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These Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars have layers of buttery crescent roll dough, a sweet cream cheese filling, and a crisp cinnamon sugar topping. They’re incredibly easy to make: two cans of crescent rolls, two blocks of cream cheese, one 9×13 pan, and about 35 minutes in the oven. It’s all the flavor of cheesecake without a water bath or a springform pan.
If you love Crescent Roll Cheesecake and Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, this sopapilla cheesecake recipe belongs on your potluck list too.
Why This Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe Works
Kasey Schwartz founded All Things Mamma in 2009, and this is one of the recipes readers come back to again and again: more than 120 of you have rated it, and the comments are full of birthday luncheons, Taco Tuesdays, and office parties.
- ✅ One egg makes the difference. Most sopapilla cheesecake recipes skip it. The egg in this filling helps the cheesecake layer set up firm, so you get clean, sliceable bars instead of a gooey center.
- ✅ Crescent rolls do the work. No pastry dough, no crust to pre-bake. Unroll, press, fill, and top.
- ✅ Feeds a crowd from one pan. A single 9×13 dish makes 12 generous bars, and they travel well because they’re served chilled.
What readers say: “I’ve made this recipe countless times over the last few years. It’s a go to for anyone I’m bringing a meal to, or an office party, baby shower, birthday, holiday, etc.” — Emily. “Everyone who has tried these now asks for them on a regular basis! They turn out great every time and are super easy to create.” — Jeff B.
Table of Contents
- Why This Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes
- Variations
- How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake
- Why Is My Sopapilla Cheesecake Soggy or Not Set?
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store, Freeze + Make Ahead
- Kasey’s Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love
- Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Crescent rolls: Two 8-ounce cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough make the bottom and top layers. Crescent dough sheets (no perforations) work the same way and are a little easier to handle.
- Cream cheese: Two 8-ounce blocks of full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature. Low-fat or Neufchâtel cream cheese will work, but the filling will be softer and less rich. Tub-style whipped cream cheese or no-bake cheesecake filling from a tub is not a substitute here.
- Egg: One large egg gives the filling structure so the bars slice cleanly. This is what sets the recipe apart from most no-egg versions. See the FAQ if you need to leave it out.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the filling (1 cup) and the cinnamon topping (1/3 cup). A reader has made it with a cup-for-cup monk fruit or xylitol blend in the filling.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract. Mexican vanilla is a nice touch if you have it.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, brushed over the top crust so the cinnamon sugar sticks and crisps. Salted butter works too.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon mixed with the remaining sugar for the topping.
Variations
- Honey drizzle: Drizzle honey over the bars before serving for the classic sopapilla finish.
- Orange: Several readers add a little orange zest or a splash of orange extract to the cream cheese filling for a bright, tangy twist.
- Brown sugar topping: Swap part of the topping sugar for brown sugar for a deeper, caramel flavor.
- Extra cinnamon sugar: Lightly butter the pan and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the bottom before laying in the first dough layer, so both sides get the crunchy coating.
- Chocolate or caramel: Drizzle individual bars with chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, or scatter chopped pecans over the topping before baking for crunch.
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake
- Prepare: Set the cream cheese and egg on the counter to come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Unroll one can of crescent roll dough into the bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or metal baking dish (a light coat of cooking spray is optional). Stretch the dough to the edges and pinch the perforations together so the bottom layer is one solid sheet.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well, about 1 to 2 minutes total, until the filling is smooth and fluffy with no lumps.
- Assemble: Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom layer of crescent dough, all the way to the edges.
- Add the top crust: Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and carefully place it over the cheesecake filling. Gently stretch the dough to cover the filling and pinch the perforations together. If the sheet tears, patch it with a scrap of dough.
- Add the topping: Pour the melted butter over the dough and spread it evenly with a spoon or pastry brush. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter.
- Bake: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the center barely moves when you gently shake the pan. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then chill for 30 minutes or more before slicing into 12 bars. For the cleanest cuts, chill them fully.
Why Is My Sopapilla Cheesecake Soggy or Not Set?
The two most common questions in the comments are a soft bottom crust and a filling that didn’t firm up. Both usually come down to the same fix: a few more minutes in the oven and a proper chill.
- Give the bottom time to brown. Crescent dough under a wet filling bakes slower than the top. If the top is golden at 30 minutes but the bars still look wobbly, leave them in another 5 minutes. If you’re using a glass dish, carefully lift it and check that the underside of the crust looks golden, not pale.
- Check the center, not the edges. The filling is done when the middle barely jiggles as a whole when you gently shake the pan. If it sloshes, it needs more time.
- Use room temperature cream cheese and egg. Cold cream cheese makes a lumpy, wetter filling that takes longer to set.
- Seal the seams. Pinch every perforation closed on the bottom layer so filling can’t seep under the dough.
- Cool, then chill. Warm bars will always seem soft. Let them cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or more before slicing. The filling firms up as it chills.
- Pan type matters a little. Metal pans brown the bottom faster and give crisper edges; glass takes a few minutes longer.
Serving Suggestions
These bars are delicious chilled, at room temperature, or warmed for a few seconds in the microwave. A drizzle of honey is the traditional sopapilla touch, or go decadent with homemade caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.
Fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries balance the rich filling. They’re a natural dessert for taco night, and they round out our Cinco de Mayo recipes too.
How to Store, Freeze + Make Ahead
- Make ahead: Bake the bars the day before, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Slice just before serving. Readers often say they’re better on day two.
- To store: Cover the pan tightly or transfer the bars to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The cinnamon sugar top softens a little each day.
