These gluten free waffle churros are like a Cinco de Mayo miracle. They have all the taste and texture of churros, but in a no-fry waffle batter. Whatever you do, don't skip the chocolate sauce!
It may not be Cinco de Mayo (yet), but if you could have all the taste of light, fluffy and crisp churros without, well, having to deep fry anything, wouldn't you get an early start? That's what I thought. Enter gluten free waffle churros.
We've already made gluten free churros, but this isn't just that recipe made in a waffle iron. The ingredients are largely the same, but the proportions are different in all the right ways.to make a waffle texture so perfect that you'll
The result is a waffle texture so perfect that you'll almost swear they were fried. Only “almost” since everybody knows that only fried food tastes fried but the texture is so perfect that I promise you won't mind.
I've made this dough (which is really the same fabulous French choux pastry that we use to make everything from cream puffs and crullers to éclairs and gougères (with a few savory twists). Here it's more like a batter and less like a dough) every which way: by hand (don't really recommend, but it can be done), in a food processor (lovely, except when you have to clean it) and in a blender (both high speed and regular blender).
My favorite method is the blender (high speed or otherwise), but any will work. It is indeed difficult to make a super smooth batter (or dough) by hand, but please remember that you're not making your food to photograph it and share it … with you. So less-than-perfect is perfectly okay.
Do make sure that you allow the mixture to cool after it comes off the stovetop and before you add the eggs to blend everything together. That keeps your blender or food processor from overheating and the eggs from scrambling in the hot pastry dough.
I'll be honest, sometimes I skip the cinnamon-sugar coating because I'm a total clean freak and it makes a mess. And you'd better believe that as soon as I got this shot of drippy chocolate I cleaned up that jar but good.
Gluten Free Waffle Churros, con chocolate
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
For the waffles
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) milk
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (175 g) gluten free pastry flour (please click thru for details about this blend)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 (200 g) eggs at room temperature
For the cinnamon-sugar coating
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted
For the chocolate sauce
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) milk
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) superfine sweet rice flour or cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- For this recipe, I prefer to use a standard waffle iron, not a Belgian waffle iron. But either works just fine.
Make the waffle batter.
- Place the milk, butter and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour, sugar and cinnamon, and stir vigorously. Return the pan to the heat and continue to stir vigorously for about 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and comes together in a ball. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 3 minutes (this ensures that the mixture will not overheat your blender or food processor, and will not cook the eggs when they are added). Transfer half the dough to a blender or food processor. Pour the beaten eggs on top and then add the rest of the dough. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and uniformly well-blended.
Make the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow baking dish, and set it aside.
Make the waffles.
- Pour about 3/4 to 1 cup of batter into each cavity of your prepared waffle iron (more or less depending upon the size and shape of your iron), and spread the batter into an even layer using a small offset spatula or a spoon. Close the lid and cook until steam stops escaping from the iron, between 4 and 5 minutes, depending again upon the capacity of your waffle iron. Remove the waffle from the iron and place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Once you have made all of the waffles,* using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut each waffle into strips about 1 1/2-inches wide. Using a pastry brush, coat each waffle strip with the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar coating, pressing gently to ensure that the coating adheres.
Make the chocolate sauce.
- Place the chopped chocolate and 1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) of the milk in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the milk begins to simmer. While the chocolate is melting, in a separate small bowl, whisk the flour or cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) milk until smooth. Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan, and stir to combine. Simmer the chocolate mixture, continuing to stir occasionally, until it coats the back of a spoon (about 2 minutes). Pour into a small container for dipping, and allow to cool to room temperature before serving as it will thicken as it cools. Serve the waffle strips with the chocolate sauce.
Gluten Free Waffle Churros, con chocolate
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
For the waffles
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) milk
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (175 g) gluten free pastry flour (please click thru for details about this blend)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 (200 g) eggs at room temperature
For the cinnamon-sugar coating
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted
For the chocolate sauce
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) milk
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) superfine sweet rice flour or cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- For this recipe, I prefer to use a standard waffle iron, not a Belgian waffle iron. But either works just fine.
Make the waffle batter.
- Place the milk, butter and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour, sugar and cinnamon, and stir vigorously. Return the pan to the heat and continue to stir vigorously for about 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and comes together in a ball. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 3 minutes (this ensures that the mixture will not overheat your blender or food processor, and will not cook the eggs when they are added). Transfer half the dough to a blender or food processor. Pour the beaten eggs on top and then add the rest of the dough. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and uniformly well-blended.
Make the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow baking dish, and set it aside.
Make the waffles.
- Pour about 3/4 to 1 cup of batter into each cavity of your prepared waffle iron (more or less depending upon the size and shape of your iron), and spread the batter into an even layer using a small offset spatula or a spoon. Close the lid and cook until steam stops escaping from the iron, between 4 and 5 minutes, depending again upon the capacity of your waffle iron. Remove the waffle from the iron and place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Once you have made all of the waffles,* using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut each waffle into strips about 1 1/2-inches wide. Using a pastry brush, coat each waffle strip with the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar coating, pressing gently to ensure that the coating adheres.
Make the chocolate sauce.
- Place the chopped chocolate and 1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) of the milk in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the milk begins to simmer. While the chocolate is melting, in a separate small bowl, whisk the flour or cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) milk until smooth. Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan, and stir to combine. Simmer the chocolate mixture, continuing to stir occasionally, until it coats the back of a spoon (about 2 minutes). Pour into a small container for dipping, and allow to cool to room temperature before serving as it will thicken as it cools. Serve the waffle strips with the chocolate sauce.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
e says
hi Nicole, i am wondering if it would be better to use regular betterbatter in the bread recipes that call for bread flour than to make the bread flour using almond flour(df) and reg. tapioca starch( my mom wont buy expandex). also, in your mock starbucks morning buns are these best made completely the day before you eat them or should i make the dough and assemble them inthe morning?
Diane Stemple Swearingen says
I grew up with what we call “Waffle Cookies”. They are a solid cookie that is also really tender/soft. They are made on a waffle iron and then dusted with flour after they are on the cooling rack. That is one thing I miss terribly! Have you ever had them? I would be willing to share the recipe if it meant a GF version. ;)
Kelly Krause Renquist says
Nicole, these looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try them. I have a request/challenge if you feel like experimenting further in the waffle realm. One of my son’s favorite treats after skiing were the Belgian sugar waffles, or Liege, sold at our local ski resort. They are a yeast dough, studded with Belgian sugar pearls. As the dough cooks in the waffle iron, the sugar caramelizes. They can be served plain or dipped in chocolate. They are so delicious and the one thing he misses the most since his celiac diagnosis. If ever you felt compelled to try and replicate a gluten free version, you would have some ecstatic blog followers! Thank you for all you do to make GF living delicious!