Moist cinnamon sugar churro cupcakes topped with a rich cinnamon cream cheese frosting. All of the delicious flavors of a Mexican churro in cupcake form!
Table of Contents
Easy Frosted Churro Cupcakes
With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I thought it would be fun to make a CHURRO cupcake recipe. I mean, what’s not to love about churros?! I don’t even want to count the number of churros I ate on my last trip to Disneyland! ;) They are one of my absolute favorites.
What’s so great about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make. You use a box of cake mix and doctor it up with a few secret ingredients that make it taste extra delicious. Then add a rich and tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top. It’s the perfect compliment. Seriously, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful!
These Mexican cupcakes look so festive and are the perfect dessert for celebrating Cinco de Mayo along with tres leches cake, my sopapillas recipe and Mexican rice pudding.
Add them to your menu to finish up your lineup of Mexican favorites like homemade tortilla chips and salsa, beef tacos or chicken fajitas and cilantro lime rice. Sounds like a dream meal to me!
The Secret Ingredients
These ingredients come together and make the best churro cupcakes ever! Learn the secret ingredinets that create moist, fluffy, and full-of-flavor cupcakes. Take your cake mix to the next level and enjoy the perfect baked cupcakes!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Cake mix: Pick either a white or yellow cake mix. You will be using dry ingredients for this recipe. The cake flour will be the powder used not the other ingredients on the back of the box.
- Instant vanilla pudding: The instant pudding mix gets stirred in with the cake mix and helps make the texture of the cupcakes irresistibly soft. Make sure to use the dry mix. You don’t make the actual pudding itself.
- Ground cinnamon: Churros are all about ground cinnamon. Add this for the flavoring and give it that authentic taste!
- Eggs: This is a binder that holds together the cupcake batter.
- Canola oil: Helps boost the moisture in the cupcakes giving them a moist and rich flavoring and texture.
- Sour cream: Because sour cream is acidic and has a higher fat content than milk, it makes the cupcakes super moist and tender.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
Blend the frosting ingredients together in a medium bowl to make the best cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It is so easy to make and comes together perfectly. Top the cupcakes with this frosting for an irresistible combination!
- Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese ahead of time. It makes it easier to blend in a bowl of a stand mixer or electric mixer.
- Butter: Leave the unsalted butter on the countertop until it is at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar: This is the base of the homemade frosting. Thicken it using this sweet confectioners sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract gives this the best flavoring!
- Ground cinnamon: Always goes well with churros. It has a strong and delicious flavor.
How to Make Churro Cupcakes
Grab your muffin tins and get ready to impress all your friends and family with this easy-to-make churro cupcakes recipe.
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line cupcake liners in 2 muffin pans.
- Stir. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, vanilla pudding, and cinnamon. Stir until combined.
- Combine. Mix in the large eggs, canola oil, and water. Then stir in the sour cream. Do not over-mix the batter or they will sink.
- Fill the muffin tins. Pour the batter into the liners (about 3/4 the way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Be careful to not overcook.
- Let cool. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire racks. Wait to frost until cooled completely.
- Frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and mix with an electric beater until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix until creamy. Taste and add more cinnamon or vanilla, if desired. If it’s too thick, add a Tablespoon of milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Place in a frosting bag and frost cupcakes as desired.
- Storing. Store in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Decorations
There are a few different ways to decorate these churro cupcakes. I like to keep it simple for most desserts, but this is one of those recipes that looks SUPER fun and festive once decorated. The finishing touches make a huge difference and are perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo!
- Cinnamon sugar tops: After the cupcakes have cooled, dip the tops in melted butter and then into a mixture of cinnamon sugar. You can stop here, or add frosting and more decorations on top if preferred.
- Frosting: A rich and tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting takes this dessert to the next level. Feel free to use a cinnamon buttercream too, although the cream cheese version is definitely my favorite for this recipe.
- Caramel: Before serving, I like to drizzle some caramel sauce (or dulce de leche) over the tops.
- Mini churros: This is the perfect decoration to finish off the dessert. I like to find churros in the freezer section and then cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces.
5 star review
“Best cupcakes I’ve ever made. The optional step to roll the tops in melted butter & cinnamon sugar is a MUST! Dialed up the churro flavor and added a little sugary crunch. SO good!”
