If you're a fan of sweet and salty snacks, these Easy Churro Bugles are about to become your new favorite obsession. They're crunchy, coated in a light caramel glaze, and finished with a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar for the ultimate snacking experience.
This recipe was inspired by the many "churro Bugle" recipes online. However, after testing and tweaking, along with one failed batch, I created a version that's crisp, easy to make, and packed with flavor.
Churro Bugles are an ideal party snack, giftable treat, or delicious addition to a dessert grazing board. The Bugles are lightly coated in a homemade caramel glaze made with brown sugar, butter, and a touch of cinnamon, then baked low and slow until crispy. After baking, they're tossed in a cinnamon sugar coating for that classic churro flavor.
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Recipe at a Glance
- ✅ Ready In: 45 minutes
- 🛒 Ingredients: Original Bugles, homemade caramel coating, finished in cinnamon sugar
- 👩🍳 Serves: 10
- 💡 Level of Difficulty: Easy
- 📦 Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
- 🎁 Gift Friendly: Yes
What Went Wrong the First Time
On my first attempt at making the Churro Bugles, I used a composite of recipes on the Internet. I cut the recipes in half, using just one 7.5-ounce bag of Bugles. Based on these recipes for one bag of Bugles, I used ¾ cup of butter with the other ingredients, cooked the coating for 2 minutes after it came to a boil, and cooked the coated Bugles at a high oven temperature of 350°F for 15 minutes.
While the flavor was good, the final texture was off. The coating pooled at the bottom of the pan, the Bugles were soggy, and the cinnamon sugar didn't stick well. Some of the Bugles crisped up, but others were chewy and greasy.
The fix? Less butter, cooking the coating for 5 minutes after it came to a boil, adding baking soda to lighten the coating for an even distribution, and a longer bake at a lower temperature.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Here's How to Make Churro Bugles: Step-by-Step
- Step 1: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Step 2: Add the Bugles to a large disposable aluminum pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Step 3: Combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cool, undisturbed, and uncovered for five minutes.
- Step 4: Remove the caramel from the heat. Add the vanilla extract and baking soda. Carefully stir with a silicone spatula until well combined (the mixture will bubble up).
- Step 5: Quickly pour the caramel over the Bugles in the disposable aluminum pan. Toss to combine.
- Step 6: Bake the Churro Bugles in a preheated oven at 300°F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Then, remove from the oven.
- Give the Churro Bugles a quick stir. Then, while they are still sticky, sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Give the Churro Bugles a final stir and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture. Don't worry if some of the cinnamon/sugar mixture ends up in the bottom of the pan.
This final version of Churro Bugles strikes the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and crispy. With a lighter caramel glaze, improved baking method, and cinnamon sugar finish, they're snackable, crowd-pleasing, and easy to prepare.
Whether you're giving them as a gift or keeping them all for yourself, this recipe is definitely a keeper. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
The baking soda reacts with the caramel to aerate it, resulting in a lighter, crisper coating. This is a common technique when making caramel corn.
Technically yes, but it's what gives them their "churro" flavor and sparkle.
You can use a sheet pan with sides. However, I like to use the disposable aluminum pan for two reasons: (1) its disposable so cleanup is not an issue; and (2) it has high sides, making it easier to stir the coated Bugles.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- I like to use a silicone spatula to stir the hot caramel mixture. The caramel doesn't stick to the silicone spatula, and I don't have to worry about it melting.
- When you add the baking soda to the hot caramel, there is a tendency for the caramel to bubble up, so be careful.
- Using the nonstick aluminum foil makes it easier to stir the sticky coated Bugles.
Other Caramel Coated Treats
Don't be intimidated by making recipes calling for a caramel coating. It's really quite easy to do. Here are some of my favorites.
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Easy Churro Bugles - Sweet & Salty
Equipment
- 13 ½ x 9 ⅝ x 2 ¾ inch disposable aluminum pan
- Nonstick aluminum foil
- medium saucepan
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 7.5 ounce bag of Original Bugles
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces, ¾ stick) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (5.5 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine ½ cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Line a 13 ½ x 9 ⅝ x 2 ¾-inch disposable aluminum pan with nonstick aluminum foil. Add bugles and spread into an even layer. (See Tip 1)
- In a medium saucepan, combine cubed butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts and the mixture begins to boil gently. Reduce the heat to medium-low and boil, undisturbed and uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla and baking soda. (See Tip 2)
- Pour the caramel over the Bugles; stir to combine. Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even baking and coating.
- Remove from the oven and stir. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on the Churro Bugles; stir to combine. Sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Yield: 10 servings.
Video
Tips/Notes
- If desired, you can use a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Be careful when adding the vanilla and baking soda - the mixture will bubble and foam.
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