Dulce de Leche-Filled Churro Muffins
Who doesn’t love a good churro! I mean when you’ve got fried dough smothered in cinnamon and sugar with a side of caramel sauce or dulce de leche for dipping, there’s nothing to complain about — except maybe the frying. That’s where these churro muffins come into play. All the wonderful flavor of a fresh churro, minus the frying. The muffins are soft, tender, and moist on the inside. And brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon-and-sugar to mimic a real churro.
They’re filled with decadent dulce de leche sauce and I drizzle more on top for good measure. All that caramely goodness just makes these fast and easy muffins all the better! And oh yes, no frying involved so rather than your house smelling like fry oil for days, it’ll actually smell like heaven from the scents of cinnamon-sugar and nutmeg baking and wafting around.
Ingredients in Churro Muffins with Dulce de Leche
To make these decadent cinnamon-sugar muffins, you’ll need some basic fridge and pantry ingredients including the following items: Churro Muffins
All-purpose flour Ground cinnamon Ground nutmeg Baking powder Baking soda Salt Unsalted butter Light brown sugar Granulated sugar Large eggs Sour cream Milk Vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating and Dulce de Leche Filling
Unsalted melted butter Granulated sugar Ground cinnamon Dulce de leche
Tip: Scroll down to the recipe card section for a complete listing of ingredients with amounts included.
How to Make Churro Muffins
Making churro inspired muffins is a cinch! They’re fast and easy so just follow these basic and straightforward steps: Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together. Step 2: Beat together the butter and the sugars and beat until creamy.
Step 3: Add the eggs.
Step 4: Beat in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla.
Step 5: Add and then gently stir in the dry ingredients making sure not to overmix.
Step 6: Evenly divide the batter between the wells of a 12-count muffin pan and bake for 5 minutes at 425 and then 15 minutes at 350F.
Step 7: Melt the butter, mix together the cinnamon and sugar, brush each muffin with butter, and roll in cinnamon and sugar.
Step 8: Inject dulce de leche into the center of each muffin using a large round tip and piping bag or drizzle it over the top before serving!
Can I Make Mini Muffins with This Recipe?
I have only made full size churro muffins. However, yes you can probably make mini muffins by baking them in a mini muffin pan for about 10 minutes, or as needed. Remember that mini muffins can cook very quickly! I wouldn’t attempt to fill them with the dulce de leche and instead recommend simply drizzling it over them.
What is the Difference Between Dulce de Leche, Cajeta, and Caramel?
For all those inquiring minds who need to know details like these (me!), allow me to explain:
Dulce de leche: Made by boiling together sweetened condensed milk or sugar with cow’s milk resulting in a very creamy sauce with a golden color. Cajeta (loosely translated as caramel but it’s not quite the same): Made by boiling sugar with goat’s milk for a creamy caramely sauce with a deep amber color. Caramel sauce: There are lots of ways to make caramel sauce, but boiling sugar with water and then adding cream, resulting in a thick caramel sauce. You can add salt for salted caramel sauce.
The bottom line, however, with any variation of the three is that they are all an amber, golden, or caramel-colored sweet caramely tasting sauce. Depending on how long the sauce is boiled will dictate just how thin or thick it is. However, none are runny like a thin ice cream sundae type of sauce. Any of the above can be made from scratch or purchased. If purchasing, most well-stocked super markets will have all of them. Check near the sweetened condensed milk area, baking aisle, or possibly Mexican or ethic section of the grocery store for cajeta.
What’s the Best Filling for Churro Muffins?
For this dulce de leche-filled cinnamon sugar muffin recipe I used store-bought Coronado brand dulce de leche. It’s nice and thick, fairly inexpensive (I’ve seen dulce de leche at Target too for a good price), and has a rich and wonderful flavor. Nestle’s La Lechera Dulce de Leche is also very popular, however it’s runnier than what I used and what you see in the photos. There are many gourmet types of cajeta. I also see no harm in using Homemade Caramel Sauce. Also, Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Sauce is excellent and will work just fine in this recipe, noting that of course, your churro muffins will read a bit saltier.
