Serve up a fresh, homemade churro-inspired treat with a surprise filling inside at your next summer gathering. This Mini Cajeta-Stuffed Churro Pies recipe will have crowds begging for more!
My husband and I have a favorite Mexican restaurant that we eat at all the time. It’s a really casual place, and we usually get their tacos and margaritas, both of which are amazing!
We’ve eaten our way through their menu, but we had never tried their churros. I love a good churro, but sometimes these sugar-coated treats can be hit or miss, especially if they’re not freshly made. Know what I mean?
One day after spotting another customer enjoying one, I decided to bite the bullet and get my own churro. I quickly realized that I had made a huge mistake…my favorite restaurant sold the world’s best churros, and I had been missing out all this time!
That melt-in-your-mouth churro was freshly made, crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. There was a special ingredient though that put it over the top. What made that churro so decadent and delicious was the filling of warm, ooey gooey cajeta, a type of dulce de leche.
Since that day, I’ve made it my mission to ensure that everyone from my husband to my in-laws tries those tasty churros. It’s unanimous, they’re the best churros they’ve ever tasted.
I wanted to enjoy those rich, indulgent flavors at home, so I created these Mini Cajeta-Stuffed Churro Pies. These mini hand pies have all the flavors of my favorite churro, but there’s no frying required. They’re also dad approved, making them the perfect bite-sized treat for Father’s Day!
Mini Cajeta-Stuffed Churro Pies Recipe
These Mini Churro Pies with Homemade Cajeta are so fun to make! You’ll start by making the cajeta, a thickened, sweet syrup that’s made from caramelized goat’s milk. If you can’t find goat’s milk, don’t worry. You can use regular whole milk, and the recipe will still taste great.
Cajeta is easy to make, but it does require a little patience. Give yourself plenty of time and make sure to use a big pot, and you’ll be rewarded with an irresistible sweet sauce when you’re done! This recipe makes lots of cajeta, so try the leftovers drizzled over pancakes or ice cream, spread on a piece of toast, or use it anywhere you might enjoy a sweet sauce.
Want to save a little time? Substitute premade cajeta, dulce de leche, or caramel for the homemade cajeta, and these Mini Churro Pies will be ready in a snap.
Once your homemade cajeta has cooled, it’s time to assemble your Mini Churro Pies.
I used premade pie dough for these bite-sized hand pies to save a little time. If you’d prefer to make your own though, you can try my favorite pie dough recipe.
You’ll cut circles out of the pie dough using a 2.5-inch circle cookie cutter, then top the rounds with a little of your delicious homemade cajeta.
After adding another dough circle to the top and crimping the edges, the Mini Cajeta-Stuffed Churro Pies get baked until they’re golden and flaky. It only takes about 15 minutes.
Then comes the finishing touch! After brushing the mini hand pies with a little butter, you’ll coat them with cinnamon sugar. This final step is what puts the “churro” in these tiny pies!
I like to eat these Mini Churro Pies warm, and you can even serve them with the extra cajeta for dipping or drizzled over the top. Make them for father’s day, and you’ll have a sweet treat that your dad is sure to love.
Ingredients
- 4 cups goat's milk or regular whole milk (or a combination)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Instructions
- Combine milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, and vanilla extract in a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven.
- Bring milk mixture to a boil over medium heat, then remove from heat.
- Combine baking soda with 1 tbsp warm water, then add to milk.
- Mixture will bubble up; keep stirring until bubbles subside, then return milk to stove.
- Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring every 10 minutes, until the mixture turns a light golden color, about 30 minutes.
- Keep simmering, watching closely and stirring more frequently, until cajeta thickens (it should coat your spoon) and turns a deep amber color, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove cajeta from heat and discard cinnamon stick. Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate.
- Remove pie dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Unroll pie dough on a lightly floured board, and using a 2.5-inch circle cutter, cut out circles of dough. You should be able to get about 24 to 28 circles.
- Top half of the circles with 1 tsp of cold cajeta (do not spread).
- Brush egg around edges of dough circle, then top with another circle, and crimp edges with a fork.
- Transfer mini pies to the baking sheet, then brush tops with more egg.
- Bake pies until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack.
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Brush warm pies with butter, and dip in cinnamon sugar to coat.
- Serve pies warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Don't throw out your pie scraps! Cut the scraps into small pieces, brush with the leftover egg, and bake until golden. Once they're cool enough to handle, toss them with a little butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar for a delicious treat.
We hope you love this Mini Cajeta-Stuffed Churro Pies recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Ginni from Hello Little Home, as much as we do. If you love this delightful recipe, stop by our Desserts section to find more like it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and you can visit our Pinterest boards for even more incredible dessert ideas. Enjoy!
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