Churro Snack Cake

Here’s the thing. Around 3pm, especially certain times of the month, I do not want a rice cake. I want a treat. And this is what I’ve been reaching for lately — it satisfies my sweet tooth completely, mine and my kids’, but it’s a little more balanced.

This is not a protein bake. It’s not a “healthy dessert that tastes healthy.” It’s a light, airy, cinnamon-forward snack cake with a crackly churro-sugar top, and it happens to be made with almond flour, oat flour, and a little cottage cheese for good measure. You’d never know.

My fifteen-year-old and my picky ten-year-old both love it as much as I do. At that point, what more do you want from me. Ha.

Makes 9–12 squares | Prep: 15 min | Bake: 28–32 min | Total: about 45 min

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• ¼ cup blended cottage cheese or Greek yogurt (or your favorite DF yogurt)

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour

• ¾ cup oat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp kosher salt

Churro Topping:

• 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 pan with parchment.

2. If using cottage cheese, blend until completely smooth (no curds) — or leave it slightly chunky if you don’t mind the little specks. If using yogurt, no need to blend, just dump it in.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined and slightly lighter in color.

4. Whisk in the avocado oil, cottage cheese or yogurt, and vanilla until smooth.

5. Add the almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until fully combined and smooth. (batter will be thick).

6. Rest the batter 5 minutes so the almond and oat flours can hydrate.

7. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.

8. Mix the churro topping and sprinkle evenly over the top.

9. Bake 28–32 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake this — it will dry out on you. When in doubt, pull it early. Underdone beats dry every time.

10. Cool completely, then slice and enjoy. Yum.

• The batter is pretty thick — that’s how it’s supposed to be, don’t worry if it doesn’t pour like a typical cake batter

• I’ve made this with both brown sugar and coconut sugar — both good, use whatever you’ve got

• I like it a little more with cottage cheese than yogurt, but both work

• Sometimes I don’t even blend the cottage cheese smooth — totally fine, you’ll just get little white specks throughout, which doesn’t bother me or my kids

• Dairy-free: sub your favorite DF yogurt for the cottage cheese

• Want a loaf instead? Bake in a lined 8×4 loaf pan, 40–45 minutes

Shop this recipe

• Parchment Paper - for easy release and clean up.

• Inverted Spatula - great for spreading this thick batter.

• My favorite Spatulas - Silicone, heat safe, feel good in your hand - I use these daily.

xo,

Chelsea

If you like having a clean, printable version in your kitchen, I made one for you here 🤍

Subscribers also get access to my full printable recipe library — all my recipes in one place, designed to be easy to save and cook from, with new recipes added weekly.