These easy churro cheesecake bars are the perfect dessert to serve at the end of any meal. Everyone will love the crunchy outside and creamy cheesecake inside.
Where Did Churros Originate?
Many people assume churros are from Mexico, but it's believed they actually originated in Spain, at least in the form we have today. With many countries adding their own recipe, you can find churros stuffed with different kinds of fillings in Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and others.
I've seen churros filled with guava jelly, chocolate and vanilla cream, but never cheesecake. Typically the version you'll find is simply sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Regardless of where churros were discovered, they have become a very popular dessert here in the United States. And unlike the sugar sprinkled, deep-fried dough version, these churro cheesecake bars are baked.
I'm not going to go as far as to say these churro cheesecake bars are healthy, but I will say this is a healthier version of pure deliciousness.
What You Need for Churro Cheesecake Bars
You only need six ingredients to make these churro cheesecake bars, including the topping. This is such an easy recipe!
You'll need two packages of refrigerated crescent rolls, two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, 1 ½ cups of sugar (the extra half cup is for the coating), 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, one stick of unsalted butter, and cinnamon to mix with the sugar for the topping.
How to Make Churro Cheesecake Bars
Makes 20 bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with baking spray and set aside.
Open your crescent roll containers.
Lay one roll of crescent rolls down on the bottom of the baking dish, making sure to stretch the roll as needed to fit the dish. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined.
Spread the cheesecake mixture over top of the crescent roll dough.
Unroll the other crescent roll sheet and carefully lay it over top of the cheesecake filling, covering it completely.
Melt your butter in a microwave for 45 seconds.
In a small bowl add your sugar and cinnamon for the coating and stir to combine.
Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the dough.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Let the churro cheesecake bars cool before serving. They can be served warm or cold.
Can I Cut the Calories of Churro Cheesecake Bars
You can absolutely cut the calories! In fact, I usually buy the lighter version of cream cheese called Neufchatel.
I really don't think you can tell the difference between the two, but perhaps connoisseurs of cream cheese can. I use Neufchatel in my stuffed mushrooms and they are heavenly.
The big difference between the two? Neufchatel has a lot less fat content. Cream cheese contains at least 33% milkfat, and Neufchatel comes in at 23%.
That takes the fat content of these bars to 10 grams and the calories to 172. Sometimes I think it's not worth sacrificing the flavor to cut calories, but in this case, I don't think you'll notice a difference in flavor by switching out for Neufchatel.
How Long Do Churro Cheesecake Bars Keep?
If you mean how long before they are gone, not long! Kidding of course.
These bars will last three or four days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for two to three months. Make sure the container is airtight.
Easy Churro Cheesecake Bars
Delicious and rich churro cheesecake bars that are healthier than the typical deep-fried version.
Ingredients
- 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Coat a 13x9" baking dish with cooking baking spray and set aside.
- Open your crescent roll containers.
- Lay one roll of crescent rolls down on the bottom of the baking dish, making sure to stretch the roll as needed to fit the dish.
- Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture over top of the crescent roll dough.
- Unroll the other crescent roll sheet and carefully lay it over top of the cheesecake filling, covering it completely.
- Melt your butter in a microwave for 45 seconds.
- In a small bowl, add your sugar and cinnamon for the coating and stir well to combine.
- Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the churro cheesecake.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Set to the side to let it cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
If you're looking for more delicious cheesecake desserts, you really should try these Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. These Peanut Butter Brownies are pretty amazing, too.
Butterfinger brownies are always a good idea, and for a no-bake option, try these oatmeal peanut butter bars.
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