There’s just something magical about the warm scent of cinnamon and sugar swirling in the air during the holidays. This Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe combines that cozy feeling with a fun, charming twist—imagine edible churro trees stacked with gooey chocolate ganache dripping down like holiday lights. It’s a delightful treat that’s sure to be a hit at any festive gathering.

Three Christmas tree shaped desserts made of four layers each, stacked in a small cone form. Each layer is a golden brown cinnamon sugar-coated doughnut or pastry with a rough texture. The top three layers of each tree are covered in glossy dark chocolate sauce that drips down the sides. The whole dessert is decorated with red, white, and green round sprinkles and a light dusting of powdered sugar. They are set on a white marbled surface with a green blurry background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I first made these Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe for a holiday brunch, and watching everyone’s faces light up as they stacked their churro layers made all the effort totally worth it. It’s a fun spin on classic churros that feels extra special without being complicated.

Playful Presentation: Transform simple churros into adorable Christmas trees that bring a unique holiday vibe to your dessert table.
Perfect Balance: Crispy on the outside yet tender inside, coated with cinnamon sugar and rich chocolate ganache—pure comfort in every bite.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prep the churro batter and freeze shapes ahead of time, which makes party day so much easier.
Great for Sharing: This recipe makes enough for a crowd, perfect for holiday get-togethers where everyone can build their own tree.

Three churros stacked in a tower shape on a white marbled surface with a green wall in the background. Each churro tower has three layers of twisted, golden-brown dough coated in sugar, with the top layer pointed like a small peak. The churro on the right is being covered with thick dark chocolate sauce flowing slowly from a glass pitcher down its golden layers. A small green pine sprig is next to the churro with chocolate. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe plays a vital role—from making the dough perfectly airy to adding that classic churro flavor and crunch. Here’s why each one is important and some tips for picking the best.

Flat lay of unsalted butter in a small solid block, a simple white ceramic bowl filled with clear water, a small white bowl containing granulated sugar sparkling under natural light, a fresh vanilla bean pod next to a small white bowl of pure vanilla extract, a mound of all-purpose flour on a clean white ceramic plate, a small white bowl with coarse kosher salt, two large uncracked brown eggs with clean shells, a small white bowl holding semisweet chocolate chips, another small white bowl with thick heavy cream, a small white bowl of ground cinnamon, and a small white bowl with red and green sprinkles alongside white nonpareils, all ingredients fresh and natural arranged in perfect symmetry in balanced proportions, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Gives richness and helps create that tender, moist dough without overpowering with salt.
Water: Hydrates the flour and melts the butter to form a smooth dough base.
Granulated sugar: Divided use—some in the dough for subtle sweetness, and more for that classic cinnamon sugar coating.
Pure vanilla extract: A touch of warmth that brightens the flavor of the dough.
All-purpose flour: The backbone of the churro dough, providing structure and the right chewiness.
Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavors.
Large eggs: They add richness and help bind the dough, while giving it chew and moisture.
Cooking spray: Helps prevent sticking when you pipe the dough on parchment paper.
Vegetable oil: For frying—choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point to get that perfect golden crisp.
Semisweet chocolate chips: Melting into a luscious ganache for drizzling over your churro trees.
Heavy cream: Mixed with chocolate for creamy ganache; don’t substitute skim or milk if you want smooth richness.
Ground cinnamon: Essential for that quintessential churro flavor, mixed with sugar for the coating.
Red and green sprinkles and/or white nonpareils: Festive touches that make your churro trees pop with holiday cheer.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I love how this Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe can be easily tweaked to suit your style or dietary preferences. Sometimes, I swap out the sprinkles for crushed nuts or drizzle some caramel instead of chocolate for a fun twist. It’s a recipe that invites your creativity.

Variation: For a nutty version, sprinkle chopped toasted almonds between layers or swap sprinkles for crushed pistachios—adds crunch and a beautiful green festive color.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe

Step 1: Create the Churro Dough Base

I start by bringing butter, water, and some sugar to a boil on medium heat. Stir in the vanilla right after you remove it from the heat, then immediately add the flour and salt. Stir vigorously until the dough thickens and pulls away from the pan, about 30 seconds. The dough will be hot, so set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes before adding eggs.

Step 2: Beat In the Eggs

With a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time. It might look like the dough is separating at first, but just keep mixing until it comes together smooth. This step is key to that light, tender texture.

Step 3: Prepare Your Piping Station

Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Using cookie cutters or a ruler, trace four sizes of circles—3 circles at 2 ½”, 3 at 2”, 3 at 1 ½”, and 3 at 1”. These will give you the layers for your festive churro tree.

