate

For the churros

Instructions

Make the chocolate

  1. Whisk the cornstarch into 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the cold milk until smooth.
  2. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Add the chocolate, sugar and salt and whisk until melted.
  3. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and simmer gently, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat a spoon heavily. Keep warm over the lowest heat.

Make the dough

  1. Bring the water, olive oil, sugar and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Take it off the heat, add all the flour at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon until a smooth, stiff ball forms.
  2. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes, then pack it into a sturdy piping bag or churro maker fitted with a large open star tip (about 1/2 inch / 1.2 cm).

Fry

  1. Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in a heavy pot to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Pipe 5-inch (12 cm) lengths straight into the oil, snipping them off with scissors. Fry 4 or 5 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp.
  3. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with sugar if you like. Serve right away with cups of the warm chocolate for dipping.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/churros-con-chocolate

Questions, answered

What is the difference between Spanish and Mexican churros?

Spanish churros are usually made from flour, water and salt, served plain or lightly sugared, with thick hot chocolate. Mexican churros often have eggs or butter in the dough and are rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Why do my churros explode in the oil?

Air pockets in the dough expand in the hot oil. A star tip, firmly packed dough and oil that isn't too hot all help prevent it.

What is Spanish hot chocolate made of?

Milk, dark chocolate, a little sugar and a spoonful of cornstarch, which makes it thick enough to dip churros in.

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