This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These mochi churros are crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and gluten-free. The dough is made with glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch, which is where that bouncy, mochi-style chew comes from.
I made two flavours: cinnamon sugar with a dark chocolate ganache, and cardamom sugar with a warm salted caramel dip. One batch makes 12 small churros, so you get six of each.
Fry them, roll them in sugar while they’re hot and eat them straight away. That’s the whole plan.
What makes these mochi churros special?
A chewy, gluten-free dough
The dough works like a classic churro dough. Milk, butter, sugar and salt come to a boil, the flours go in all at once, and you stir hard until it pulls together. A minute or so back on low heat dries it out slightly before the egg goes in.
Glutinous rice flour, also called sweet rice flour, gives the churros their stretch. Despite the name, it contains no gluten. Tapioca starch adds even more chew, so every bite has that crisp shell and soft, springy centre.
Two sugars, two dips
Cinnamon sugar and dark chocolate is the classic churro combination, so that one had to happen. The cardamom sugar is warm and fragrant, and it’s lovely with a pot of warm salted caramel.
The caramel dip is caramelised condensed milk (Caramel Treat, if you’re shopping in South Africa) loosened with a little cream and seasoned with salt. It takes about two minutes.
Tips for perfect mochi churros
Make the sugars and dips first. The churros need to go into the sugar while they’re still hot, so have both sugars in shallow bowls and the dips ready before you start frying.
Cool the dough before adding the egg. It should be warm but no longer steaming, or the egg can start to cook as you mix it in.
Fill the piping bag carefully. Press the dough down firmly so there are no air pockets. Trapped air can make churros burst and spit in the hot oil.
Pipe onto baking paper. Pipe each churro onto its own small square of baking paper, then lower it into the oil on the paper. You get neat shapes, you’re not piping over hot oil, and the paper lifts straight out with tongs once the churros start frying.
Use a sturdy bag and a large star nozzle. The dough is thick, so a flimsy bag can split. The star nozzle gives you ridges, and ridges mean more crispy edges.
Keep the oil at 190°C. Use a thermometer, a deep heavy-based saucepan filled no more than halfway, and fry in small batches so the temperature doesn’t drop. If the oil gets too hot, the outsides brown before the middles cook.
Check the first one. Break open the first churro to make sure the centre is cooked through, then adjust the frying time for the rest.
Eat them fresh. Mochi churros are at their best within minutes of frying. They firm up as they cool.
Ingredients and substitutions
Glutinous rice flour: Also sold as sweet rice flour or mochiko. Ordinary rice flour won’t work here because it doesn’t have the same sticky starch, so you won’t get the chew.
Tapioca starch: Sometimes sold as tapioca flour. They’re the same thing.
Butter: If you only have salted butter, use it and leave out the salt in the dough.
Caramelised condensed milk: Caramel Treat or any dulce de leche works for the salted caramel dip.
Dark chocolate: Use one you enjoy eating on its own. If you’re cooking for someone who avoids gluten, check the label.
More flavours to try
The dough works with any flavoured sugar, so once you’ve got the method down, play around. Black sesame is a good one: toast black sesame seeds, lightly crush half of them and mix with caster sugar, then serve the churros with condensed milk blended with ground toasted sesame. A little orange zest rubbed into the sugar would also be delicious with the chocolate ganache.
How to serve mochi churros
Serve them warm, piled on a board or platter with the dips in small bowls on the side. They’re made for sharing, so put them in the middle of the table and let everyone go back and forth between the chocolate and the caramel.
Making ahead and storing
The sugars and dips can be made ahead. Keep the sugars in an airtight jar and the ganache and caramel dip in the fridge, then warm the dips gently before serving.
The churros are best fried just before you eat them. They firm up as they cool and lose that soft chew, so leftovers are best eaten the same day.
Crispy, chewy, gone
These disappear fast. Get your sugars and dips ready, fry in small batches and serve them hot.
If you make them, tag me @blissfulbites_za on Instagram. I want to know which flavour wins: cinnamon or cardamom.
