Air Fryer Churros with Caramel Cheesecake Dip

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Air fried to perfection, these golden Air Fryer Churros are coated in cinnamon sugar and served up with a side of caramel cheesecake dip. No need to break out a deep fryer or a vat of oil to get the perfect churros!

And let me tell you, the caramel cheesecake dip is just droolworthy. Rich, creamy and lick your fingers good, you'll be searching for other things to dip in it (hint: just eat it with a spoon).

Who doesn’t love a fresh warm churro coated in a sweet cinnamon sugar? No one in this household is turning down one of these when they come out of the air fryer.

Traditional churros are a popular Mexican dessert that are made with simple choux pastry fried in hot oil. However, I’m sharing with you my secret shortcut on how to make churros in the air fryer easier than finding a fair to buy some from!

We also love these Mexican hot chocolate cookies for a Southwestern flair or this air fryer cheesecake for more air fryer desserts!

These air fryer churros with a caramel cheesecake dip are super flaky and will practically melt in your mouth! Even better, you get to skip the work of piping batter into hot oil. With how easy it is, you’ll be making these air fryer desserts regularly!

Jump to:

• What is an Air Fryer?
• Why This Recipe Works
• The Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions
• What If I Don’t Have Puff Pastry?
• Expert Tips
• Common Questions
• Got Extra Puff Pastry?
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

Why This Recipe Works

1. It’s super easy thanks to our shortcut of using puff pastry. There’s no need to make a batter and piping.
2. While chocolate is a popular coating for churros, I’ve got for you a delicious caramel cheesecake dip that will have you licking the bowl!
3. It’s healthier than deep frying dough. It also saves you the effort of disposing of a pot of oil afterwards. Who doesn’t love an easy clean up dessert.

The Ingredients

For the actual air fryer churros, you only need four ingredients! But you’ll need a handful more to make the caramel cheesecake dip.

Puff pastry — Instead of making a batter, puff pastry is the best shortcut. Find it in your frozen food aisle.

Unsalted butter — You need butter to brush your churros with so that sweet, sweet, cinnamon sugar can stick on. You’ll also need butter for the dip.

Cinnamon and Sugar — This is the iconic duo that will coat your churros.

Cream cheese — You can't have cheesecake without cream cheese. Be sure to have it softened to room temperature so it can blend up easily into a dip.

Caramel sauce — Homemade caramel or store-bought caramel sauce is fine.

Marshmallow fluff — While tempting to eat this by the spoonful, marshmallow fluff is just spreadable marshmallow.

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

Let puff pastry thaw completely according to the package instructions. Cut in half lengthwise, then stack halves together.

Cut into 8 strips. To make uniform cuts, cut in half across the width of the puff pastry (see photos above).

Then, cut each half in half again, and repeat until you have 8 equal strips.

Preheat the air fryer to 370F degrees for 5 minutes. Arrange puff pastry strips in the air fryer in a single layer, making sure to leave some space between them.

Cook for 4 minutes, flip, and cook 3 more minutes.

While the churros are cooking, add cinnamon and sugar to a medium bowl and stir to combine.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and then remove the churros from the air fryer. Brush each churro with melted butter and then toss in the cinnamon sugar to coat.

For the Caramel Cheesecake Dip

While the puff pastry cooks prepare the dip by adding the cream cheese, vanilla, caramel, marshmallow fluff, 4 tablespoons of butter, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.

Mix with a hand mixer or countertop mixer on medium speed until well combined. Place into a bowl for dipping.

TIP: Make the cheesecake dip before you make the churros so you don't have to rush.

What If I Don’t Have Puff Pastry?

Don’t have puff pastry but want to make churro dough? Here are some other alternatives. Please note that your bake time may vary.

• Canned biscuit dough - 330 degrees for 6-7 minutes
• Premade pizza dough
• Frozen pie crust

Expert Tips

1. I was able to fit 8 strips at a time and did 2 batches. Your air fryer may vary.
2. Keep space between the pastry strips so they do not stick together as they will increase in size as they cook.
3. There will most likely be leftover cheesecake dip, refrigerate and use again for up to 1 week, this tastes amazing with apple slices or as a spread on toast!
4. You’ll have to work fast when the churros come out of the air fryer. The warmer they are, the better the cinnamon sugar will stick to churros.
5. Be sure to serve these air fryer churros warm!
6. To easily cut your puff pastry, use a knife or a pizza slicer. I like using a pizza cutter the best.

Common Questions

Got Extra Puff Pastry?

A box of puff pastry usually containers two sheets. This air fryer churro only uses one sheet of puff pastry. If you’re looking for a recipe to use up the second sheet? Check out these ones:

• 3 Ingredient Banana & Nutella Puff Pastry
• Apple Puff Pastry
• Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
• Puff Pastry Cinnamon Swirls

Did you make this air fryer churro recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!

Recipe