Air Fryer Churros

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).

Traditional fried 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 baked churros in the air fryer easier without using a piping bag!

This churro recipe with a caramel cheesecake dip are super flaky and will practically melt in your mouth - these are the best air fryer churros! 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!

We also love these Mexican chocolate marshmallow cookies for a Southwestern flair!

Why this air fryer churros recipe works

• It’s super easy thanks to our shortcut of using puff pastry. There’s no need to make a batter and piping.
• 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!
• 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

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

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 and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

*You can also use Nutella, chocolate sauce, whipped cream or dulche de leche as a dipping sauce.

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°F for 6-7 minutes
• Premade pizza dough
• Frozen pie crust

What to do with 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:

• Banana nutella puff pastry
• Apple puff pastry
• Ham and cheese puff pastry
• Puff pastry cinnamon swirls

Step by step instructions to make churros

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

2. 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.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes. Arrange puff pastry strips in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure to leave some space between them. Air fryer the churros for 4 minutes, flip, and cook 3 more minutes.

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

5. 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.

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

7. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and then remove the churros from the air fryer. Brush each churro with melted butter.

8. Coat the churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture on all sides. Serve with the cheesecake dip.

Expert tips

1. I was able to fit 8 strips at a time and did 2 batches. Your air fryer may vary depending on size.
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.

Frequently asked questions

More air fryer recipes

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