If you love churros but need a gluten free version, you are going to really enjoy these gluten free churro bites. They are crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and coated in cinnamon sugar.

Classic churros are one of those treats that seem hard to make at home, but these little bites are actually pretty simple. You don’t need any special equipment or tricky techniques.

The dough comes together on the stovetop in just a few minutes using gluten free all purpose flour and xanthan gum. Then you drop small pieces into hot oil, fry them until golden, and roll them in cinnamon sugar.

Since they are bite-sized, they cook faster and are easier to handle than traditional long churros. They also make great finger food if you are sharing with friends or family.

The fact that these are gluten free honestly makes no difference in taste or texture. Anyone who tries them will have no idea they are made without regular flour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They Taste Just Like Real Churros – These gluten free churro bites have the same crispy outside and soft, doughy inside that you get from traditional churros, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.

Totally Gluten Free – You can enjoy classic churro flavor without any gluten, which means no stress and no stomach aches for anyone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.

Bite-Sized Fun – Instead of long churro sticks, these come in cute little bites that are perfect for popping in your mouth one after another. They’re way easier to eat and share than full-sized churros.

Super Simple Ingredients – You only need basic stuff like butter, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and gluten free flour. There’s nothing weird or hard to find on this ingredient list.

Ingredients

For the Bites

1 cup Water
1/3 cup Butter
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
3 large Eggs
Oil for frying

For the Coating

1/2 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Cinnamon

How to Make

Step 1

In a saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in gluten free flour and xanthan gum until a ball forms.

Step 2

Let mixture cool for 5 minutes, then beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.

Step 3

Heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F in a deep pot. Drop teaspoon-sized portions of dough into the hot oil, frying 6-8 at a time for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.

Step 4

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels for 1 minute.

Step 5

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl, then toss warm churro bites in the mixture until well coated. Serve immediately while warm and crispy.

Helpful Tips

Use a Thermometer for the Oil

Keeping your oil at 375°F is the most important part of frying these churro bites. If the oil is too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks through, and you end up with raw dough in the middle.

If the oil is too cool, the bites just sit there soaking up grease and they come out heavy and oily instead of light and crispy. A clip-on deep fry thermometer is the easiest way to keep track of the temperature the whole time you’re frying.

After each batch, give the oil a minute or two to come back up to 375°F before you drop in the next round. The temperature always dips when you add cold dough, so just be patient between batches.

Add the Eggs One at a Time

When the recipe says to beat in the eggs one at a time, don’t skip that step and dump them all in at once. Each egg needs to be fully mixed into the dough before you add the next one, or you’ll end up with a lumpy, separated mess that won’t hold together in the oil.

It’s going to look weird and slippery after the first egg goes in, like it’s not going to come together. That’s totally normal. Just keep stirring and it will smooth out before you add the next one.

A hand mixer on low speed makes this step way easier than doing it by hand. But a wooden spoon and some arm strength works too if that’s what you’ve got.

Let the Dough Cool Before Adding Eggs

After you stir the flour into the hot water and butter mixture, you really need to wait that full 5 minutes before you start adding eggs. If the dough is still too hot, the eggs will start to cook the second they touch it, and you’ll get little scrambled egg bits mixed into your dough.

You can spread the dough around the sides of the pot a bit to help it cool down faster. It should feel warm to the touch but not hot enough to make you pull your finger away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake these churro bites instead of frying them?

You can bake them at 375°F for about 18-22 minutes, but they won’t have that same crispy, golden shell that fried churro bites are known for. They’ll be a bit softer and more puff-like in texture.

If you do bake them, brush them with a little melted butter right when they come out of the oven so the cinnamon sugar coating sticks properly.