Gluten-Free Churros in Tokyo: drippin' churros in Jiyugaoka, and the Oat Question

Churros are wheat. That is the whole recipe: flour, water, fat, piped into hot oil. So a churro shop that has rebuilt the dough without wheat is the kind of thing we go out of our way for.

drippin' churros opened in Jiyugaoka in August 2025, inside the Trainchi complex a couple of minutes from the south exit. The shop makes one churro, not ten, and the variety comes from the dipping sauces instead. The dough is gluten-free, built on oat flour with a blend of seven flours for texture, and it is fried in rice oil rather than a heavier oil.

There is a caveat about oats, and it is important enough that we have given it its own section below. Read that part before you decide this one is for you.

The setting: small tables, quick stop

Inside it is bright and pretty, with small tables set close together. It is built for stopping in rather than settling down, which suits the food. On our visit every seat was taken, so we took ours away, and it travels perfectly well.

There is a long drinks menu, and the shop clearly intends the churros to be ordered alongside one. If you can get a seat, do that version.

What we ate

Four churros with one dip, ¥800. The churros are on the small side, which is the right call: four small ones give you more surface for the sugar and more chances at the sauce than two big ones would. They come rolled in coarse sugar, so the outside is crunchy and slightly toasty before you get to the soft inside.

Passion fruit sauce. We asked the staff what to get and this is what they said. Sweet and sharp at once, and the acidity cuts through the sugar on the churro instead of piling more sweetness on top. It was the right recommendation.

The full sauce list is pistachio, caramel, passion fruit, lemon cream cheese, chocolate and strawberry, and an extra dip is ¥200. The sauces are the shop's signature and are credited to a Michelin three-star pastry chef.

Keep in mind that the sauce menu changes periodically, so availability may vary when you visit.

The oat question, honestly

This is the part that matters more than the tasting notes, and we would rather spell it out than let the words "gluten-free" do all the work.

The dough here is built on oat flour. Oats are not wheat, barley or rye, and oats themselves do not contain gluten in the usual sense. But two things come with them:

1. Cross-contamination is the norm rather than the exception. Oats are commonly grown, harvested, transported and milled alongside wheat, which is why celiac guidance in most countries only treats oats as safe when they are specifically labeled as certified gluten-free oats.
2. A minority of people with celiac disease react to avenin, the protein in oats itself, even when the oats are certified.

We did not confirm how the oats used here are sourced, so we cannot tell you which category this product falls into. If you have celiac disease, that is the question to ask at the counter before ordering, and a clear answer is worth having.

Komemaru, the wheat-allergic half of this team, has a mild wheat allergy rather than celiac disease. She chose to eat these on a day when she was feeling well, which is how she treats oats generally, and had no trouble. That is a personal judgment, not a recommendation for anyone else.

What we loved

• It is a dessert you had written off. Endless variety through sauces. One great churro paired with six unique sauces means you can enjoy a fresh flavor combination every time.
• Easy to dip, perfect for sharing. Four smaller churros are much easier to dip into the sauce than two long ones, making every bite fun.
• Small size, big surface. Four little churros beat two big ones for texture, every time

Good to know

• Where: inside Trainchi Jiyugaoka (5-42-3 Okusawa, Setagaya), about two minutes from Jiyugaoka Station south exit. The shop is tucked a bit inside the complex, so keep an eye on your map app as you head in.
• Ask about the oats if you are celiac. This is the single question that decides it
• Add a drink if you can get a seat. The drinks menu is clearly part of the design
• Extra dips are ¥200, and two sauces on one order is the better way to try the range
• Takeout travels fine. The sugar crust held up on the way home

Nearby: how to fit it into your day

• Trainchi Jiyugaoka is an open-air complex of small shops, pleasant to wander for half an hour before or after
• Jiyugaoka's main streets are a few minutes north, low-rise and full of cafes
• Jiyugaoka is about ten minutes from Shibuya on the Tokyu Toyoko line, which makes this an easy afternoon detour

The bottom line

A gluten-free churro is a small thing that feels like a big one, because it is the exact category of food that usually gets crossed off first. drippin' churros does it well, with sauces good enough to be the point. Just have the oat conversation at the counter first if you are celiac, and then order the passion fruit.

For more places like this across Tokyo (100+ spots we have visited, with maps and ordering notes), see the Gluten-Free Tokyo Planning Guide.

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We visited in August 2025 and paid for our own food. This article is a record of our personal experience, not a safety guarantee. Ingredients and sourcing change; always confirm directly with the shop. Verified, celiac-focused listings live in our Tokyo guide.