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This churro cheesecake recipe is made with a Maria cookies crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and a flakey crust topped with cinnamon sugar. It’s an easy cheesecake that’s ridiculously delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Churro Cheesecake Recipe
- Easy. There are no complicated steps in this recipe. Just make a simple cookie crust, mix up the cheesecake filling, then roll out Pillsbury crescent dough for the top of the cheesecake. Add cinnamon sugar and bake.
- Tastes like churros. The flakey crust on top of the cheesecake is reminiscent of biting into freshly fried churros, while the cinnamon sugar captures that authentic churro flavor.
- Makes enough for a crowd. Because this cheesecake is baked in a 9×13 dish it’s perfect for larger groups of people. Depending on how large your slices are you can serve anywhere from 12-16 people.
- Flexible. I like to use Mexican Maria cookies for the bottom crust, but you can also use graham crackers or Nilla wafers. Vanilla shortbread cookies would also work.
What is a Churro?
A churro is a fried dough pastry that originated in Spain but has become popular in many other countries, including Mexico and the United States. It is made by making a simple dough that is piped through a star-shaped nozzle to create long, ridged tubes. The dough is deep-fried until it becomes golden brown and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside. After frying, churros are usually coated in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar that’s totally irresistible. You can eat them on their own or serve them with a dipping sauce such as chocolate or caramel.
How to Make Churro Cheesecake
Here is a quick overview of how to make this churro cheesecake recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for ingredients and more detailed instructions.
- Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 glass baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray with PAM and set aside.
- Make the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Make the cookie crust. Mix the cookie crumb base in a food processor, then add the mixture to your prepared 9×13 baking dish. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the cookie mixture across the pan, then press down firmly but gently so the crumbs stick together.
- Add some of the cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the crust.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Mix the cheesecake filling ingredients and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a clean spatula.
- Add the filling to the baking dish. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Make the top crust. Remove the cresent roll dough from the tube and spread it out on a clean surface. Press the seams together so that the dough forms one rectangular piece. Carefully transfer to your baking dish, placing the dough over the cheesecake filling. Arrange the dough so that it covers the filling completely.
- Add butter and cinnamon sugar. Spread the melted and cooled butter on top of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
- Bake. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crescent dough crust has puffed up and is golden.
- Cool. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature.
- Chill. Cover the cheesecake with saran wrap and place it in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Serve. Slice into square churro cheesecake bars and serve with your desired toppings.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. If you try to use cold cream cheese you’ll end up with clumps in your cheesecake filling. Room temp ingredients are easier to blend together.
- Don’t rush the chill time. Cheesecakes need time to set up, especially if you want to get clean slices like the ones you see here. So please don’t rush the chill time, the wait will be worth it!
- Add nutmeg. You can add a generous pinch of nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar mixture if you’d like to add even more flavor.
- Add a fruity layer. If you would like to add a fruity layer, you can spread a thin layer of strawberry sauce or blueberry sauce on top of the cheesecake filling before you add the dough on top. Strawberry jam or blueberry jam would work too.
- Want to half the recipe? You can easily do that by using an 8×8 baking dish and halving all the ingredients. Bake at the same temperature but check for doneness around the 20-minute mark.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy a slice of this churro cheesecake on its own, but if you want to add some fun toppings I recommend a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberry slices. You can use whipped cream from a can or even this maple-vanilla whipped cream. Chocolate sauce or caramel sauce can also be drizzled on top of each cheesecake slice.
How to Store Churro Cheesecake Bars
- Fridge. Cover the baking dish with saran wrap and store your cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. You can also freeze your churro cheesecake.
- To freeze the entire thing, make sure your baking dish can be frozen. Then wrap the entire thing in saran wrap, then aluminum foil.
- To freeze slices, cut the cheesecake into bars and then freeze the bars on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until solid. Then carefully transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- In both cases, the cheesecake will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Dessert Ideas To Try
- Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
- French Toast Donuts
- Pan de Muerto
- Mantecadas
Churro Cheesecake
This churro cheesecake recipe combines a simple crust made with Maria cookies, creamy cheesecake filling and a flaky crust topped with cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
For the cookie crust base:
- 7 oz Maria cookies, 1 package or 34 cookies
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp cinnamon
For the cheesecake filling:
- 16 oz full fat cream cheese, at room temperature (2 blocks)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the top crust:
- 1 8- oz tube Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the cinnamon sugar:
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 glass baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving a generous overhang on either end so that you can lift the cheesecake out of the pan later. Spray with PAM and set aside.
- Make the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Make the cookie crumb base. Place the cookies in your food processor and pulse until the cookies resemble breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and cinnamon, then pulse a few times to blend. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs, then pulse until the butter has been worked in. You should have a cookie crumb mixture that looks moist and sticks together when you press it with your fingers.
- Add crumbs to the prepared baking dish. Remove the blade and scrape down the sides of your food processor with a spatula. Transfer the cookie crumbs to your prepared 9x13 baking dish. Spread them out to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Form the crust. Using your spatula or the back of a metal spoon, firmly but gently press the crumbs down. Don't press so hard that you crumble the crust. You just want to press down enough for the crumbs to stick together. Go along the edges of the pan to make sure the edges are pressed too. Set aside.
- Add some of the cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the crust.
- Make the cheesecake filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. Using the paddle attachment or a large whisk attachment if using a hand-held mixer, beat the ingredients until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a clean spatula.
- Add the filling to the baking dish. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Make the top crust. Remove the cresent roll dough from the tube and spread it out on a clean surface. Press the seams together so that the dough forms one rectangular piece. Carefully transfer to your baking dish, placing the dough over the cheesecake filling. Arrange the dough so that it covers the filling completely.
- Add butter and cinnamon sugar. Spread the melted and cooled butter on top of the dough with a pastry brush or a metal spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
- Bake. Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crescent dough crust has puffed up and is golden.
- Cool. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature.
- Chill. Cover the cheesecake with saran wrap and place it in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Serve. Slice into squares and serve.
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Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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