Easy Vegan Churros with Homemade Chocolate Sauce

There's something special about homemade churros when the dough is perfectly soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, and the balance of cinnamon and sugar is spot on. Better yet, a homemade chocolate sauce rich in taste without the dairy to dip your churros in is the real winner, and with this recipe, you'll enjoy this full experience. Churros are super simple to make and tap into your creative side. All you need is five minutes to prep and twist the dough, and add the cinnamon sugar – it doesn't get easier than this.

Recipe Developer: Broke Bank Vegan

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rest Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Easy Vegan Churros

Serves 14

Ingredients

For the Churros:

• 2 cups water ($0.01)
• 1 teaspoon salt ($0.02)
• ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil ($0.08)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.14)
• 5-6 cups oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar:

• ½ cup granulated sugar ($0.04)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon ($0.08)

Chocolate Sauce:

• 50 g dark chocolate bar ($1.92)
• ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk ($0.20)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla optional
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional

Instructions

For the Churros

1. To begin, bring the water, salt, and ¼ cup of vegetable oil to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, remove the mixture from heat and pour into a mixing bowl with the flour. Mix until well-combined, then let the dough cool for about 15 minutes.
   In the meantime, make the cinnamon sugar coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Set aside.
2. Once it has cooled, transfer the dough to a churrera or piping bag with a large star-tip attachment. Let it cool for another 15-20 minutes in your fridge. Then, bring 5-6 cups of vegetable oil (enough to fully submerge the churros) to 350-375°F in a deep pot.
   It's ideal to use a thermometer when working with oil. If you don't have one, test if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough in. If it sizzles and floats to the top, then you should be good to go.
3. 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. Note: don't cook more than 3 at a time since the oil temperature will drop too much.
4. Fry the churros until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, remove each one from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate. Leave them for about 30-60 seconds before rolling in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

For the Chocolate Sauce

1. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate, coconut milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted, then transfer to a serving dish.\
2. Alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate sauce ingredients in a heat-safe bowl for 10-15 second increments. Be careful to stop and stir frequently as it's easier to burn the chocolate in the microwave.
3. Serve the churros while warm with a side of chocolate sauce for a crispy, Mexican-style treat!

Nutritionals

Calories 283 | Total Fat 18.2g | Saturated Fat 4.2g | Sodium 173mg | Total Carbohydrates 28.8g | Dietary Fiber 4.9g | Total Sugars 9.6g | Protein 3.3g | Calcium 16mg | Iron 1mg | Potassium 325mg |