This churro bars recipe makes deliciously chewy, buttery cookie bars loaded with cinnamon sugar! They have all the flavors of your favorite churro, and they’re easy to make and perfect to share.
I love my sopapilla cheesecake bars (also called churro cheesecake bars), but sometimes, all I crave is the crispy, buttery, cinnamon sugar-covered crust! That’s when I make these churro bars. It’s a quick, easy cookie bar recipe that tastes just like a classic Spanish churro you’ll get at the fair, minus the deep-frying. Instead, I layer buttery cookie dough in a pan with cinnamon sugar and bake. If you’d prefer to prepare these as actual cookies, I also have my churro cookies recipe that you can check out next.
Why You’ll Love These Churro Bars
- No deep-frying like traditional churros with this recipe. You don’t even need to use a mixer!
- They need only 8 ingredients. You probably have everything in your kitchen right now to make a batch of these.
- Browning the butter for the churro cookie dough adds another layer of richness.
- These cookie bars are buttery, chewy, and loaded with cinnamon sugar. As close to a churro you can get in cookie form!
What You Will Need / Ingredients
Here are the ingredients in this easy cinnamon churro bars recipe. Make sure to hop down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe and ingredient list.
- Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe. You will be browning the butter to help mimic the depth of flavor that deep frying imparts in traditional churros. It’s a simple trick and works really well! Plus, since the butter will be melted, this saves you from having to use your stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Light brown sugar – Using all brown sugar in the cookie dough is for flavor and texture.
- Eggs – I use large-size eggs in this recipe, as with all my baking recipes unless otherwise stated.
- Vanilla Extract – You can also use vanilla bean paste for even more vanilla flavor.
- Dry Ingredients – Baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour. Weigh the flour if you have a kitchen scale; otherwise, use the spoon and level method to avoid adding too much.
- Cinnamon Sugar – A combo of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon makes the mixture that you will coat your bars with.
How to Make Churro Bars
The full recipe card is at the bottom of the post, and it’s printable too! Here are the steps with pictures to help answer any questions you may have.
- Make the dough. First up, you’re going to brown the butter. This deepens the flavor of the dough, and I feel like it helps mimic the flavor of deep-frying. Don’t skip this step! Once you have the butter browned, let it cool for 20 minutes, and then mix your dough. No mixer needed because the butter is melted, which makes this very easy.
- Prep and assemble the bars. Next, line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat it with baking spray. Then sprinkle half of your prepared cinnamon sugar into the bottom of the pan. This ensures that the whole bar is coated with cinnamon sugar, just like a churro.
- Finish and bake. Press the cookie dough into the pan and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly on top. Bake the bars at 350ºF for 25 – 30 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan completely and then cut into squares.
How Long to Bake Churro Bars
These brown butter churro bars bake for about 25 minutes at 350ºF, though the exact baking time may vary depending on your oven. Check them at the earliest time and add a few more minutes as needed until they’re just starting to brown at the edges. The bars continue to set up while they cool down in the pan.
If your churro bars are dry or crumbly, chances are they’re overbaked. Watch them closely!
How to Store Churro Bars
- At room temperature. These soft batch churro cookie bars are just as great to make for an event, holiday, or party as they are for a lunchbox treat. Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- Freeze. Freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months and allow them to thaw at room temperature.
More Churro Recipes
Churro Bars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven/Stove Top
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
These chewy, buttery churro bars start with browned butter and are topped with an extra helping of cinnamon sugar. All the flavor of a churro without frying!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and bring to a boil. Frequently stir or swirl the pan until the butter reaches a deep amber color. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the butter to cool for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Prep the dough: In a large bowl, combine the cooled butter and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add in the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and stir until smooth. Finally, add in the flour and mix until just incorporated. Set aside.
- Make the Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon together.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Press the cookie dough on top of the cinnamon sugar, and then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze airtight for up to 2 months for best freshness. Thaw at room temperature.
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This dessert is so moist, it gives a rich wonderful nutty and a mix between caramel & butterscotch flavors. It’s oh so delicious! It’s so yummy that within two months I’ve made it 4x’s already and now my granddaughter has asked me to make it for her birthday. She calls it her churro brownie cake
Thank you for sharing your gift of baking
Less like a churro and more like a snickerdoodle and a blondie had a baby.
Still yummy.
Would adding chocolate/white chips work in this?
It would work if you wanted to!