Churro Cheesecake Bars . . . the crunchy cinnamony goodness of a churro filled with a tangy cream cheese filling. The best of two desserts rolled into one!
Bar cookies like snickerdoodle blondies and sugar cookie bars make a regular appearance at my house. They are great for feeding a crowd, and everyone loves them. These cheesecake churro bars are a new favorite.
When Christmas season rolls around, nothing’s better than the smell of cinnamon sugar wafting through the house. Takes me back to my childhood every time.
My mom always made homemade goodies like gingerbread men for the holidays, and I have fond memories of helping her in the kitchen.
Now I love baking even more than she did! I have several classic recipes that are favorites, but it’s always fun to experiment. These churro cheesecake bars are a fun combination of two classic desserts. My family was thrilled with the result!
Crunchy cinnamon sugar crust with a cheesecake filling. Who can resist that? These tasty bars will make your house smell like Christmas, and every bite is simply scrumptious. The textures and flavors combine to make one unbeatable dessert!
(To skip my tips and just see the detailed recipe card, simply scroll to the bottom of the post.)
How to make churro cheesecake bars:
Ingredients:
- granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
- cream cheese (full fat works best)
- egg
- vanilla extract
- Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
The crust for these bars is made from cans of crescent rolls, so they are super simple! If you can find the crescent roll dough that comes all in one sheet, it works the best.
Start by mixing up your cheesecake filling, then set the mixture aside.
Spray your 9×13″ pan with non stick spray, then sprinkle it with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Lightly flour a piece of waxed paper, then press one of the cans of dough out into a 9×13″ rectangle. If you have the kind that’s cut into triangles like mine is, press all of the seams firmly together.
Flip the dough over on top of the cinnamon sugar and press it into the sides of the pan.
Spread the cheesecake filling evenly onto the crust.
Roll out the remaining can of dough the same way you did the first one, then flip it carefully onto the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
Pop the pan into a preheated 350° oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares.
Every bite of these bars just melts in your mouth! They are a perfect holiday dessert, but they would be great any time of year.
How to store churro cheesecake bars:
Because of the cream cheese in the filling, these bars need to be refrigerated. They are best eaten the first day, but they will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. The crust will not be as crunchy though.
For more cinnamon treats, check out:
LOVE DESSERT BARS? GIVE THESE A TRY:
- Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars
- Caramelitas
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Toffee Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars
- Cheesecake Brownies
Churro Cheesecake Bars Recipe:
Churro Cheesecake Bars
The crunchy cinnamony goodness of a churro filled with a tangy cream cheese filling. The best of two desserts rolled into one!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 (8 oz) cans Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese till smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat till smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray, then sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
- Unroll one can of dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper and press all the seams together. Carefully lift into the pan on top of the cinnamon sugar. Press to the edges of the pan.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Unroll the second can of dough and roll it out the same way as the first one. Place it on top of the filling.
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top of the dough. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until light brown.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 108mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
ENJOY!
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I just made this. I added 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to the cheesecake filling portion and it turned out perfectly. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing it.
Glad you loved it, and thanks for sharing your variation. It sounds perfect for people like me who love cinnamon!
I am making these this weekend for Thanksgiving ( canada)! It looks sooooo good! I will let you know how it turns out.
Thank You !
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I hope they are a big hit!
I really appreciate the amazing recipes you share. I’ll definitely be revisiting them in the future. Many thanks! Warm regards from Switzerland.
You’re welcome Sabrina! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment. It’s my dream to visit Switzerland someday! 🙂
We cooked for the 30 minutes and then chilled but the bottom layer of dough was still pretty raw when we cut into it. We tossed it back in the oven for another 15 and that was good.
Next time we’d try baking the bottom separately until 1/2 baked and then adding filling
Sounds like maybe the bottom of your oven doesn’t cook as hot as mine, so prebaking is a great idea!
Hi Kara, OMG – this recipe combines two of my very favorite things! You are a genius for putting churros and cheesecake together. I plan on making a batch of these to snack on during the Super Bowl this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing them!
You are so welcome! Sounds like a perfect Super Bowl treat!
