These easy churro cheesecake bars are the perfect dessert to serve for Cinco de Mayo or 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 or chocolate and vanilla cream, but never cheesecake. Typically the version you'll find is simply sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. This is a fun spin on churro bars.
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 this pure sweet tooth deliciousness.
If you like trying new desserts from around the world, check out these 25 Indonesian desserts or this Sacher Torte from Austria.
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!
Ingredients
You'll need two packages of refrigerated crescent rolls, two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, 1 ½ cups of sugar (1 cup sugar for the cheesecake. The extra half cup is for the coating.)
You'll also need 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 pan with nonstick spray to prevent bars from sticking to the bottom of the pan 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 bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until combined.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over top of the crescent roll dough.
Unroll the other crescent roll sheet and carefully lay it over top of the filling, covering it completely.
Melt your butter in a microwave for 45 seconds.
In a small bowl combine cinnamon and sugar for the coating and stir to combine. By the way, if you love cinnamon you have to try these apple cinnamon rolls!
Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the dough.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the crescent roll layer.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Let the churro cheesecake bars cool before serving. They can be served warm or cold.
I've got you! You can easily replace cinnamon with nutmeg or allspice, but only use a quarter of the amount.
Yes! 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. Neufchatel has a lot less fat content taking the fat down to 10 grams and the calories to 172. You can see the full nutrition information on the recipe card below, but hey, it's dessert, so I wouldn't judge if you ignored it this time!
These bars will last three or four days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for two to three months. Make sure to use an airtight container.
More Great Recipes for Dessert Bars
These peanut butter brownies, Butterfinger brownies, and butter pecan cookie bars are both incredible. These no-bake oatmeal peanut butter bars are really delicious, too.
If you're looking for more delicious cheesecake desserts, you really should try these Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes.
Easy Churro Cheesecake Bars
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
This recipe first appeared on Food, Fun & Faraway Places on April 17, 2020 and was updated April 28, 2021.
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