These thick, soft, and chewy churro cookies are filled with the warm, cinnamon-sugar flavor of fried churros, but they’re way easier to make! They capture everything I love about the original dessert: buttery dough, sweet spice, and a plush center that melts in your mouth. I roll each ball of cookie dough in a cinnamon sugar coating for that signature sparkle and crunch, and they bake up beautifully in minutes!
Top Reader Review
I now use this cookie base for my chocolate chip cookies minus alot of the cinnamon as well. Great recipe!
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Thick and Chewy Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
These Mexican churro cookies live somewhere between a wonderfully-thick version of my brown sugar cookies and a standard snickerdoodle. I use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar for a deeper flavor. Plus I add cornstarch to achieve the perfect balance of thick, soft, and chewy. I mix cinnamon right into the cookie dough (instead of just coating the outside), so every bite has a bit of that warm, cozy spice. I love making these churro cookies for Cinco de Mayo, but they’re simple enough to make any night of the week!
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Churro Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 2 Baking Sheet(s)
- 2-Tablespoon Cookie Portion Scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks; slightly melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 9 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon divided*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and 5 tablespoons granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, ½ tablespoon cinnamon, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together.2¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 0.5 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined and dough starts to come together. Do not overmix.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the remaining 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ tablespoon cinnamon.4.01 tablespoons granulated sugar, 0.5 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a 2-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough batter and drop each raw cookie (one at a time) into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll cookie dough ball around until fully coated in cinnamon sugar then use hands to shape into smooth round balls (do not flatten). Place each cookie onto the lined baking sheet. They can stay close together (but not touching) until ready to bake.
- Place raw cookies into freezer for 10 minutes.
- While the cookies chill, preheat oven to 350°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove some of the cookies from the freezer and place on the prepared baking sheet with cookies about 2 inches apart from each other.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are set.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet completely before enjoying.
Notes
- Take care not to overmix the dough, or the cookies will turn out dry and dense.
- Feel free to add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or cinnamon chips to the dough for a little something extra.
- For extra crunch, do a light dusting in the cinnamon-sugar first, then gently roll the cookie again after a few minutes of resting.
- Chilling the dough doesn’t just prevent spreading. It also allows the flavors to meld, giving a richer cinnamon-sugar taste in each bite.
- Bake the cookies one tray at a time for the best results.
- Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking for consistent bottoms and a perfect fluffy texture.
- The tops of these cookies will not look set yet and that’s okay. They’ll finish baking on the hot tray when you remove them from the oven.
- It’s normal for these cookies to fall a bit once they’re cooling and out of the oven.
Use Slightly Melted Butter for Churro-Like Chew
Through testing, I found that using slightly melted butter (not fully softened) gives these cinnamon cookies that signature churro-like chew. It helps create a denser center while keeping the edges soft and buttery. Fully softened butter makes the cookies more cake-like, so if you want that authentic churro bite, melted is the way to go.
How to Make Cinnamon Churro Cookies Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the simple list of ingredients for this churro cookie recipe. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set it aside. To slightly melt the butter, microwave it for about 15 seconds, or until it just starts to pool at the bottom of the container. You may see a divot forming on the top of the butter as well. Bring the eggs to room temperature while you do this so everything is ready to go.
Cream the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream 1 cup of slightly melted unsalted butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Mix the Dough: Mix in 2 large room-temperature eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk 2¾ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt together. Then beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined and the dough starts to come together. Over-mixing can cause dry, tough cookies.
Roll the Dough: In a separate small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar and ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Using a 2-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough batter and drop each raw cookie (one at a time) into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll the cookie dough ball around until fully coated, then use your hands to shape it into smooth round balls (do not flatten). Place each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. You can drop them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture a second time after you have finished coating all of the cookie dough balls for more even coverage and extra crunch.
Freeze the Dough: Place the raw cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill. This will help them keep their shape as they bake. While the cookies chill, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove some of the cookies from the freezer and place them on the prepared baking sheet with cookies about 2 inches apart from each other. I was able to fit 8 cookies at a time on my baking sheet.
Bake the Cookies: Bake your churro cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are set and the tops are no longer wet-looking. I like to rotate the tray halfway through for a more even bake. The cookies should still look quite wet when they come out of the oven; they will continue to bake as they cool on the cookie sheet. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet completely before enjoying. Repeat the baking process with any remaining dough.
How to Store and Freeze
Store cinnamon churro cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag.
- Room Temp: Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Keep baked cookies in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Make Ahead: Store cookie dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking; or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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