A popular dessert worldwide, churros are known for their sweet and crunchy taste that leaves consumers wanting more! Despite its controversial origin, the Churro continues to be one of the most debated desserts in the culinary industry due to its complicated family tree that spans various cultures. There are different stories about how churros originated in each country that eats them.
But do you know what makes Churros so unique? Maybe it is because they are perfectly warm and complement a hot chocolate sauce, or perhaps it’s their intense cheese and fruit fillings, depending on where they are made. But, mostly, it is because sugar and cinnamon pair so well with dulce de leche.
If you want to find out where you can easily find churros, check out our list below. Here are 15 countries where churros are popular.
1. Spain
The Spanish love to eat churros in restaurants or chocolatiers while chatting with friends. In Spain, churros are curved, sometimes smooth, airy, and thin, and served with a chocolate dipping sauce.
You may already know that the Spaniards didn’t bring cacao to Europe until they returned from America. Eventually, people learned that the best way to enjoy churros was to dip them in hot, thick chocolate sauce. As a result, it’s now a tradition in Spain to eat churros with chocolate during Christmas.
2. Portugal
There is a theory that Portuguese sailors brought the Churro to Spain after discovering a similar snack called Youtiao in China. In Portugal, there are two slightly different snacks to regular churros: Porra and Fartura. The latter is a traditional Portuguese dessert, a combination of churros and funnel cake popular throughout Portugal and super tasty!
3. Mexico
Churros were brought to Mexico by the Spanish and have found a second home there. This snack consists of fried dough made from flour, water, and salt. The cake is served plain, with a sugar coating, or with a sugar and cinnamon mixture. But, of course, the best way to enjoy churros in Mexico is with a side of chocolate.
Churros are a sweet Mexican treat available both at high-end restaurants and on street corners throughout Mexico. Mexico City’s El Moro, established in 1935, is one of the most famous churrerias in the Americas. There are both Mexican and Spanish churros available, as well as different kinds of hot chocolate. This classic gem is worth the visit since you can watch bakers make churros while you wait.
4. Brazil
Street vendors typically sell the best churros in Brazil. They can be filled with fudge or dulce de leche and finished by sprinkling candies on top.
The Brazilian Churro is a fresh doughnut made in a prism shape. This process has been honed throughout the years to create a vibrant ambiance for customers. A variation of this is “The Works,” which is a churro with dulce de leche in the center, dulce de leche and fudge on top, and M&Ms and other goodies to top it off. Now that’s a decadent dessert on the move!
5. Cuba
A Cuban churro is fried dough rolled in sugar. It’s hard not to love this fried dough delicacy. Its tasty, sweet chewiness makes it the perfect dessert treat. Since Caribbean tropical fruits can be found in abundance, Cuban churros are filled with guava. You can have them for breakfast with Café con Leche or on a chilly night with Hot Chocolate. They’re the perfect start or end to any day!
Unlike the Mexican-style churros sold at Disneyland, Cuban churros are fluffy and light.
6. Argentina
Argentina’s churros are light, crispy dough paired with yummy dulce de leche or chocolate. They usually are so rich that a person can eat just one, but no one’s going to judge you for eating two… or even three! So why not make a meal of it?
7. Peru
Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, on the street: churros are everywhere in Peru. Ideally paired with a thick hot chocolate, churros go perfectly with a hot drink. Peru is also among the countries that have the widest variety of churros. Some are made with pumpkin, root vegetables, spices, sauces, or spicy syrups. Churros, look-alike yuquitas, are made with yuca flour and are quite popular in Peru. Vegetables as a dessert? You had better believe it!
8. Bolivia
Like many South American countries, Bolivian churros are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with dulce de leche. You can make them at home quickly, and they are a great snack or dessert for the family. Kids are especially fond of this delicious treat. Bolivian churros can be topped with anything you like. You can roll it in sugar, cinnamon sugar, just cinnamon, or plain. Then, you can fill it with dulce de leche, chocolate, and sweet condensed milk.
9. Uruguay
As with the empanada, visitors to Uruguay will find that the Churro is a dish that is available in both sweet and savory varieties, although the savory combination is an Uruguayan creation based on the success of sweet churros. Savory churros are usually filled with melted cheese and are rare outside Uruguay. Sweet versions include pastry fingers filled with chocolate and dulce de leche, which are typically purchased at bakeries or street vendors.
10. Chile
As well as in other countries, dulce de leche is the most popular accompaniment for churros in Chile. But the lucuma flavor holds many beautiful memories of childhood for many people. The fruit grows in South America, especially in the Andean Valleys.
Here’s an interesting fact: Chile’s Supreme Court has ordered the publisher of La Tercera to pay the equivalent of $ 125,000 to 13 Chileans who tried a churro recipe published in the paper’s weekly supplement for women in 2004, and it turned out badly.
In total, the publisher, La Tercera, paid restitution of up to $48,000 to a woman with particularly severe burns. In the end, the court ruled that the magazine failed to test the recipe before publishing. Following it correctly (yes, actually doing it the “right” way) could result in hot oil and sticky burning dough being thrown about.
11. Colombia
Colombian churros aren’t like the ones from Spain. They’re not commonly eaten with chocolate. Instead, they are a ring of lightly cinnamon-flavored dough sprinkled with sugar and eaten directly from a paper bag. Despite being small and circular, they still have that sweet donut taste.
12. Philippines
Churros in the Philippines are usually straight or bent into U-shapes or circular shapes. Generally, they are sprinkled with white sugar. A typical snack is churros served with tsokolate drinks (also called churros con tsokolate). Tsokolate drinks can also be used as dips. They are popular during the Christmas season.
13. United States
As a theme park that has offered churros since the 1980s, Disneyland has also become a significant source of churros’ popularity, and there are a variety of churro flavors today. The soft yet crispy fried pastries are typically topped with sugar or cinnamon and filled with a sweet sauce or jam. The caramel or chocolate sauce is often served for dipping, and they are suitable for breakfast, dessert, and snacks.
It is no secret that churros are famous among Latinos and Hispanics in the U.S. and are growing in popularity among a broader range of consumers.
14. China
Youtiao (also called Chinese doughnut), a popular breakfast item in China, can be purchased at various street vendors. It is a fried breadstick that is often lightly salted to add an extra burst of flavor. Traditionally, youtiao is served for breakfast with congee, soy milk, or milk mixed with sugar.
15. France
France is the mother of so many baked goods. It would be no different with the churros. In 1540 an Italian serving in a French court created a similar concoction for baking (pate a choux). Then, the French and Spanish began to fry it at some point, thus making the Beignet.
The Beignet is a square-shaped deep-fried pastry garnished with powdered sugar. However, today, many French restaurants and bakeries sell the traditional Spanish Churro.
All in all
No matter what shape they take, many nations worldwide have their version of the Churro—whether they’re influenced by the Spanish version or use a similar recipe. Deep-fried dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and filled with dulce de leche or chocolate is undoubtedly one of the most delicious desserts out there. Yummy! Who’s hungry now?
This article was co-authored by our team of writers and editors who share one thing in common: their passion for food and drinks!
JC Franco
JC Franco works as a New York-based editor at Foodrinke, driven by his lifelong love for food. His culinary journey began in childhood, as he eagerly assisted his mother with her local sandwich and bakery business, relishing every opportunity to sample her creations. Known among family and friends as an easy eater, JC has a particular affinity for Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and Peruvian cuisine. At Foodrinke, he channels his passion for food into his work, sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with readers.