Churro Cookies
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These churro cookies are my new favorite cookie to make! The recipe starts with a brown sugar sugar cookie, that’s filled with a chocolate ganache, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. These cookies taste just like classic churros. They are a perfect treat for for Cinco de Mayo!
I think I’m becoming obsessed with stuffed cookies. Like my cookies and cream cookies that are made with dark cocoa powder, oreos, and filled with white chocolate. And now these churro cookies.
These are chewy sugar cookies and on the inside of the cookie is a molten chocolate center, and given a cinnamon sugar coating baking. These cookies bake up thick, soft, and chewy. They are sort of like snickerdoodle cookies but with a fun chocolate surprise in the middle. I tried this recipe a few ways and it took a few rounds of tasting.
I tried them with a cinnamon buttercream, like crumbl churro cookies but found it to be all one note – cinnamon and too sweet. And then I settled on adding chocolate to the equation. I tried stuffing it with a chocolate square but the hardened chocolate on the inside just wasn’t cutting it. So I decided on stuffing it with chocolate ganache that would stay soft when you bite into the cookie. And let me tell you, these were a huge hit with everyone that got to try one.
This cookie takes a little more time and effort but worth every minute. You do have to make the ganache and then pipe or spoon the ganache into little “centers” that get frozen. Freezing the chocolate centers is key so they don’t melt out of the cookie during baking. While the chocolate centers are freezing you will mix up the sugar cookie dough. This cookie dough is like a big soft sugar cookie that I made with brown sugar for wonderful flavor.
The cookie dough balls get stuffed with a ganache center, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. And what you get in the end is a soft cookie, with a sweet cinnamon-sugar mixture on the outside like a churro and a molten chocolate center just like you’ve dipped a hot, fresh churro into chocolate sauce.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Fun cookies to celebrate with Cinco De Mayo
- Tastes just like the real thing!
- Great cinnamon sugar cookie to make ahead, freeze and bake later.
Ingredients Needed
- Semi-sweet chocolate – I recommend a semi sweet chocolate bar that you chop instead of chocolate chips, which don’t always melt smoothly.
- Heavy cream
- All-purpose flour – Or you can use a 1:1 gluten free flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg – Make sure your egg is at room temperature. Read my full tutorial on how to bring eggs to room temperature fast.
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream
- Cinnamon sugar – Just a combination of ground cinnamon and white sugar.
How To Make Churro Cookies
To make the ganache:
In a small microwave-safe bowl or large measuring cup, heat heavy cream until hot but not boiling (about 1 minute).
Add chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to thicken as you prepare the cookie dough. You can always speed up this process and place the ganache in your refrigerator.
To make the cookies:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, on medium speed about 2-3 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer but it will take a bit longer to cream together.
Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add the sour cream and mix until combined, scraping the bowl down as needed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until just combined. Cover the bowl in plastic and chill for an hour.
Make the ganache centers:
While the cookie dough is chilling, make the ganache centers. Line a small cookie sheet (or a plate) with either parchment paper or wax paper.
Scoop the ganache into 1 tablespoon amounts and place on to the lined plate. You will need 16 centers. I like to use a small cookie scoop and fill about ½ way full. Freeze until frozen about 1 hour.
To assemble and bake the cookies:
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop using a small cookie scoop into 2 tablespoon portions (about 40 g each).
Flatten each cookie dough ball and place one ganache center in the middle. Fold the cookie dough up around the ganache so that none is showing (or it may leak during baking). I like to take only 3-4 ganache centers out at a time, so they don’t soften too quickly.
Roll each raw cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet and space 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake at 350oF for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies edges are set and golden brown, and middles are puffy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Measure Your Flour Correctly. Too much flour will result in a crumbly cookie dough and a tough, cakey, crumbly cookie. I recommend measuring by weight for best accuracy, but if you’re measuring by volume (aka measuring cups) then measure by stirring your flour first, then spooning it into your cup and leveling it off. Do not pack it down into the cup which can pack too much flour into it.
- Use a cookie scoop for accuracy. You can portion out with a measuring spoon but for even scooping and cookies I recommend using a cookie scoop.
- Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. You need them to both be room temperature so they blend easily into the batter and incorporate air properly so you cookies don’t end up as flat puddles. Take them out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to bake with them.
- Line Your Baking Sheets With Parchment Paper – I prefer using parchment paper on my baking sheets for easy cleanup and no sticking, but a silicone baking mat or lightly greasing with cooking spray also works (although over time the cooking spray can begin to leave a film/residue).
Storage Instructions
Keep stored at room temperature, covered for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
You can also freeze the cookie dough balls before baking. Freeze for up to 3 months and store in a freezer-safe container. When ready to bake, you can bake frozen (no need to thaw) and just add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
Recipe FAQ’s
Most likely this is because your butter was too warm, or you over-creamed your butter and sugar. Here are 10 reasons why your cookies are flat, and how to fix them.
Yes you can make the dough up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep covered in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for several minutes before scooping.
This probably means you added too much flour to the dough. Over-measuring is easy to do! Be sure to fluff up your flour first, then spoon into your cup and level it off. Do not pack it down. Or use a scale and weigh your flour for 100% accuracy.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re craving more cookies be sure to try my most popular recipe, these soft lemon cookies topped with lemon icing.
And if you’re craving more stuffed cookies try my oreo cheesecake cookies and strawberry cheesecake cookies.
Churro Cookies
Ingredients
For the chocolate centers
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
For the cookie dough
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream room temperature
- cinnamon sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
To make the ganache:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl or large measuring cup, heat heavy cream until hot but not boiling (about 1 minute). ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- Add chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to thicken as you prepare the cookie dough. You can always speed up this process and place the ganache in your refrigerator. 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
To make the cookies:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch and set aside. 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, on medium speed about 2-3 minutes. ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the sour cream and mix until combined, scraping the bowl down as needed. ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- Add the flour mixture to the wet and mix on low until just combined. Cover the bowl in plastic and chill for an hour.
Make the ganache centers
- While the cookie dough is chilling, make the ganache centers. Line a small cookie sheet (or a plate) with either parchment paper or wax paper.
- Scoop the ganache into 1 tablespoon amounts and place on to the lined plate. You will need 16 centers. I like to use a small cookie scoop and fill about ½ way full. Freeze until frozen about 1 hour.
To assemble and bake the cookies:
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop using a small cookie scoop into 2 tablespoon portions (about 40 g each).
- Flatten each cookie dough ball and place one ganache center in the middle. Fold the cookie dough up around the ganache so that none is showing (or it may leak during baking). I like to take only 3-4 ganache centers out at a time, so they don’t soften too quickly.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in cinnamon sugar. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets and space 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies edges are set, and middles are puffy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Keep stored at room temperature, covered for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the cookie dough balls before baking. Freeze for up to 3 months and store in a freezer-safe container. When ready to bake, you can bake frozen (no need to thaw) and just add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
