Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so whether you’re celebrating it with a loved one or not, it’s a great day to remind ourselves that self-love is the best kind of love. So boo or no boo, treat your partner or yourself to these delicious and super adorable heart-shaped churros.

Transform classic Spanish churros into charming heart shapes perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. These crispy, cinnamon-sugar coated delights bring a touch of whimsy to the traditional recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

After extensive testing, I’ve developed a foolproof method for creating perfectly shaped heart churros that maintain their form while frying – the secret is in the baking paper! The choux pastry base creates that signature crispy exterior and tender interior that makes churros irresistible.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Water: Creates steam for the pastry to puff. Cannot substitute
• Butter: Provides richness and helps create structure. Use unsalted butter for better control of salt content
• Sugar: Both sweetens and helps with browning
  • Regular granulated sugar works best
  • Can reduce amount for less sweet churros
  • Don’t substitute with liquid sweeteners
• Flour: Creates the structure. All-purpose flour is ideal. Avoid cake flour (too soft) or whole wheat
• Eggs: Provides structure and richnes. Use large sized eggs and room temperature eggs work best. Cannot substitute with egg replacers
• Cinnamon Sugar: Use fresh ground cinnamon for best flavor. Can adjust ratio to taste. Alternative coatings:
• Frying oil: Neutral Oil Options
  • Vegetable oil (preferred)
  • Canola oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Avoid olive oil or flavored oils

Tips:

1. Prepare your hearts by tracing a heart-shaped cooking cutter onto parchment squares then flip the parchment paper and pipe. This way the lead of your pencil does not touch your dough and the tracing makes it easier to pipe out the shape.
2. Make sure your oil is hot enough, around 350F/180C. Use a neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Don’t overcrowd the pot (oil temperature drops)
3. Double bag your piping bag. Choux dough is very thick and often the nozzle would pop out of the bag when you squeeze the piping bag.
4. When adding the eggs, make sure to add one at a time and to mix vigorously to combine the egg in fully before adding in the next egg. The mixture will look lumpy and strange at first but keep going until it’s fully incorporated.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Best served fresh and warm
• Can store dough in piped shapes (frozen) for up to 1 month
• Fry directly from frozen (may need extra time)
• Cooked churros keep at room temperature for 1 day
• Reheat in oven/airfryer at 350°F for 5 minutes

This recipe creates approximately 12-15 heart-shaped churros, perfect for sharing or treating yourself. Remember, the key to success lies in maintaining proper temperatures and following the mixing instructions carefully.

Ingredients

150ml water
40g butter
20g sugar
110g flour
2 eggs
Cinnamon
Extra sugar
White Chocolate, optional
Sprinkles, optional

Method

1. In a pot over medium heat, bring the water, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt to a simmer.
2. Add in the flour and mix vigorously until the mixture forms a ball. Keep moving the ball around for an extra 1-2 minutes to cook out the floor. Transfer the dough ball into a bowl and let cool for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1 egg at a time and mix vigorously to full incorporate the egg before adding in the next. Repeat with the second egg. Transfer the mixture into a piping bad with a star tip nozzle.
4. With a pencil, trace a heart-shaped cookie cutter onto some parchment paper squares. Flip the paper and then pipe out the dough by following the tracing. Repeat until you have used up all the dough
5. Heat up the oil until it’s 350F / 180C. While the oil is heating up, preparing your cinnamon sugar by combining 1/4 cup sugar with 1-2 tbsp cinnamon powder/ Set aside.
6. Carefully drop in the parchment paper square, 1 at a time. Let the dough set a little bit before wiggling the parchment paper out from underneath and removing it from the pot. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove the churros from the oil and onto a paper towel lined plate.
7. While the churros are still hot, carefully dip it into the cinnamon sugar until coated on both sides. Decorate with melted white chocolate and sprinkles.