What happens when you really want to make churros, but don’t have any cooking oil left at home and are too lazy to go out and get some? Waffle churros!
Yep that’s right, you can cook churros in a waffle maker!Β I wasn’t sure what to expect texture-wise and I’m not here to claim that they’re exactly like the real thing – for those who don’t know, churros are delicious, often choux pastry based, doughnuts that are normally shaped into tubes using a piping bag and deep fried – but it’s a damn good alternative. They turned out super light and fluffyΒ on the inside, with a nice crispy outer layer. ?
And bonus point: they’re a bit healthier. ?
P.S.: There are different ways to make churros, some are essentially a choux pastry (the same used to make eclairs or cream puffs) and others, like the authentic Spanish churros I believe, are often made without any eggs or dairy. In this recipe I’m using the former, practically the same exact base I use for my gluten free eclairs.
Tips:
1. The cooking time may vary. Every waffle iron is different so while mine takes about 7 minutes, it may be different for you. Cook until the waffle churros are crispy and golden. This should be relatively soon after steam stops coming out of the waffle iron. Some say to take them out while there is still a bit of steam coming out, but in my experience that resulted in churros with an uncooked centre.
2. These are best eaten freshly cooked, straight out of the waffle maker. Bear in mind that the leftovers with lose their crispy outer layer.
3. Reheat leftovers under the grill or in the waffle maker to regain some of the crispiness. But otherwise they still taste great microwaved, kind of like soft melt in the mouth fried doughnuts. ?
Gluten Free Waffle Churros Recipe:
- 85g plain gf flour (I used Schar)
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 50g unsalted butter
- 150ml whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- Caster sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 20ml whole milk
Directions
HOW TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Add the milk and butter in a saucepan and slowly melt the butter on low/medium heat, stirring constantly. Then once you reach a light boil, turn the heat off completely.
- Immediately add the dry ingredients into the sauce pan and stir until the dough comes together. Then transfer it back into the bowl and let it cool down.
- Once the dough has cooled down/is lukewarm, add the eggs and mix with a spoon or an electric hand mixer (with mixing paddle attachments; those ones that look like hooks, not the whisks) on low speed. Af first it will look lumpy, but this is normal. Keep on mixing until smooth. Note: donβt skip the cooling down part or the heat will start cooking the eggs.
Β
COOK THE WAFFLE CHURROS:
- Pre-heat your waffle iron and grease with a cooking oil of your choice or non-stick cooking spray.
- Make 12 small balls out of the dough (wet your hands first to prevent sticking) and cook for about 7 minutes, until the outer layer is crispy and golden but still light and soft inside. Note: to save time you can cook four at the same time by placing two dough balls in each corners rather than placing them in the centre like I did.
- Combine caster sugar with a bit of ground cinnamon on a plate and roll the freshly cooked waffle churros into it.
- Optional: serve with dipping sauce of your choice.
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HOW TO MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
- Place the caramel sauce ingredients into a non-stick pan, turn the heat on to low and stir constantly until the butter has fully melted and the sugar has completely dissolved. This should take 1 or 2 minutes.
Enjoy!