-Maria
Tips + Modifications
These delicious churro cupcakes are so easy to make and have all the flavor your tastebuds can imagine! Prepare the cupcake batter with these helpful ideas. Here are some tips and modifications to help you make the best churro cupcakes.
- Don’t overfill. You want to fill the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full. If you have a standard ice cream scoop, I find that to be the perfect size to scoop the batter.
- Butter. I prefer salted butter to counterbalance the sweetness of the frosting. If you only have unsalted, you can mix in about 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt. Or you can leave the salt out altogether if preferred.
- Piping the frosting. I used an extra large round tip to frost my cupcakes. You can adjust the consistency by adding in powdered sugar to make it thicker or a little dash of milk to thin it out. In order to frost the perfect cupcakes, you want the frosting to be able to hold a point.
- Chocolate. Instead of caramel, add a drizzle of chocolate ganache for a boost of chocolate flavor.
- To make a cake: This would make a great cake. If doing two 8 or 9-inch cake rounds, bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick before removing it from the oven.
- Mini cupcakes: Add batter to a mini cupcake pan and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe FAQs
It may sound strange, but the key to making super moist and fluffy cupcakes is by using a dry pudding mix and sour cream. I use both of these ingredients when making my famous chocolate cupcakes and they always get rave reviews. Sour cream is used in many of my favorite baking recipes, like my homemade banana bread or my strawberry sour cream cake. It gives them the absolute best texture!
If making the cupcakes from scratch the way to any cupcake’s heart is to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will continue to build in the dough and when baked make the cupcakes light and fluffy themselves. Whipping the butter and sugar together incorporates air into the cupcake batter and gives it a soft and even structure.
When filling your cupcake liners make sure to fill it 3/4 full. First, bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes then lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for the remainder of the baking time. Baking at a high heat will force the tops of the cupcakes to puff up.
The number one key to success with cupcakes is not to over-mix but also not to under-mix. Make sure to mix the cupcake batter just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Making in Advance
If you would like to prepare the cupcakes ahead of time for a party or gathering, I’d recommend leaving off the frosting until the day of serving. Everyone has a different opinion about whether or not cream cheese frosting can be left at room temperature, but I’d rather play it on the safe side since cream cheese is a dairy product.
Bake the cupcakes according to directions, then let them cool and store them at room temperature overnight in an airtight container. You can also prepare the frosting in advance and store it in a bag in the fridge. The next day, let the frosting come to room temperature and then pipe it on top of the cupcakes. I feel comfortable leaving the frosted cupcakes out for a few hours for a party and then I will refrigerate any leftovers.
Make a complete Mexican-inspired meal with all your favorite dishes! Try this one-pot burrito bowl dinner, Mexican rice, and refried beans, with homemade flour tortillas for a delicious meal.
More Desserts You’ll Love
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Churro Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 15 ounce box white or yellow cake mix
- 3.9 ounce box instant vanilla pudding , dry
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup warm water
- 8 ounces sour cream
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ¼ cup salted butter , softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon vanilla extract , more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional toppings: Cinnamon sugar, Churros (cut into 2" pieces), Caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line cupcake liners in 2 muffin pans.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, vanilla pudding and cinnamon. Stir until combined.
- Next mix in the eggs, canola oil and water. Then stir in the sour cream. Do not over mix the batter or they will sink.
- Pour the batter into the liners (about 3/4 the way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Be careful to not overcook.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Wait to frost until cooled completely.
- Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and mix with an electric beater until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix until creamy. Taste and add more cinnamon or vanilla, if desired. If it's too thick, add a Tablespoon of milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Place in a frosting bag and frost cupcakes as desired. Store in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Cake + Cupcakes, Cinco De Mayo, Desserts, Mexican, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These were so amazing! That frosting is to die . for!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
Would this work as a cake in a 9″x13″ pan?
Hi Lisa! It is a smaller batch of cupcakes so I’m not sure it would fill a 9×13 pan. Maybe an 8×8 square pan?
Hello, these look amazing!!! I’m wondeing what tip you used to frost in the picture. It looks like the perfect tip for the look i am going for. Thank you!!!
