The invention relates to an electric heating device for heating fluids, comprising at least one heating rod, which has at least one heating element, a housing, which encloses the heating rod and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the inlet opening and the outlet opening are interconnected by a winding flow channel. According to the invention, the flow channel forms a helix that has a longitudinal axis, wherein the heating rod is disposed next to the longitudinal axis of the helix and extends through a helically winding wall of the flow channel at a plurality of points.