Simply layer crescent dough with an easy cheesecake filling, top again with crescent rolls, then add the buttery cinnamon sugar topping for the finishing touch on this sopapilla cheesecake. It's that easy!
24ouncescream cheesethree 8 ounce blocks at room temperature
1 3/4cupgranulated sugardivided
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1/2cupunsalted buttermelted
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9”x13” glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Opening one can of crescent rolls, roll them out into the bottom of the baking dish. Press to fill out the entire bottom of the dish and press any seams together. (see note below)
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1 1⁄4 cups of granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and fluffy.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom crescent roll crust.
Roll the second can of crescent rolls out on a sheet of parchment paper. Press the seams together well and pat out the dough to form a 9x13 rectangle that will fill out the top of the baking dish.
Lift the parchment paper and flip it upside down over the cream cheese mixture. Peel away the parchment paper and tuck the dough to each edge of the baking dish.
Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough and use a pastry brush, if needed, to spread.
Combine the remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar and the cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the melted butter as evenly as possible.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crescent dough is puffed across the top and the sopapilla cheesecake is golden brown.
Allow the cheesecake to cool and then cut into bars. Serve with a drizzle of honey, if desired.
Video
Notes
Crescent rolls typically come with perforations to easily separate each crescent roll. It’s easy to press the seams together to form a single sheet. Some stores also carry crescent roll “sheets”, which are in a single sheet, without perforations. If you have the option, grab two cans of the sheets so that you can skip the step of pressing the seams together.
The top of the sopapilla cheesecake will turn golden brown - some areas will appear very dark from the cinnamon. To ensure that the crescent dough portion cooks (and puffs) without overbrowning the top, bake the cheesecake on the bottom shelf (or bottom third) of the oven.
Don’t remove the cheesecake from the oven too soon. The edges start to puff first, but the center of the pan needs to also puff for the crescent dough to cook.
The cheesecake needs to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. I would recommend cooling completely in order to cut into neat bars that lift easily from the pan. They are good warm, though, if you just can’t wait.
If you’d like, you can reduce the amount of cream cheese to 16 oz. instead of 24 oz. Reduce the sugar that you mix in to just 1 cup. This will make a thinner filling and the cook time may be a few minutes less.
If you use a greater ratio of cinnamon to sugar, the top will be darker.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze, wrapped well, for up to 1 month.