Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots are tiny bites of fluffy fried dough coated generously in cinnamon sugar and served with a creamy dulce de leche dipping sauce.
This homemade copycat recipe brings together two of my favorite kinds of sweet treats: soft yeast doughnuts and warm cinnamon-sugar churros. Instead of shaping and frying full-size doughnuts, the dough is divided into small bite-sized balls, making them surprisingly easy to prepare at home.
The cinnamon sugar sticks to the freshly fried dough while it’s still warm, giving every bite that familiar churro-style coating. Add a little warm dulce de leche on the side and you have a dessert that’s very hard to stop eating.
What Are Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots?
Krispy Kreme introduced its Churro Doughnut Dots as a limited-time fall treat in 2026. Unlike traditional churros, these aren’t made from piped choux-style dough. They’re based around the light, yeast-raised doughnut texture associated with Krispy Kreme, but finished with one of the most recognizable parts of a churro: cinnamon sugar.
The restaurant version is served as eight bite-sized Doughnut Dots with dulce de leche sauce for dipping.
Our homemade version follows the same basic idea. We make a soft enriched yeast dough, fry small portions until golden, toss them immediately in cinnamon sugar, and serve them warm with dulce de leche.
A Little Churro History
The exact origin of the churro isn’t completely settled, and there are several stories surrounding how it developed.
Churros have long been associated with Spain, where they’re commonly eaten with thick hot chocolate. Spanish and Portuguese influence later helped spread churro-style pastries throughout Latin America, where numerous regional variations developed.
One of the biggest differences you’ll notice is the filling. Spanish churros are often relatively simple, while versions found across Latin America may be filled or served with chocolate, caramel-like sauces, or dulce de leche.
That makes dulce de leche an especially fitting partner for these cinnamon-covered doughnut bites.
Doughnut Hole or Churro?
Technically, these are much closer to doughnut holes than traditional churros.
Classic churros are usually made from a cooked flour-and-water dough that’s piped directly into hot oil. Doughnuts typically use a yeast-raised or cake-style dough instead.
These Churro Doughnut Dots combine elements of both: the soft, airy center of a yeast doughnut and the cinnamon-sugar exterior associated with a churro.
It’s a simple mashup, but it works incredibly well.
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots Recipe
For the Doughnut Dots
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For Serving
- ½ cup dulce de leche
- 1–2 tablespoons warm milk, optional
How to Make Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots
1. Activate the Yeast
Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and about 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar.
Stir gently and leave it for 5–10 minutes. The mixture should become foamy on top.
If nothing happens, your yeast may no longer be active or the milk may have been too hot.
2. Make the Dough
Add the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla to the yeast mixture.
Stir until combined.
Add the flour and salt gradually, mixing until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead the Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6–8 minutes.
The finished dough should feel soft, smooth and slightly tacky without sticking heavily to your hands.
You can also knead it using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
4. Let It Rise
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
Leave it somewhere warm for approximately 1–1½ hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
5. Shape the Doughnut Dots
Gently press the air from the risen dough.
Pinch off small portions and roll them into balls approximately 1 inch across.
Try not to make them too large. Smaller dough balls cook more evenly and give you that bite-sized Doughnut Dot appearance.
Place them onto a parchment-lined tray and let them rest for another 15–20 minutes.
6. Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar
Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
Set it beside your frying area so you can coat the doughnuts while they’re still warm.
7. Fry the Doughnut Dots
Pour approximately 2–3 inches of oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven.
Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C).
Carefully lower several dough balls into the oil without overcrowding the pan.
Fry for approximately 1–2 minutes per side, turning as necessary, until evenly golden brown.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
8. Coat With Cinnamon Sugar
Don’t wait until the doughnuts are completely cool.
While they’re still warm, roll each Doughnut Dot generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
The slight amount of oil remaining on the surface helps the sugar stick.
9. Prepare the Dulce de Leche Dip
Warm the dulce de leche gently in the microwave or a small saucepan.
For a thinner dipping consistency, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of warm milk.
Serve alongside the warm Churro Doughnut Dots.
The Secret to Light, Fluffy Doughnut Dots
The biggest temptation when making homemade doughnuts is adding too much flour.
