Sweet Churro Cheerios start with caramel-coated toasted oat cereal that gets drizzled in white chocolate and coated in cinnamon sugar. It’s an explosion of churro flavor with a totally addictive, crunchy texture and just the right amount of sweetness!
Use leftover Cheerios in a fun snack mix like this White Chocolate Chex Mix or Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix!
Churro Cheerios
If I don’t have a fun after-school snack for the kiddos, the first thing they reach for is cereal—usually Honey Nut Cheerios and sometimes a crisp rice cereal. So this year, I took one of their favorite cereals and made a snack with it!
These Churro Cheerios are definitely a treat, but who doesn’t need a pick-me-up after those first few grueling days of getting back into a routine after a fun summer?!
(Note: Cheerios is a trademarked cereal produced by General Mills. For this recipe, any toasted oat cereal can be used.)
Churro Cheerios Tools Needed
- A medium nonstick pot. This is for the caramel sauce. Use one that’s bigger than you think you’ll need since the mix bubbles up a lot when you add the baking soda.
- A really large bowl or two smaller ones. We toss the Cheerios with the brown sugar and caramel mixture. Use the largest bowl you have (or one that can easily hold all the ingredients) to have plenty of room for mixing.
- Grab one large (15×21 inch sheet pan) or two smaller ones. There is a good amount of cereal in this recipe, so you’ll need plenty of space to spread it out in one even layer. If they are piled on top of each other, they won’t bake as well.
Variations
Churro Cheerios Variation Ideas
We tested a few variations of these Cheerios snacks and brought them to a family reunion for testing! The Churro version (this very recipe I’m sharing) was by far the most popular!
Another version that was popular: chocolate-coated sugared Cheerios! Make the recipe the same, but replace the white chocolate with dark, semi-sweet, or milk (whatever you prefer—we like milk best!) chocolate. Leave off the cinnamon-sugar topping.
Another variation idea would be to switch up the type of Cheerios. There are so many different varieties of Cheerios to choose from—maple, coconut, frosted, chocolate, cinnamon—the sky’s the limit here!
Tips for melting chocolate
- Melt the chocolate slowly and stir it often. If you rush, it can burn. Microwave it in short bursts, and remember—it keeps melting even after you take it out. Make sure to give the chocolate plenty of time to melt outside of the microwave as you stir.
- Use high-quality white chocolate for the best results. You’ll get both a better melt and a better flavor. My favorite chocolate for this is Ghirardelli® or Guittard®. Cheaper brands can taste waxy and won’t melt as well—and that yields less tasty Churro Cheerios!
- Don’t allow any liquid near the chocolate. If it gets wet, it will seize and turn hard, and you don’t want that. Here’s why.
- Microwave the chocolate chips in sturdy, heat-safe bowls instead of plastic or melamine. It may seem like a lot of chocolate, but we want the cereal really coated!
- Sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar right away before the white chocolate has begun to harden. When it hardens, it won’t stick!
Quick Tip
Churro Cheerios Tips
- Bake on a silicone liner or parchment paper. For even baking and to ensure these (very) sticky Churro Cheerios don’t stick to your pan, line the pan with a good liner.
- Let the Cheerios cool fully before drizzling on the white chocolate.
- Boil the sugar syrup for 1 full minute. Start the timer when it’s doing a full rolling boil—not just a light simmer.
Storage
Churro Cheerios Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container (I like using glass jars or Weck® mold jars). Keep them in a cool, dry place for up to a week. They’re best fresh—each day they sit, they lose a bit of crunch, especially if it’s humid.
These don’t freeze well. The caramel gets soft and the cereal turns soggy.
More Snack Recipes
- Oreo Balls coated in chocolate
- Muddy Buddies peanut butter and chocolate snack mix
- Funfetti Cookies with sprinkles
- Sugar Cookie Snack Mix with sugar cookie M&M’s
- Sweet Chex Mix Recipe with coconut
Churro Cheerios
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″)
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
Ingredients
- 5 cups toasted oat cereal I use Honey Nut Cheerios
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1-1/4 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Assemble all the ingredients. Line an extra-large (15×21-inch) or 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone liner and set aside. Measure and pour the cereal in a very large bowl (large enough to toss with other ingredients without spilling—I use the largest bowl I have!) Preheat oven to 250°F.
- In a pot over medium heat, add the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until butter is melted, then bring to a boil. Let fully boil for 5 minutes (still over medium heat) without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. Watch out—the vanilla may sputter a bit and the mixture will foam up a lot! Immediately pour this mixture over the prepared cereal in the bowl. Working as quickly as possible, toss with a wooden spoon to combine and cover the cereal in the caramel syrup mixture.
- Spread the coated cereal on the prepared sheet pan(s) in an even layer. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes with a spatula, then spread the cereal again in an even layer. Remove the pan(s) and allow the mixture to completely cool.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Stir and set aside.
- Melt white chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring between each burst for 15 seconds until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer melted white chocolate to a plastic bag and seal the bag without air. Cut off the tip of the bag and pipe the melted white chocolate over the cereal (it may seem like too much, but we want the cereal well coated!). As soon as the cereal is covered in white chocolate, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over everything.
- Let the cereal harden at room temperature, about 1 hour, then break up and put in a large bowl. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As Chelsea’s husband I got to test this and it was SO good. Extremely dangerous having around the house because I couldn’t stop eating it!
These look delicious! Out of curiosity, what does the baking soda do in this recipe?
Have I missed it? How much white chocolate? I don’t see where it says that. Thanks.
So sorry, typo! Thanks for pointing that out, I’ve updated the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much! Appreciate it
Thank YOU for pointing that out! 🙂