This easy churro toffee recipe is inspired by the famous Disneyland treat. Buttery English toffee is coated in creamy white chocolate and finished with a generous layer of cinnamon sugar for a homemade version that's every bit as irresistible.
The first time I went looking for churro toffee at Disney World, I couldn't find it anywhere. That's when I learned it's actually a Disneyland specialty! Luckily, I already had a tried-and-true English toffee recipe that's been in my family for more than 35 years, so recreating it at home was easy.
Love homemade toffee? Be sure to browse my Homemade Toffee Recipes collection, where you'll also find my classic English Toffee, Christmas Crack, and Take 5 Toffee recipes.
What Makes Disneyland Churro Toffee So Popular?
Disneyland's churro toffee has become one of the resort's most popular treats. Unlike traditional English toffee, it's coated in white chocolate and generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, giving it all the flavors of a churro in crunchy candy form.
The version sold at Disneyland is usually cut into large rectangles and completely coated in white chocolate. My homemade version keeps all of those delicious flavors but skips the extra dipping, making it quicker, easier, and just as delicious.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Inspired by Disneyland. All the buttery cinnamon-sugar flavor without a trip to California.
- Easy to make. No candy thermometer required.
- Starts with my foolproof English toffee recipe. The same family recipe I've been making for more than 25 years.
- Perfect for holiday candy trays. It stays fresh for days and packages beautifully for gifts.
- Less work than Disney's version. Covering one side with white chocolate gives you all the flavor with half the effort.
- Holiday gift-worthy. Churro toffee stays fresh for days and packages beautifully for cookie boxes and neighbor gifts.
Homemade vs. Disneyland Churro Toffee
Disneyland serves churro toffee in large rectangular pieces that are completely coated in white chocolate before being rolled in cinnamon sugar.
I prefer spreading white chocolate over one side instead. It gives you the same buttery cinnamon flavor while using less chocolate, taking less time, and making the candy easier to eat.
If you'd like the full Disneyland experience, simply break the toffee into large rectangles after it cools, dip each piece in melted white chocolate, then coat generously with cinnamon sugar.
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What Others Are Saying
I'm obsessed with the churro toffee at Disney, and this was an easy variation to make at home, thank you! ---Bre on Pinterest
Tips and Tricks
- Don't double the recipe. I always make single batches because they cook more evenly.
- Cook over medium-high heat. This isn't a low-and-slow candy recipe.
- Use the color as your guide. You're looking for the color of a brown paper bag—not tan or beige.
- Don't scrape the bottom of the saucepan when pouring the toffee.
- Spread the white chocolate while the toffee is still slightly warm.
- Add the cinnamon sugar before the white chocolate hardens so it sticks well.
- For complete English toffee troubleshooting—including grainy toffee, butter separation, and soft toffee—see my English Toffee Recipe.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use salted butter for the best flavor and texture. I don't recommend margarine for making toffee.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar caramelizes as it cooks, creating crisp, buttery English toffee.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds warmth and enhances the caramel flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery richness.
- White Chocolate: White chocolate chips, almond bark, or white melting wafers all work well. Melting
- Cinnamon Sugar: A generous coating recreates Disneyland's signature churro flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Churro Toffee At Home
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with foil. Heat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a nice sturdy saucepan on medium heat until butter is melted. Turn the temp up to med-high and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.
Step 2: Set your timer for 5 minutes and DO NOT let ANYTHING disturb you while you stir. You must keep stirring your butter/sugar mixture so that it does not burn. And you must use a WOODEN spoon.
Step 3: Keep stirring until your timer goes off. It may even smoke a tiny bit and that is ok. If you are really concerned, lift you pan off of the burner (while you are still stirring) to remove it from the heat, but still stir until your timer goes off. You are looking for toffee that is the color of a brown paper bag. Not tan or beige, but BROWN.
Step 4: Immediately pour hot toffee onto your foil-lined baking sheet. The toffee will be about ¼-½" thick. Do not scrape the bottom of the pan. As you pour, the bottom will brown, and you don’t want that in your toffee.
