You haven’t had a cheesecake like this churro cheesecake recipe! The tangy cream cheese filling is combined with a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture, then baked in a shortbread cookie crust and coated in a dark chocolate sauce. It’s the perfect combination!
Creamy Cheesecake with Cinnamon Sugar
Cheesecake is one of our favorite desserts to make here at The Cheese Knees. I mean, it has CHEESE in the name, so you bet we’ve perfected the art of baking the PERFECT cheesecake.
Now that we’re masters at our craft, we’ve been having lots of fun with cheesecake flavors, and we gotta tell you — this churro cheesecake has got to be our best creation yet. Imagine the taste of actual churros, but infused with a delicious cheesecake! It’s honestly an irresistible dessert that you just HAVE to try.
Bring your appetite, because you’ll be nothing but satisfied with this one!
why you’ll love it!
- It’s a unique dessert that will WOW any crowd!
- It has the best texture and flavor.
- Great for any occasion, any time of year.
Featured Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST
- Shortbread cookies: that’s right. We use shortbread cookie crumbs to make a crunchy, buttery crust!
- Sugar: a little granulated sugar goes a long way toward the perfect level of sweetness in this crust.
- Cinnamon: ground cinnamon is mixed in with the crust to deliver that churro flavor.
- Butter: unsalted butter holds the crust together and ensures it isn’t too crumbly when sliced. Don’t skip the butter!
- Honey: honey will also help bind the crust together and add great flavor.
- Salt: we love using kosher salt in this recipe, but any salt will work — just don’t use table salt (it’s too harsh).
FOR THE CHURRO CHEESECAKE
- Cream cheese: cream cheese is the base of our cheesecake. Make sure it is fully softened, so you don’t end up with lumps in your batter.
- Sugar: white sugar is best in this recipe, and we don’t recommend swapping it for anything else.
- Cinnamon: mixing ground cinnamon in your cheesecake batter gives it that delightful churro flavor.
- Vanilla: vanilla enhances the tang of the cream cheese and the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar.
- Eggs: eggs are used as a bind for cheesecake, giving it its classic creamy texture. They are essential, so don’t swap them or leave them out.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
- Heavy whipping cream: creates the perfect consistency for the chocolate sauce topping.
- Dark chocolate: dark chocolate tastes SO good with the cinnamon sugar flavor of this cheesecake!
How to soften cream cheese
Looking for a quick method to soften cream cheese? Check out our post – How to Soften Cream Cheese – 4 Ways! Here you’ll learn 4 unique (and quick!) methods to soften cream cheese to the perfect amount for baking and cooking.
How to Make A Churros Cheesecake
MAKE THE COOKIE CRUST
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place a 9-inch greased springform pan on top of tin foil and wrap the bottom securely so that no liquid will be able to get through the tin foil seal. Set aside.
Next, add the 1.5 cups of cookie crumbs, sugar, melted butter, honey, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Mix until the crumbs become a wet sand consistency and can clump together.
Transfer the cookie mixture to the springform pan. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan, pushing up the sides to form a ¼-inch high border. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING
Preheat the oven to 325℉. While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling.
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon on medium speed until smooth. About 1 minute. Add in the vanilla and mix once more.
Then, mix in the eggs one at a time on low speed until well combined.
ASSEMBLE + BAKE
Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the cooled crust. Place on a baking sheet pan with sides and place in the oven on the middle rack.
Then pour 1 inch of hot water onto the baking sheet. Bake until the edges are set and golden brown, about 55-60 minutes. When done baking, turn off the oven, crack the door, and let it cool for about 1 hour.
Once cooled, transfer to the fridge and allow to cool for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
MAKE TOPPING, ASSEMBLE, + ENJOY
Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add the heavy whipping cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in the chocolate and stir until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
Next, pour the chocolate sauce over the cheesecake and top it with the remaining cookie crumbs.
The cheesecake can be served immediately while the chocolate sauce is still warm, or it can be refrigerated for an additional hour to allow the chocolate sauce time to cool. Enjoy!
Top Tips for Perfect Cheesecake
- Don’t Over-Mix: a good rule of thumb when it comes to baking, in general, is not to over-mix, especially overbeat the eggs. This can cause cracking in your cheesecake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature to avoid any lumps when you mix the filling.
- Slowly Cool: you’ll notice we are taking precautions to slowly cool the cheesecake. Instead of immediately removing the cheesecake from the oven, crack the door open and let it continue to cook for 60 minutes before removing it.
Storage
Store your churro cheesecake in an airtight container (or covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
How to Freeze Cheesecake
Freezing a cheesecake is very simple! If you’d like to freeze your churro cheesecake for later, let the cheesecake cool completely in a spring-form pan. Wrap the cheesecake (and springform pan) in plastic wrap and then tin foil, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw the cheesecake, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw completely before serving.
Churro Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 10 oz. shortbread cookie crumbs divided (~2 cups)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 24 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Topping
- 8 oz. heavy whipping cream ~1 cup
- 4 oz. dark chocolate
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place a 9-inch greased springform pan on top of tin foil and wrap the bottom securely so that no liquid will be able to get through the tin foil seal. Set aside.
- Add the 1.5 cups of cookie crumbs, sugar, melted butter, honey, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Mix until the crumbs become a wet sand consistency and can clump together.
- Transfer the cookie mixture to the springform pan. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan, pushing up the sides to form a ¼-inch high border. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon on medium speed until smooth. About 1 minute. Add in the vanilla and mix once more.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time on low speed until well combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the cooled crust. Place on a baking sheet pan with sides and place in the oven on the middle rack. Pour 1 inch of hot water onto the baking sheet. Bake until the edges are set and golden brown, about 55-60 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let it cool for about 1 hour.
- Once cooled, transfer to the fridge and allow to cool for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
Topping
- Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add the heavy whipping cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in the chocolate and stir until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the chocolate sauce over the cheesecake.
- Top with the remaining cookie crumbs.
- The cheesecake can be served immediately while the chocolate sauce is still warm, or it can be refrigerated for an additional hour to allow the chocolate sauce time to cool.
Tips & Notes
- If you don’t have tinfoil, place a cooling rack on a baking sheet with raised sides. Put the cheesecake on top and place it in the oven. Pour 2 cups of water into the baking sheet and bake as directed.
