These homemade gluten-free churros bring back sweet memories of festivals and theme parks!
Golden, crispy, and coated in cinnamon sugar, these delicious churros have a soft, chewy center that’s absolutely irresistible.
Best of all, you don’t need fancy tools—this gluten-free churro recipe is easy to make with a piping bag or even a plastic baggie. It’s ready in under 40 minutes!
❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
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Since going gluten-free, we have missed eating churros. Living in Austin through many Cinco de Mayo celebrations…Churros were the best. I wanted to recreate this recipe so everyone could have a gluten-free option.
Whenever we have friends come over for Cinco de Mayo, we love to serve delicious Mexican-inspired foods like my pulled pork soft tacos and gluten-free churros for dessert. Add pink grapefruit margaritas with sriracha salt, and it is a party. If you love Mexican foods as much as I do, I put together a delicious collection of Gluten-Free Mexican inspired recipes our whole family loves.
Allergen Information:
I know many of my readers have multiple food sensitivities. These homemade churros are:
- gluten-free
- nut-free
- oat-free
- soy-free
- Make them dairy-free using plant-based butter.
- Make it gum-free using my DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husks as the binder instead of xanthan gum.
Gluten-Free Churros Ingredients:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend, Pillsbury Gluten-Free Flour Blend, and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Blend. Other blends work too! Adjust with a little extra flour or liquid if needed.
- Xanthan Gum – Make sure your blend contains Xanthan gum or Guar gum. Otherwise, you will need to add 3/4 teaspoon to your mix.
- Sugar – I used cane sugar in the dough and churro coating in the recipe.
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. See the Allergen Information above for dairy-free options.
- Coconut Oil or Canola Oil – It is important to use a high-heat oil when frying foods. I like using coconut or canola oil to fry these gluten-free churros, but other high-heat-tolerant oils also work well.
Are you ready to learn how to make this delicious Mexican treat? Drop me a note and let me know what you think!!
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Tips to make perfect churros:
- Monitor the oil temperature: Too hot and the churros burn; too cool and they soak up too much oil.
- Pipe carefully: Cut cleanly for neat churros, or have fun with spiral shapes!
- Fry small batches: Avoid crowding the pan so the oil temperature stays stable.
How to Make Gluten-Free Churros (Step-By-Step)
Note From The Kitchen: I will not lie; it is hard to resist these homemade gluten-free churros! They are fried crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, surrounded by cinnamon sugar, which makes me want more. Serve them up for Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, or any time! I share some tasty dipping sauce recipes below as well.
Step 1: Add the water, butter, and sugar to a medium saucepan and bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium heat. This will create a syrup for the dough. Stir and then reduce the heat.
Step 2: Add the gluten-free flour and stir vigorously. The dough will be sticky and thick—this is normal!
Tip: If the dough looks too wet or too dry, adjust slightly with more flour or liquid, depending on your flour blend.
Step 3: This is what your gluten-free choux pastry dough will look like after you mix it all together. Your dough will be sticky and a little tough to stir, which is normal.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your choux dough is too runny, add more flour, and if it is thicker than mine pictured above, add a little more liquid. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
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Step 4: Transfer the hot dough to a mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or strong whisk, mix in the eggs one at a time until smooth and combined. The dough will be thick but pipeable—similar to a soft playdough texture.
Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also mix the eggs into the choux dough using an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk.
Step 5: Choose a large star tip and add it to your piping bag. I like these extra-large cake decorating tips. Use a large spoon to fill the pastry bag with the dough.
Directions if you don’t have a piping bag:
Sandi says: No piping bag? No problem! Use a sturdy plastic bag and snip off one of the corners. I recommend the quart-size bags. Fill the bag with the dough and make a small cut to remove the bottom corner of the bag so the dough can be squeezed out into the hot oil.
Oil type matters when frying!
It is important to make sure the oil you use can tolerate high heat and has a high smoke point. Learn more information about high-heat oils and why they are important.
I like using coconut oil because it adds a nice, sweet flavor that works well with the cinnamon sugar churro coating. You can also use canola or avocado oil. Canola has a very mild flavor. Many varieties of olive oil and other more “sensitive oils” can not tolerate high heat, and they will leave a rancid flavor to your frying.
Step 5: Heat the cooking oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350º to 375º F. Use a digital thermometer or candy thermometer to read the temperature.
Step 6: Take your dough-filled piping bag. Squeeze the bag to pipe the churro dough into the hot oil. When you are done piping each churro, use scissors to cut the dough off the tip. You can make your churros as long or as short as you like. Make the churros straight like rods, or have fun and add curly shapes as well.
Step 7: Cook the churros in the hot oil on each side for 1-2 minutes and then flip them over with metal tongs. Because grease will spatter, I cooked this outside on a burner attached to our grill. Use long metal tongs so you are not too close to the hot oil when turning the churros over.
