Amazing 10 homemade churro cookies!

April 12, 2026
Written By Carla Peterson

Carla Mae Peterson is an experienced home cook, former teacher, and the heart behind "Cooking by Carla." With over 40 years of experience creating delicious, family-friendly meals, Carla specializes in simple, reliable recipes that use everyday ingredients. Her passion is helping home cooks of all skill levels find joy and confidence in the kitchen. She believes the best memories are made around the dinner table, and her goal is to help you create them, one simple recipe at a time.

Oh, sometimes you just crave that magical moment when you bite into a perfectly fried, warm churro, right? But who has the time to deal with the oil and the cleanup on a Tuesday night when a cookie craving hits? Well, I found a way around that hassle, my dears! We can capture that unmistakable sweet crunch and cinnamon warmth in the easiest batch of cookies you’ll ever make. Trust me, these sugar cookies get a serious upgrade when we turn them into these incredibly delicious homemade churro cookies.

They bake up beautifully—no fry time needed!—and they taste just like the fairground favorite. Making something comforting like this right in your own oven is truly one of the simplest joys of home cooking, and I’m so excited for you to try this recipe.

Why You Will Love This Homemade Churro Cookies Recipe

Honestly, you’ll keep coming back to this recipe because it solves the big churro problem. Why mess around when you can get all that wonderful cinnamon sugar goodness right out of the cookie jar? Here’s what makes them a staple on my counter:

  • They deliver that authentic fried flavor without ever needing hot oil—it’s a fantastic churro inspired baked goods experience!
  • Super simple dough mixing; perfect for getting the kids involved in making these easy cinnamon sugar cookies.
  • You get a wonderful texture—crispy coating meets a deliciously chewy cinnamon cookies center.
  • That rich, heavy coating of cinnamon sugar ensures great flavor in every single bite.

It truly is the easiest baked churro cookie recipe no fry option out there, and everyone will ask for the secret!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Homemade Churro Cookies

Gathering what you need is the first step to guaranteeing success in any recipe, and I always lay everything out before I even turn on the light mixer. It helps keep things calm and organized! For these easy cinnamon sugar cookies, we have two distinct ingredient groups. Paying attention to what goes where ensures you get that perfect texture we talked about earlier.

For the Chewy Cinnamon Cookies Dough

You’ll start with the usual suspects for a good, rich cookie base. Make absolutely sure your butter is properly softened—not melted! We need that butter smooth enough to cream well with the granulated sugar. Don’t forget we are adding just a small hint of warmth right into the dough itself with about half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. It’s subtle, but it builds flavor!

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating on Homemade Churro Cookies

Now, this is where we cheat that deep-fried flavor right into our homemade churro cookies! You’ll mix up a generous amount of sugar with about two full tablespoons of ground cinnamon. This coating needs to be heavy and thorough once the cookie balls are made. That big blast of cinnamon sugar on the outside is what signals ‘churro’ to your brain, so don’t be shy with this mixture!

How to Make Churro Cookies at Home: Step-by-Step

Now that we have our ingredients ready, the fun part begins! This process is quick, which is why this is such a fantastic copycat churro cookie recipe for busy days. We’re using standard cookie techniques, but the final coating is what makes all the difference in making these feel like true homemade churro cookies.

Preparing the Dough for Easy Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

First things first: get that oven warmed up to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. That always saves me a headache later! Take your softened butter and that full cup of granulated sugar and beat them together until they look really pale and fluffy. This takes a minute or two, but that air you’re whipping in is what keeps these from being dense bricks, even though they are meant to be rich. Beat the eggs in one at a time—don’t rush that part—and then add your vanilla. While that’s happening, whisk your flour, baking powder, salt, and that tiny bit of cinnamon together in another bowl. When you add the dry stuff to the wet, mix on low speed until you just see the flour disappear. Seriously, stop mixing right there! Over-mixing is the enemy of a tender cookie!

Coating and Shaping Your Homemade Churro Cookies

Time to make the glorious coating! Pour that generous mix of cinnamon and sugar into a shallow dish. Now, using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop—using a scoop helps keep them all the same size so they bake evenly—scoop out your soft dough. Roll that little ball in your hands just until it’s smooth. Then, you need to roll that ball *thoroughly* in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. I mean really coat it well, so there isn’t much dough peeking through. That heavy coating is what mimics the outside texture of a real churro!

Baking Time and Cooling for Crispy Cinnamon Cookies Recipe

Place your beautifully coated balls onto those lined sheets, leaving about two inches between them because they do spread just a bit. They only need 10 to 12 minutes in that preheated oven. You want the edges to look set and maybe just just barely golden, but the centers might still look a *tiny* bit soft when you pull them out. That’s the trick for getting those crispy cinnamon cookies recipe edges without drying out the middle. Let them sit right there on the hot pan for about five minutes—this is important so they don’t crumble when you move them—then gently transfer them over to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Tips for the Best Churro Cookie Recipe Success

Even with a simple recipe, those little tweaks make the difference between a good cookie and an absolutely fantastic one! When I’m aiming for the top tier of my best churro cookie recipe, I always pay attention to just a couple of details regarding texture and spice levels.

