Have you just cooked up a fresh batch of delicious hot churros and are wondering what to do with the leftovers?
I won’t question how that’s even possible. In my house, there’s rarely such a thing as churro leftovers.
But don’t worry. I’ve painstakingly tested every recommended method of storing, freezing, and reheating churros (and managed to not eat them all in the process).
In this article I cover:
- Everything you need to know about storing cooked & uncooked churros (and churro batter)
- Reheating your churros and the best ways to keep them hot & crispy
- My tried and tested method of preparing churros ahead of time
Let’s jump right in.
The Best Way To Store Churros
Store cooked churros in an airtight container lined with paper towel. Keep the churros at room temperature. Refrigerating can turn them soggy. The churros will last up to 2 days at room temperature but aim to eat the churros within 24 hours. You can also freeze them to preserve freshness.
The paper towel will absorb any moisture and keep the churros crispy.
Wait for the churros to cool before storing them, or the condensation will ruin them.
The best way to cool them is on a wire rack lined with paper towels. After a minute, turn the churros over so both sides have been in contact with the paper towel. This reduces moisture.
Can You Refrigerate Churros?
Churros can be refrigerated, but at the risk of them becoming soggy and moist. I don’t recommend refrigerating cooked churros for this reason.
If you absolutely must refrigerate your cooked churros, place them in a freezer bag and use a straw to make the bag as airtight as possible. Once done, place the freezer bag inside another airtight container.
Removing as much air as possible from the storage container is crucial to preventing any outside moisture and odors from creeping in and ruining your prized churros.
How To Freeze Churros
To freeze cooked or leftover churros, place them on a parchment-lined baking tray and pre-freeze for 1 hour. This will ensure they don’t stick together in their final container.
Once done, place the churros in an airtight container or freezer bag and return them to the freezer. Frozen churros can be kept for up to 2 months (but after a month they may start to lose some quality).
How Long Do Leftover Churros Last In The Freezer?
For best results, consume cooked churros within one month of freezing. In my tests, my frozen churros were still delicious enough (but still, nothing like fresh ones) after one month in the freezer.
After two months, I was less impressed with the results. The churros had developed what I can only describe as a bland taste and texture. Perfectly edible and safe to eat – just nothing special with a noticeable loss of wow factor.
I discarded the rest of the frozen churros after my second month’s taste test. (R.I.P. my beautiful churro babies).
Can You Freeze Uncooked Churros?
Yes churro batter is perfectly safe to freeze, but you should pipe the batter before you freeze it. Defrosting can mess with the texture, so you want to avoid having to defrost the batter.
To freeze uncooked churros, place the piped churro batter on a baking tray lined with wax or parchment paper. Make sure to leave at least 1cm of space between each churro (you don’t want them touching) and cover the baking tray with plastic wrap to prevent any freezer burn.
Leave the churros to harden in the freezer for roughly one hour, or until they feel hard to the touch. Once they’ve hardened sufficiently, transfer them to an airtight container. Since they’re already frozen, they won’t stick together.
Cooking Frozen Churros
There’s no need to defrost the churros, in fact it’s better if you don’t. Cook them straight from frozen.
Uncooked Churros
To cook frozen, uncooked churros, simply remove the individual churros from the freezer and fry without letting them thaw. Fry the churros in at least 2 inches of oil at 350º F for 3 minutes. Once cooked, immediately coat the churros in your choice of toppings (mmm, cinnamon sugar).
Don’t forget to let the churros cool for at least a minute before eating.
Cooked Churros
Cooking cooked, frozen churros is the same as reheating churros stored in the fridge. Be sure not to let your churros thaw before reheating as this can impact their texture.
My reheating principles (in the next section) also apply here. Just add a minute or two to the cooking time if using the oven.
If reheating in the microwave, be sure to check on the churros every 10 seconds so you don’t end up with a soggy, unappetizing mess.
How To Reheat Churros While Keeping Them Crispy
The best way to reheat churros is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 375º F and cook the churros for 5-10 minutes.
You can also reheat churros in the microwave. Cover the churros with a slightly damp paper towel and microwave on full power in 10-second increments until hot.
Honestly, if you have access to an oven and a few minutes spare, it’s the best option by far.
