Gluten free churros are one of my favorite recipes ever and I am thrilled to share this recipe with you! The cinnamon sugar flavors of these homemade churros are irresistible. They are quick and easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
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I am not going to lie, it is hard to resist churros! There is something about the crispy outside and soft insides, all surrounded by cinnamon sugar that makes me want more. Serve them up for Cinco de Mayo, or any time!
Whenever we have friends come over for dinner, we often like to serve Grilled Pork Street Tacos and some gluten free churros. You wouldn’t believe how quickly the food can disappear! I know that sometimes serving food for other people who aren’t gluten free that there can be some anxiety.
If you love Mexican foods as much as I do, I put together a delicious collection of Gluten Free Mexican recipes our whole family loves.
Why This Recipe Is Great:
- This gluten free churros recipe is so easy to make following my simple steps.
- Mixing the batter is quick then it is a matter of frying them in coconut oil, and then carefully rolling the churros in a sweet cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- The insides of the gluten free churros are soft while the outside is slightly crispy. Once you try this churros dessert, you may never want anything else! For real, they are that good!
Ingredient Notes:
- 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. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan gum - make sure your blend contains Xanthan gum or Guar gum, otherwise you will need to add a teaspoon to your mix.
- Coconut oil - this is the best oil for frying these gluten free churros.
- Butter - you can use vegan butter if you are dairy-free.
Are you ready to learn how to make this delicious Mexican treat? Drop me a note and let me know what you think!!
How To Make Gluten Free Churros:
Step 1: Grab a medium-sized saucepan and place it on the stove. Add the water, butter, and sugar to the pot and bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium heat. This will create a syrup for the dough. Reduce the heat.
Step 2: Add the gluten free flour to the hot liquid and mix well.
Step 3: This is what your dough will look like after you mix it. The dough is sticky and a little tough to stir.
Step 4: Place the gluten free churro dough in a standing mixer with the eggs and mix the ingredients together at low speed. Add the dough to a pastry piping bag. I like these extra-large cake decorating tips.
Note: You can also mix them together with an electric mixer.
If you don't have a piping bag and decorating tips, the best way to pipe the dough is to use plastic baggies. (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 piped out.
Step 5: Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet. It is important to make sure the oil you use can tolerate high heat and have a high smoke point. Heat the oil to 350º to 375º F.
I tend to use coconut oil because it lends a nice sweet flavor that works really well with the cinnamon sugar. You can also use canola or avocado oil. Canola has a very mild flavor. Olive oil and other more sensitive oils can not tolerate high heat and they will leave a rancid flavor to your frying.
Step 6: Take your dough-filled piping bag. Squeeze the bag to pipe the churro dough into the hot oil. Use scissors to cut the dough off the tip when you are done piping each churro. You can make your churros as long as you like.
Step 7: Cook the churros for 1-2 minutes on each side and then flip them over with metal tongs. Grease will spatter so I cooked this outside on a burner attached to our grill.
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 extra oil can come 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 really roll them to ensure they are evenly coated with cinnamon sugar.
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.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
A churro is fried pastry dough that is popular in Mexico. The churro is fried in oil then it’s coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. They are soft, sweet, and just plain delicious. You will most often find them in restaurants, carnivals, and fairs. Now you can make easy gluten free churros right in your own kitchen.
It is important to use an oil that can tolerate high heat. I recommend coconut or canola oil for this recipe.
Yes, you can freeze the churros batter. The best way is to pipe the gluten free churro dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Then place the entire pan into the freezer for 30-45 minutes. After they seem to be frozen, you can put them into a freezer-safe bag or container.
They will last 10-12 months in the freezer. If you happen to notice freezer burn, then toss them. Otherwise, you can just grab what you need, fry them and devour every bite.
Yes, you can save leftover gluten free churros. Simply, place leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. You can place a paper towel in the container to help protect them too.
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. To reheat in the oven, bake the churros at 350º F for 5-10 minutes.
I do not recommend using the microwave to heat the churros because they will get soggy.
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 high. Make sure your oil is between 350º and 375º F.
Churros originated in Spain as a breakfast food, and they have evolved over the years. There are many historians that don’t agree where the churro actually came from, but honestly, they are so good it’s okay if the history is a little sketchy!
Some say that the Spanish shepherds made churros as a replacement for fresh bread and that they were named after the Churra Sheep. Similar to churros, Churra sheep have ridges, and that is what inspired the name.
Modern-day churros are used for breakfast, brunch, snacks, and dessert! Basically, any reason we can have to make or eat churros is acceptable!
Churros Topping Ideas:
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 - Dipping your churros in chocolate is probably the most common way to eat these sweet treats! Just drizzle chocolate on them or dip the gluten free churros into a bowl of chocolate.
- Vanilla Cream Sauce - Seriously, this is highly addictive! Take a peek at my homemade vanilla cream sauce and pair the two for an amazing combination.
- Butterscotch Sauce - Make yourself a bowl of my creamy bourbon butterscotch sauce and dip the churros into it. Oh my goodness, so scrumptious!
- Icing - Drizzle a little bit of your favorite vanilla or cream cheese icing.
Reader adaptations:
I didn’t have the tip to make the traditional looking churro. But, they come out delicious anyways! They are more like donut holes. Will make them again!"
Olivia, Pinterest User
More Gluten Free Dessert Ideas:
Looking for more gluten free desserts?
📖 Recipe
Mouthwatering Gluten Free Churros
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter * see note
- 1 cup water
Topping:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a pot, cook water, butter, and sugar on medium heat.
- Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and add the flour.
- Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer and add the 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 cinnamon and sugar 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.
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.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition 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.
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Nichole Shuler
When do you add the salt?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Nichole, add salt with the dry ingredients.
Maisy
what happens if you don't have the Xanthan gum?
Justin
How much coconut oil do I use
Sandi Gaertner
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.
Justin
Ok thanks
Patty
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.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved them, Patty!!
Jack
Can the dough be made in advance? Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
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.
Jack
I will keep that in mind the next time I make churros. I actually made some today, and they tasted great! Thanks again!
Sandi Gaertner
I am really glad you liked them Jack :-).
Laura
We are crazy about churros in my house! I've never made homemade ones, but you have certainly made it look so easy that I'll have to try it.
Sandi Gaertner
I will make them if you all come visit 🙂
Jenni
We used to make a churro dessert at the restaurant, piping them in curlicues and calling them "pigtails." We stored full sheet pans of them in the freezer and then dropped them in the fryer as people ordered them. It's nice to know they work ad gf treats too!
Sandi Gaertner
What a cute idea Jenni!! I love the idea of churros on demand 🙂
Krystle
I love churros and am so happy to have found this GF version. Served mine with chocolate dipping sauce and they were amazing!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad everyone loved them 🙂
Ashley
I love churros and these are perfect to make for everyone! I love that these only require a few ingredients too.
Sandi Gaertner
I hope you like them Ashley 🙂