Churro Cupcakes

The churro flavor in this recipe paired with the rich buttercream frosting makes Churro Cupcakes irresistible. Enjoy everything you love about churros in this luscious cupcake recipe.

Whether it is Cinco de Mayo or just because, this recipe for Churro Cupcakes is delightful. The cupcakes start with a cake mix so it’s very simple. The first bite will have everyone coming back for more.

However, it does not taste like a box mix because we add lots of little extras. The homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting has the perfect amount of cinnamon. It does not disappoint and makes this treat even more fabulous.

While cupcakes look and taste like bakery treats, the entire recipe is effortless. Most everything is pantry ingredients and couldn’t be any simpler.

If you love the delicious flavor of churros, try this Churro Bites Recipe.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

White Cake Mix
Instant Vanilla Pudding
Cinnamon
Large Eggs
Vegetable Oil
Warm Water
Sour Cream

Frosting:

Cream Cheese (softened)
Butter (softened)
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
Baked Churros

How to make Churro Cupcakes:

Step 1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pans. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Step 2. Combine the cake mix and pudding. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix and teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Step 3. Add the eggs and oil. Then stir in the eggs, vegetable oil and water until well combined.

Step 4. Fold in the sour cream. Gently stir in the sour cream, being careful not to overman the batter.

Step 5. Spread the batter into the liners. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them up approximately ¾ of the way full.
Step 6. Bake the cupcakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Step 7. Allow to cool completely. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before topping with frosting.

How to make frosting:

Step 1. Combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat together the cream cheese and butter with a hand held mixer. You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.

Step 2. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until butter and sugar are well combined.

Step 3. Then stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Step 4. Pipe the frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with a piping bag with a star tip. Top with a freshly baked churro piece and sprinkle with cinnamon. You can also top with a a cinnamon sugar mixture if desired.

Cupcakes with frosting added and topping.

Step 5. Finally, serve these tasty cupcakes. Then the cupcakes are ready to serve and enjoy!

Storage:

Refrigerator

Place the cupcakes inside an airtight container. Refrigerate the leftovers up to 5 days.

Freezer

You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in the freezer up to 3 months. Place inside an airtight container to ensure freshness.

Then allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Make the frosting and decorate as normal.

What if the frosting is too thick or thin?

Feel free to adjust the frosting as needed so that it is the correct texture to pipe. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add more milk.

Add these ingredients gradually in small amounts. You do not want to add too much or too little at a time.

Can I make a cake instead?

Yes, this recipe is easy to adapt to make a cake instead of cupcakes. You can make a 9×13 sheet cake or two 8″ round cakes.

Frost as normal and serve. You may need to double the frosting if making a layer cake so you have enough frosting.

Tips for Success:

Churros. You can make the churros from scratch. Another option is to find them in the freezer aisle at a local grocery store. Then bake them before adding them to the cupcakes.
Don’t overfill the cupcakes. Only fill the cupcakes ¾ of the way full with cupcake batter so they don’t spill over. You also want to have enough room for the frosting and topping.
Use an ice cream scoop. If you have a basic ice cream scoop, this is a great size to use to scoop the batter. Just make sure it is the average size.
Room temperature ingredients. Soften the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. This will make it easier to combine and result in the best texture. Just note that you want the butter softened but not melted butter.
Use a piping bag for frosting. Easily pipe the frosting using a piping bag for stunning cupcakes.
Allow cupcakes to cool. The cupcakes should be completely cool before frosting. Trying to frost cupcakes too soon will result in a messy appearance as it will slide off.

Variations to try:

Cake Mix. Instead of white cake mix, feel free to substitute yellow cake mix.
Caramel Sauce. Drizzle caramel on top of the cupcakes for an additional topping if desired.
Mini Cupcakes. If you prefer a smaller size, this recipe makes adorable mini cupcakes. Just make sure to adjust the baking time as the smaller size does not take as long to bake.
Topping. If you would like an alternative topping instead of churros, top each cupcake with cinnamon tortilla chips.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why do you add pudding mix?

This combined with the sour cream is the secret to really moist and delicious cupcakes. They turn out so fluffy and absolutely delicious.

Don’t skip this step. It is so worth it and transforms a plain box mix into something fabulous.

Why did my cupcakes turn out dense instead of fluffy?

Overmixing the cupcake batter can result in dense cupcakes with a chewy texture. It is important to combine the batter until the ingredients are just combined and not to continue to stir.

Can you make the cupcakes in advance?

The cupcakes can be made several days in advance. However, we suggest waiting until the day you plan to serve to add the frosting and topping.

Make the frosting in advance and store in the fridge. Then pipe the frosting and decorate as normal. This is another great way to save time for parties and more.

What makes a successful cupcake?

The trick to the best cupcake is combining the ingredients perfectly. Do not overmix the ingredients or under mix the ingredients.

Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients until just combined. This will result in the perfect texture once baked.