Cake Mix Churro Cookies

These churro cookies are the cake mix shortcut secret you need! Just roll cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar, bake, and drizzle with a caramel glaze or ganache.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Find the full printable recipe with directions below.

For the cookies

• French vanilla cake mix: This is the shortcut base that keeps the cookies quick and easy. I used a 15.25 ounce box, so if yours is a different size the texture may vary slightly.
• Eggs: Let them come to room temperature if you can so they blend into the dough more easily.
• Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the cookies soft and gives them that tender cake mix texture. Any neutral oil works.
• Ground cinnamon: A little goes into the dough itself for warm churro flavor all the way through, not just on the outside.
• Granulated sugar and cinnamon: This is the cinnamon sugar coating that gives the cookies their signature churro finish. Roll them generously.

For the caramel glaze

• Unsalted butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream: These cook down into a quick caramel base right on the stove. Brown sugar is what gives it that deep, almost toffee flavor.
• Powdered sugar: Added off the heat to thicken the glaze. Add it a little at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
• Salt and vanilla: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and a dash of vanilla rounds everything out.

For the chocolate ganache

• Heavy cream: Warmed just enough to melt the chocolate into a smooth, pourable drizzle.
• Semi-sweet chocolate: Chop it finely so it melts evenly in the warm cream. Semi-sweet keeps the ganache from being too sweet next to the sugary cookies.

How to Make Churro Cookies with Cake Mix

In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, oil, and ground cinnamon until a thick dough forms. It will be on the thicker side, which is exactly what you want.

In a separate shallow bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating. Scoop the dough into balls using a medium cookie scoop, then roll each one in the cinnamon sugar.

Place them on the baking sheets with a few inches of space between each, since they spread a little as they bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly golden. Mine took about 8 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the caramel glaze, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until the glaze reaches the consistency you want, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Drizzle over the cookies while still warm.

For the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl for 15 to 30 seconds, until warmed through. Add the chopped chocolate, let it sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Recipe Tips

• Watch your cake mix size: If you can only find a 13.25 ounce mix, add two more ounces using a kitchen scale with a mix of flour, sugar, and a pinch of baking powder until it reaches 15.25 ounces.
• Roll them generously: Coat each dough ball well in the cinnamon sugar so you get that classic churro finish all the way around.
• Space them out: These cookies spread a little as they bake, so leave a few inches between each one on the sheet.
• Do not overbake: For soft cookies, pull them when the bottoms are just lightly golden. Mine took about 8 minutes, but every oven is a little different.
• Let them cool before transferring: The cookies are soft right out of the oven, so let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
• Drizzle the caramel while warm: The caramel glaze spreads more easily over warm cookies. If you want extra caramel for dipping or topping, you can double the glaze.
• The glaze is optional: These churro cookies are great on their own if you’d rather skip the toppings, so feel free to serve them plain, with one drizzle, or with both.