Adjusting Texture for Chewy Cinnamon Cookies

If you want that wonderfully soft, slightly underdone middle, that’s the key to achieving the best chewy cinnamon cookies! Bake them for one minute less than I suggested. They might look *too* soft when you pull them out, but remember they are still firming up on that hot baking sheet. Letting them rest there does most of the final work, keeping that center wonderfully pliable.

Boosting the Cinnamon Flavor in Your Homemade Churro Cookies

Now, while the coating brings the main punch, feel free to amp up the warmth inside the dough itself. If you are a true cinnamon lover—like my dad always was—you can easily bump that half teaspoon of cinnamon in the dough up to a full teaspoon. Just make sure you keep that coating measurement heavy, though! That’s where 90% of the classic churro flavor lives in these homemade churro cookies.

Serving Suggestions for Your Churro Inspired Baked Goods

These churro inspired baked goods are lovely on their own, dusted in that glorious cinnamon sugar, but why stop there? If you want to take them to the next level—especially if you are serving them for a special occasion or dessert night—you simply must offer a dip!

I always keep a batch of simple chocolate ganache ready for moments like this. The rich bittersweet chocolate cuts through the sweetness of the sugar coating perfectly. Another favorite in our house is dulce de leche. That thick, caramel flavor is just heaven alongside warm cinnamon. It transforms these homemade churro cookies into something truly decadent!

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Homemade Churro Cookies

The great thing about these homemade churro cookies is that they hold up quite well, just like a good, sturdy sugar cookie. Once they are completely cool—and I mean completely cool, or the moisture will soften the coating—keep them in a tightly sealed, airtight container at room temperature.

You don’t want to refrigerate them! That moisture turns the gorgeous cinnamon sugar coating a little soft or pasty. They keep beautifully on the counter for about four or five days. If you want to bring back that just-baked warmth, pop them in a toaster oven for just 30 seconds. That works wonders!

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Churro Cookies

It’s natural to have a few questions when you’re trying a new recipe, especially one that’s trying to capture the magic of a deep-fried treat in a simple cookie! I’ve gathered the most common things folks ask me when they are wondering exactly how to make churro cookies at home.

Can I freeze the dough for these homemade churro cookies?

Oh yes, you absolutely can! Freezing dough balls is my favorite trick for having ready-to-bake treats on hand. You can freeze the dough balls *before* you roll them in the cinnamon sugar, or you can coat them first—it truly doesn’t matter much for these! If you freeze them plain, just give them a quick roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture right before they go on the sheet. If you bake them straight from the freezer, just add about 3 to 4 extra minutes to the baking time.

What makes these baked churro cookie recipe no fry treats taste authentic?

The authenticity comes almost entirely from that heavy coating we roll them in. Since we aren’t frying these goodies, we have to pack the flavor onto the outside! The dough itself is rich to compensate, but that large volume of cinnamon and sugar that clings to the exterior is what tricks your tastebuds into thinking you just pulled them out of the fryer. That robust coating is the true heart of this baked churro cookie recipe no fry success story.

Are these cookies supposed to be soft or crispy?

That’s the best part—they get to be both! If you pull them out right around that 10 to 11-minute mark, you’ll get a beautiful layer of slightly crisp, sandy cinnamon sugar on the outside. But the inside stays wonderfully soft and tender, giving you that perfectly satisfying bite associated with great chewy cinnamon cookies. It’s truly the best of both worlds without any of the greasy hassle!

Estimated Nutritional Data for Homemade Churro Cookies

Now, I know that most of us aren’t whipping up these delicious homemade churro cookies to count calories, but sometimes it’s helpful to know what’s in our treats! While every oven and every roll in the cinnamon sugar is slightly different, here are the general estimates based on the standard ingredients listed in the recipe.

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 180
  • Fat: 10g (6g Saturated Fat)
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Sugar: 15g
  • Protein: 2g

Please remember, these figures are just estimates for a single cookie. If you dip them in my chocolate ganache recipe, you’ll need to add a little extra for that indulgence! I always found that knowing the basics helps me serve these wonderful homemade treats with confidence.

Share Your Experience Making These Easy Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

I truly love hearing from you when you try one of my family’s treasured recipes, like these easy cinnamon sugar cookies! When you make these fantastic homemade churro cookies, please come back and leave a rating! Tell me how they turned out or if you added any special twists. Knowing I’ve brought a little bit of that comforting, cozy feeling into your kitchen makes my day. Happy baking, everyone!

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Homemade Churro Cookies: Easy Cinnamon Sugar Recipe

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Make the best churro cookie recipe at home. These easy cinnamon sugar cookies capture the flavor of fried churros in a simple, baked cookie format.

  • Author: cookingbycarla
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 12 min
  • Total Time: 32 min
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for dough)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for coating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined into a soft dough. Do not overmix.
  6. In a shallow dish, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon for the coating.
  7. Scoop the dough using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball.
  8. Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.
  9. Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
  10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers may still look slightly soft.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • For a chewier cookie, slightly underbake them by one minute.
  • If you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, increase the dough cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.
  • Serve these copycat churro cookie recipe treats with a side of chocolate ganache or dulce de leche for dipping.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 180
  • Sugar: 15
  • Sodium: 75
  • Fat: 10
  • Saturated Fat: 6
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 22
  • Fiber: 0.5
  • Protein: 2
  • Cholesterol: 40

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