INDOOR FRYING TIP: If you will be frying these gluten free churros indoors, use a Dutch oven. The high sides of the Dutch oven will help minimize the oil spatter.
Step 8: When each churro is cooked, remove it from the hot oil to a paper towel-lined plate. Let the churros sit for one minute so the extra oil can drip off onto the paper towel.
Step 9: Use the tongs to put the churros in a bowl of cinnamon sugar. I recommend coating one to two churros at a time so you have room to roll them to ensure they are evenly coated.
I am making churros in all lengths. The short ones will be decorating my Gluten-Free Churros Cupcakes. Enjoy the churros while they are warm.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This is common if the churros are not cooked in the hot oil long enough. If the outsides of the churros look really dark quickly, your oil may be too hot. Make sure your oil is between 350º and 375º F.
Yes, you can save leftover gluten free churros. Place leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. You can place a paper towel in the container to help protect them. Note, they will not stay crispy once stored in a container. See below for reheating instructions.
You can reheat the churros in an air fryer or oven. To reheat them in an air fryer, place the churros into the air fryer basket and cook at 360º F for 4-5 minutes. Bake the churros at 350º F for 5-10 minutes to reheat in the oven.
I do not recommend using the microwave to heat the churros, as they will become soggy.
Yes! Pipe dough onto a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then store in a freezer bag. Fry straight from frozen.
They will last 10-12 months in the freezer. If you notice freezer burn, toss them. Otherwise, you can grab what you need, fry them, and devour every bite.
Yes! You can find gluten-free churros at the Nomad Lounge in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Dip your churros in one of these sauces:
You can eat this easy churros recipe as I made them, or change it up with some of these fun variations. They all taste great with just about anything! Here are my go-to ideas:
- Chocolate – Dip your churros in this homemade chocolate sauce.
- Vanilla Cream Sauce – This homemade vanilla cream sauce is dreamy with churros.
- Butterscotch Sauce – Make this bourbon butterscotch sauce and dip the churros into it.
- Icing – Drizzle a bit of your favorite vanilla or cream cheese icing.
More Gluten Free Dessert Ideas:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free churros recipe? Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Mouthwatering Gluten Free Churros
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a pot, add 1 cup water, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup cane sugar, cook on medium heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and add 1 cup gluten free flour blend.
- Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and add 1 large egg.
- Mix on low speed until blended.
- Move the churro dough to a piping bag with a large tip (see post for tip suggestions).
- On a stove heat coconut oil in a cast iron pan. You want the oil between 350º and 375º F in temperature.
- Pipe the churro dough into the hot oil, use a knife or scissors to cut the end of the dough stripe.
- Cook 1-2 minutes and turn the churros with tongs.
- Add 2 tablespoons cane sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon to a bowl and mix.
- When the churros are done, transfer to a paper towel lined plate for 1-2 minutes.
- Move churros to the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll the churros to coat.
- Enjoy warm, dip in chocolate or eat as is.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with Cup4Cup, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- These churros will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- Frying can make a bit of a mess with the oil spatters so if you have a portable cooktop outside, fry your churros outside to avoid the big clean-up.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
recipe similar to cream puffs I’d made for yrs but eventually getting Coconut oil to temp thinner ones just bubbled flat & a little puff on top or small balls & kept rolling them in oil very flat for long & wet Inside for balls (came to ping pong balls) wet
where did I go wrong ? please But fun
Hi Wendy, You don’t mention which gluten free flour blend you used…every single blend has a different starch to grain ratio. How thick was your batter? How did you measure the flour? It definitely sounds like you used a starchier blend and therefore needed to add more flour.
When do you add the salt?
Hi Nichole, add salt with the dry ingredients.
what happens if you don’t have the Xanthan gum?
How much coconut oil do I use
Hi Justin, for the frying? It depends on your pan. You want the oil to be about 1 inch deep so you can cook the churros on both sides, turning them easily.
Ok thanks
I never knew making churtos would be so easy & delicious!!! Been dairy free for a couple of years & had to forego gluten to help stop inflammation. Never thought I would have churros again.
Tip: Don’t use silicon piping bag … stick with strong plastic piping bags.
I am so glad you loved them, Patty!!
Can the dough be made in advance? Thanks!
Hi Jack, that is a tough question. Technically, yes it can be made in advance. The downside is your cupcakes won’t be as light and fluffy. You only want to mix the batter until it is just mixed…and if you refrigerate it, the batter will dry a little. You would possibly need to add more water, which will deflate the batter if you add and mix some water in. I hope this makes sense.
I will keep that in mind the next time I make churros. I actually made some today, and they tasted great! Thanks again!
I am really glad you liked them Jack :-).