Christmas Tree Churros

These festive Christmas tree churros are coated in matcha sugar for a beautiful, natural green color and dipped in a delicious cinnamon chocolate sauce! They're crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and they're easier to make than they look.

This post is sponsored by Staub. All opinions are our own.

Last year, we saw the cutest Christmas tree churros on Instagram and wanted to recreate them, but with a green sugar coating to make them extra festive. At first, I was thinking pistachio sugar would work best, but it turned out more yellow than green.

Matcha was our next option, and it worked perfectly. You get just a hint of earthy matcha flavor, and it tones down the sugar a bit so these aren't crazy sweet. My husband, Brent, absolutely loves churros and matcha, so this is truly his ideal Christmas dessert!

Churros seem complicated (really anything that's fried sounds complicated, doesn't it?), but they're surprisingly easy to make with just a few ingredients.

One thing that makes frying easier is our Staub 4-quart Dutch Oven. Its enameled cast iron interior retains and distributes heat evenly, so the oil stays at the right temperature without burning or undercooking the churros. Every batch we made turned out the exact same without having to monitor the temperature too closely!

Staub cast iron is truly the best quality you can get in cookware. It's an investment, but it will last you a lifetime.

And good news – right now, this 4-quart size is almost 60% off for Black Friday! It's currently only $150 (usually $369.99) so if you've had your eye on one or are looking for the perfect holiday gift for anyone that loves cooking, now's the time to order! If you want the same color we used here, it's called Basil.

Step by Step Instructions

Mix together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (we use our Staub 4 qt. Dutch Oven), add water, sugar, and butter and bring to a boil, whisking to combine.

Reduce heat to low and stir in vanilla, then add the flour mixture. Stir vigorously until a smooth ball of dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and spread it out to let out some of the steam. Once it has cooled slightly, add in one egg at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg. The finished dough should be smooth and soft, but still firm enough to pipe. 

Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pipe the churros into Christmas tree shapes. (We add a star on top!) 

Place the baking sheet in the freezer for one hour.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and matcha and set aside. 

About 15 minutes before you take the churros out of the freezer, add about 2 inches of oil to your pot and heat it to 350˚F. 

Fry the churros straight from the freezer in batches (we did 2-3 at a time) for 5-10 minutes, until deep golden brown. The reason for the large time variation is that it will depend on if your oil temperature drops significantly once you add in the churros. Monitor the temperature closely for best results. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the churros to a wire rack over a baking sheet and let cool just until you can handle them, then toss each one in the matcha sugar. 

To make the chocolate sauce, add the heavy cream and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between each interval, until fully melted. Whisk in the cinnamon. Dip the churros in chocolate sauce and enjoy! 

Storage

Homemade churros are definitely best enjoyed fresh (within a few hours).

But if you do have any leftovers, you can keep them stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day, or in the fridge for two days. To reheat, we suggest using an air fryer or oven to crisp them up, as they will likely become a bit soggy when stored.

Variations

If you're not a fan of matcha, you can make a traditional cinnamon sugar coating. If using cinnamon, use 1 tablespoon for ½ cup of sugar.

White chocolate would also be delicious for dipping! You can swap white chocolate for dark chocolate in the sauce without any other changes.

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