Apple Cider Churros

Donuts
September 15, 2020
Donuts
September 15, 2020

Apple Cider Churros

  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 15 min
  • Total time: 45 min

These perfectly spiced apple cider churros are the best sweet to whip up now that local apple cider is gracing

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Apple Cider Churros

These perfectly spiced apple cider churros are the best sweet to whip up now that local apple cider is gracing your grocery store aisles. Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce for dunking!

apple cider churros with caramel dipping sauce

Apple Cider Churros with Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

After having a hot churro on the streets of Madrid at 3 in the morning, I thought no other churro could compete with a classic cinnamon sugar churro. And don’t get me wrong, churros with chocolate sauce will always have a place in my heart, but these apple cider churros with caramel sauce are giving classic churros a run for their money. They’re perfectly spiced, salty-sweet, and the best unique dessert for Fall.  They taste exactly like an apple cider donut, but are perfectly dip-able, sweet, and super easy to make!

apple cider churros dipped in salted caramel

What are apple cider churros?

Apple cider churros are classic churros with a little extra autumnal apple cider kick. Made with cinnamon sugar, fresh apple cider, and salted caramel, these churros taste exactly like an apple cider donut in churro form. They have a crunchy exterior with a melt in your mouth center that pairs perfectly with a salted caramel sauce.

They’re basically the perfect Fall sweet to whip up next time you’re looking to knock the socks off of a friend or just treat yourself to a decadent fried sweet.

apple cider churros on a plate with caramel sauce

Tips for the best fall churros

I always thought churros were a fancy fried confection only to be enjoyed at fairs, abroad, or at bougie restaurants, but we’re about to prove you wrong. Churros are shockingly easy to make  and taste just as delectable at home as they do out a restaurant. Follow these 3 tricks and you’ll feel like you’re eating gourmet churro every time.

  • Make sure your oil is the right temperature: With fried foods it’s important that your oil is hot enough to give you a crisp, crunchy shell on the outside with a soft interior. If you have a cooking thermometer you’ll want your oil to be about 375°F. If you don’t have a thermometer–no worries! You can test that your oil is hot enough by flicking a droplet of water into your oil and seeing if it bubbles up and pops.
  • Serve them warm: Donuts are best served warm and churros are no exception. While these dippable fried donuts are still delicious at room temperature they’re other-worldly fresh out of the fryer. If you do choose to make these ahead, we recommend heating them up in the oven or in the microwave to serve them!
  • Don’t forget the salted caramel sauce: The salted caramel dipping sauce is a nonnegotiable here. It cuts the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar and takes these apple cider churros from good to SO DAMN GOOD you’ll have zero leftovers.

apple cider churros with caramel sauce in a cup

How to make salted caramel sauce:

Our famous homemade caramel sauce recipe is one of the most loved recipes on the site. And with good reason. It’s salty, sweet, easy to make, and pretty much the perfect complement to any drizzle-able dessert. We love it as layer in cake, drizzle over the top of brownies, and pour over ice cream. But, we also love to use it as an ingredient itself.

Luckily we broke it all down for you to take out any guess work. You can find our homemade caramel recipe tutorial here! You won’t need to use the whole batch for these churros, but it’s never a bad idea to have a little extra caramel in the fridge!

cinnamon sugar apple churros with caramel

apple cider churros with caramel sauce

Happy apple cider churro eating my loves! Enjoy every last cinnamon sugar-y bite!

XX

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Apple Cider Churros

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These perfectly spiced apple cider churros are the perfect sweet to whip up now that local apple cider is gracing your grocery store aisles. Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce perfect for dunking!

These perfectly spiced apple cider churros are the perfect sweet to whip up now that local apple cider is gracing your grocery store aisles. Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce perfect for dunking!

  • Author: Sarah Fennel
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: fried
  • Cuisine: american
  • Author: Sarah Fennel
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: fried
  • Cuisine: american
Units:

Ingredients

For the churros:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar & 2 teaspoons cinnamon, for coating

For the salted caramel dipping sauce:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

    1. First, make your salted caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to occasionally stir the sugar, getting to the bottom of the pan. At first the sugar will be lumpy, but will soon melt and start turning a brownish color. Don’t stir too often, just enough to keep everything evenly cooking.
    2. After 5 minutes, the sugar should become fully melted. Once it becomes a dark amber hue, remove from heat immediately and stir in butter. The mixture will violently bubble. You’re doing it right.
    3. Use your spatula to stir the butter and sugar until they melt together completely. This can take 1-2 minutes.
    4. Next, pour in the heavy cream and sea salt. Use your spatula to stir until everything is combined. Place back on the stove for about 30 seconds, stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl for dipping. You can easily reheat the sauce in the microwave in 15 second intervals.
    5. In a large, deep skillet or pot (cast iron is ideal), pour in 2-3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil to 375°F (190°C).
    6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift the flour and spices together set aside.
    7. In a shallow bowl, stir together the 3/4 cup granulated sugar with cinnamon. Set aside.
    8. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the apple cider, butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to a boil. Add in the flour mixture and stir vigorously to combine. Mixture will be thick. Allow to cool slightly.
    9. Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, slowly beat the egg into the dough, beating well b The mixture should be glossy and fairly thick.
    10. Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1M star tip. Test the oil with a small squeeze of dough. Your churro should float at the top of the oil and brown on the bottom side in about 30 seconds. Adjust the heat if necessary.
    11. Pipe roughly 3 inch strips into the oil, keeping the tip of your pastry bag 1-2 inches above the oil. To break the churros off of the pastry bag, use scissors to make clean cuts right below the tip of the bag. Drain on paper towels, then toss warm churros into the granulated sugar mixture, coating evenly.

Original post:

Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce perfect for dunking!

Everyone knows apple season. Whether that means going to an orchard to pick a bushel full or buying fresh Jonagolds at the supermarket, getting fall apples is a wonderful thing.

Just as wonderful as the apples themselves are all the delicious apple treats that appear right around the same time. From apple pies to apple muffins, apple desserts are a total hit.

So I decided to take all the flavor of apples & spice and tuck them into a soft and heavenly fried dough. The result? Apple cider churros.  

Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce perfect for dunking!

Now, I am obsessed with thick and fluffy churros. In fact, I have a phrase when describing my churros. It’s pillowy clouds. As in, these apple cider churros taste like pillowy clouds of fried goodness.

They’re the lightest churros I’ve ever eaten and the only churro recipe that I will ever need. And best of all, they’re a cinch to make.

Just in time for fall: light and airy apple cider churros with salted caramel sauce perfect for dunking!

Today I’m off to Vermont for a little getaway with Ambitious Kitchen. I won a photography contest and we’re being treated to a two day stay in the countryside! I’m so excited. Follow along on snapchat for all the details (username: sarahfennell).

Wishing you all a happy start to your week.

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