Step 4: Pipe Your Churros

Fit a large piping bag with a star tip and pipe around the circle outlines. For the largest circles, leave a 1 ½" space in the center unfilled; the medium circles get a small fingerprint-sized gap, and the smallest circle is completely filled in. Don’t forget to pipe three additional dollops roughly the size of Hershey’s Kisses—these become “tree toppers” that add whimsical detail.

Step 5: Freeze Until Firm

Pop your piping sheet into the freezer for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have time. This step’s a game changer—it makes frying so much easier and helps keep the shapes neat and crisp.

Step 6: Heat Oil and Make Ganache

Fill a deep pot with vegetable oil to about 3 inches deep and heat to 375°F. While the oil heats, melt semisweet chocolate chips with warm heavy cream to create your silky ganache. Microwave cream until tiny bubbles appear, pour over the chocolate, let sit 30 seconds, then stir smoothly. Also, mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl for coating your churros.

Step 7: Fry and Coat

Fry the largest churro circles first, turning them halfway until golden brown—this usually takes 2 to 2 ½ minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat evenly. Repeat with the medium, small, and the Hershey’s Kiss-size dollops, which fry quickly in about 1 minute.

Step 8: Assemble Your Christmas Tree Churros

Arrange the 2 ½" churros as the tree base, stack a 2" churro on top, then 1 ½", then 1". Place the smallest churros on top as the peak. Spoon generous amounts of chocolate ganache over each tree and sprinkle with your festive red, green, and white decorations. Serve immediately for the best crunch and gooey chocolate goodness!

Top Tip

Through several attempts at this Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe, I learned a few tricks that really make the difference between good and unforgettable churros.

Freeze Before Frying: Freezing the piped dough is a must—it helps maintain those beautiful tree shapes and prevents them from spreading too much when frying.
Oil Temperature Control: Use a thermometer to keep the oil at a steady 375°F; too hot and the churros will brown too fast outside but stay doughy inside, too cool and they’ll absorb excess oil and get greasy.
Work in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan; frying too many churros at once brings down the oil temperature and makes them soggy.
Dry The Churros Well: Shake off excess oil before tossing them in cinnamon sugar—otherwise, your coating won’t stick evenly.

How to Serve Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe

Christmas Tree Churros - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I adore using classic holiday colors here—red and green sprinkles pair perfectly with white nonpareils to mimic festive lights on a Christmas tree. If you want to get fancy, edible glitter or tiny silver dragées can add a shimmering snowy effect. The key is to be generous with your decorations—they make the presentation as joyful as the flavor.

Side Dishes

Pair these treats with a cup of hot cocoa or mulled cider to balance the sweetness. For a brunch setting, complementary dishes like spiced pumpkin pancakes or gingerbread waffles really bring the holiday table together.

Creative Ways to Present

The first time I made this recipe, I placed individual churro trees on a rustic wooden board surrounded by miniature pinecones and evergreen sprigs for a woodland holiday vibe. You can also serve them on tiered cake stands or place each tree in a festive cup for an elegant, easy grab-and-go dessert at parties.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once cooled, store leftover churros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. They’ll soften a bit, but a quick reheat crisp them back up nicely. Avoid refrigeration as it tends to make them tough.

Freezing

After frying and cooling, you can freeze churros in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to a month. Freeze the churro trees assembled without ganache. When ready, reheat in the oven before drizzling chocolate.

Reheating

To refresh churros, bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 5–7 minutes. This helps restore crispness without drying them out. Add ganache and sprinkles after reheating for best texture and flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use a different tip for piping the churros?

You can absolutely use a different star tip or even a large round tip, but the classic star tip creates those signature crispy ridges on the churros. If you use a round tip, expect a smoother surface but still delicious.

How long can I keep the piped churro dough in the freezer?

The piped churro dough can stay frozen for up to 24 hours before frying without losing texture. If frozen longer, it might become too firm or dry, which can affect frying results.

Can I substitute the chocolate ganache with something else?

Yes! You can swap the chocolate ganache for caramel sauce, a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, or even melted white chocolate—just make sure the topping complements the cinnamon sugar flavor well.

What’s the best oil for frying churros?

Use vegetable oil like canola, peanut, or sunflower oil with a high smoke point (around 400°F) to get crispy churros without burning. Avoid olive oil, which has a lower smoke point and a stronger flavor.

Final Thoughts

Making these Festive Christmas Tree Churros Recipe feels like adding a little extra joy to the holiday season. Seeing the crispy, cinnamon-coated layers stacked up and drizzled in chocolate reminds me how food connects us all, especially around festive celebrations. I hope you give these a try—and enjoy every delicious bite as much as I do!