Churro Donuts are fluffy baked donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with dulce de leche. These donuts can be ready in about 30 minutes and are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack!
Baked donuts are one of my favorite treats to make and these Churro Donuts are no exception. They are so easy to make, are baked instead of fried, made without yeast, and the flavors can be easily switched up. These Blueberry Donuts are another one of my favorites!
Places like Cacao 70, Toasted Yolk, and Tim Hortons make churro donuts that we know and love, but this recipe makes them accessible and easy to make at home!
If you're looking for more donut recipes check out these Oreo Donuts, Coffee Donuts, or Chocolate Glazed Donuts.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- There is no yeast in these Churro Donuts, so there is no waiting for them to rise. If you're interested in trying out a yeasted recipe look no further than my White Bread Recipe!
- From start to finish this recipe takes about 30 minutes. My Fudgy Brownies do as well.
- They aren't fried which mean so mess from the oil and they are healthier for you.
- They are so easy to throw together for a fun snack or a delicious breakfast treat.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Full-fat sour cream will make the donuts extra moist and fluffy.
- Ground Cinnamon will add flavor to the topping. I also use a cinnamon sugar topping in my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk will be heated up until a thick caramel forms, also known as dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is also in my Churro Macarons.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream.
- You can add chocolate chips to add even more flavor. Just like I do in my Chocolate Stuffed Cookies.
- You can use store bought caramel or dulce de leche instead of making your own.
- If you prefer a mini donut recipe you can use a mini donut pan.
- Cocoa Powder can be added to the base of the donuts to make chocolate churro donuts.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Dulce De Leche
There are several ways to make dulce de leche. I used a "shortcut" method where you just heat up sweetened condensed milk in the instant pot. I will link all of the ways that you can make it below.
- Make dulce de leche from scratch.
- Dulce de leche with sweetened condensed milk on the stovetop.
- Make dulce de leche in the oven.
- Dulce de leche in the instant pot. This is the method I used.
- Make dulce de leche in the crockpot.
Baked Donuts
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray your donut mold with non-stick spray and set it aside.
STEP 2: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Be sure there are no lumps.
STEP 3: In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients.
STEP 4: Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon or pipe the batter into your molds and fill them up about ¾ of the way to the top.
STEP 5: Place your donuts in the pre-heated oven. They usually take about 15-17 minutes to bake, but I started checking them around 10 minutes to see if the pan needs to be turned. You’ll know they are finished when you lightly press on a donut and it springs back. Remove from the oven and let the baked donuts cool in the molds until cool enough to remove. Then cool the donuts completely before rolling in cinnamon sugar.
STEP 6: In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
STEP 7: When the donuts have mostly cooled roll each donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat fully. Transfer the dulce de leche to a piping bag fitted with a small piping tip or use a spoon to drizzle the dulce de leche over each donut.
Expert Tips
- Use a silicone mold. There a million donut molds out there, but I prefer silicone molds by a long shot. They make it so easy to remove the donuts after baking.
- Don't overmix. If you want tender and fluffy donuts make sure you only mix as much as you need to. Overmixing the batter will make the baked donuts tough.
- Use a piping bag to fill your mold. This is not necessary, but it will give your donuts a much cleaner looked and it's easier to fill the molds this way.
- Oil the donut mold. A must! Oiling the mold will make it much easier to remove the donuts and clean the molds.
Recipe FAQ's
I wouldn't recommend it. Donuts are best eaten the same day that they are made.
You can, however, make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it or freeze it (depending on how far ahead of time you are making the donut batter), and then bake the donuts when you are ready to eat them.
Baked donuts are denser and cakier than a fried donut, but they don't lack any flavor.
Room Temperature: Churro Donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, though they are really best the day they are baked.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Churro Donuts or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Churro Donuts
Ingredients
For Donuts:
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup (114 grams) full-fat sour cream
- 2 ½ tablespoons (35 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
For Topping:
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For Dulce De Leche:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
For Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray your donut mold with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients, make sure the melted butter has cooled or it will curdle the sour cream and cook the egg.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well combined. The dough will be much thicker than you think it will be, so don’t be alarmed. Also, be sure not to overmix your dough or your baked donuts will be tough.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into your molds and fill them up to the top. If you’re using a silicone mold, place it on a cookie sheet before you put them in the oven, this will make it easier to get them in and out of the oven.
- Place your donuts in the pre-heated oven. They usually take about 15-17 minutes to bake, but I started checking them around 10 minutes to see if the pan needs to be turned. You’ll know they are finished when you lightly press on a donut and it springs back.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and allow to cool.
For Topping:
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
For Dulce De Leche:
- Use whatever method you prefer for making dulce de leche. I listed all of them in the post above. I used the instant pot method
For Assembly:
- When the donuts have mostly cooled roll each donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat fully.
- Transfer the dulce de leche to a piping bag fitted with a small piping tip or use a spoon to drizzle the dulce de leche over each donut.
Notes
- Don't overmix. If you want tender and fluffy donuts make sure you only mix as much as you need to. Overmixing the batter will make the baked donuts tough.
- Oil the donut mold. A must! Oiling the mold will make it much easier to remove the donuts and clean the molds.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Erica says
How would you recommend storage if I'm making these a day ahead of time??
Ellie Haley says
Room Temperature: Churro Donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, though they are really best the day they are baked.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
Maryam says
I've tried this recipe twice and both times I loved it! I love churros but don't like making them because they're deep fried, which is why this recipe is perfect since you get your churro fix with only having to BAKE them! Will definitely be making these often
Ellie Haley says
Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved them!