Hi Christy! I believe I used an extra large round pastry tip. :)
Thank you! two 9 inch cake pans? How would you feel using three 8 inch cake pans?
The cakes would be much thinner, I’d make sure to check it after 20 minutes for done-ness. Also, You might want to increase your frosting. ;)
Can these be made as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Definitely! I have made them in 9-inch circle cake pans, baked at 350 for about 30 minutes — check with a toothpick before removing from the oven. :)
This looks amazing! I’m about to make them but I don’t have sour cream, could I use anything to substitute?
Greek yogurt would work! :)
Do I fill the batter to the brim of the cupcakes patties? I haven’t made cupcakes in a while & looking forward to making these for my cinco de mayo party
I like to fill them about 2/3rds or 3/4ths full. If you have a standard ice cream scoop, I find that to be the perfect size to scoop batter for cupcakes. :)
Is it possible to turn this recipe into a churro cake? Would you recommend any modifications? Thanks!
This would make a great cake! If doing two 8 or 9-inch cake rounds, I’d bake for 25 minutes (at 350) and check to see if it’s done baking (a toothpick coming out with a few crumbs is the best test). Happy baking!
I’m going to try this recipe, but they won’t be eaten until tomorrow. Will the frosting be bad if not refrigerated or is it best to make the frosting and refrigerate it and then whip it again in the morning before decorating the cupcakes?
Hi Leila! I would refrigerate the frosting overnight. :)
i made the churro cupcakes, was your batter thick?
Yes! It’s a great, thick batter. :)
Would love to make these I mini cupcake form! Have you ever tried? How long do you think baking time might be??? Thanks
Hi Lisa! Mini cupcakes would work great with these! I would just do 5-10 minutes less than they say! :)
Wondering if there is any reason why butter should be salted. I always buy unsalted, especially for baking. If not, how much more salt would you add?? They sound delish!
You can use unsalted, I just prefer using salted! :)
made these to go with my Mexican meal. They were the perfect touch after the spicy food. The guests were complimentary. Thanks for sharing
What a great idea! I’m glad you liked them Tammy! :)
I just made these and the entire kitchen smells like cinnamon (I did put about a tablespoon). Amazing recipe! The frosting compliments it perfectly. Next time I think I’ll make a chocolate ganache so it’s like churro chocolate sauce. This recipe made 12 by the way.
I’m so glad you liked it! Mmmm a chocolate ganache would be delicious, thanks for the idea! :)
I just made these and they’re great! The frosting is especially amazing! Just wanted to share my funny experience since it might be of help for those who (like me) live in high altitude. When I mixed all the igredients the batter ended up being more like a dough! So I added the two egg whites that were left (making it three whole eggs instead of two yolks and an egg) and 4 tablespoons water. These changes were enough to make it pourable into the cupcake liners. High altitude makes baking a bit of a challenge. They ended up fluffy and soft on the inside and nice looking on the outside (I’ve had my share of sunken cakes). The kids just had theirs (my 17 year old daughter was amazed by the frosting!), so I’m just waiting for my hubby (who is Mexican) to get home from work to find this little sweet surprise! He’s sure to love them just as the kiddos did! Thanks for such a great recipe! :-D
Thanks for sharing your experience Karen! It definitely is tricky cooking in a high altitude, I’m glad you got them to work for you. Thanks for your comment! :)
We found your recipe on Pinterest and I made these for a friend’s Vintage Magic Kingdom party. They were lovely and delicious! :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for your nice comment Vanessa! :)
Only makes 12. Delicious cupcakes but I stretched to get 12. Husband said they were the best cupcakes he ever had
Thanks for coming back to let us know how many cupcakes! I’m so glad they turned out well! :)
I made your cupcakes and they were delicious! I shared them with my daughter (who, after working at Disneyland for 5 years, had developed an addiction to them!) I can’t post the picture here, but they ended up at an event at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in sort of a “scary” situation! ;) You can see the pics on my little blog: http://aimeessimplecrafts.blogspot.com/2014/07/churro-cupcakes.html with credit given to you, of course, for the amazing recipe!! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for the feature Aimee! I can’t believe your daughter met Scary Spice, I loved the Spice Girls growing up. What a fun picture to have!