When I was growing up one of my favorite shows on TV was Unsolved Mysteries.
It, honestly, scared the bejeezus out of me. Robert Stack in his trenchcoat, the creepy music, the potential serial killers on the loose…it all made me a hot mess. Yet, I watched it. Week after week.
There was generally a murder, a missing person and some sort of haunting or paranormal activity on each episode all impressively re-enacted by (I am assuming) down-on-their luck actors and Matthew McConaughey.
I was convinced that no one was who they seemed, and went through a period where I asked my friends and family questions repeatedly looking for variations in their answers. “Where were you on the eve of October 14th, 1982?”, “You don’t remember?”, “That is very suspicious”. I was basically a 10 year old detective.
AND I developed an unrealistic aversion to the beach. It seemed that the place to go after committing a murder or stealing someone’s identity was a tropical island or Florida. On the Unsolved update shows the bad guy seemed to always get bagged buying a boat at a touristy resort. I am still not a beach or boat person…it’s an unhealthy, subconscious connection, I think.
It’s an abusive relationship, myself and the Unsolved Mystery…I am ruled by fear, yet I continue going back for more. AND a quick google search has now informed me that Unsolved Mysteries is currently on the air, hosted by, the-not-as-scary-as-Robert-Stack, Dennis Farina on Lifetime. Lord help my sanity.
But here’s the thing…yesterday my 8 year old came home from school with an “Unsolved Mysteries” book from the library. He, apparently, has inherited the Unsolved Mystery gene. All good in the daytime…not so much when the sun sets. He seemed to be ok after the lights went down, I, however, slept with one eye on the door, Santoku knife under my mattress, ready to dice and chop any intruder that came in and tried and murder me in my sleep.
So if you happen to be up at night thinking about identity thiefs and all around bad guys, you might as well make use of that time.
Spend it in the kitchen baking these bars up. You might not be able to scare an intruder off, but you might be able to get him into a sugar coma until you can escape. See, it’s always good to have a Plan B.
These bars are called Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars. If you are unfamiliar with Sopapillas, as everyone in New Jersey seems to be, they are a light flaky pastry-type bread served with cinnamon sugar or honey…typically served as a dessert in Mexican restaurants. They are good. Fact.
This version is quick and easy with minimal effort.
It starts and ends with Crescent Rolls. Good times.
First you spread a can of Crescent Rolls in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
Then mix 2 packages of cream cheese, a cup of sugar and a little vanilla together.
Then spread it over the Crescent Rolls…
Then unroll your other can of Crescent Rolls and spread it over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
Then pour a stick of melted butter all on top of that junk…
Yep, ALL OVER.
Then mix some cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle on your butter.
Yep, this is really happening.
Then just bake it. That is all.
Isn’t it gorgeous?
Now let it cool and pop it in the fridge until it completely cooled.
Then and only then can you cut them. It’s a beautiful thing.
makes 30 bars
Ingredients
- 2 cans Crescent Rolls
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (room temp)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
How to Make
- Preheat oven to 350
- Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and lay flat in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stretch the rolls to cover the bottom of the pan. Pinch any seams closed.
- In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until combined and smooth.
- Spread this over top of the crescent roll.
- Unroll your remaining can of crescent rolls and lay this on top of the cream cheese mixture, again, pinching closed any open seams.
- Pour your melted butter on top of the crescent roll.
- In a bowl mix the remaining sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon together and sprinkle that evenly on top of butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.
- Let cool for approximately 20 minutes and then put in refrigerator to completelychill before cutting into squares.
Notes
adapted from Pillsbury
Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you are not alone, doesn’t it? 
So…I have to tell you, the Cheesecake Bars look incredible. But in addition to that, I happen to know Dennis Farina personally (odd situation of us both having very close ties to a TINY town in Illinois,) anyways…he is not scary in real life at all. He just has the ability to rock the creepy voice!
I love love this recipe
Joy recently posted..Daring Bakers – Croissants
Sopapilla bars are amazing. Have you ever tried them with pie filling on top of the cream cheese layer, before putting the top crescent rolls on? Cherry, apple, blueberry, they’re all delish too!
1-800-876-5353. That was the number you should call if you have any leads for the cases on Unsolved Mysteries. I haven’t seen that show in ages, but still remember the number. Pretty sad. And that dessert looks delicious – I think I will make it very soon.
omg, that is hilarious!
Oh, Yum. I love the simplicity of this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
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I am not crazy about cream cheese, but these look delicious! I love cinnamon!
I remember Unsolved Mysteries, it used to creap me out to! I preferred to watch the other show that was on at that time Rescue 911. I still remember an episode of Unsolved Mysteries about people seeing lights & aliens in a farmers field, that really scared the Beep outta me at the time! I was afraid of being out after dark for a long time after that!
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I love a good Sopapilla! Hot and with Ice cream! These look just as wonderful! And very easy! Thanks for another great dessert!
