No Bake Churro Krispie Bars

Everything you love about the buttery cinnamon-sugar-crispiness of a churro in a no-bake cereal bar form!

Want more recipes like this? Check out my posts for Churro Toffee, Churros, and Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake.

This post is in partnership with Karo® Syrup. All opinions are my own. 

 Ever since we made our first family trip to Disneyland (where I tasted my first churro), I have been in love with the combination of cinnamon and sugar on top of that crispy, flaky fried dough that’s surprisingly melt-in-your mouth soft on the inside.

And, while I make churros often enough, I have also found that it’s so much fun to take everything I love about a churro and mix-and-match it with other flavor combinations like I did for these no-bake churro krispie bars. I think you’ll agree it was worth every minute of experimentation (and I got to eat all the “mistakes.”)

Last year, however, I found a very close second favorite treat at Disneyland – Churro Toffee – and I’ve been borderline obsessed with it ever since that first bite. I even made a copycat recipe of my own, but today I’m sharing with you a really fun twist on that recipe. With a little help from Karo Corn Syrup, we are bringing churros and toffee together in a quick and easy, irresistibly chewy, no-bake cereal bar!

Why This Recipe Works

No bake — Churros are typically fried but don’t worry there’s no need to even turn on the oven to make these no-bake bars!

Melt in your mouth softness — It wouldn’t be a churro without that soft, fluffy inside, and these bars wouldn’t be so soft, gooey, and incredibly fluffy and chewy without Karo® Corn Syrup – the key to that texture that will keep you coming back for another! (And another. And another…)

Pantry ingredients — One of the best things about these bars (other than eating them) is that they come together easily with just a few ingredients like crispy rice cereal, Karo® Corn Syrup, butter, mini marshmallows, and white chocolate chips.

Quick  — Extra time is not something most of us have around the holidays, but the good news is that these bars come together in just 15 minutes – perfect for a last minute dessert on your way out the door to a holiday party OR whip up several batches as neighbor gifts for a homemade treat that will delight without spending hours baking in the kitchen.

Easy – As if the ingredient list wasn’t simple enough, did you know that the Karo® Syrup bottle actually has a one cup measurement right on the side so you don’t even need to pull out a liquid measuring cup? Genius!

Portable — These treats make a great dessert for a holiday gathering or party. It’s also just as easy to take one on your way out the door for a little car snack (you have those too right?) without worrying they’ll fall apart on you because the sweetness of Karo® Syrup holds each bar all together.

Crazy delicious — The combination of sweet and chewy rice crisp cereal and cinnamon-sugar dusted white chocolate is irresistible. You’ll fall so in love with this recipe you just might find yourself showing up to a cookie exchange with these these krispies instead. (In fact, I highly encourage it)

Here’s How you Make it

Prepare the pan

1. Get out an 8×8-inch pan and line it with foil or parchment paper. Then lightly grease the liner as well to keep it all from sticking to the foil/parchment. 

Mix the ingredients

1. Melt the butter a large pot over medium heat. (not pictured)
2. Add to the butter the Karo® Syrup, ½ cup of sugar, marshmallows, vanilla, salt, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon. (photo 1)
3. Stir the ingredients together until the marshmallows are completely melted into the butter mixture. (not pictured)
4. Now add in the rice cereal. (photo 2)
5. Add the cereal mixture to the prepared pan. Pat it all down into an even layer on the pan with a rubber spatula or use greased fingertips. Don’t press too much, just enough to spread it out in the pan. (photo 3)
6. Top the bars with the chocolate chips and let them begin to melt for 3-4 minutes. (photo 4)
7. While you wait, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. (not pictured)
8. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the melted chocolate chips. (photo 5)
9. Let bars cool until the chocolate is firm. (not pictured)
10. Cut into bars and serve or store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. (photo 6)

What Does a Churro Taste Like?

What does a churro taste like? Um, heaven? Your typical churro is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and are rolled in cinnamon and sugar for the best melt-in-your-mouth taste ever. Like a donut but crispier. Take my word for it and go get some today! (Or make these bars!)

Are Churros Vegan?

Unfortunately, the typical churro is not vegan. However, you could make these churro krispie bars vegan by substituting vegan butter and other vegan ingredients like white chocolate chips.

 Expert Tips

• These bars should cool completely before eating. If you just can’t wait for them to cool completely, you can pop them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until everything has cooled down.
• For the best tasting churro krispie bars, I always use Karo® Syrup. It’s a corn syrup that’s mildly sweet and derived from corn starch. I love to use it because it not only provides sweetness and moisture, but it also keeps the sugar from crystallizing and getting all chunky. These bars always come out with a smooth texture and binds the rice cereal together to keep them from falling apart.
• Want to customize these bars? Consider using chocolate chips instead of white chocolate. You can also add slivered almonds to the melted chocolate along with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Other mix-in ideas include sprinkles, chopped peanuts, heath bar pieces (or other chopped candy), dried fruit, and colorful candy melts instead of white chocolate.
• To avoid your churro krispie treats getting too hard, resist the urge to turn up the heat on the butter while it’s melting in the pot. Low to medium heat is best to keep the bars from hardening too fast. You want them to stick together when you cut them but still be soft when you bite into them.

More Holiday Treat Recipes

• Raspberry Crumb Bars
• Copycat Disneyland Churro Toffee
• The BEST Caramel Corn
• 3 Ingredient Peppermint Bark

Did you make these No Bake Churro Krispie Bars? WOOHOO – please rate the recipe below!