Description
These Baked Pumpkin Churros are a delightful twist on the classic fried treat, featuring warm pumpkin and spice flavors baked to golden perfection. Coated with cinnamon sugar and a hint of chili powder, they offer a perfect balance of sweet and subtly spicy, making them a delicious fall-inspired dessert or snack that’s lighter than traditional churros.
Ingredients
Scale
For the churros
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup margarine, cut into pieces (about 8 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
For the coating
- 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices through the flour.
- Heat wet ingredients: In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add water, pumpkin puree, margarine pieces, and vanilla extract. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil while whisking constantly to fully incorporate all ingredients, then remove from heat.
- Combine flour mixture and pumpkin mixture: Pour the dry flour and spice mix into the hot pumpkin mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, forming a dough. Allow the dough to rest and cool for about 2 minutes to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely in the next step.
- Add eggs one at a time: Beat in the eggs one by one vigorously with the wooden spoon. Each egg takes about 1 to 2 minutes to fully incorporate. The dough may seem resistant at first, but keep mixing until it becomes smooth, thick, and pudding-like in consistency.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Pipe the churro dough: Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M star tip (or similar). Pipe 6-inch long strips of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
- Bake churros: Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the churros for 25 minutes until golden and firm. Then turn off the oven and leave the churros inside for an additional 10 minutes to finish cooking and dry out slightly.
- Prepare coating mixture: While the churros are baking, mix the ground cinnamon and granulated sugar together on a large plate and set aside.
- Coat churros: When the churros are baked and cooled slightly, brush each churro with melted margarine or butter using a pastry brush. Then roll them thoroughly in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat evenly.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve the churros warm or at room temperature as a festive fall treat perfect for sharing.
Notes
- Nutritional information is calculated based on a total yield of 36 churros using a Wilton 1M star tip.
- If using a larger piping tip, the churros will be thicker and you will get fewer pieces.
- Baking the churros instead of frying reduces the fat content, making them a lighter alternative.
- For best results, let the churros cool slightly before coating so the butter adheres evenly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 churro
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
