Homemade Churro Bites (Vegan & Gluten Free)

These homemade churro bites are vegan and gluten-free, covered in a cinnamon-sugar topping, and can be dipped in a delicious vegan caramel sauce. They are so delicious and are a new favorite of everyone in our house. They are fried to perfection without needing any special tools or frying equipment to make. Read on to find the recipe.

Recently, I was having a craving for something sweet and delicious. When trying to decide what to make I stumbled upon gluten-free donuts but was missing some of the ingredients for the dough. I decided to try my hand at another fried food favorite to satisfy my craving. That is how this recipe for homemade churro bites came around.

Tips for Success

*When creating these churro bites, it is important to begin heating the oil before you make the dough. This way the oil will be hot and ready when you are ready to fry them up. To check if your oil is hot enough add the dough for one churro bite. If it fries and sizzles when you put it in then your oil is ready and you can add the first half of the dough.

*When making the dough you only will need to use xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour doesn’t include it. If your gluten-free flour already has xanthan gum in it you can omit it from the recipe.

*For this recipe you will need to make a buttermilk substitute. You can do this by warming up the almond milk in the microwave and adding the vinegar to it once it is warm.

*Add the dough to a gallon-size plastic bag and cut the corner off. Pipe them directly into the oil. You will need to flip them with a slotted spoon after a minute or two and cook for an additional one to two minutes. This will ensure that both sides cook evenly.

*Be sure to immediately roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mix after you remove them from the oil. If you wait too long the cinnamon sugar will not stick to the churro bites.

*If there are any remaining gluten and dairy-free churro bites left when you are finished eating them, store them in the fridge. Then pull them out and heat both these and the caramel sauce to ensure the best taste possible.

Vegan and Gluten Free Churro Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

Churro Bites

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (depending on your gluten-free flour blend)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup warmed almond milk
•  1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

• 3 tbsp vegan butter (country crock plant butter is our favorite)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp almond milk

Directions:

Homemade Churro Bites Directions:

1. Begin to warm 2 1/2 cups of the vegetable oil up in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and nutmeg, and mix.
3. In a glass measuring cup heat almond milk in the microwave to make it warm. Add apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Stir all together.
4. Pour liquid ingredients mixture into the dry ingredients.
5. Stir just until the dough is mixed together. Do not over-stir. The dough should be thicker and somewhat hold its shape. Put dough aside.
6. Lay paper towels over a plate. Mix the cinnamon and granulated sugar on top of the paper towels. Put mixture aside.
7. Spoon the dough into a Ziploc or piping bag and cut off a small corner.
8. Pipe half of the churro dough in 1-inch circles directly from the bag into the hot oil.
9. Using a slotted spoon flip the churro bites over after the bottom side has browned (about a minute) and cook in oil until the other side has also browned (about another 1-2 minutes).
10. Remove cooked churro bites directly to the plate with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Use a spoon to roll and cover the churro bites in the sugar mix. Remove to a separate plate.
11. Repeat the oil and sugar process with the remaining dough.
12. Best served warm and dipped in vegan caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce Directions:

1. Add the vegan butter, brown sugar, almond milk, and vanilla to a small saucepan.
2. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat stirring often.
3. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken.
4. Drizzle over top of churros or dip churros in the finished sauce.

For another fun and super tasty gluten free treat check out these gluten free apple cider donuts. They are a great alternative to making churro bites that use oil since they are made in an air fryer.