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, Cream Cheese Stuffed Churros, and Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake.

three stacked bars with white chocolate with bottle of corn syrup and mug of hot chocolate

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.”)

rice krispie bars with sprinkles in a holiday tin

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!

overhead view of hot chocolate, no bake bars, twine, and holiday tin of treats

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. overhead view of blue tin with candycanes , filled with bars with white chocolate beside corn syrup bottle

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)

rice krispie bars topped with white chocolate and cinnamon-sugar with sprinkles and twine

Here’s How you Make it

Prepare the pan

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

Melt the butter a large pot over medium heat.
Add to the butter the Karo® Syrup, ½ cup of sugar, marshmallows, vanilla, salt, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon.
Stir the ingredients together until the marshmallows are completely melted into the butter mixture.
Now add in the rice cereal.
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.
Top the bars with the chocolate chips and let them begin to melt for 3-4 minutes.
While you wait, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the melted chocolate chips.
Let bars cool until the chocolate is firm.
Cut into bars and serve or store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

rice krispie bars topped with white chocolate stacked beside red mug

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.

ornaments on table with blue tin of dessert bars

More Holiday Treat Recipes

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

rice krispie bars with sprinkles in a holiday tin

Prep Time: 15 minutes

cooling time: 10 minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Line an 8×8 inch pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease the liner.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.
Stir in corn syrup, 1/2 cup sugar, marshmallows, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
Continue to stir until marshmallows are completely melted and incorporated.
Stir in rice cereal.
Transfer rice cereal mixture to prepared pan. Gently pat into an even layer with a rubber spatula or greased fingertips – be cautious not to press down to much as this will harden the bars.
Immediately top with chocolate chips. Let stand 3-4 minutes until chocolate chips are softened.
While chocolate chips are melting, stir together sugar and
Combine chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on half power for 25 seconds at a time until softened, then stir til smooth. Spread over bars.
Stir together cinnamon and sugar. Immediately sprinkle over melted chocolate.
Allow to cool until chocolate is firm (putting the pan in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes will speed this up!). Cut into bars and serve or store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Original Source Link