There’s something magical about sinking your teeth into warm, crispy churros shaped like festive Christmas trees, especially when paired with a silky chocolate dip. This Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe is not only delightful but perfect for holiday gatherings — it turns an everyday treat into a charming celebration on your plate.

The image shows three tower-shaped desserts made of three stacked, golden-brown cinnamon sugar-coated rings each. The rings are round and have a slightly rough texture from the sugar. Each tower is covered with thick, dark chocolate sauce dripping down the sides, topped with red, green, and white small round sprinkles, and a dusting of white powdered sugar. The towers are placed on a white marbled surface, with a greenish blurred background. There are some sprinkles falling from above over the towers. 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 with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

When it comes to holiday treats, I’m always hunting for something that’s both show-stopping and deliciously comforting. This Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe nails that balance perfectly — it’s fun to make, gorgeous to serve, and truly irresistible to eat.

Creative and Festive: Shaping churros into whimsical Christmas trees adds an instant wow factor to your holiday dessert spread.
Rich Chocolate Ganache: The smooth ganache complements the crispy churros perfectly, offering a luxurious dip that’s easy to whip up.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prepare the churro batter shapes in advance and freeze them, making your holiday kitchen more relaxed.
Kid-Friendly Fun: Decorating with cinnamon sugar and sprinkles turns the process into a joyful family activity.

There are three tall stacks of cinnamon sugar-coated funnel cake pieces arranged like Christmas trees on a white marbled surface. Each stack has four rings that get smaller toward the top, with a pointed top piece shaped like a small swirl. The stack on the right is being covered with thick, dark chocolate sauce flowing down from a glass pitcher, adding a glossy layer on top. The background is a textured green color with some small green plant leaves near the right stack. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

This recipe combines simple, classic churro ingredients with a luscious chocolate ganache. Each component plays a special role — from binding and texture to that irresistible cinnamon-sugar coating.

Flat lay of unsalted butter in a small white ceramic bowl, a small white ceramic bowl of water, a small white ceramic bowl of granulated sugar, a small white ceramic bowl of pure vanilla extract, a mound of all-purpose flour on a white ceramic plate, a small white ceramic bowl of kosher salt, two whole uncracked brown eggs, a small white ceramic bowl of semisweet chocolate chips, a small white ceramic bowl of heavy cream, a small white ceramic bowl of ground cinnamon, and a small white ceramic bowl filled with red, green sprinkles and white nonpareils, all 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: Provides richness and helps create that tender, flaky churro dough without overpowering the flavors.
Water: Key to hydrating the flour and melting the butter for the dough base.
Granulated Sugar: Split between the dough and coating, it sweetens gently and adds mouthwatering crunch after frying.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, fragrant note that elevates the flavor of the churros subtly but beautifully.
All-Purpose Flour: The main structure builder — it ensures crisp churros when fried.
Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
Large Eggs: Help create the right dough consistency and add moisture for a tender bite.
Vegetable Oil: Neutral-flavored oil perfect for deep frying to achieve a golden, crispy exterior.
Semisweet Chocolate Chips: For melting down into a luscious ganache that’s not too sweet but richly satisfying.
Heavy Cream: Adds silkiness to the ganache and helps the chocolate melt smoothly.
Ground Cinnamon: Mixed with sugar to coat the churros, this gives that classic churro flavor twang.
Sprinkles and Nonpareils: Festive decoration that adds a pop of color and extra fun.

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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 tweaking this Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe depending on who’s joining me in the kitchen. You can easily personalize the spice mix or decorate with toppings that suit your mood or crowd.

Variation: Once, I swapped the vanilla in the dough for almond extract — it gave the churros an unexpected nutty twist that everyone adored at my holiday party.
Dietary Modifications: For a dairy-free ganache, try coconut cream in place of heavy cream and dairy-free dark chocolate chips for a vegan-friendly twist.
Seasonal Flair: Instead of classic sprinkles, garnish with crushed peppermint candies or edible glitter to dial up the holiday spirit.
Difficulty Level: If you're short on time, you can shape vanilla-flavored churro sticks instead of trees, but trust me — taking the time to stack the circles into trees is totally worth it.

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

Step 1: Prepare the Churro Dough

Start by melting the butter in a saucepan with water and some sugar, heating until it boils and bubbles away happily. Then, stir in vanilla and immediately sift in the flour and salt. Stir vigorously until it thickens into a smooth dough — about 30 seconds. I always let it cool about 10 minutes here; warm dough can scramble the eggs if you're not careful.

Step 2: Beat in the Eggs

Using a hand mixer, beat the dough on medium speed while adding eggs one by one — this helps the batter come together silky-smooth and ready for piping. The dough should be thick but pipeable, like a glossy paste.