Your dough shouldn’t feel as firm as bread dough. A slightly soft and tacky dough generally produces a lighter interior after frying.
The second important factor is your oil temperature.
At temperatures much below 350°F, the doughnuts can absorb too much oil and become heavy. If the oil gets excessively hot, the outside may brown before the middle finishes cooking.
A kitchen thermometer makes this much easier.
What Exactly Is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de leche looks a little like caramel, but they’re not quite the same thing.
Traditional caramel is produced by heating sugar until it caramelizes, often before adding ingredients such as butter or cream.
Dulce de leche is generally made by slowly heating sweetened milk until the sugars and milk solids develop a deep golden color and rich, creamy flavor.
The name roughly translates from Spanish as “sweet of milk.”
That creamy milk-caramel flavor works especially well here because it contrasts with the cinnamon coating without overpowering the doughnuts.
Can I Make These Without a Deep Fryer?
Absolutely. You don’t need a dedicated deep fryer.
A heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven works perfectly well. The more useful piece of equipment is actually a thermometer, because maintaining a steady frying temperature makes a noticeable difference.
You’ll need:
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Heavy saucepan or Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
- Kitchen thermometer
- Paper towels
- Shallow bowl for cinnamon sugar
Serving Ideas
These Churro Doughnut Dots are at their best while they’re still slightly warm.
Serve them piled into a bowl with dulce de leche in the center for dipping. They’re particularly good alongside coffee, hot chocolate or cold milk.
For a dessert platter, you could also provide chocolate sauce alongside the dulce de leche so everyone can choose their favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. After preparing the dough, cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. Allow it to come closer to room temperature before shaping the doughnut dots and completing the second rise.
Why are my doughnut dots raw inside?
They were probably either too large or fried at too high a temperature. Keep the dough balls small and maintain the oil at approximately 350°F.
Can I use store-bought dulce de leche?
Definitely. Store-bought dulce de leche makes this recipe much quicker and works perfectly as the dipping sauce.
Can I use caramel sauce instead?
Yes, although the flavor won’t be exactly the same. A thick caramel sauce is the closest easy substitute.
How do I store leftover Churro Doughnut Dots?
Store completely cooled doughnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Like most fried doughnuts, they’re significantly better on the day they’re made.
How do I reheat them?
Heat them for approximately 5 minutes in a 300°F oven or briefly in an air fryer. Avoid overheating them because they can quickly become dry.
Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots Copycat Recipe
Soft and fluffy homemade doughnut bites coated in cinnamon sugar and served warm with creamy dulce de leche dipping sauce, inspired by Krispy Kreme Churro Doughnut Dots.
Ingredients
Doughnut Dots
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dulce de Leche Dip
- ½ cup dulce de leche
- 1–2 tablespoons warm milk, optional
Instructions
- Combine warm milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a large bowl. Leave for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rise for 1–1½ hours or until doubled.
- Gently deflate the dough and roll small portions into approximately 1-inch balls.
- Arrange on parchment paper and rest for another 15–20 minutes.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Heat approximately 2–3 inches of frying oil to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry the doughnut dots in small batches for approximately 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Transfer briefly to paper towels, then roll the warm doughnut dots in cinnamon sugar.
- Warm the dulce de leche. Stir in a little warm milk if you prefer a thinner dipping sauce.
- Serve the doughnut dots warm with dulce de leche on the side.
Notes
Keep the dough balls small so the centers cook before the outside becomes too dark.
Try to maintain the frying oil around 350°F throughout cooking.
Coat the dots in cinnamon sugar while they're still warm for the best coverage.
Dulce de leche can be warmed just before serving to create a smoother dipping consistency.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 servings (about 8 dots per serving) Serving Size: 8 doughnut dotsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 720 kcalTotal Fat: 34 ggSaturated Fat: 12 ggTrans Fat: 0 ggUnsaturated Fat: 20 ggCholesterol: 80 mgmgSodium: 390 mgmgCarbohydrates: 94 ggNet Carbohydrates: 91 g per servinggFiber: 3 ggSugar: 43 ggProtein: 11 gg
