Churro Ice Cream Bowls: My Favorite Messy Dessert Adventure

Alright, Here's the Scoop on Churro Ice Cream Bowls

So, I have to admit: the first time I made churro ice cream bowls, it was a total whim at about 10pm, after watching a video that made it look way easier than it is (you know the ones). I had leftover cinnamon sugar from cinnamon toast—the universe was clearly nudging me. Naturally, I roped my partner into helping, and we ended up laughing at how our first bowls kinda looked like tiny, sad hats. But hey, they tasted like victory. And cinnamon. And maybe a bit too much sugar (if that's even possible).

Honestly, these churro bowls are a little like edible pottery class. Sometimes they're pretty, sometimes they're just... functional. But that's half the fun, right?

Why You'll Love This (I Mean, I Do...)

I make these churro ice cream bowls when it's too hot to bake a cake and not hot enough to justify just eating ice cream straight from the tub. My family goes bonkers for them because they're crispy on the outside and pillowy in the middle—plus, you get to eat the bowl! (Zero dishes, unless you count the frying oil. Which, ugh.)

Oh, and when my niece visits, she insists on helping pipe the dough, though her idea of a bowl is... interpretive. Still, I think that's the real magic. If you're after perfectly uniform churros, this might drive you up the wall. But if you like things a little wonky and a lot delicious, just go for it.

What You'll Need (With My Usual Shortcuts)

• 1 cup water (sometimes I use half milk if I have it—creamier)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (I have used margarine in desperate times; works fine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (granulated, but brown sugar works in a pinch—it's just a bit more caramel-y)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (my gran swore by sea salt, but table salt’s fine)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I tried gluten-free once out of curiosity, turned out surprisingly alright but a bit delicate)
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I eyeball this, honestly)
• Oil for frying (vegetable or canola; I once used olive oil and wouldn’t recommend it—tasted weird)
• ½ cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon, mixed (for coating)
• Your favorite ice cream (go wild—I’m partial to salty caramel, but cookies & cream is a hit too)

How I Throw Them Together (Step-by-Step, Sorta)

1. Preheat your oil in a deep pot—you're aiming for about 350°F, but I just flick a bit of dough in and if it sizzles, it's good. (Please use a thermometer if you're less reckless than me.)
2. Grab a small saucepan. Add water, butter, sugar, and salt—bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir ’til butter’s melted, then dump in the flour all at once. Stir like crazy. It’ll look weird and lumpy. Don’t panic! Keep going until it comes together in a big sticky ball and pulls away from the sides. This is where I usually taste the dough—don’t tell anyone.
3. Take it off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Crack in the egg and vanilla (I do this in the pan, I hate washing extra bowls). It’ll separate and look like a hot mess, then magically become smooth with some elbow grease. Sometimes I use a mixer, but a wooden spoon works if you’re patient.
4. Spoon the dough into a large piping bag with a star tip. Now, if you don’t have a piping bag (who does?), I’ve used a zip-top bag with the corner snipped, though you don’t get those fancy ridges.
5. Take a muffin pan and flip it upside down. Grease the bottoms of the cups well (seriously, don’t skip this or you’ll regret it). Pipe the dough in circles around the upturned cups to form little bowl shapes. If they’re not perfect, that’s fine. I always end up with a few lopsided ones.
6. Freeze the piped bowls for about 15 minutes—this helps them hold their shape when you fry them. Or longer if you get distracted answering emails, which happens to me.
7. Gently peel off and fry each bowl in hot oil, one or two at a time. They puff up quickly, maybe 2–3 minutes each, turning golden brown. Flip carefully.
8. Drain on paper towels, then immediately roll in cinnamon sugar. This is where I burn my fingers, every single time. I never learn.
9. Let them cool a bit. Scoop in the ice cream, and if you want, drizzle with homemade chocolate syrup or caramel. Or both. Or neither. Your house, your rules.

Notes from the Trenches

• Actually, freezing the bowls longer than 15 minutes makes frying waaay easier—I used to think it didn't matter, but it totally does.
• If your dough feels too stiff, add a splash more water; too runny, a spoonful more flour. I’ve done both, sometimes in the same batch.
• You can try baking instead of frying, but they don’t get quite as crisp. I still do this sometimes when I’ve run out of oil, though.

Wild Variations (Some Good, Some...Not)

• One time I mixed cocoa powder into the dough—kinda tasted like a churro brownie, if that's your thing.
• My friend swears by adding orange zest. I thought it was odd, but honestly, it’s not half bad.
• Don’t try stuffing the bowls with marshmallows before frying, though. Trust me. What a mess.

What If You Don't Have Fancy Gear?

You don’t need a stand mixer—I usually just use a wooden spoon, though my arm complains. Muffin pans are ideal for shaping, but you can use small bowls or even empty cans (clean, of course). Heck, I once used a tea cup as a mold when all the muffin pans were missing (it was a weird day).

Storing Leftovers (If That Ever Happens)

Technically, you can store the fried bowls in an airtight container for a couple days, but they’re never quite as crisp. You can also reheat them in the oven to perk them up a bit. But honestly, in my house, these don’t last more than, like, four hours. If you figure out how to hide them from family, let me know.

How I Like to Serve 'Em

We plop a scoop (or two) of ice cream in each bowl and hand out spoons. Sometimes we go all in with whipped cream, sprinkles, maybe a cherry on top if I’m feeling retro. For birthdays, we do a churro bowl bar—everyone builds their own. Chaos, but the good kind.

Lessons Learned (Usually the Hard Way)

• I once tried rushing the freezing step—big mistake, dough just slumped in the oil. Let it chill good and proper.
• Don’t skimp on greasing the molds. I did once, spent 15 minutes prying off dough with a butterknife. Not fun.
• If you try to fry too many at once, oil temp drops and they soak up grease like a sponge. Yuck.

Churro Bowl Q&A (Because People Ask!)

Can I make these ahead?
Sort of—I think they taste better fresh, but you can make the dough earlier and keep it in the fridge for a day. Just bring it to room temp before piping.

Is there a way to make this gluten-free without it turning to mush?
Yeah, actually! I've had luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 Gluten-Free Flour. Still a bit more crumbly, but it works.

Can I bake instead of fry?
Yep! They won’t be quite as crispy, but you can bake at 400°F for about 18 minutes. I brush them with a bit of melted butter before rolling in cinnamon sugar.

What oil is best?
I usually go for canola or vegetable oil. Did peanut oil once (ran out of everything else), and it was just fine, maybe a bit nutty. Just don’t use olive oil. Trust me.

How do I stop the bowls from unravelling?
Make sure to freeze them and also press the spirals together gently before freezing. But honestly, a little unravel never hurt anyone. Extra crispy bits, right?

And just in case you’re curious about churro history or want to geek out, here's a fun read I stumbled on last time I fell down a recipe rabbit hole.

Let me know if you try these, or if you come up with your own wild twist! I’m always game for a good kitchen story (or a mild disaster—those are the best).

Happy frying!