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I JUST made these last night! SOOOOO yummy!!!
Once I pick my jaw up off the floor, I’ll finish telling you what a freaking genius you are.
I LOVE sopapillas!! Frankly, I like anything with cinnamon and sugar. Oh man, now I want churros…
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Had these when someone brought them to a friend’s brunch a couple of weeks ago and they were just amazing — so happy I have the recipe now! Thanks, and I LOVE your blog!
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First off, I love your blog! I check it every day and enjoy your writing and your recipes. I too found the Unsolved Mysteries music creepy and would turn the volume down until after the introduction was over : )
I have watched the “new” Unsolved Mysteries and have seen quite a few stories from the “old” Unsolved Mysteries that are either still unsolved (no duh) or have been solved and then it’s fun to see the update.
We recently moved to NE Pennsylvania from TX/OK. Down there, this recipe is VERY popular! We have been making it for years and I wondered why I hadn’t seen it around blogland! It is awesome! I am so glad you posted it!
So funny to see this post, I have been obsessed with the Sopappia bars ever since I first saw them on Pinterest. I have made them quite a few times and was planning on posting about them soon too. Oh and I also got all excited when I saw that “new” cinnamon and grabbed a bottle
we are living parallel baking/blogging lives, lol! And let’s not even talk about Unsolved Mysteries, I use to love that show, watched it religiously, but I’ve seen it as an adult and was fully creeped out! Thanks for the fun post, Andrea
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You are a genius.
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Okay, those bars look AMAZING, but what made me comment is the fact that I used to watch Unsolved Mysteries reruns on Lifetime with my sister during the summer. Except that they were always on at night. They used to scare the crap out of us, but yet we still watched.
And I also remember watching the episode that Matthew McConaughey was on and realizing it was him. Hilarious! But still so scary…
Oh, and I’m from TX so I definitely know what sopapillas are. I <3 them.
Yeah I used to be like you…addicted to being terrified by religiously watching Unsolved Mysteries hosted by Robert Stack. I’ve watched the new version and it’s not nearly as creepy, aka good!
They look so delicious!!
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Thanks for linking to the Matthew McConaughey “Unsolved Mysteries” clip at my website.
I’ve written a couple of “Unsolved Mysteries” columns at the site, profiling some of my favourite cases from the show, so if you’re in the mood to watch them (and likely get scared out of your wits), check them out here:
http://www.the-back-row.com/index.php/2010/09/11/title-3
http://www.the-back-row.com/index.php/2011/09/11/robin-s-next-ten-favourite-unsolved-mysteries-segments
Aren’t these heavenly?! I’ve made these several times for get togethers and they’re always the rave! Your pictures are gorgeous, too. I’ve attached my link to my post about these little guys if you wanted to check it out!
http://lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com/2011/05/tried-true-tuesday-sopapilla-cheesecake_24.html
Jess Wakasugi recently posted..Secret Recipe Club: Danish Puff
i had no idea this was such a popular recipe! I hadn’t heard about them until recently!! love your post!
I remember watching Unsolved Mysteries… loved that show! Love your Sopapilla Bars, too!
Emily@SoDomesticated recently posted..Apple Cinnamon Cookie Clouds…
This is a family favorite. When I serve Sopapilla Cheese Cake I always feel like the lady on the Rice Crispie’s commercial where she’s reading a magazine and then dabs the flour on her face before serving the Rice Crispie Treats to her family. Something this good shouldn’t be SO SIMPLE to make!
The Black Kitteh recently posted..Healthy living is killing me…
so yummy!
trisha recently posted..Mummy Cupcake Cake
I have never heard of Sopapilla but this will be in my life and soon, very, very soon. like i am in my car now, driving to the store going to by the crescent roll dough. lol
mis-cakes recently posted..The Great Search of 2011
hahahaha!!
I love anything mystery. I particularly remember my mom watching Murder She Wrote religiously and me being so scared that I was terrified to even get up off the couch and walk to bed. I still watched every week. Crime shows are better these days and I watch them like they are my crack.
I make this too but the handwritten recipe I found on my mom’s fridge called them Sopapilla Breakfast Delight. So naturally, I eat this for breakfast.
Heidi recently posted..Loaded Banana Bread
the perfect breakfast!!
My mom makes these during the holidays at her coffee shop and she can’t make them fast enough of course it doesn’t help that Ilm always sneaking some =P. They are yummy!!
I used to watch Unsolved Mysteries as a kid and I was scared to death! The one I really rembember is these boys were in a lake and they found a skull. I hate swimming in lakes now!
I used to get freaked out by Unsolved Mysteries too! But I watched it every week. Why do we torture ourselves like that?!
And how come my sopapilla cheesecake never looks like that?
mrsblocko recently posted..Thankful Thursday 38.11
Ooo arn’t these just delicious looking?