- To freeze: Freeze cooled bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then stack them in an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment between the layers for up to 1 month. The crust is softer after thawing.
- To thaw: Move frozen bars to the refrigerator and let them thaw overnight.
- To rewarm: Microwave a single bar at 50% power for 5 to 10 seconds.
Kasey’s Tips
- Soften the cream cheese: Room-temperature cream cheese blends much more easily, helping you create a smooth filling without lumps.
- Mix the filling well: Beat the cream cheese mixture until it’s smooth and fluffy for the creamiest cheesecake layer.
- Seal the crescent roll seams: Pinch the perforations together before adding the dough to the pan, or use crescent dough sheets and skip the seams entirely.
- Roll the top layer on parchment: If the top sheet tears when you lift it, unroll it onto a piece of parchment, shape it to the pan, flip it onto the filling, and peel the paper away.
- Don’t worry about perfection: The crescent roll layers don’t need to look completely perfect. They’ll puff and spread slightly as they bake.
- Let the bars cool: The cheesecake filling needs time to set. Cooling and chilling the bars also makes them much easier to slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sopapilla cheesecake is a Mexican-inspired dessert made with two layers of crescent roll dough around a sweet cream cheese filling, finished with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. It is named after sopapillas, the fried pastries served with honey and cinnamon sugar, and it tastes like a cross between a churro and a cheesecake bar.
They are Mexican-inspired rather than traditional. Sopapillas are a fried pastry popular in New Mexico and northern Mexico, and these bars borrow their cinnamon sugar and honey flavors. The crescent roll and cream cheese version is an American potluck recipe.
Yes. The filling is cream cheese and egg, so cover the bars and refrigerate them within two hours of baking. They keep for up to 4 days in the fridge and can be served cold, at room temperature, or warmed for a few seconds in the microwave.
This recipe uses one large egg in the filling, which helps the cheesecake layer set firm enough to slice into neat bars. Many versions skip the egg. You can leave it out, but the filling will be softer and more spreadable, so chill the bars well before cutting.
Yes. These bars need time to cool and set anyway, so they are a great make-ahead dessert. Bake them the day before, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Slice when you are ready to serve. Several readers say they are even better the next day.
Yes. Crescent dough sheets have no perforations, so there are no seams to pinch and the layers come out smoother. Use one sheet for the bottom and one for the top, trimming to fit a 9×13 pan if needed. They are usually sold next to the crescent rolls.
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Have an extra block of cream cheese? Browse all my cream cheese desserts for more easy ideas.
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Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
topping
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Unroll 1 can of the dough and add to the bottom of a 13×9 glass or metal baking dish. Carefully stretch to cover the bottom of the pan and press the perforations to seal.
- In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix well. Spread over the dough.
- Unroll the second can of dough and add to the top of the cream cheese layer. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together carefully.
- Pour the melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/3 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until bars appear set when gently shaken and are golden on top.
- Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Store remaining bars in the refrigerator.
- To rewarm, microwave on 50% power 5 to 10 seconds.
Video
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese: Room-temperature cream cheese blends much more easily, helping you create a smooth filling without lumps.
- Mix the filling well: Beat the cream cheese mixture until it’s smooth and fluffy for the creamiest cheesecake layer.
- Seal the crescent roll seams: Pinch the perforations together before adding the dough to the pan. You can also use crescent dough sheets if you can find them.
- Don’t worry about perfection: The crescent roll layers don’t need to look completely perfect. They’ll puff and spread slightly as they bake.
- Let the bars cool: The cheesecake filling needs time to set. Cooling and chilling the bars also makes them much easier to slice.
Do you spray the pan with Pam or cooking spray before baking?
The recipe doesn’t call for it since the crescent dough is already so buttery, but a light coat of cooking spray never hurts and makes that first bar easier to lift out!
Very easy to make and so tasty! The only change I made was to double the vanilla extract and add a teaspoon of cinnamon extract. The family loved it – even my nephew who doesn’t like cinnamon enjoyed it. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you, Nel! Doubling the vanilla and adding cinnamon extract sounds wonderful, and I love that it even won over your nephew. Thanks for the 5 stars!
baked before, AWESOME
Thanks so much, Barbara! So glad they’re a repeat for you.
I make a recipe similar to this. It is always a hit at the Wednesday night potluck. I use cresent roll sheets without the perforations (I get them at Walmart). Roll out the top sheet on wax paper, shape to 9×13 and lay on top of cream cheese mixture. Remove wax paper. Bake then cool to room temp. Chill overnight. Everyone thinks it is better made a day ahead. We drizzle chocolate syrup or caramel sauce on top
Allen, this is such a helpful walkthrough. Rolling the top sheet out on wax paper is a great trick, and I agree they’re even better the next day. Thank you for the 5 stars!
can’t find cream cheese but i did find no bake cheesecake in a tub, can i use this instead?
you can make your own. there are recipes on line. at a local grocery store near the cheese area you usually find the cream cheese (of a lite version neutchfal, which is a low fat version).
Thanks for jumping in, Andi! Neufchâtel does work in a pinch. The filling just comes out a little softer than with full-fat cream cheese.
Hi Steve! I wouldn’t swap in the tub no-bake filling here. It’s made to stay soft and won’t set in the oven the way the cream cheese and egg filling does. Neufchâtel or any block-style cream cheese is the best stand-in.
I make this every “Taco Tuesday “. I think they enjoy it as much as the Taco’s
Love that these are part of your Taco Tuesday, Dianne! Thanks for making them.
Can this be made without eggs?