This is an Amazing Kreation, Kara!!!! Thank you! I’ve tweaked it with lemon/orange zest on the lower roll layer, the filling (add a teaspoon of maple extract!), and dices of guave paste (1/8”) sprinkled prior to sealing with the top layer of paper. Elevates the texture & flavor profile… Couldn’t have done it without You!!! You Rock!!!!🤘🏾💕🙏🏾🫶🏾
So glad you enjoyed them, and thank you so much for sharing your tasty variations! I love citrus, so I’ll have to try adding zest to mine next time I make them. YUM!
Wow! These churro cheesecake bars are a stroke of genius. The blend of sweet, cinnamon-infused churro and the smoothness of cheesecake is a match made in dessert heaven.
So glad you loved them! I agree that they are a perfect balance of textures and flavors. 🙂
These were delish but I felt like my filling didn’t seem as thick as yours. Not in texture but in size. I almost want to add another bar of cream cheese next time. Do you think that will affect baking time?
Adding another bar of cream cheese would change the baking time slightly, but it would also change the flavor and texture. If you want a thicker filling, it would probably be better to double all of the filling ingredients and adjust the baking time.
Indulgence meets perfection in this recipe! Can’t wait to savor the sweet delight. I will definitely make and share it with my friends.
I made these and I think the ration of cinnamon to sugar is off. It should be 2 tsp of cinnamon. Using the measurements the recipe called for made my bars look black on top/burned looking. I also add a half a stick of melted butter on top of the sugar mixture.
The amount of cinnamon is correct, 2 tablespoons. But if you added butter to the top, that will definitely make the top appear black. Wet cinnamon sugar is much darker than dry cinnamon sugar. The butter will also make it brown faster.
thank u
Can you use puff pastry instead of crescent roll pastry?
I haven’t personally tried that, but I would think that it would work. It’s definitely worth a try!
The churros cheesecake bars were ready without much hassle. The subtle cinnamon essence made it taste so good that anybody could hardly resist it on the table when I served it. Thank you so much.
I’m so happy to hear that they were such a hit! 🙂
My friends and I had a potluck favorites night and instead of bringing cheesecake and churros, I decided why not bring two in one! This recipe was such a hit! We have been renovating our kitchen for the last few months, new cabinets, countertops, dumpster rental in the driveway, the whole sha-bang, so I needed an easy dessert. I will be making this again and again! Thank you!
So glad it was a hit with everyone! Good luck with the kitchen reno, I know how stressful those are. But so worth it in the end! 🙂
Super simple to make. I will definitely make it again. Made it for Easter so good too.
So glad you enjoyed them! Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
Great website, thanks for the great recipes… I’ll use them again in the future 😉 THANK YOU !!! Greetings from Germany
Thanks so much from visiting from Germany! Glad you are enjoying my recipes. 🙂
Really Delicious one!! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you loved it!
GOOD food
Glad you loved them!
I made this yesterday. I expected the crescent rolls to be crispy and flaky, especially on top. My crusts were soggy and rubbery. After baking, I put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.what did I do wrong?
It’s hard for me to troubleshoot without being there. Did you use low fat crescent rolls, or a brand other than Pillsbury? That’s all I can think of. Sorry, I know that’s frustrating!
I’m making the night before and going to set in the fridge after. How long should I take it out the next day prior to serving. Thank you in advance.🥰
You can serve it right from the refrigerator, no need to let it sit at room temperature first. 🙂
Is it best to eat it chilled, warm or room temp?
It’s a matter of personal preference. I like them chilled or at room temperature. I haven’t tried them warm. 🙂
Made this for the first time today. I just have to say it turned out awesome. I just cut the sides (crust) off when it was done (saved the crusts for later, almost reminds me of the actual churros) to give it that clean aesthetic look. If you’re like me and prefer harder cream cheese, 30 mins in the fridge will do it. Thank you for sharing this!
Haha, I like to cut the edges off of my bars and brownies as well! My kids and husband love it because they get those scraps. 🙂
Made this tonight and it failed for two reasons. 1 – definitely baker error, I forgot to add the additional sugar with the cream cheese. 2 – there was no “cheesecake” center when it was done baking, if all soaked into the crescent dough. Could be the missing sugar 🤷♀️ I will try again
Definitely try it again and let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I comepletely forgot to add the vanilla extract and am ready to put it in the oven 😬 is their anything I can do other than taking it apart? Should I spray it with vanilla?? 😂 darn it!!
