At Perfecting the Magic, we’re obsessed with bringing the very best of Disney directly to you—including amazing Disney snacks! With food prices rising and portion sizes shrinking on both coasts, making Disneyland churros at home just makes sense. While we’ll never stop snacking at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, we love that we can make delicious treats any time the craving hits us.
When we think of iconic Disney eats, our minds jump straight to churros. The Disneyland churro debuted in the 1980s and has become a park staple. It’s nearly impossible to leave a Disney park without having at least one, and the seasonal varieties always manage to draw us in. But, the classic always hits the spot; warm, crispy, sugar-coated goodness is difficult to beat!
You can find churros all over Disneyland at the churro carts. From Critter Country to just outside the Haunted Mansion—you can’t miss them. If you’ve never indulged in a fresh churro, we recommend changing that ASAP!
Since the Disneyland churro is so iconic, we knew we wanted to find the very best recipe to share with our PTM readers. We found a recent video from Joshua Weissman’s “but better” series in our search. Weissman totally nailed the famous Disneyland churro, and his results were undeniable. To limit ingredients and make everything a bit more accessible, PTM made tweaks of our own that provide additional customizable options for home cooks so that everyone can join in on the fun!
Let’s jump on into the recipe! We’ll be eating churros in no time!
Custom Churros
Fresh iterations of Disney churros are constantly popping up in the parks through seasonal options. The possibilities are endless. From hot chocolate, strawberry, gingerbread, and candy-coated concoctions, there’s something for everyone. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your churros!
Skip the cinnamon and add strawberry pop rocks you’ve run through a food processor for a strawberry treat. Add sweetened cocoa powder to your sugar to give a hot chocolate twist, or drizzle with marshmallow cream and top with candies. You truly can make these at-home churros your very own.
Recipe Notes
One of the most important things to keep in mind when making your churros is that they’re supposed to be fun! We may have taken the extra step to fill a few of our churros with caramel custard cream, but you don’t have to be that extra! They tasted the same when dipped in the filling, and we’re not sure the work of stuffing each churro was necessary.
Whether you have your churros plain, sugared, stuffed, or dipped, they’re bound to be delicious. We found that simple chocolate syrup (the kind you’ll find in any grocery store) provided an excellent dipping sauce, too! So, if you’re short on time, skip the caramel cream steps altogether. We promise the results are just as good, and you’ll save yourself some cleanup!
Follow along with Weissman’s video to better understand the steps, but follow PTM’s measurement and ingredient modifications, as they’ll save you a bit of time.
Disneyland Churros at Home, Modified from Joshua Weissman
The Ingredients
Tools
Deep non-stick pan in which to fry in
Tongs
Piping bag with a star tip for the churro shape
Kitchen scissors or knife
Cooking thermometer
Churro Dough
1 cup water
½ cup salted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs
Canola oil for frying
The (Optional) Caramel Custard Filling/Dip
3 egg yolks
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
*Optional chocolate sauce for dipping
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Directions
Step One
Mix your cinnamon and sugar together in a large and shallow bowl and set aside for later.
Step Two
To begin making your churro dough, add your vanilla extract to a pot with high sides. Add in water, butter, sugar, and almond extract. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil softly and the butter is melted. Add in your flour and stir until dough is formed and thick. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Step Three
Place cooled churro dough in the bowl and begin beating in your eggs, one at a time. Beat until silky and smooth and transfer into a piping bag with a metal star tip. Fill completely.
Step Four
Add two inches of oil to the pot and heat until 360 degrees. Test with a cooking thermometer. Carefully pipe one churro into oil at a time, using scissors to cut your desired length. Do not crowd pan. Flip and cook through until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Step Five
Toss warm churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. If filling Churros with caramel dip, use a clean piping bag and small metal tip to fill cooked churros with filling. Serve with chocolate dipping sauce (any brand will do)!
Step Six
If you’re looking to save time and experience the same taste, serve the filling as a caramel dip and enjoy!
Recipe Card
Stay Connected
What are your favorite Disney treats? What would you like Perfecting the Magic to recreate next? Tag us on Instagram and TikTok. We can’t wait to see your suggestions and look forward to connecting with you!
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