Churro cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are everything you love about classic churros, but in a light and fluffy cupcake package.
This easy churro cupcake recipe truly is sugar and spice and everything nice. When we say cinnamon sugar cupcakes we really mean cinnamon on sugar on cinnamon on sugar!
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Raise your hand if your mother made you cinnamon and sugar toast when you were sick! Mine certainly did, and I’ve done the same for my children.
Cinnamon and sugar are the flavors of comfort and these churro cupcakes with cream cheese frosting may not be a cure-all, but they will surely make you smile.
As a bonus, they’re also so easy to make!
I’m a big fan of cupcakes, and I love to make the best chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting from scratch.
My easy pumpkin cupcakes with boiled milk frosting are also really delicious (especially in the fall!), and these coffee cupcakes are a coffee lover’s dream come true.
But sometimes I want flavorful cupcakes in a hurry.
Churro Cupcakes from a Cake Mix
The best part of this recipe is that I made these churro cupcakes from a box mix!
A little cinnamon and a box of pudding mix ensures they are moist and flavorful while still easy to make.
If you’re not familiar with churros, they’re fried dough sticks that originated in Spain. They eventually made their way to Mexico and eventually the United States, gaining their sweet cinnamon sugar coating along the way.
They’re also a favorite iconic snack at Disney World, which is where I gained my introduction to them as a child.
If you need a crowd-pleasing Cinco de Mayo dessert, these cupcakes are perfect!
This easy churro cupcake recipe is a nod to the tasty treat and makes a great follow-up on taco night.
Other Mexican-Inspired Recipes:
Tips for Making Delicious Churro Cupcakes:
- Keep boxed cake mixes in your pantry as a smart shortcut in homemade baked goods.
- Once you add the wet ingredients to the batter, don’t overmix.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake tins. Only fill these about halfway.
- Bring the butter to room temperature but keep the cream cheese cold! This helps the frosting keep its shape better. You’ll just want to blend the two fully before adding the rest of the frosting ingredients.
- If you don’t have a piping bag you can put the frosting into a ziptop bag and snip off the corner, or simply use a knife to slather it on top of the cupcakes.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Cupcakes
It’s really easy to make churro cupcakes from a cake mix.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
For the Cupcakes:
- White Cake Mix
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Ground Cinnamon
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon
For the Topping:
- Granulated Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Mix the dry ingredients. First, you’ll combine the cake mix, dry vanilla pudding mix, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer, mixing with the paddle attachment to incorporate.
Make the cupcake batter. Next, you’ll add water, oil, and eggs. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and mix for about 2 minutes.
Bake the churro cupcakes. Next, you’ll Scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each only about half full.
Bake for about 15-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cream butter and cream cheese for frosting. Next, you’ll combine softened butter with cold cream cheese using the whisk attachment. Mix until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
Prepare the frosting. Next, you’ll gradually mix in the powdered sugar then add vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Mix on medium-high speed just until incorporated and frosting is fluffy.
Frost and serve. Last, you’ll allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (or other piping tip of choice) and swirl onto cooled cupcakes.
Sprinkle cupcakes with a cinnamon-sugar mixture before serving.
Notes and Adaptations:
- If you have access to churros, cutting them into bite-size pieces and placing them on the frosting as a garnish would be so cute!
- Keeping the cream cheese cold for this frosting helps maintain the ideal firmness of the frosting for piping.
Recommended Equipment:
- Jumbo closed star tip–For these, I used an Ateco 847 tip from this set of tips
- Piping bag–I use this reusable plastic coated bag, but you can also use disposable bags
- Muffin pans
- Optional: Prepworks by Progressive collapsible cupcake storage container
Churro Cupcakes
Enjoy the classic cinnamon-sugar flair of churros, but in cupcake form!
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 16.25-oz white cake mix
- 3.4-oz Instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 12-oz cream cheese, cold
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- For the Topping:
- 2 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), begin preparing the cupcake batter by combining cake mix, dry vanilla pudding mix, and ground cinnamon, mixing to incorporate.
- Add water, oil, and eggs. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and mix for about 2 minutes.
- Scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each only about half full. Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then prepare frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine softened butter with cold cream cheese. Mix until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated.
- Add vanilla extract and ground cinnamon, then mix on medium-high speed just until incorporated and frosting is fluffy.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (or other piping tip of choice) and swirl onto cooled cupcakes.
- In a small bowl, prepare the topping by mixing sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over the frosting of each cupcake prior to serving.
Notes
- If you have access to churros, cutting them into bite-size pieces and placing them on the frosting as a garnish would be so cute!
- Keeping the cream cheese cold for this frosting helps maintain the ideal firmness of the frosting for piping.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 0gSugar: 29gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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