Gluten-Free Mochi Churros
Ingredients
Mochi churro dough
- 98 g glutinous rice flour also called sweet rice flour
- 52 g tapioca starch
- 150 ml full-cream milk
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 15 g caster sugar
- 1 g salt
- 50 g beaten egg about 1 large egg
- sunflower or canola oil for deep frying
Cinnamon sugar
- 25 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Dark chocolate ganache
- 60 g dark chocolate finely chopped
- 40 g fresh cream
Cardamom sugar
- 25 g caster sugar
- ¼ tsp cardamom freshly ground
- 1 pinch salt
Salted caramel dip
- 80 g caramelised condensed milk such as Caramel Treat or dulce de leche
- 20 g fresh cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
Make the sugars and dips
- Combine the caster sugar, cinnamon and salt for the cinnamon sugar in a shallow bowl. Combine the caster sugar, freshly ground cardamom and salt for the cardamom sugar in a second shallow bowl.
- For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream until steaming. Pour it over the chopped dark chocolate and leave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
- For the salted caramel dip, warm the caramelised condensed milk and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Add salt to taste.
Make the mochi churro dough
- Whisk together the glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch in a bowl.
- Add the milk, butter, caster sugar and salt to a saucepan. Heat until the butter has melted and the mixture just comes to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the flour mixture all at once. Stir vigorously until a thick dough forms.
- Return the saucepan to low heat and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring continuously, until the dough is cohesive and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool until warm, but not steaming hot.
- Gradually mix in the beaten egg until fully combined. The dough should be smooth, thick and pipeable.
- Spoon the dough into a sturdy piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, pressing it down firmly so there are no air pockets.
Fry and coat the churros
- Cut baking paper into small squares, a little bigger than each churro. Pipe one churro, about 6 to 8 cm long, onto each square.
- Heat the oil to 190°C in a deep, heavy-based saucepan, filling it no more than halfway.
- Lower the churros into the oil a few at a time, still on their paper. Once they start frying, lift the paper out with tongs.
- Fry until golden brown, turning as needed so they cook evenly. Break the first one open to check the centre is cooked through.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a wire rack.
- While they are still hot, toss half the churros in the cinnamon sugar and serve with the dark chocolate ganache.
- Toss the rest in the cardamom sugar and serve with the warm salted caramel dip.
Notes
- Glutinous rice flour: Also called sweet rice flour. Despite the name, it contains no gluten. Ordinary rice flour won’t give you the chewy centre.
- Oil temperature: Keep the oil at 190°C and fry in small batches. If it’s too hot, the outsides brown before the centres cook.
- Piping: Fill the bag firmly with no air pockets, because trapped air can make the churros burst and spit in the oil. Pipe each churro onto its own square of baking paper and lower it into the oil on the paper.
- Make ahead: Make the sugars and dips before you start frying, so you can coat the churros while they’re hot.
- Serve straight away: Mochi churros are best eaten fresh. They firm up as they cool.
- Gluten-free: Check the labels on all your ingredients, including the chocolate and caramel, and avoid cross-contamination if you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are mochi churros gluten-free?
Yes. They’re made with glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch, and despite its name, glutinous rice flour contains no gluten. If you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease, check the labels on every ingredient, including the chocolate and caramel, and avoid cross-contamination.
Can I use regular rice flour for mochi churros?
No. Regular rice flour doesn’t have the same sticky starch, so the churros won’t be chewy. Look for glutinous rice flour, also called sweet rice flour or mochiko.
Why did my churros burst in the oil?
Usually it’s trapped air. Fill the piping bag firmly so there are no air pockets, keep the oil at 190°C and fry in small batches. Lower the churros in gently on their baking paper squares rather than dropping them in.
Why are my churros raw in the middle?
The oil is probably too hot, so the outsides brown before the middles cook. Check the temperature with a thermometer, fry a few at a time and break one open to check before you fry the rest.
Can I make mochi churros ahead of time?
They’re best fried just before serving because they firm up as they cool. Make the sugars and dips ahead, then fry the churros when you’re ready to eat.
What is caramelised condensed milk?
It’s condensed milk that has been cooked until thick and golden, also known as dulce de leche. In South Africa, you’ll find it as Caramel Treat.
