Here’s the best dessert ever: Churro Ice cream Sandwiches! Creamy vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched in between cinnamon-sugar coated fried dough is going to be your new addiction. Jazz these treats up even more with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
And if you’re out of ice cream at the moment, here’s a step-by-step guide to making regular Churros with a chocolate sauce and dulce de leche.
Churros have always been one of my favorite desserts, and I’ll never say no to ice cream. Sandwich the two together (literally) and it’s truly an experience. Crisp, sugary, fried dough with soft and creamy ice cream — these Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches practically melt in your mouth.
They’re also such a fun dessert to get creative with.
Churro Ice Cream Sandwich variations
- Swap the ice cream. We love a good, high-quality vanilla bean ice cream, but other flavors are equally amazing. Salted caramel truffle gelato is a personal favorite, but any caramel ice cream is perfect for these sandwiches. Dulce de leche ice cream is also a great complement to the churros and keeps with the Mexican theme.
- Add chocolate sauce. If you use vanilla ice cream, you may want to add in a little chocolate sauce. I include a chocolate sauce in this recipe, which is very simple to make — just chocolate and heavy cream. I recommend drizzling the chocolate on top, but you could smear the chocolate sauce on the inside of the churros before adding the ice cream.
- Add dulce de leche sauce. If you aren’t a fan of chocolate, try adding a dulce de leche sauce either smeared on the churros or drizzled on top. My homemade (cheater) dulce de leche sauce follows.
Homemade dulce de leche:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup full-fat, regular, sweetened condensed milk
In a medium-sized pot, combine 1 cup cream, 1 cup dark brown sugar, and set the heat to medium. Stir while sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a slow boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces down to 1 cup (~10 minutes).
Once it has reduced, stir in 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and mix until everything is well combined. Let stand at room temperature to continue to thicken while making the churros. Serve the sauce warm and reheat it in the microwave if it starts to get too thick.
Tips for making Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Only fry 3 churro rounds at a time. If the oil is crowded with dough, it will lower the oil temperature and cause uneven cooking.
- Roll the fried churros rounds in the cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately after draining off excess oil; otherwise, the cinnamon-sugar mixture won’t stick.
- Don’t overmix the churro dough; this will cause tough churros (instead of soft, light, and fluffy ones).
- Have the sauces ready to fill up/garnish the churro rounds as soon as they’re fried and dredged in sugar.
- Keep the ice cream sandwiches small. These are a bit overwhelming to eat if they’re bigger than 2 to 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter.
Troubleshooting the churro dough
I use a Wilton 1M open star tip. Smaller baking tips will create thinner churro dough that cooks very quickly and yield crispy churros (without a soft interior).
I also recommend using heavy-duty (or cloth/canvas) pastry bags when piping the dough; this will keep the bags from splitting from the heat/pressure of the dough.
Most problems are caused by the oil being too hot. If the dough is underdone (or even raw), but golden brown on the outside, the oil is too hot.
I highly recommend using a candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature. The thermometer clues you into sightly increasing or decreasing the heat when frying. This is a game changer for frying churros!
Why are my churros too chewy or too crispy?
- If the churro is chewier than you’d like, it needs to cook longer to get that crispy exterior. But, if cooking longer will burn the outside, you need to lower the oil temperature.
- If the churro is too crispy or brittle, it was overcooked (or the dough was overmixed). Either cook them for less time or lower the oil temperature.
Why is it hard to roll the circles?
Sometimes the dough can be sticky and difficult to roll the circles. If this is the case, let the dough rest in the freezer for about 10 minutes and try again. It’s also very important to roll the dough out on parchment paper so it’s easier to put together.
Number One tip: The key to the BEST Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches is to eat them as hot and fresh out of the fryer as possible. Dredge the churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, let cool for 30 seconds, then add in the ice cream and eat! This makes the ice cream melt quickly, but it’s really just more incentive to eat it quickly and get another one! Quick Tip
More delicious ice cream treats
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake only four ingredients
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars edible (food-safe) cookie dough bars
- Brownie Oreo Ice Cream Bars reader favorite recipe!
- Ice Cream Pie with a graham cracker crust
- Mango Sorbet made in an ice cream maker
Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches
Here's the best dessert ever: Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches! Creamy vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched in between cinnamon-sugar-coated fried dough is going to be your new addiction! Jazz these treats up even more with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Churros
- 1/2 cup (130g) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (110g) water
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) white all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract (or plain vanilla extract)
- 3 large eggs
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup (46g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Chocolate Sauce/Ganache (Optional)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
For serving
- Good-quality vanilla bean ice cream or caramel/dulce de leche ice cream or ice cream of choice
Instructions
- CHURRO DOUGH: In a small to medium-sized pot over medium heat, combine the 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 8 tablespoons butter. Mix until the butter is melted and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. As soon as the mixture boils, add the 1 and 1/4 cup flour. Reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute and then remove from heat.