Serving Suggestions
After baking, you’re going to brush your homemade churro muffins with butter and roll them in a cinnamon-sugar coating mixture. It’s optional, although highly recommended, to then drizzle a bit of extra dulce de leche, cajeta, or caramel sauce over the top before taking a big scrumptious bite! Wash them down with a glass of milk or a piping hot mug of a homemade Caramel Macchiato or Pumpkin Spice Latte!
How to Store Leftover Muffins
Let’s face it, churros are best hot and fresh and these dulce de leche-filled churro muffins with a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating are no exception. However, extra muffins will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days. Note however that they could become a bit soggier from the brushed butter and the dulce de leche filling as they sit.
Tips for the Best Churro Muffins with Dulce de Leche
I have some tips and tricks to make sure that these easy churro muffins with dulce de leche are met with oohs-and-ahhs from your friends and family! Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Both of them help give churro authenticity to the flavor profile so don’t skip them! True cinnamon fiends like myself may considering increasing the amount of cinnamon in the recipe from 1 teaspoon to 1 1/2 or 2 teaspoons. Milk: I suggest using whole or 2% milk nothing with less fat for best results. I haven’t tried with a plant-based milk but a thicker milk like cashew milk would be my suggestion rather than say soy milk. Sour Cream: It not only helps your muffins stay wonderfully moist, but baking science is at play. Because the acid nature of it reacts with the baking soda to produce air bubbles so your muffins are lighter. Thick Greek yogurt may be substituted but don’t use regular yogurt because it’s too thin and will water down the muffin batter. Always use full-fat versions of sour cream or Greek yogurt in baking.
Thick Batter: This is a thicker batter so don’t be surprised by that. Sometimes muffin batter can be pretty thin but this is not one of those recipes. You can use a medium cookie scoop to dollop the batter into the muffin cavities if it makes it easier for you. Brushing Melted Butter: It’s better to brush rather than dunk the churro muffins straight into a bowl of melted butter. You can dunk, however, you’ll need much butter more since they will absorb it very fast! Brushing it on is a way to conserve the amount of butter necessary. Filling the Muffins: If you think it’s necessary you can use a small paring knife to carefully remove a small chunk of muffin top so that you can more easily fill the muffins with the dulce de leche that you have in a piping bag with a round tip. You can also just “force it” into the muffin tops which is what I do because it’s easier and faster! If your muffin tops look a little bit “destroyed” after the piping bag got to them, it’s easy to mask any divots or holes by sprinkling a bit more cinnamon-sugar over the hole. Or just dollop on extra dulce de leche. Easy to hide and fix! Alternatively, you don’t have to fill the muffins with caramel sauce or dulce de leche sauce and can instead simply drizzle it over the tops. More Dulce De Leche? You have to try my Dulce de Leche Caramel Bars if you’re a fan of this lovely caramely flavor!
More Easy Muffin Recipes:
Salted Caramel Buttermilk Brown Sugar Muffins — Soft, fluffy muffins that are dripping with salted caramel! Best breakfast or brunch muffin ever! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Caramel Apple Muffins — Soft, fluffy, springy, loaded with chunks of apples, and so much CARAMEL flavor!! EASY, no mixer needed, and you’d never guess they’re accidentally vegan!!
Mini Snickerdoodle Muffins — Bite size muffins that are coated in cinnamon-sugar that will remind you of snickerdoodle cookies, but in adorable mini muffin form!! Soft, tender, an EASY recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes, and so IRRESISTIBLE!!
Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins – Baked mini muffins that taste like real mini donuts but way healthier and so good!
Cinnamon Sugar Mini Pumpkin Muffins — These mini pumpkin muffins are coated in cinnamon sugar and are bursting with fall flavor! Even better, they’re accidentally vegan!
The BEST Blueberry Muffins — These are hands down the best homemade blueberry muffins EVER. They’re fluffy and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream in the batter. Not to mention they’re bursting with fresh blueberry flavor. These are bound to be your new favorite muffins!
Skinny Blueberry Muffins — These easy blueberry muffins are made with Greek yogurt instead of butter, and there’s only a little vegetable oil and sugar in these. Don’t worry, these don’t taste healthy at all!
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins — Fast, EASY, one bowl, no mixer muffins!! You’d never guess they were vegan! Soft, fluffy, full of PEANUT BUTTER flavor, and LOADED with CHOCOLATE in every bite!!
