Crumbl Churro Cookies: The Bakery-Famous Bite You Can Hack at Home
Forget waiting in line for a six-dollar cookie the size of a hockey puck. You can make that same crispy-edged, cinnamon-sugar magic in your own oven, and it’ll be warm before your delivery app even assigns a driver.
Thick, soft, swirled with cinnamon, and topped with a silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting—these Crumbl Churro Cookies are a flex. The secret?
Smart mixing, a brown-butter moment, and a roll in cinnamon sugar that gives you churro vibes without the deep fryer. If “dessert first” is a lifestyle, this recipe is your new playbook.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Churro meets cookie: Crisp cinnamon-sugar exterior with a soft, plush center and a swirl of frosting.
- Bakery-style size: Big, indulgent, and shareable… if you’re feeling generous.
- Brown butter base: Adds nutty depth you won’t get from regular butter.
Worth the extra 5 minutes.
- No chill required: You’re minutes away from warm-cookie bliss.
- Make-ahead friendly: Dough freezes beautifully for cookie emergencies (we all have them).
Crumbl Churro Cookies: The Bakery-Famous Bite You Can Hack at Home
Course: Desserts10
servings20
minutes14
minutes420
kcalIngredients
For the cookies:
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar coating:
1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (210 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1–2 tbsp milk or cream, as needed
Pinch of salt
Directions
- Brown the butter: In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir until milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool 10 minutes so you don’t scramble the eggs.
- Heat the oven: Set to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk the dry team: In a bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Cream it up: In a large bowl, beat the cooled brown butter with granulated and brown sugar for 2 minutes until thick and glossy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet and mix on low just until a dough forms. It should be soft but scoopable.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar: Mix coating sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Scoop 1/4 cup portions (about 85 g each). Roll into balls, then coat generously in cinnamon sugar.
- Flatten slightly: Space dough balls on sheets (5 per tray). Press gently to about 3/4-inch thick. This helps them bake evenly and get that signature spread.
- Bake: 12–14 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool. Overbaking = sad, dry cookies.
- Cool: Let cookies rest 10 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack. You want them cool before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt; beat until fluffy. Add milk 1 tsp at a time until spreadable but thick.
- Finish with flair: Pipe or spread a swirl of frosting on each cookie. Dust with extra cinnamon sugar if you’re extra (you are).
Tips for Storing & Reheating
- Room temp: Unfrosted cookies keep 3–4 days in an airtight container with a slice of bread to maintain softness.
- Chilled: Frosted cookies store in the fridge up to 4 days. Bring to room temp before serving for best texture.
- Freezer: Freeze baked, unfrosted cookies up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temp, then frost.
- Rewarm: 250°F (120°C) for 5 minutes or 10 seconds in the microwave to revive that fresh-baked vibe.
Why You’ll Feel Good Eating This
- Real ingredients: Butter, eggs, and cream cheese—no mystery oils or hard-to-pronounce additives.
- Balanced sweetness:</-strong> The cinnamon and a touch of salt keep the sugar from going overboard.
- Customizable portions: Make them smaller for bite-size treats or share one big cookie—built-in portion control, IMO.
- Comfort factor: Warm spice and nostalgic churro notes. Mood booster?
Kinda.
Nutrition Stats
Per large frosted cookie (estimate):
- Calories: ~420
- Total fat: ~20 g (12 g saturated)
- Carbs: ~56 g
- Sugars: ~34 g
- Protein: ~5 g
- Sodium: ~220 mg
These numbers will vary based on exact ingredient brands and cookie size. Smaller scoops = fewer calories, obviously.
What to Avoid
- Overbrowning the butter to black: Dark brown is good; burnt is bitter.
Pull it when it smells nutty and turns amber.
- Hot butter + eggs: That’s an omelet. Cool the butter first.
- Overmixing flour: Leads to tough cookies.
Mix until just combined.
- Overbaking: If the centers look fully set in the oven, they’re already overdone.
- Skipping salt: A pinch makes the cinnamon pop and the sweetness behave.
Switch It Up
- Stuffed center: Press a teaspoon of dulce de leche or Nutella into the middle of each dough ball and seal. Next-level.
- Brown sugar boost: Swap 1/2 cup granulated sugar for brown sugar for deeper caramel notes.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.
Add 1 extra tablespoon milk if the dough feels dry.
- Less sweet: Reduce cookie sugar by 2–3 tablespoons and keep the coating as-is for better balance.
- Spice play: Add 1/8 tsp cardamom or a pinch of nutmeg to the dough for a bakery-chef twist.
- Mini version: Scoop 2 tablespoons per cookie; bake 9–10 minutes.
FAQ
Do I have to brown the butter?
No, but you’ll miss that nutty depth. If skipping, use room-temp butter and cream it with the sugars for 3–4 minutes until fluffy.
Why cornstarch in cookies?
It softens the crumb and helps create that plush, chewy center while keeping edges tender.
Tiny addition, big payoff.
Can I make the frosting less sweet?
Yes. Use 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and a splash of cream to reach a spreadable consistency.
Add a pinch more salt to balance.
How do I keep cookies thick and not flat?
Measure flour accurately, don’t overcream if using regular (not browned) butter, and avoid warm baking sheets. A short chill (15 minutes) helps if your kitchen is warm, FYI.
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely.
Scoop, roll in cinnamon sugar, then freeze on a tray. Store in a zip bag up to 2 months.
Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
What’s the best way to pipe the swirl?
Use a medium round or open star tip. Start at the center and spiral out.
No piping bags? Snip a corner off a zip-top bag and embrace rustic chic.
Wrapping Up
These Crumbl Churro Cookies deliver everything you crave: warm cinnamon, soft centers, and a frosting swirl that looks bakery-level without the markup.
You’ve got the blueprint, the hacks, and the storage game plan. Bake a batch today, stash a few for later, and watch them disappear like a limited drop.
Your oven just became the best cookie shop in town—no waiting room, no surge pricing.