Step 3: Trace and Pipe Your Christmas Tree Shapes

Next, line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease it. Using cookie cutters or a ruler, trace circles of varying sizes to build your tree layers: largest at 2 ½", then 2", 1 ½", and finally 1". Carefully pipe the dough over these circles in ring shapes — leave space in the centers for all but the smallest, which you’ll fill entirely.

Step 4: Freeze Batter Until Firm

I find freezing these piped shapes for at least two hours (or overnight) is a game-changer. It makes frying much easier and ensures the churros hold their pretty shapes without losing their edges during cooking.

Step 5: Heat Oil and Prepare the Ganache

Pour oil into a Dutch oven to about 3 inches deep, heat to 375°F, then ready your ganache by heating cream briefly and pouring it over chocolate chips. Stir gently until silky and smooth. I usually mix cinnamon into the remaining sugar now — trust me, that's what gives these churros their signature flavor.

Step 6: Fry and Coat Your Churros

Fry the churro circles starting with the biggest ones, a couple of minutes per side until golden and crisp. Immediately toss them in cinnamon sugar while hot — this step takes patience, but that warm sugar coating is worth every second. The small Hershey’s Kiss-size dollops fry super fast — about a minute total.

Step 7: Assemble and Decorate

Arrange the churros like little Christmas trees by stacking from largest to smallest. Then, spoon 2 to 3 generous dollops of warm ganache over each tree, finishing with a dusting of festive sprinkles. Watching everyone’s eyes light up at this moment feels like pure holiday magic!

Top Tip

From my kitchen to yours, these tips helped me master the Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe without stress and with great results every time.

Consistent Dough Texture: Make sure to fully cool the dough before adding eggs. Warm dough cooks the eggs prematurely and can ruin the softness.
Freeze Before Frying: Freezing piped churros solidly keeps the intricate tree shapes perfectly intact while frying.
Temperature Control: Use a deep-fry thermometer — oil that’s too hot burns churros on the outside and leaves raw dough inside.
Toss Right Away: Dip churros in cinnamon sugar immediately after frying; the sugar sticks best when they’re still warm.

How to Serve Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Christmas Tree Churros - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

For garnishes, I love using classic red and green sprinkles for that traditional holiday vibe. White nonpareils add a snowy texture that’s just *chef’s kiss.* Sometimes, I even add edible gold glitter or crushed peppermint pieces for extra sparkle — your call!

Side Dishes

These churros shine on their own but pair beautifully with mulled wine or a cup of spicy hot chocolate. For a brunch spin, I serve them alongside cinnamon butter and fresh fruit compote, making for a well-rounded celebration spread.

Creative Ways to Present

One year, I arranged mini churro Christmas tree stacks on individual festive plates with a dusting of powdered sugar “snow.” Another idea is placing churros upright in a glass jar with ganache dip on the side for a fun, interactive dessert display — kids love it!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I store any leftover churros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. They’re best fresh but reheating helps revive their crispiness slightly.

Freezing

Since you freeze the shaped dough before frying, you can prep weeks in advance. After frying, it’s trickier to freeze churros as they lose crunch. If you want to freeze cooked churros, flash freeze them on a tray first, then store in a freezer bag.

Reheating

Reheat leftover churros in a hot oven (about 375°F) for 5–7 minutes on a wire rack to bring back crispiness. Avoid microwaving — it makes the dough gummy and soft.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make these Festive Christmas Tree Churros ahead of time?

Absolutely! One of the best things about this recipe is that you can pipe the churro dough onto parchment and freeze it for up to overnight before frying, which makes holiday prep much easier and less frantic.

What’s the best oil to use for frying churros?

Vegetable oil is ideal because it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, so it crisps the churros perfectly without adding any unwanted taste or burning too quickly.

How do I know when the churros are done frying?

They should be golden brown and cooked through. If your oil temperature is steady at 375°F, frying about 2 to 2 ½ minutes per side for larger pieces will give you crispy yet tender churros. Smaller pieces like the Hershey’s Kiss-sized dollops take about a minute total.

Can I make the chocolate ganache without a microwave?

Definitely! Simply warm the heavy cream on the stovetop over low heat until small bubbles form and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it rest for 30 seconds before stirring until smooth for a perfect ganache without a microwave.

Final Thoughts

This Festive Christmas Tree Churros with Chocolate Ganache Recipe holds a special place in my holiday kitchen because it marries tradition with creativity — and that’s what the season is all about. I genuinely hope you give it a try, gather your loved ones, and enjoy making sweet memories with each crispy, chocolate-dipped bite.