Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

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This sopapilla cheesecake is the easiest dessert ever! Cinnamon, sugar, crescent rolls, and cream cheese combined in a yummy dessert the entire family will enjoy!





Three sopapilla cheesecake bars stacked on top of each other

One of the best things about getting married was marrying into a whole new set of traditions. My family really only does Christmas bingo and the 12 days of Christmas .

For Christmas every year my husband’s family gets together and has a Mexican feast. White chicken enchiladas , tamales, posole, and homemade sopapillas. It’s totally different from the typical ham (or prime rib) my family normally eats, and I love it.





But one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire meal is the dessert. My mother-in-law often makes this sopapilla cheesecake and agreed to let me share the recipe with you because it’s so good and deserves to be enjoyed!

This recipe is a total crowd pleaser that the entire family will love. It’s seriously like eating a churro dipped in the best cream cheese dip but in bar form. And you don’t have to try it and eat it warm like a churro – it’s actually best chilled!



AND it’s the easiest thing ever. Crescent rolls topped with cheesecake filling topped with more crescent rolls topped with cinnamon sugar topping and butter. Three minutes to make, a few more minutes to bake, and you’ve got a delicious dessert in under 30 minutes!

You could totally buy the bulk pack of crescent rolls and make this sopapilla cheesecake, this ham breakfast casserole , and these blackberry rolls and have the perfect brunch menu!

Ingredients

ingredients needed for sopapilla cheesecake with labels

Ingredient Notes

  • Crescent rolls – you can either use regular crescent rolls and just press them down into the pan or I prefer to use crescent roll sheets. The sheets aren’t always available so crescent rolls work just fine.

Instructions

Ready for the easiest dessert ever? Here you go!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 9×13 glass baking dish.

Roll out one of package of your crescent roll sheet into the bottom of the baking dish.

Hand rolling cresent rolls out in a glass baking dish

Beat the cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and vanilla together using smooth. I recommend doing this with either an actual mixer or a hand mixer to get it as smooth as possible.

Hand mixer mixing cream cheese and sugar for sopapilla cheesecake

Once it’s all mixed together, spread the cream cheese mixture over the first layer of crescent rolls. This will be your cheesecake filling.

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Spatula adding cream cheese mixture to crescent rolls in a baking dish

Gently roll out your other crescent roll package and place it on top of the cream cheese mixture. This will be the base for your cinnamon sugar topping and will seal the sopapilla cheesecake in.

Crescent roll being laid on top of cream cheese in a baking dish

Mix cinnamon and the remaining sugar together to make cinnamon sugar. You can either follow the recipe or make a larger batch and use extras in something else like this cinnamon streusel coffee cake or homemade cinnamon chips .

Spoon of cinnamon being held above a bowl of sugar

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the crescent rolls, making sure to spread it out evenly to cover the entire layer.

It’s better to have more cinnamon sugar on each bite than not have any at all – that’d just taste like a crescent roll with cream cheese inside.

Cinnamon sugar on top of crescent rolls in a baking dish

Spread the cubes of butter all over the top of the cinnamon sugar. Don’t skip this step – this is what turns that cinnamon sugar into a delicious topping instead of just cinnamon sugar.

Butter dotted on top of sopapilla cheesecake in a baking dish

Bake for 25 minutes (the topping should be golden brown) then remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

Sliced sopapilla cheesecake in a baking dish

If you’re super impatient, you can cut and serve right away. Just know the filling will be warm and if you’ve ever tried cheesecake warm, it’s good but not great. I’ve totally done it, and it’s doable.

A piece of sopapilla cheesecake on a spatula

This is even better if you let it cool then chill it in the refrigerator before serving. Then it tastes like actual cheesecake filling since cheesecake is meant to be chilled.

Slice into bars to serve.

Sliced sopapilla cheesecake bars in a stack

Expert Tips

Let the sopapilla cheesecake cool before slicing . This will make it much easier to slice and will turn out in prettier bars.

Spread the cream cheese and cinnamon sugar layers evenly for the best flavor on each individual bite.

Pinch the crescent roll seams together to fill any gaps before covering with the cream cheese filling.

Check to see if the cheesecake is done by pressing lightly on the top layer. If it feels like the crescent roll is cooked, it’s done. It’s typically just about 25 minutes but error on the side of less cooked than undercooked.

Recipe FAQs

Do you need to refrigerate sopapilla cheesecake?

You should refrigerate sopapilla cheesecake after serving because of the cream cheese cheesecake filling.

Can you make sopapilla cheesecake without crescent rolls?

This particular sopapilla cheesecake recipe is made with either crescent rolls or crescent roll sheets.

Can you make sopapilla cheesecake ahead of time?

Sopapilla cheesecake can be made ahead of time and just refrigerated until serving. In fact, it’s actually better after it’s chilled for a while so plan to make it ahead of time!

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How long can sopapilla cheesecake sit out?

Sopapilla cheesecake can sit out for a couple of hours without any problem just like these mini cheesecakes . Just make sure to refrigerate when you’re done serving.

How long does sopapilla cheesecake last?

In your house, not very long! If you have leftovers, store in the fridge for up to five days.

What goes well with sopapilla cheesecake?

This would be great with tacos made with this homemade taco meat , southwestern chicken salad , or Instant Pot chicken tacos !

Three sopapilla cheesecake bars stacked on top of each other

More Easy Desserts

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Sopapilla Cheesecake

This sopapilla cheesecake is the easiest dessert ever! Cinnamon, sugar, crescent rolls, and cream cheese combined in a yummy dessert the entire family will enjoy! Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 25 minutes Total: 30 minutes Serves12 bars

Ingredients

Sopapilla Cheesecake

  • 2 packages crescent rolls or crescent roll sheets
  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter diced into small cubes

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Spray glass 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray or grease with extra butter.
  • Roll out one package of the crescent rolls onto the bottom of the greased pan.
  • Beat cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.
  • Spread cream cheese mixture over crescent rolls in pan.
  • Roll out second package of crescent rolls on top of the cream cheese mixture.
  • Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon. Spread cinnamon sugar mixture over rolls.
  • Dot top of cinnamon sugar mixture with diced cubes of butter, making sure to spread them out evenly.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until crescent roll layers are cooked.
  • Slice and serve or chill in the refrigerator and slice when ready to serve.

Tips & Notes:

Let the sopapilla cheesecake cool before slicing if you have time. This will make it much easier to slice and will turn out in prettier bars. Spread the cream cheese and cinnamon sugar layers evenly for the best flavor on each individual bite. Pinch the crescent roll seams together to fill any gaps before covering with the cream cheese filling. Check to see if the cheesecake is done by pressing lightly on the top layer. If it feels like the crescent roll is cooked, it’s done. It’s typically just about 25 minutes but error on the side of less cooked than undercooked. Refrigerate when done eating for up to five days.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 459kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 485mg, Potassium: 52mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 744IU, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Author: Britni Vigil Course:Dessert Cuisine:Mexican Did You Make This?Tag @PlayPartyPlan on Facebook and Instagram and hashtag it #playpartyplan so I can see your creations!