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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cakes » Sopapilla Cheesecake

    Sopapilla Cheesecake

    Published: November 14, 2023 · Modified: Nov 14, 2023 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    Sopapilla Cheesecake takes everything we love about the classic New Mexican dessert and marries it with creamy cheesecake filling and a flaky crust for a quickly disappearing and crowd-friendly dessert. The easiest dessert, perfect for cheesecake lovers and cinnamon fans!

    A square slice of a sopapilla cheesecake with a glass of milk and additional slices in the background.
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    Pinterest graphic of a square slice of a sopapilla cheesecake with a glass of milk and additional slices in the background.

    If you like churros or sopapillas, you are going to love this sopapilla cheesecake recipe! With a sweetened cream cheese filling sandwiched between layers of crescent rolls and topped with buttery cinnamon sugar, these cheesecake bars are a fun and delicious twist on sopapillas, a traditional dessert originating in New Mexico.

    Serve this crowd-friendly treat at potlucks, housewarming parties, or as a weekend treat. Drizzle the bars with honey or dollop with whipped cream for a classic sopapilla presentation if desired, but this tasty treat is more than perfectly sweet and cinnamony as-is. Either way, this easy recipe is as delicious to eat as it is fun to make. Make my sopapilla cheesecake bar recipe today! For more cheesecake recipes, check out my mango cheesecake recipe, turtle cheesecake, and peanut butter cheesecake.

    What You Need to Make This Recipe

    Ingredients needed to make sopapilla cheesecake.

    Cream Cheese – full-fat plain cream cheese is the best pick. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature for 1-2 hours before starting the recipe, or until the unwrapped block of cheese can be easily indented when pressed gently but firmly with your finger.

    Crescent Rolls – you will need two cans of refrigerated crescent rolls. If possible, use crescent roll dough sheets to save on pinching the precut crescent roll seams together.

    Egg – bring a large egg to room temperature before whipping up the cheesecake filling. A room-temperature egg is less viscous than a cool one, resulting in a well-blended, light, and delightfully creamy filling. To quickly bring an egg to room temperature, place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.

    Unsalted Butter – choose unsalted butter, as brands add differing amounts of salt to their salted varieties. Melt the butter on low heat in the microwave or stovetop, covering the butter with a lid or paper towel if melting it in the microwave so it doesn’t splatter. Let the butter cool for a few minutes before pouring on the crescent roll dough, or until it is warm but not hot to the touch.

    Cinnamon – ground cinnamon adds sweet spice to the sopapilla cheesecake bars, so choose cinnamon that has a good expiration date for the best flavor. Traditional ground cinnamon is perfect for this recipe, but Saigon cinnamon adds robust cinnamon notes for cinnamon lovers if you have it on hand.

    How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake

    Set of two photos showing crescent dough flatten in a baking dish and sugar added to cream cheese.

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll one can of crescent rolls into the bottom of the baking dish, stretching and pressing to the edges of the pan. Pinch the perforated seams together, if precut, so the filling doesn’t leak through the bottom of the crust if needed.

    2. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

    Set of two photos showing egg added to the cream cheese batter and spread over the dough in the dish.

    3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat the cream cheese filling mixture with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

    4. Spread the cream cheese mixture into an even layer over the top of the dough.

    Set of two photos showing more dough rolled out and cinnamon-sugar poured over top.

    5. Unroll the other package of crescent rolls onto a lightly floured surface. Pinch the seams together if needed. Lightly flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 9×13-inch rectangle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, then unroll it over the top of the cream cheese layer. Pinch any seams together that may have come apart. Brush the top dough sheet with melted butter.

    6. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ½ cup of sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheesecake filling jiggles just slightly when gently shaken. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving warm with a drizzle of honey, if desired.

    A platter of sopapilla cheesecake cut into squares with a stack of plates in the background.

    Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

    • Use a metal baking pan. Though a glass pan works in a pinch, metal will more efficiently conduct the heat, baking these bars evenly and crisping up the crescent rolls nicely.
    • Pinch the seams of the crescent rolls or use crescent sheets. To keep the cheesecake filling from seeping through the crust, you will need to pinch the seams of the crescent rolls when stretching it into the pan and rolling it into the top sheet. If available, use sheets of crescent roll dough, which are solid and not precut, saving on any time and hassle.
    • Adjust the cinnamon sugar ratio to your liking. For enhanced cinnamon flavor, increase the ground cinnamon to 1½ or even 2 teaspoons; for a more mild flavor, reduce to ¾ teaspoons.
    • Use the cheesecake “jiggle” test. To be sure that the sopapilla cheesecake is baked through, give the pan a gentle shake. When the cheesecake is underbaked and not set yet, the whole cheesecake will wobble. You will know that is set when the center jiggles just slightly.
    A plate with a slice of sopapilla cheesecake with the corner taken off onto a fork.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I store leftovers?

    Store leftover bars covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For the easiest defrosting, freeze the bars with squares of parchment paper between them. Defrost in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until thawed through.

    What do I serve with this?

    Serve this cinnamon-spiced cheesecake warm with a drizzle of honey, a squirt of whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream, or even fresh juicy berries as a dessert or afternoon treat any day of the week. This dessert is fantastic served with hot tea or coffee, a glass of cold milk, or even Mexican hot chocolate.

    Can I make this with homemade crescent roll dough?

    You can most certainly make this recipe with homemade dough. Though refrigerated is perfectly flaky and delicious for this recipe, homemade will definitely elevate this treat to the next level! To do so, use my crescent roll recipe to make the dough, rolling it out and using it as directed after it has risen until doubled.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

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      No Bake Cheesecake

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      Basque Cheesecake

    • A mini cheesecake topped with whipped cream and berries on blue and white plate.

      Mini Cheesecakes

    • A slice of blueberry cheesecake on a plate in front of a cake stand with the rest of the cheesecake.

      Blueberry Cheesecake

    • A slice of cheesecake with berry sauce on top with another slice in the background and strawberries scattered around.

      Cheesecake Recipe

    If you’ve tried this sopapilla cheese recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    A square slice of sopapilla cheesecake with a glass of milk in the back.
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    5 from 1 vote

    Sopapilla Cheesecake

    Sopapilla Cheesecake takes everything we love about the classic New Mexican dessert and marries it with creamy cheesecake and a flaky crust for a quickly disappearing and crowd-friendly dessert. Serve warm for the best flavor, and top with honey, berries, or whipped cream if desired!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
    Cool Time 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 361kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Equipment

    • 9×13 baking dish
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric hand or stand mixer

    Ingredients

    • 2 (8-ounce/226g) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
    • 2 (8-ounce/226g) blocks cream cheese softened
    • 1¼ cups granulated sugar divided (250g)
    • 1 large egg room temperature
    • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (85g)
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Unroll one package of crescent rolls into the bottom of the baking dish, stretching and pressing to the edges of the pan. Pinch the perforated seams together so the filling doesn’t leak through the bottom of the crust, if needed.
    • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, ¾ cup of sugar, egg, and vanilla together on medium speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the dough.
    • Unroll the other package of crescent rolls onto a lightly floured surface. Pinch the seams together. Lightly flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 9×13-inch rectangle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, then unroll it over the cream cheese layer. (Pinch any seams together that may have come apart.) Brush the top dough sheet with melted butter.
    • In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ½ cup of sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
    • Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheesecake filling jiggles just slightly when gently shaken. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving warm with a drizzle of honey, if desired. Leftovers should be cooled completely, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

    Notes

    • Use a metal baking pan. Though a glass pan works in a pinch, metal will more efficiently conduct the heat, baking these bars evenly and crisping up the crescent rolls nicely.
    • Pinch the seams of the crescent rolls or use crescent sheets. To keep the cheesecake filling from seeping through the crust, you will need to pinch the seams of the crescent rolls when stretching it into the pan and rolling it into the top sheet. If available, use sheets of crescent roll dough, which are solid and not precut, saving on any time and hassle.
    • Adjust the cinnamon sugar ratio to your liking. For enhanced cinnamon flavor, increase the ground cinnamon to 1½ or even 2 teaspoons; for a more mild flavor, reduce to ¾ teaspoons.
    • Use the cheesecake “jiggle” test. To be sure that the sopapilla cheesecake is baked through, give the pan a gentle shake. When the cheesecake is underbaked and not set yet, the whole cheesecake will wobble. You will know that is set when the center jiggles just slightly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!
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    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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