Gluten free churros? YES! In bite-size dippable form? YES! Am I dreaming? NO! This is the real deal folks. Warm churros with crispy outsides, soft insides, covered in cinnamon sugar, then dipped in an incredibly easy but so amazingly delicious homemade chocolate caramel sauce..... it seems almost too good to be true. As long as you're willing to do a little piping and frying, you are a candidate for this recipe! I don't know about you, but we've been missing Disneyland around here, and the smell of churros is always a key part of the atmosphere there. Now your gluten free kiddos can have that experience combined with the eating too! Go on, give it a try.
Churro Bites with Chocolate Caramel Sauce
Makes 2 dozen
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch kosher salt
2 oz. dark chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup)
For the Churros:
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup gluten-free flour (1:1 works great)
1 egg
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, use a fork to combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water to form a wet sand. Cook on medium, swirling pot as necessary, until starting to be amber in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter (it will sputter), then whisk in heavy cream, cocoa powder, and salt to dissolve. Add the dark chocolate chips, let sit 3 minutes, then stir until smooth and silky. Set aside.
For the churros, in a medium saucepan, cook the dry cinnamon stick over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water, olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat, then remove the cinnamon stick and discard. Quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, then let sit for a few minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat to reach 350°F. Meanwhile, transfer churro dough to a mixing bowl. Using a mixer, beat on low for 1 minute to cool slightly. Beat in the egg (dough will be smooth and shiny). Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
Working in batches, squeeze 3-4 inch lengths of batter into oil, using kitchen scissors to snip off from the tip. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning frequently. Remove to a wire rack set over paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Roll the churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture and serve immediately while warm. Serve with chocolate caramel dipping sauce.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need sugar, butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, salt, dark chocolate chips, a cinnamon stick, olive oil, gluten free 1:1 flour, an egg, vegetable oil, and ground cinnamon.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Stir with a fork to make a wet sand. Heat over medium heat until it bubbles. Swirl and cook until it starts to turn amber in color, but is still liquid, for about 4 minutes. You want a nice simple syrup, not rock candy (we cooked it too long once). Remove from the heat and add 4 tablespoons butter cut into pieces. It will sizzle and spatter, but stir until butter is melted.
Pour in 1/2 heavy cream that is at room temperature (microwave for a bit to warm up if needed). Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine. Lastly, add 2 ounces (1/3 cup) dark chocolate chips. Let the chips sit for 3 minutes, then stir until smooth and silky. This dreamy sauce is complete! Set aside and let's work on the churros.
In a medium saucepan, heat a cinnamon stick over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. In a glass measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Pour into the pan with the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
Quickly add 1 cup gluten free flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. It will be a thick dough. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then transfer to a stand mixer bowl. Beat for a minute or two to cool, then add 1 egg and beat until smooth and shiny. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Once hot, pipe in 4 inch pieces, cutting at the tip with kitchen scissors, and drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning frequently. Move to a cooling rack set over paper towels.
Hopefully you don't have this issue! Yep, my piping bag split while piping in hot oil!
In a bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Roll the churro bites while still warm, being sure to completely cover.
Serve immediately while still warm!
There is nothing quite like a warm, cinnamon sugar topped churro, dipped in a delicious chocolate caramel sauce. It really is to die for!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe in Womans Day magazine