- CHURRO DOUGH, CONT.: Using a rubber spatula, continue to mix (and press out any lumps) until the dough is smooth, another 30 seconds or so (don't overmix dough). Let the dough cool for 5 minutes and then stir in the vanilla and one egg. It will seem hard to mix and gluey, but mix until it comes together. Add another egg and stir until incorporated. Add the final egg and combine again. Keep stirring and it will come together. As soon as it's cohesive, stop stirring; don't overmix.
- PIPING CHURRO DOUGH: Transfer the churro dough to a large canvas or cloth piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Line a large pan with parchment paper (don't skip the parchment!) and pipe long strips (10 inches) of the dough and roll each strip into a round. Alternatively, pipe the dough int rounds as it comes out of the pastry bag (just keep the rounds about 2-2.5 inches wide). Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes, or place in the freezer.
- DEEP FRYER PREP: In the meantime, preheat a deep fryer (or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat) to 350 degrees F. I recommend using a candy thermometer to monitor the oil temperature and keep it consistent.
- CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING: While the oil is coming up to temperature, stir together the 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Set out a large plate lined with a few paper towels.
- FRY CHURRO ROUNDS: Once oil reaches 350 degrees F, place 2-3 churro rounds at a time in the deep fryer or pot. Allow the churros to fry until they are golden brown, flipping about halfway through the cooking time (about 4-6 minutes total). Use a wire skimmer or fork to remove the churro rounds onto the plate lined with paper towels.
- COAT IN CINNAMON SUGAR: Place the hot churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat evenly with the sugar.
- ADD ICE CREAM: While still very warm, make the sandwiches by placing a small scoop of ice cream on one churro round, and top with another. Enjoy ice cream sandwiches immediately.
- OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE GANACHE: If you want to add a chocolate ganache to the sandwich, prepare it by microwaving the heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl until very hot-- 45 seconds to a minute. Pour in the dark chocolate chips and stir until smooth and creamy. Dip the sandwich in the ganache or drizzle the chocolate over (or spread it on the churro rounds before filling with ice cream).
- STORAGE: Fried churros don't store well or keep nicely; it's best if these churros are eaten immediately. The dough (unfried) can keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to a day.
Recipe Notes
Note 1:
- Only fry 3 churros rounds at a time. If the oil is crowded with dough, it will lower the oil temperature and cause uneven cooking.
- Roll the fried churro rounds in the cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately after draining off excess oil; otherwise the cinnamon sugar mixture won’t stick.
- Don’t over mix the churro dough; this causes tough churros (instead of soft, light, and fluffy ones).
- Have any sauces you're making and ice cream ready to fill up/garnish the churro rounds as soon as they're fried and dredged in sugar.
- Keep the sandwiches small. These are a bit overwhelming to eat if they're bigger than 2 to 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter.
Nutrition
Serving: 6ice cream sandwiches | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10.9g | Cholesterol: 115.4mg | Sodium: 48.6mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 37.2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these ice cream sandwiches be pre-made and kept wrapped in the freezer?
Unfortunately not, these are best eaten right after they’re made!
HOLY COW-these look so darned incredible! yum yum yum
I have ALWAYS wanted to visit the churro bourough but now I am so excited to make these at home! They look incredible Chelsea!
wow these are so cute, and I had churros and ice cream in Mexico and its a killer combo!
My goodness, I need a moment to appreciate how incredible these are. Mind. Blown right now because hot churros + cold ice cream and that ridiculously perfect cinnamon and sugar coating?? So much yes! Incredible photos too, ice cream on it’s own can be a challenge and then you threw hot churros in the mix!
These look and sound fabulous. I LOVE CHURROS. Now I have to decide which recipe to make first; these OR your completely decadent looking churro ice cream bars!
Holy churro these look amazing! If you’re ever in LA or NYC, you have to try Rosa Mexicano’s churros! THE BEST. I’m definitely pinning these for later. Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Chelsea, this looks awesome! I love churros and ice cream, this is so perfect!
Whoa now! I would devour one (or two!) of these! They sound fantastic Chelsea! I’ve never had churros and ice cream together which is something I clearly need to fix!
These.are.adorable!