It will probably still be tasty even without the vanilla, it just boosts the flavor a bit. But with cinnamon recipes, the cinnamon is powerful enough on its own that they are still good even if it gets left out. 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly & EVERYONE LOVEDDD it!! It was so amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Yay, I’m so happy to hear it!! 🙂
These are so delish! I want to make them for a gathering but I agree they taste best the same day before needing to be put in the fridge. How long do you think I can keep them out before needing to refrigerate?
I think they would be fine for 2-3 hours.
Yummy!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve tried this recipe from another baker. But omg these are amazing! I suggest the cresent dough sheets instead though. I think they work much better.
Yes, if you can find the sheets they work great! None of my local stores seem to have them in stock very often.
Hi! Do these have to be kept/served cold? I’m looking forward to making these tomorrow!! Thanks!
It’s best to store them long term in the refrigerator, but they can definitely be served at room temperature.
Hi Kara,
My family is organizing a yard sale this weekend and I intend to give all buyers a treat. I really like how your Churro Cheesecake bars look. I have ordered the ingredients already, hope it turns out great.
Oh man, I would definitely want to come to your yard sale! That is such a great idea!
I want to thank you for sharing this recipe! It comes out amazing every single time. This is probably my 5th time making these bars and they are always a hit at parties!
That makes me so happy Priscilla! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment, it just makes my day to know that people are having success with my recipes! 🙂
Thank you! Mine turned out So good and delicious!
So happy to hear that Joan! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it!
Mine didn’t have as much filling as the picture, either. After cooling it was dry and tough. Used name brand ingredients. Can’t say this is a favorite.
If the filling wasn’t as thick and they were dry and tough, it sounds like maybe your pan was too big. Did you use a 9×13″ pan, or was it slightly larger?
What do you think if you added chopped strawberries to the cream cheese mix portion?
I’ve never tried it, but I love berries to it sounds good to me!
Not really sure why I read the comments when reading a recipe, but to those snarky comments from people whom must have nothing better to do than troll bloggers to act like you’re above them in some way, go eat a booger. If you’re so refined why are you searching for a recipe? Go to your 5 star restaurant in a foreign country and eat
Haha, this made me smile Quanna! I’m always baffled that there are so many people who just want to spread negativity about things that really don’t matter. For the most part, I ignore them or get a good laugh. 🙂
Not sure what happened, but these were 1. Not crunchy and 2. The filling was maybe half as tall? Followed the recipe. Still tasty, but not the consistency or finished product portrayed.
Sorry to hear that Janelle. I’m not sure why yours didn’t turn out, especially the filling. Did you use two packages of cream cheese? And what brand of crescent rolls did you use? Maybe different brands don’t bake up as crispy, but I’m not sure.
Can you freeze and reheat? I’m going to where there is no real kitchen and needing it to last 2 days.
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t recommend freezing these. The crust can get soggy, and cream cheese fillings often separate when frozen then thawed.
Apologies for my previous post, I was dictating to my phone…lol…that comment was for Ketutar and big thank you to Kara
Haha, thanks Aster!
Kettering, looks to me like you don’t travel much out of this country or your own state. I am Mecican/Native American and live in AZ. Where you can find wome of the most amazing cream cheese filled churros, or nutella l, condense milk perhaps or rich chocolate. Also I live by the border, where in 20 min you can find yourself eating churros from a street cart, and you can have them plain or filled…guess what? With cheese cake filling, along with all the other stuff I mentioned before. We have a traditional Mexican recipe very similar to this one, and it’s called sopapilla.
Anyway, to the awesome lady that shared her recipe, thank you, it’s delicious and amazing. Would make again for Christmas.
Some people do think that the only way they’ve had food is the only way anyone should have it. I am sure glad there are millions of variations in the world, or food would be pretty boring! I have also had the filled churros, and they are AMAZING!
Have you ever done a pumpkin version of this? If so, what were the ingredients? Thank you!
No, I haven’t, but man that sounds delicious!
Hello there, I found your blog while searching for churro desserts, and had to try these. They are so good! Thanks for a new favorite dessert recipe!
1/2 cup of sugar with 2 tbsp of cinnamon does seem like too much cinnamon?
We like it with plenty of cinnamon flavor, but you can certainly use less if you prefer. 🙂
How many bars does this recipe make? I am making them for a wedding shower and need approximately 40 bars.
It makes 15 large bars. You could definitely cut it into 20 squares, but if you need 40, you would need to make two batches. Hope you enjoy them!
Can these be frozen and thawed out the day you use them?
