These sopapilla cheesecake bars are a rich and creamy dessert that is perfect for any party or get-together! It is simple and easy to prepare and can even be made ahead of time! Two layers of fluffy crescent rolls are filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped off with butter and cinnamon sugar for a truly irresistible treat!
Best Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe
Sopapilla cheesecake bars are one of those desserts that are perfect for any occasion, any time of year! It is one of my go-to recipes for when the family is getting together (and is highly requested!)
Every time I bring these bars to a party or family gathering, they are always the first thing to vanish and everyone comes and asks me for the recipe! Every single time I tell my husband that I should have brought more!
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These sopapilla cheesecake bars are perfect for Cinco de Mayo! Make sure you check out more of my Mexican desserts here!
🥘 Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
These bars are so easy to make, as they use canned crescent rolls and some simple ingredients! Don't let this short list of ingredients fool you though, because these things are addictive!
- Cream Cheese - 16 ounces (or two 8-ounce blocks) of cream cheese. Make sure it is at room temperature so it is easy to cream with the sugar (and spread)!
- Sugar - 1¾ cups of sugar, divided into 1 cup and ¾ cup portions.
- Vanilla - 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Crescent Rolls - 16 ounces (two 8-ounce cans) of refrigerated crescent roll dough. I just pinch the seams together, but you can use a sheet of crescent roll dough that isn't perforated if you can find some!
- Butter - ½ cup of room temperature butter for the topping.
- Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Honey (optional) - ¼ cup of honey for drizzling over the top of the bars. I love these bars without the honey, but adding in a drizzle can really give you a true sopapilla flavor!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
These sopapilla cheesecake bars really don't require any baking skills at all. Anyone can make them! Just make sure you have a stand mixer or hand mixer, a 9x13 baking dish, some cooking spray, a silicone spatula, and a small bowl with a fork!
This recipe makes one 9x13 pan that can be cut into 12 servings. Trust me, though, you'll probably want to make two batches!
Prepare the Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cream. Using your stand mixer (or a hand mixer with a mixing bowl), beat the room-temperature 16 ounces of cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes or so at medium speed.
- Roll out the dough. Unroll both 8-ounce cans of crescent roll dough and spread them each into a 9x13 rectangle, pinching together the seams. Lay one sheet of dough into the prepared 9x13 baking dish.
- Spread. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, smoothing out the top with a silicone spatula. Then, lay the second sheet of crescent roll dough over the top.
Mix Topping & Bake
- Make the topping. In a small bowl, use a fork to smash together ½ cup of room-temperature butter, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the remaining ¾ cup of sugar until it forms a thick paste. Then, drop small chunks of the butter mixture over the top of the crescent roll dough, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Bake. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the crescent roll dough has puffed up and turned golden in color.
- Drizzle. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and drizzle with the optional ¼ cup of honey, if desired.
- Cool completely. Allow the sopapilla cheesecake bars to cool completely before slicing and serving (at least 2 hours). *Alternatively, you can let the bars cool to room temperature and then chill them in the fridge overnight.
These sopapilla cheesecake bars are what dreams are made of, exactly as they are! Though, I wouldn't blame you if you added a dollop of whipped cream to complement the sweet cinnamon sugar topping. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you can get your hands on some Mexican vanilla extract and/or Mexican cinnamon, they would make a delightfully tasty upgrade!
- Each can of crescent rolls is 8 ounces, so you will need two cans for this recipe (one to act as the bottom crust and one to act as the top crust).
- It's important that your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. If your cream cheese is cold, it will be hard to cream it together with the sugar. If the butter is cold, it will be incredibly difficult to mash it together with the cinnamon and sugar!
- Your sopapilla cheesecake needs to be completely cool before you slice it. This allows the cream cheese mixture to set and firm up.
- I enjoy preparing this cheesecake the night before so that it can chill in the fridge overnight before slicing. This makes it easier to cut and serve! It's the perfect make-ahead dessert!
🥡 Storing
Keep any leftovers stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days. This dessert is best when served either cold or at room temperature.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! I actually prefer making these bars ahead of time! Since the cheesecake needs to cool completely before serving, I find it easiest to just prepare it the night before. I let it cool to room temperature, cover it, and then place the whole baking dish into the fridge overnight. The next day it is perfectly cooled, firm, and easy to slice!
Yep! Allow the cheesecake to cool completely, first. I recommend slicing it into bars before freezing, as well. Slice them into bars and place them into an airtight storage container. They can be frozen for a max of 2 months. Once ready, transfer the bars to the fridge so they can defrost overnight.
Yes, this is a dessert that requires refrigeration. Since the filling is cream cheese-based, it needs to be stored in the fridge. Don't leave your sopapilla cheesecake sitting out for more than a few hours.
😋 More Sweet Treats
- Key Lime Pie - A fresh, tart, and fruity dessert that is perfect for the summertime!
- Mexican Pralines - Incredibly sweet pecan candy that is super easy to make!
- Root Beer Float - A classic and easy drink that is loved by both kids and adults!
- Churros - Fried pastry dough creates a flaky and irresistible Mexican treat!
- Tres Leches Cake - This sweet cake is soaked in a milk mixture and then topped off with a whipped topping!
- Blueberry Pie Bars - Sweet bars taste just like blueberry pie but are perfect for serving a group!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1¾ cup sugar (divided)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough (each can is 8 ounces)
- ½ cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup honey (optional, for drizzling over top)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using your stand mixer (or a hand mixer with a mixing bowl), beat the room-temperature cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes or so at medium speed.
- Unroll both cans of crescent roll dough and spread them each into a 9x13 rectangle, pinching together the seams. Lay one sheet of dough into the prepared 9x13 baking dish.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, smoothing out the top with a silicone spatula. Then, lay the second sheet of crescent roll dough over the top.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to smash together the room-temperature butter, cinnamon, and the remaining ¾ cup of sugar until it forms a thick paste. Then, drop small chunks of the butter mixture over the top of the dough, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the crescent roll dough has puffed up and turned golden in color.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and drizzle with the optional honey, if desired.
- Allow the sopapilla cheesecake bars to cool completely before slicing and serving (at least 2 hours). *Alternatively, you can let the bars cool to room temperature and then chill them in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- If you can get your hands on some Mexican vanilla extract and/or Mexican cinnamon, they would make a delightfully tasty upgrade!
- Each can of crescent rolls is 8 ounces, so you will need two cans for this recipe (one to act as the bottom crust and one to act as the top crust).
- It's important that your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. If your cream cheese is cold, it will be hard to cream it together with the sugar. If the butter is cold, it will be incredibly difficult to mash it together with the cinnamon and sugar!
- Your sopapilla cheesecake needs to be completely cool before you slice it. This allows the cream cheese mixture to set and firm up.
- I enjoy preparing this cheesecake the night before so that it can chill in the fridge overnight before slicing. This makes it easier to cut and serve! It's the perfect make-ahead dessert!
- To store: Keep any leftovers stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days. This dessert is best when served either cold or at room temperature.
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