Is it us, or are churros finally getting their due?
Last year, it was all about the churro ice cream sandwiches in Los Angeles. This week, churros—those long, crunchy deep-fried sticks of dough—were actually trending on Twitter, after the introduction of the Churro Dog, a new concessions offering at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.
The latest creation is a warm cinnamon churro, which comes nestled inside a rectangular chocolate-glazed doughnut, and is topped with frozen yogurt, whipped cream, and a drizzled of chocolate and caramel, resembling—yep—a dessert hot dog.
“Just 24 hours ago, ‘Churro Dog’ literally didn’t exist in our lexicon. Now, there are more than 400,000 results for it on Google,” says Josh Rawitch,
senior vice president of communications for the Diamondbacks. “It’s mind-blowing, the speed at which this has taken off.”
The 1,117-calorie dessert will sell for $8.50 at the stadium, and was developed by the Diamondbacks’ executive chef Michael Snoke, the brain behind last year’s D-Bat Dog, an 18-inch corn dog stuffed with cheese, jalapenos and bacon.
He credits his catering sales manager, Lisa Maynard for saying the magical words “Churro Dog” while prepping for a cooking demo last year. “I had an immediate vision of what you see today,” he says.
The chef says he can’t speak for why churros seem to be suddenly hot right now in general, but he believes the churro dog resonated because of its comical impersonation of the hot dog. “It’s completely different, yet completely familiar,” he says.
And if you’re not in Arizona, fear not: There was that make-at-home Churro Cheesecake hybrid dessert recipe floating around, and if you’re not a baker, you can keep your eyes peeled for Oreo Churros.
A company named J&J Snack Foods, which has been making churros since the ’80s for places like amusement parks, cafes, ballparks and restaurants, is behind the Oreo Churros.
The Oreo version has a crispy exterior, soft interior and real cookie pieces in each bite—kind of tasting like a fresh-baked Oreo, according to the company. They are popping up at fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and other venues nationwide.
“Churros are definitely hot right now, we think for a few reasons,” says Alissa Davis, director of marketing for the company. “What began as a traditional Mexican treat has grown to be mainstream and enjoyed for any occasion. Millennials have grown up with churros and want to see them everywhere. And ‘carnival treats’ have been a trending dessert.”
This article was originally published Mar. 6, 2015 at 10:44 a.m. ET.