Microwaving the churros works fine, but you do lose some of the ‘crunch’ that makes them so delicious.
Other options for reheating churros include using an air fryer or on the stove.
I do not recommend reheating your churros in a deep fryer.
Refrying may seem logical, but the magic only happens the first time.
You’ll likely end up with extremely oily and dense churros that even I wouldn’t want to eat. (and that’s saying something).
How To Store Churro Dough
Churro dough can be stored in the refrigerator before use for up to 24 hours. After this, the consistency of the dough will rapidly degrade leaving behind a stale, oxidized mixture.
To freeze churro dough, pipe the batter onto a wax paper-lined baking tray and flash freeze for an hour. Once hard, place the churro pipes in an airtight container and return to the freezer.
Related: How To Cover Dough To Rise
I advise against freezing churro dough whole. This is because the dough should be cooked from frozen and not thawed. (and it’s virtually impossible to pipe a big frozen lump of dough).
And don’t forget – the less you handle the dough the batter (sorry).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make Churros Ahead Of Time?
Churros can be made ahead of time, but will lose some of their best crunchy, airy qualities if stored and served later. To minimize sogginess, aim to cook the churros the night before service. Reheating the churros in the oven will help to regain some of their initial crunch.
How To Make Churros Crunchy Again
The best way to make churros crunchy again is by reheating them in the oven at 400º F. Spread the churros evenly apart on a baking tray and cook for 4-6 minutes.
The key to having crispy, crunchy and airy churros is to remove as much surface moisture as possible. And as quickly as possible after cooking.
Here’s a few extra tips to keep your churros fresh and crunchy:
- Once cooked, place the churros on a cooling rack lined with paper towels
- After 1 minute, turn the churros so that both sides end up touching the paper towel
- After another minute, move the churros to either a heat lamp or an oven set to 200°F
How To Keep Churros Warm
The best way to keep churros warm for any extended period of time is with a heat lamp. Heat lamps are exceptionally good at keeping crispy foods such as churros warm and delicious. Another option is to keep the churros in the oven at a low heat (200°F).
This heat lamp is perfect for the job and unlike most other commercial lamps, won’t break the bank. You’ll have hot churros ON TAP without any of the hassle.
How To Store & Reheat Churros
Ingredients
- 1 portion churros
- 1 portion churro batter or dough
Instructions
Refrigerating Churros
- Churros can be refrigerated, but at the risk of them becoming soggy and moist. I don’t recommend refrigerating cooked churros for this reason.
- If you absolutely must refrigerate your cooked churros, place them in a freezer bag and use a straw to make the bag as airtight as possible.
- Once done, place the freezer bag inside another airtight container.
Freezing Churros
- To freeze cooked or leftover churros, place them on a parchment-lined baking tray and pre-freeze for 1 hour. This will ensure they don’t stick together in their final container.
- Once done, place the churros in an airtight container or freezer bag and return them to the freezer.
- Frozen churros can be kept for up to 2 months (but after a month they may start to lose some quality).
Freezing Uncooked Churros
- To freeze uncooked churros, place the piped churro batter on a baking tray lined with wax or parchment paper.
- Make sure to leave at least 1cm of space between each churro (you don’t want them touching) and cover the baking tray with plastic wrap to prevent any freezer burn.
- Leave the churros to harden in the freezer for roughly one hour, or until they feel hard to the touch.
- Once they’ve hardened sufficiently, transfer them to an airtight container. Since they’re already frozen, they won’t stick together.
Cooking Frozen Uncooked Churros
- To cook frozen, uncooked churros, simply remove the individual churros from the freezer and fry without letting them thaw.
- Fry the churros in at least 2 inches of oil at 350º F for 3 minutes.
- Once cooked, immediately coat the churros in your choice of toppings.
- Don’t forget to let the churros cool for at least a minute before eating.
Reheating Churros While Keeping Them Crispy
- The best way to reheat churros is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400º F and cook the churros for 4 to 6 minutes.
- You can also reheat churros in the microwave. Place the churros on a paper towel and microwave on full power in 10-second increments until hot.
- I do not recommend reheating your churros in a deep fryer. Refrying may seem logical, but the magic only happens the first time. You’ll likely end up with extremely oily and dense churros that even I wouldn’t want to eat. (and that’s saying something).
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