I haven’t tried it, but I think the crust would get soggy, and the texture of the cheesecake middle might be ruined. I don’t recommend it.
I have made these many times and absolutely love them 🙂 I usually make them the day of. Do you think they would turn out okay if I put everything together the night before baking them? Thanks!
Hi, how long should the bars be cooled for before cutting? Other cheesecake bars I’ve tried have needed to chill in the fridge for several hours, but since you should eat these the same day I imagine they don’t need as long? Thank you!
I prefer them at room temperature, so I didn’t chill mine before serving. But you certainly could.
Hi Kara,
These look to die for! Churros and cheesecake are two of my favorite desserts, so I can only imagine how heavenly they are together. I am planning on making these this coming weekend for the Super Bowl. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I bet they will be a hit! And even if your team loses, they are a great consolation prize. haha
Excited to try this recipe! They look wonderful.
Does anybody have any tips on how to flatten the crescent rolls out better so it covers the pan like it should? I tried making these tonight and I am still waiting for them to come out of the oven but I basically ruined the first layer of dough. It was super hard to lay it all flat enough to cover the entire pan. Please let me know!
Put a layer of wax paper over the dough, then press down with hands of if you have another rectangle pan the same shape, you could use that to flatten (press backside down into pan over wax paper
Thanks for the tip!
Oh I am so making these fr Thanksgiving!!!
Hope your family loves them! Happy Thanksgiving!
how long can they be refrigerated after baking? and do they have to be reheated or ???
They will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, but the crust does get soft. You can reheat them or serve them cold, whichever you prefer.
So you don’t like churros much.
This is more like German streuselkuchen. It looks like it, and sounds like it tastes pretty similar and the eating experience is similar. It doesn’t look anything like churros, and doesn’t sound it tastes like churros, or that the mouthfeel is like churros. I have never even heard of anyone eating churros with cheesecake filling or anything creamy like that.
shut up and enjoy them
Will make these.
Do you think pie crust would work instead of the cresent rolls?? I have all ingredients except the rolls :/.
Thanks!
This looks delicious, thank you sharing!
This looks amazing. I just have one question, I want to try this for a family event. I’m afraid of it breaking apart on pan, would parchment paper work?
This looks amazing! One question, would parchment paper work inorder to remove from pan easier? Im afraid of these breaking and I’m going to try this recipe and bring to family event.
Its nice to take a night off from cooking and baking complicated recipes. This was a very very simple easy and fast dessert recipe that was phenomenal. The spice combination was perfect and the cook time was spot on, which is a first. Most of the time I am tweaking the ingredients or spices and bake times a bit, but not this one. Thanks for the new recipe ..
So totally my fault for not reading to the bottom but in the intro when list the ingredients needed it would of been neat to see a times 2 by the cream cheese and crescent rolls. Its okay though cause it worked itself out…we don’t need 15 servings for my husband and I so I’m using one cream cheese and one crescent and making a half sized tonight so I will be back to tell how it went not because anyone cares but because I literally just began cooking and I excited easily.
Looks so delicious 😍 I want try make this cake
Can these be chilled and served the following day?
Great recipe! So yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Can you make this without egg?
Can i choose the puff pastry or what other option for the crescent roll?
I haven’t tried using puff pastry, but it might work. Let me know if you give it a try! I can’t think of any other substitutes.
I made these and I absolutely love them!!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s sooo goood!! ❤️❤️❤️
Where does the choux pastry come in? That’s essential for a churro,
and not at all the same as crescent roll dough.
It’s not a real churro – that should be obvious.
Just made these and I’m in love! So simple and delicious!
Can you bake the night before a party and store it in the fridge?
How long do you let them cool?
That totally depends on the temperature of your kitchen. I let mine cool for over an hour, but you can speed up the process by putting them in the refrigerator. 🙂
I posted a picture of my halved recipe.. these really are good. I’d probably bake them the whole 30 min next time.. my think being that they wouldn’t need to bake as long because of the 8×8 pan. I’d like a crispy bottom as well!
I made them for my son! He’d better hurry to the pan!
Thanks for the tip about making a half batch! So glad you liked them, and I hope your son did as well. 🙂
These look so delicious! Loving all of the flavors!
WOW!! I cannot wait to make these!! Everything about it makes me happy!
Dude. Churro cheesecake bars?? These sound divine!
Wow, what a wonderful cheesecake variation. The spice is just perfect!