Three weeks ago, Oliver came home from his friend's birthday party raving about some dessert that was "like a churro but also cheesecake but also the best thing ever." I had no idea what he was talking about until he showed me a TikTok video of churro cheesecake bars getting sliced open, revealing layers of flaky pastry, creamy cheesecake filling, and that signature cinnamon sugar coating. The comments were full of people saying they'd made it five times already. I'm usually skeptical of viral recipes, but this one looked simple enough to try. That Saturday, we made our first batch together. The kitchen smelled like a Mexican bakery - warm cinnamon, butter, and sugar all mixed together.
Why You'll Love This Churro Cheesecake
I've made this recipe for potlucks, birthday parties, and random Tuesday nights when we needed something special. Here's why it works every single time: The cinnamon sugar crust gives you that churro flavor without having to deal with hot oil or piping dough. The cream cheese filling is sweet but not overwhelming, and it stays creamy even after baking. You can make it in under an hour from start to finish, including baking time. The bars cut cleanly for serving, unlike some cheesecakes that turn into a messy pile.
What sold me completely was watching people's faces when they tried it. You get that first bite where the crunchy cinnamon layer gives way to the smooth cheesecake, and everyone's eyes go wide. Oliver's teachers asked for the recipe after I sent some to his class party. My neighbor made it three times in one week. It's become our signature dessert, the thing people specifically request when they know I'm bringing something. Plus, you can prep it ahead and just cut it into bars right before serving, which makes life so much easier when you're hosting.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Churro Cheesecake
- Ingredients For Churro Cheesecake
- How To Make Churro Cheesecake Step By Step
- Equipment For Churro Cheesecake
- Churro Cheesecake Variations
- Smart Swaps for Churro Cheesecake
- Storage Tips
- Top Tip
- Why This Churro Cheesecake Works
- FAQ
- The Dessert Everyone Will Ask About!
- Related
- Pairing
- Churro Cheesecake
Ingredients For Churro Cheesecake
For the Crust:
- 2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sour cream
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Optional Finishing Touches:
- Caramel sauce for drizzling
- Whipped cream
- Dulce de leche
- Chocolate sauce
How To Make Churro Cheesecake Step By Step
Prepare the Base Layer
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease your baking dish well
- Unroll one package of crescent roll dough and press it into the bottom of the pan
- Seal all the perforations so you have one solid layer
- Press dough up the sides slightly to hold the filling
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside
- Make sure there are no holes or the filling will leak through
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth
- Add sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy
- Mix in vanilla extract and sour cream until combined
- Add egg last and beat just until incorporated, don't overmix
- Filling should be smooth and creamy with no lumps
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything mixed
Assemble the Layers
- Pour cream cheese mixture over the bottom crescent roll layer
- Spread filling evenly all the way to the edges
- Unroll second package of crescent dough and lay over the filling
- Seal the perforations again to create solid top layer
- Press edges to seal in the cheesecake filling
- Brush the top generously with melted butter
Add Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture heavily over the buttered top
- Don't be shy with it - this creates that churro flavor
- Make sure you cover the entire surface evenly
- The butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick and caramelize
- Save a little cinnamon sugar for sprinkling after baking
Bake to Golden Perfection
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is deep golden brown
- Cheesecake should be set in the center when you gently shake the pan
- Top layer will puff up and get crispy like a real churro
- Let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting for clean slices
Cut and Serve
- Use a sharp knife to cut into squares or bars
- Wipe knife clean between cuts for neat edges
- Dust with extra cinnamon sugar if desired
- Drizzle with caramel sauce or dulce de leche
- Serve cold or at room temperature
- Store any leftovers covered in the fridge
