Gluten-Free Churros

Churros are choux pastry that goes swimming instead of into the oven: boil water and butter, stir in the flour, beat in an egg, pipe the dough into hot oil, and roll the crisp ridged sticks in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. The gluten-free version changes exactly one thing — the flour. The egg and the cooked starch do the structural work in choux, so a good gluten-free blend fries up crisp outside and soft inside, just like it should. In the Test Kitchen: not yet test-made in my kitchen.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

churros

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Churro Dough

1 cup water 240 ml
2 tablespoons butter 28 g
1 tablespoon sugar 12 g
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup gluten-free flour blend 140 g, with xanthan gum
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Frying and Coating

neutral oil, for frying about 4 cups (950 ml), such as canola or vegetable
1/2 cup sugar 100 g, for coating
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir the coating sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow dish and set it by the stove.
Pour the oil into a heavy pot or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches and heat it to 350°F (175°C).
While the oil heats, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring it to a full boil over medium-high heat.
Take the pan off the heat, dump in the flour blend all at once, and stir hard with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough pulls together and leaves a film on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute.
Scrape the dough into a bowl and let it cool 3 to 4 minutes, until it stops steaming. Beat in the egg and vanilla with a spoon or hand mixer until the dough turns glossy and smooth — it will look separated at first, then come together.
Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe 4- to 5-inch strips directly over the oil, snipping each one off with scissors or a knife, 4 or 5 at a time so the pot is not crowded.
Fry 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden all over. Gluten-free choux browns fast at the end — pull them when they are a shade darker than you think.
Lift the churros out with a slotted spoon, rest them on paper towels for a few seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while warm. Repeat with the rest of the dough and serve right away.

No piping bag? Spoon the dough into a zip-top bag and snip a corner, or drop rustic spoonfuls — the ridges from a star tip give the classic look and extra crisp edges, but the flavor is the same.
Keep the oil at 350°F (175°C) between batches; a thermometer matters here. Too cool and the churros drink oil and go soggy; too hot and they brown before the centers set.
Dairy-free: a firm dairy-free butter substitute works in the dough. The egg stays, so this version is not vegan.
Churros are a same-hour food. If a few survive, re-crisp them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes and re-roll in cinnamon sugar.
This recipe is not yet test-made in my kitchen.