These sopapilla cheesecake bars are easy to make for Cinco de Mayo with layers of flaky cinnamon sugar crescent roll dough and filled with a sweet cheesecake filling.
Easy Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Sopapilla cheesecake bars take what we love about classic cheesecake bars and add in some elements of a sopapillas recipe! We use crescent roll dough to layer the cheesecake bottom and top, then sprinkle the top crust with cinnamon sugar or honey.
Why I Love This Recipe
- This year-round dessert is not only for Cinco de Mayo and can be enjoyed for any occasion, party, or potluck.
- They bars taste like a cross between sweet cheesecake, my dessert cinnamon crescent rolls and a light and airy donut.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Sugar and cinnamon: You’ll need to reserve some of the sugar for the cinnamon sugar mixture, and the rest goes into the cheesecake batter.
- Cream cheese and sour cream: Soften cream cheese to room temperature early enough so that it whips together more easily.
- Crescent rolls: Pillsbury sopapilla cheesecake requires 2 layers of crust. So you’ll need two cans. I prefer the traditional Pillsbury can.
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
In a medium bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, while continuing to beat the mixture on medium speed.
Unroll one of the pastry sheets and press it into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 baking dish. Seal the perforations with your fingers.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Unroll the second can of dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 9×13-inch rectangle, pinch the seams once again, and place it on top of the cheesecake layer.
Brush the melted butter onto the top of the dough, sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to spray the bottom of the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; otherwise, it’ll be hard to remove the slices from the pan.
- If you prefer a larger filling-to-crust ratio, you can double the amount of filling.
- The tubes of crescent rolls come with perforations. These need to be sealed; otherwise, the filling will seep through.
- The top layer of crescent dough needs to be rolled out separately into a 9×13 rectangle because once it is put on top, there is no easy way to stretch it out to fit.
- Sopapilla cheesecake bars are done when the top is golden brown and the center no longer jiggles.
- For clean slices, it needs to be completely cooled first. Then, wipe the blade clean between each cut.
Storage
Keep leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be frozen; however, once thawed, the crusts will be soggy. Bring to room temperature and enjoy!
More cinnamon sugar desserts to try for Cinco de Mayo and beyond include homemade churros, arroz con leche and tres leches cake.
More Cheesecake Recipes
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Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar , divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each) , softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls (8 ounces each)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted
optional: honey for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar: In a small bowl combine ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- Make cheesecake batter: In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 packages softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla . Using a handheld mixer, beat the ingredients together until smooth. Add the 2 eggs one at a time, while continuing to beat the cream cheese mixture on medium speed until fully combined.
- Press crescent rolls into pan: Unroll one can of crescent rolls and press it into the bottom of your baking dish. Seal the seams of the dough.
- Spread batter over rolls: Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll layer.
- Add second can of rolls on top: Unroll the second can of crescent rolls on to a lightly floured countertop and gently seal all seams by pinching them together. Roll the dough into a 9×13 inch rectangle. Transfer to the baking dish, placing it on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Top with melted butter and cinnamon/sugar: Brush the melted butter onto the top of the crescent roll dough, making sure you don’t have areas of pooling butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the melted butter.
- Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes. You will know it’s done when the center no longer jiggles when you lightly move the pan back and forth, and the top is golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack before serving (about an hour and a half). Drizzle each piece with honey as you serve it, if you choose.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Categorized as: Bars, Cinco De Mayo, Desserts, Mexican, Reader Favorites
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