Equipment For Churro Cheesecake
- Glass or metal both work fine
- Must be at least 2 inches deep to hold filling
- Grease well so bars don't stick
- Glass lets you see when bottom is golden
- Standard size works for two packages of crescent rolls
Churro Cheesecake Variations
Chocolate Churro Cheesecake
- Add cocoa powder to the cinnamon sugar mixture
- Mix mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese filling
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce after baking
- Top with chocolate shavings for serving
- Oliver calls this the "double chocolate churro"
Strawberry Churro Cheesecake Bars
- Spread strawberry jam over bottom dough layer before filling
- Add fresh diced strawberries to cream cheese mixture
- Top with fresh strawberries after baking
- Drizzle with strawberry sauce
- Great for summer parties and birthdays
Caramel Apple Churro Cheesecake
- Mix cinnamon-spiced apple pie filling into cream cheese
- Add extra cinnamon to the topping
- Drizzle generously with caramel sauce
- Serve with vanilla ice cream
- Tastes like fall in dessert form
Mini Churro Cheesecake Cups
- Use muffin tin instead of baking dish
- Cut crescent dough into circles to fit cups
- Fill each with small amount of cheesecake mixture
- Top with second dough circle and cinnamon sugar
- Great for individual servings at parties
Smart Swaps for Churro Cheesecake
Dough Options:
- Crescent rolls → Puff pastry sheets for flakier texture
- Refrigerated dough → Homemade pie crust
- Crescent rolls → Pizza dough in a pinch
- Standard → Gluten-free crescent dough
Filling Variations:
- Regular cream cheese → Low-fat cream cheese
- Sour cream → Greek yogurt for tang
- Granulated sugar → Brown sugar for deeper flavor
- Whole egg → Two egg yolks for richer filling
Flavor Adjustments:
- Just cinnamon → Add nutmeg and cardamom
- Plain vanilla → Mexican vanilla extract
- Standard → Mix in mini chocolate chips
- Regular → Add splash of dulce de leche to filling
Topping Changes:
- Cinnamon sugar → Cinnamon and brown sugar mix
- Plain → Add cocoa powder to sugar mixture
- Regular → Drizzle with chocolate before serving
- Standard → Top with fresh berries
Storage Tips
Best When Fresh
- Serve within 24 hours of baking for crispiest crust
- Fresh churro cheesecake has best texture contrast
- Cinnamon sugar topping stays crunchy when new
- Cream cheese filling is smooth and creamy right after chilling
Refrigerator Storage
- Store covered tightly in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Keep in the baking dish or transfer to airtight container
- Top layer softens over time but still tastes great
- Let come to room temperature 20 minutes before serving for best flavor
- Cover well or it will absorb fridge smells
Make Ahead Strategy
- Bake completely and chill up to 2 days ahead
- Don't cut into bars until ready to serve
- Add caramel drizzle right before serving, not ahead
- Top stays crispier when kept as one large piece
- Great for stress-free party prep
Freezer Storage (Works Okay)
- Freeze individual bars wrapped well for up to 1 month
- Texture changes slightly but flavor stays good
- Thaw in fridge overnight before serving
- Top may get a bit soggy after freezing
- Better to freeze before adding any drizzles or toppings
Reheating Tips
- Warm individual pieces in microwave for 10-15 seconds
- Oven at 300°F for 5 minutes refreshes the crust
- Toaster oven works great for small portions
- Don't overheat or cream cheese gets runny
- Some people prefer it cold, others like it slightly warm
Top Tip
- The first time we made churro cheesecake, I handed Oliver the bowl of cinnamon sugar and asked him to sprinkle it on top while I cleaned up. I turned around two minutes later and the entire bowl was upside down on the pan. We're talking a half-inch thick layer of cinnamon sugar covering every inch.
- I started to scrape some off, worried it would be too sweet or burn in the oven. Oliver looked like he might cry. "But Mom, churros have lots of cinnamon sugar! That's the whole point!" I gave up and just spread it around more evenly. When it came out of the oven, that thick layer had caramelized into this crunchy, candy-like coating that cracked when you bit into it.
- Everyone who tried it asked what we did to make the top so good. Now we use way more cinnamon sugar than seems reasonable - at least twice what the original recipes call for. We also learned that brushing the top with butter right when it comes out of the oven and hitting it with another layer of cinnamon sugar creates an extra crunchy coating.
