These Churro Bites have just three ingredients and can be made in the air fryer OR in the oven. These flaky bites are coated in cinnamon-sugar and dipped in warm chocolate or caramel sauce....yes, please!!
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Churros are the perfect way to finish off any meal with a Mexican flair. They're chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a chocolate or caramel dipping sauce.
As much as I love churros, I'll admit, I've never made the real thing. They probably aren't really that difficult to make, but I'm just not one to do much deep fat frying.
One day I had some leftover puff pastry and decided to try making these "churro bites." My husband and I couldn't stop eating them. They were SO delicious and down-right addicting.
Now that I've got an air fryer, I love experimenting with "fried foods".....without frying them. Although I love these churro bites when they're baked in the oven, they're super duper good (and a little more crispy!) in the air fryer.
What ingredients do I need to make Churro Bites?
If you don't already have all of the ingredients at home, no worries, because you'll be in and out of the grocery store in a jiffy! With just three ingredients (plus optional dipping sauce), you'll be in and out in minutes.
PUFF PASTRY: My grocery store typically only has the Pepperidge Farm brand, and that's totally fine, because it's deeeelish! Please note that phyllo dough is NOT the same thing and shouldn't be substituted for the puff pastry. Each box comes with two sheets of puff pastry, so you can either make it all at once or cook one now and save the other for later.
SUGAR and CINNAMON: A churro without sugar and cinnamon simply wouldn't be a churro! 🙂 The sugar and cinnamon combination is what the puff pastry is rolled in after air frying. I love the added texture it brings to the little bites!
CARAMEL and/or CHOCOLATE SAUCE: A dipping sauce is completely optional for these Churro Bites, but I would highly recommend it!
Can you cook pastry in the air fryer?
Puff pastry actually cooks great in the air fryer! The pastry puffs up really nice and creates a delicious crunch on the outside of the bites.
As I mention in the recipe, because the flaky pastry is so light, it will move around while cooking. Therefore I recommend shaking the basket to make sure they're not stuck together about halfway through.
How do you store leftover Churro Bites?
These tasty little morsels are SO much better fresh out of the air fryer (or oven) than having them as leftovers. However, if you do end up with leftovers, let the cool completely and store them in an air-tight container. They will loose some of their crunch as they sit, though.
If you love these churros, you're also sure to love my moist and flavorful Pumpkin Churro Mini Muffins!
And what you've been waiting for... the Churro Bites recipe! Enjoy!
Churro Bites - Air Fryer OR Oven!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- ½ c sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- caramel and/or chocolate dipping sauce optional
Instructions
- Let the puff pastry set at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften it slightly, or until pliable enough to open the folds.
- Lay the puff pastry flat and cut into 144 little squares (cut 12 strips one way and 12 strips the other way to make 144).
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- To cook in the AIR FRYER: Spread some of the puff pastry squares on the rack of the air fryer, making sure they aren't overlapping. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to make a couple batches). Air fry for 4 minutes on 375°F; give the basket a shake (these are really light, so they might move around in the basket because of the air circulation). Air fry for another 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
- To bake in the OVEN: Spread the puff pastry squares out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until the tops of the squares are golden brown.
- Remove the puff pastry squares from the air fryer/oven and place them in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar. Carefully stir until all pieces are coated.
- Serve with warm caramel or chocolate sauce, if desired.
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Dance Around the Kitchen” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck
Denise Browning says
These churro bites look to die for!
Kelsey says
Thanks Denise! They really are - so simple and SO delish!!!
Patricia Vergara says
Do the squares bake sturdy enough to fill? Like a jelly donut? Im curios to make churro cheesecake bites..