Step 5: Allow the toffee to cool until it's no longer hot but is still slightly warm. Spread the melted white chocolate over the surface, then immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Step 6: After it has set up, break the toffee into pieces.
Toffee FAQs
No. English toffee must be made with butter. Butter is a key ingredient in any caramel or toffee recipe.
Butter usually separates when the heat is too low, the recipe is doubled, or the mixture isn't stirred constantly. Single batches over medium-high heat work best.
Keep cooking. Every stove is different. Instead of relying only on the timer, cook until the mixture reaches the color of a brown paper bag.
Fill your pan with hot water and set it aside. It will start dissolving the toffee left inside and make it easier to clean.
No. This recipe relies on color instead of temperature.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for about two weeks at room temperature.
Absolutely. White chocolate chips, almond bark, or white melting wafers all work well.
Soft toffee simply wasn't cooked long enough. Continue cooking until the proper color is reached and the candy will harden as it cools.
Yes. Disney dips the entire piece in white chocolate. I spread chocolate over one side because it's faster, uses less chocolate, and still tastes amazing.
More Disney-Inspired & Homemade Candy Recipes
Love homemade toffee? This Disneyland-inspired recipe is one of several recipes in my Homemade Toffee Recipes collection. Once you've mastered this easy English toffee technique, be sure to try my classic English Toffee, Christmas Crack, and sweet-and-salty Take 5 Toffee.
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Easy Disneyland Churro Toffee Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- foil
- sturdy pan
- wooden spoon
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 c. butter (salted) DO NOT USE MARGARINE
- 1 c. sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1 c white chips or melting chocolate
- cinnamon and sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Heat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a nice sturdy saucepan on med heat until butter is melted. Turn temp up to med-high and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
- Set your timer for 5 minutes and DO NOT let ANYTHING disturb you while you stir. You must keep stirring your butter/sugar mixture so that it does not burn. And you must use a WOODEN spoon.
- Keep stirring until your timer goes off. It may even smoke a tiny bit and that is ok. If you are really concerned, lift you pan off of the burner (while you are still stirring) to remove it from the heat, but still stir until your timer goes off. You are looking for toffee that is the color of a brown paper bag. Not tan or beige, but BROWN.
- Immediately pour hot toffee onto your foil-lined baking sheet.
- The toffee will be about ¼-1/2" thick. Do not scrape the bottom of the pan. As you pour, the bottom will brown and you don’t want that in your toffee.
- Fill your pan with hot water and set it aside. It will start dissolving the toffee left inside and make it easier to clean.
- Let toffee cool. It should harden within a couple of minutes.
- Melt Ghirardelli bricks or wafers, Wilton melting chocolate, chocolate chips, or any other variety of white melting chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals until smooth.
- Spread across your toffee with a small spatula or butter knife.
- Sprinkle liberally with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar while white chocolate is still wet. After it has set up, break toffee into pieces.
Notes
- Do NOT double the recipe
- You must use a WOODEN spoon
- Use a clean, dry pan for each new batch.
- Cook over high- medium/high. (My stove is gas and tends to cook really hot, really fast. So I usually drop the heat to medium for my toffee, but in years past when I had an electric flat top stove, med-high worked best.)
- The 5 minute cook time is just a guide. If you hit 5 minutes and your toffee still isn't the color of a brown paper bag, add an extra minute. Cook times vary on each stove.
Beth says
Help! I constantly stirred and before the 5 minute mark my toffee began to look chunky and by the time the timer went off it was brown but still chunks sitting in oil! I could not get it to be smooth. Maybe my butter has too high of water content it’s Walmart brand butter
Brandy says
Hi Beth! I’m not sure what would cause it to be chunky. I’ve never had that happen before! If anything, if it separates I’ve heard that adding a tiny amount of water will bring it back together. It might be helpful to google “toffee separation” to see if that’s what happened.
Lori says
Hi, I'd like to give this a try for Christmas. What size baking sheet do you use?
Brandy says
My pans are half sheet size (13x18)