Why This Churro Cheesecake Works
I've made this recipe for potlucks, birthday parties, and random Tuesday nights when we needed something special. Here's why it never fails: The crescent roll dough creates those flaky layers that mimic churro texture without any deep frying mess. The cream cheese filling sets up firm enough to slice cleanly but stays soft and creamy when you bite into it. Baking the cinnamon sugar on top caramelizes it into a crunchy coating that actually tastes like churros from the fair.
What makes this churro cheesecake different from other viral recipes is that it actually delivers. You get real flavor contrast - that crispy, sweet cinnamon top against the tangy cream cheese middle. The bottom layer stays sturdy enough to hold everything together when you pick up a bar. It comes together in about 15 minutes of hands-on work, then the oven does the rest. No special equipment, no tricky techniques, no ingredients you can't find at a regular grocery store. Just simple steps that work the same way every single time you make it.
FAQ
What exactly is churro cheesecake?
Churro cheesecake combines the flavors of a churro with cheesecake by layering cream cheese filling between two sheets of pastry dough, then coating everything in cinnamon sugar. It gives you that churro taste and crispy texture on the outside with a creamy cheesecake center. Much easier than making real churros.
Is churro cheesecake hard to make?
No, churro cheesecake is actually one of the easier desserts to make. You use store-bought crescent roll dough, mix up a simple cream cheese filling, layer everything, and bake. Takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work plus baking time. If you can spread filling and sprinkle cinnamon sugar, you can make this.
Do you eat churro cheesecake hot or cold?
Churro cheesecake is best served cold or at room temperature after chilling for at least 2 hours. The cheesecake needs time to set so it cuts into clean bars. Some people warm individual pieces slightly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, but it should chill first after baking.
How do you get the churro flavor in cheesecake?
The churro flavor comes from the heavy cinnamon sugar coating on top of buttery pastry dough. Brush the dough generously with melted butter, then coat it heavily with cinnamon and sugar before baking. The butter helps the cinnamon sugar caramelize and gives you that signature churro taste without deep frying.
The Dessert Everyone Will Ask About!
Now you have everything you need to make churro cheesecake that'll have people asking for the recipe - from the flaky cinnamon sugar crust to Oliver's extra-thick coating discovery. This dessert shows that viral recipes can actually live up to the hype when you get the technique right.
Craving more crowd-pleasing recipes? Try our Easy Butter Chicken Recipe Ready in 15 minutes! for a quick weeknight dinner that tastes like takeout. Need something hearty? Our Easy French Onion Pot Roast Recipe is comfort food at its best. For another show-stopping dessert, check out our Decadent Frosted Coffee Brownies Recipe that coffee lovers go crazy for!
Share your churro cheesecake success! We love seeing your golden, cinnamon-sugar creations!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Churro Cheesecake
Churro Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch baking dish (Glass or metal; at least 2 inches deep)
- 1 Electric mixer (For blending cream cheese filling)
- 2 Mixing bowls (One for filling, one for cinnamon sugar)
- 1 Spatula (For spreading filling evenly)
- 1 Pastry brush (For brushing melted butter)
- 1 Sharp knife (For cutting clean bars)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll dough - Use seamless sheets if possible
- ¼ cup butter, melted - For brushing dough
- ½ cup granulated sugar - Mixed with cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon - For churro flavor
Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened - Full fat for best texture
- ½ cup granulated sugar - Sweetens filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - Use Mexican vanilla for richer flavor
- 1 large egg - Adds structure
- ¼ cup sour cream - Adds tang and creaminess
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar - For topping
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon - Mix with sugar
- 3 tablespoon butter, melted - Helps topping caramelize
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease baking dish. Press one crescent dough sheet into the bottom of the pan, sealing perforations completely. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.
- Beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and beat 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract and sour cream, then add egg last and beat just until incorporated.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bottom crust and spread evenly to the edges. Unroll the second crescent dough sheet and place on top. Seal edges and brush top with melted butter.
- Generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the buttered top, covering the entire surface for that classic churro flavor.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the center is set. Let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into bars with a clean, sharp knife. Dust with extra cinnamon sugar and drizzle with caramel or dulce de leche before serving.
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