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Churro Cheesecake

Churro cheesecake is a creamy baked cheesecake with a cinnamon-sugar graham crust and churro pieces folded throughout. Finished with a dulce de leche swirl and a glossy chocolate drizzle, every slice shows the rich, jiggly-baked interior.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chill 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican-Fusion
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon-sugar graham crust
  • 1 cup cinnamon sugar graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.25 cup melted butter
Cheesecake filling
  • 32 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped churros
  • 0.5 cup dulce de leche
  • 0.5 cup chocolate sauce

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch springform pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make and bake the crust
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix cinnamon sugar graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding filling, so it doesn’t melt the batter.
Mix the cheesecake batter
  1. Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Scrape the sides and beat again briefly to remove any lumps.
  2. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then beat until combined. Stop as soon as the mixture looks fully uniform.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition. Keep mixing gentle so the batter stays smooth and creamy.
Assemble and bake the cheesecake
  1. Fold in chopped churro pieces. Stir just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  2. Pour half the cheesecake batter over the crust. Spread into an even layer.
  3. Drizzle dulce de leche over the batter in a swirl pattern. Swirl lightly so you get ribboned pockets rather than fully mixing it in.
  4. Pour remaining batter on top. Smooth the surface so it bakes evenly.
  5. Bake for 40–50 minutes at 325°F. It should be set with the center still jiggles slightly when gently shaken.
Cool and finish
  1. Cool the cheesecake completely at room temperature. Do not refrigerate warm cheesecake, or the texture can turn grainy.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Chill until firm for clean slices.
  3. Drizzle chocolate sauce before serving. Slice and plate so the creamy interior is visible with the drizzle on top or around the slice.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, soften cream cheese fully and add eggs one at a time on low speed to avoid overmixing. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream if desired, keeping the same bake and chill times.