Heat the water, butter, sugar, and salt

Add water, butter, sugar, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and everything looks friendly and combined. Don’t let it boil aggressively—gentle heat, calm vibes.

Add the flour like you mean it

Dump in the flour all at once and stir fast. The dough will look weird and clumpy at first. Keep stirring until it forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides. Congrats, you’re doing choux pastry now.

Cool slightly, then add egg and vanilla

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, then stir hard. Yes, it’ll look like a disaster briefly. Keep going—it’ll smooth out. Do not panic-stir.

Prep the oil

Heat oil in a deep pan to about 175–180°C (350°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a tiny bit of dough in. If it sizzles and floats, you’re golden. Literally.

Pipe or shape the churros

Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a star tip. No piping bag? Use a zip-top bag and cut the corner. Pipe strips directly into the oil, cutting with scissors. Short churros are easier to manage FYI.

Fry until gloriously crispy

Fry in batches. Don’t crowd the pan—churros need personal space. Cook until deep golden brown, turning occasionally. This takes about 3–4 minutes per batch.

Drain and sugar immediately

Remove churros and drain on paper towels. While still hot, roll them in cinnamon sugar. Hot churros = sugar sticks better. This is not the time to wait.

Repeat and resist eating them all immediately

Or don’t resist. I won’t judge.