✔ Updated · fixed card amounts, oil temperature tips + a 5-minute chocolate dip
These Bisquick churros are the shortcut I reach for when the churro craving hits: a 1-minute dough, piped straight into hot oil and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Crisp ridges outside, soft and tender inside, and ready in about 35 minutes.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the oil at 375°F. Too cool and the churros soak up grease; too hot and they brown before the middle cooks.
Why You'll Love These Churros
- Four pantry ingredients: Bisquick, hot water, sugar and cinnamon. No choux pastry, no eggs to beat in.
- Real churro texture: crisp, star-ridged outsides with a soft, cakey middle.
- Fast enough for a weeknight treat: the dough takes a minute and each batch fries in 3.
What Makes Bisquick Churros Work?
Classic churros start with a cooked flour and water dough. Bisquick skips that step because the flour, leavening, salt and fat are already mixed in, so hot water turns it into a soft, pipeable dough in about a minute.
The result is a churro with crisp, crunchy ridges and a slightly cakey middle. My test for any shortcut is simple: does it taste like the treat I remember, and can a home cook make it reliably? These pass both. For more ideas with the same box, see my Bisquick desserts roundup.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Use a thermometer. I clip one to the pan and keep the oil between 360°F and 375°F. Churros fried in cooler oil come out greasy and pale, and nobody wants a soggy churro.
- Use a big star tip. The ridges are not just for looks: they give you more crunchy edges and help the churros cook through. A small tip makes skinny churros that overbrown.
- Hot water makes the dough soft. It loosens the fat in the mix so the dough pipes smoothly. If it's too stiff to squeeze, stir in hot water a teaspoon at a time.
- Snip, don't pull. Kitchen scissors give a clean end. Dip them in the oil first and the dough won't stick to the blades.
- Sugar them while warm. The cinnamon sugar only sticks to a warm churro. Lucy is on cinnamon-sugar duty at our house and she rolls them the second they come off the paper towels, which is exactly right.
- Fry in small batches. Four or five at a time keeps the oil hot. Crowd the pan and the temperature drops fast.
Easy Bisquick Churros
24
churros15
minutes20
minutes100
kcal35
minutesCrisp, ridged churros made from a quick Bisquick and hot water dough, piped into 375°F oil, fried golden and rolled in cinnamon sugar while warm.
Ingredients
- For the Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- For the Churros
3 1/4 cups Bisquick Original baking mix
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup hot water (very hot from the tap or just off the boil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
about 6 cups vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Directions
- Get Ready
- Pour 2 to 3 inches of oil into a heavy 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat to 375°F (190°C), checking with a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer.
- While the oil heats, stir the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon together in a shallow dish. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it by the stove.
- Make and Pipe the Dough
- In a medium bowl, stir the Bisquick, 1 tablespoon sugar, hot water and vanilla with a sturdy spoon until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 1 minute. It should be thick but pipeable.
- Spoon the dough into a strong piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (about 1/2 inch, such as a Wilton 1M). Twist the top closed.
- Pipe 5-inch strips straight into the hot oil, snipping each one off at the tip with kitchen scissors. Fry 4 or 5 at a time so the oil stays near 375°F.
- Fry and Coat
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning often with tongs, until deep golden brown and crisp all over.
- Lift the churros out with tongs or a spider, let the oil drip off and drain them on the paper towels for 30 seconds.
- Roll the warm churros in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Let the oil come back to 375°F before the next batch. Serve warm, with chocolate sauce for dipping if you like.
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Easy Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Churros and chocolate belong together. Warm 1/2 cup heavy cream until it steams, pour it over 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) chopped semisweet chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then whisk until glossy. A pinch of cinnamon or a drop of vanilla is lovely in it.
Other dips I like: dulce de leche or caramel sauce, Nutella warmed for 10 seconds, or a mug of thick hot chocolate in the Spanish style. If you love churros, try my churro waffles and the Disney-style churros too.
Storing and Reheating Churros
- Best fresh: churros are at their crispiest within an hour of frying.
- Room temperature: keep leftovers loosely covered for up to 1 day. An airtight box makes them soft.
- Freezer: freeze plain (uncoated) fried churros in a single layer, then bag them for up to 1 month.
- Reheat: 3 to 5 minutes in a 350°F oven or air fryer (8 to 10 minutes from frozen), then roll in fresh cinnamon sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make churros with Bisquick?
Yes. Bisquick already contains flour, leavening, salt and fat, so you only add hot water and a little sugar to get a pipeable dough. The churros come out crisp outside and soft inside, a little more cakey than classic choux-style churros.
Why are my Bisquick churros raw in the middle?
The oil was too hot or the churros were too thick. Keep the oil at about 375°F, use a 1/2-inch star tip and pipe strips no longer than 5 inches. If the outside browns in under a minute, lower the heat a little.
Can I make Bisquick churros without a piping bag?
Yes. Spoon the dough into a sturdy zip-top freezer bag and snip off one corner to about a 1/2-inch opening. You lose the star ridges, so the churros are a bit less crunchy, but they still taste great.
Can I bake or air fry Bisquick churros?
You can, but they will be more like soft cinnamon breadsticks than crisp churros. Pipe them onto parchment, brush or spray with oil and air fry at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then brush with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
How do you reheat leftover churros?
Churros are best within an hour of frying. Leftovers keep in a loosely covered container at room temperature for a day. Reheat them in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes to bring back the crunch, then re-roll in cinnamon sugar.