Erin recently posted..Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries
Gah girl.
I feel like I need to eat salad from just looking at this. YUM!
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Such a sweet treat, happy Baking!
Karriann Graf recently posted..Social Media, Apps and Food: The Low Down
We recently had sopapillas at a Mexican restaurant (I’ve made ‘fake’ ones before with tortillas) and my husband was actually angry that I ‘knew about these desserts and had not made them properly for him.’ I’ll see what he thinks of this!
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You had me at crescent rolls!
OMG!!! My MIL and SIL have both made this and it is so awesome! How can anything that starts with crescent roll dough be bad, right?
Truly a great idea for a recipe, Shelly! Sinful. Unsolved mysteries might want to know what happened to those if they showed up at my house… cause they would be all gone.
Kristen recently posted..Admit It {Recipe: Bite Size Pumpkin Funnel Cake Crispies}
Haha, well I for one think this cheesecake is a fantastic use of your time.
Brilliant!
Tracy recently posted..Half Moon (Black & White) Cookies
So maybe THAT is the real reason why I feel compelled to always have baked goods on my counter…to force any intruders into a hyperglycemic coma…hmmm.
Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Nutty Sweet Potato Soup with Harissa and Spinach
These bars looks fab!!!
Sopapilla cheesecake is TO DIE FOR! One of the world’s greatest desserts!!!
Kylie recently posted..Strawberry and Cheesecake Ice Cream Layered Dessert
I never would have thought to use crescent rolls in cheesecake bars but they sound delicious!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet recently posted..Pumpkin Party
I love the sound of this! Yum!
Katrina recently posted..Swirly Nutella Banana Bread
My mother-in-law made these before and they were SO good!!!
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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Unsolved Mysteries. I still try to catch it on Lifetime once in awhile. What get me is that some of the UM’s that Robert Stack covered have been re-done by Dennis Farina and it just kills me that they are still unsolved!! Am always hoping for that”Update” to flash at the end of the segment and when it doesn’t I am highly disappointed.
I’ve made a variation of these bars before but I don’t remember them having a stick of butter melted on top….can’t wait to try! These look incredible.
That top cinnamon crust looks amazing, especially considering what lies beneath:) YUM!
I still watch the reruns of “Unsolved Mystery” on cable. My husband doesn’t understand why I watch somethig that spooks me so much?!?
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I HAVE to try these! I love all of these ingredients on their own, I can’t imagine what they would taste like together. I might just have to bring it to Sunday night dinner at my mom’s this week!… I used to watch Unsolved Mysteries also when I was younger, and I think I was traumatized to Robert Stack. I still have nightmares about one episode in particular where a woman was in her bathroom and looked in the mirror and saw a guy standing behind her. I still get a little nervous looking in the mirror in the middle of the night- to this day because of it! (so I usually just bypass it and run like crazy back into my bed.) I used to come home from 3rd grade and watch Matlock, In The Heat of The Night, and Golden Girls. The iCarly my 3rd grade daughter watches after school has nothing on those shows!!
Well, I linked to a creepy pne that Mqatthew McConaughey was in and it was a lady brushing her hair and some guy comes up behind her in the bathroom. Seriously scary stuff.
OMG- That was the one!!!! I love Matt McConaughey, I can’t believe he was in that! That ok though, I forgive him for helping to scare me as a child. Robert Stack though I will never be able to forgive, even if he was funny in “Airplane.” (And as I typed this, my 8 year old, who talks in her sleep, just said something in a really creepy voice that I couldn’t understand while sleeping. At least she has good timing!)
Oh wow! I saw this post and thought, man those look yummy. I didn’t realize that I’ve made them before with a little twist! I’m a Chocolatier with Dove Chocolate Discoveries and we have a Spiced Chai tea. That’s what I used instead of the Cinnamon Sugar mixture when I made them (they were called Chai Breakfast Bars – they’re a great addition to a brunch buffet!). They were wonderful and HUGE hit at all my tasting parties. It was fun seeing where the recipe I found long ago on a Chocolatier group originated! Thanks so much for enlightening me! Oh, and incidentally, I loved Unsolved Mysteries, too…even though it led to some really hard to go to sleep nights.
oh my, oh my. this sounds amazing!! i am a cinnamon lover and this cake feels so good in my imagination. thanks for sharing this recipe!
Oh my, this bar looks fabulous! And easy to make too! The grandkids will adore it. Copied it already!
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I often come to your blog and read your posts…and I have to say YOU CRACK ME UP!!!! Love it….my Dad was such a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries…so since this was before most people had multiple TV’s in their homes…we kids were sort of kinda FORCED to watch it…lol! Love the ingredients you used in this recipe..I will have to try it …soon
Mighty Morgan recently posted..White Chocolate "Ghost" High Hats
I’m not from New Jersey and I’ve never heard of these bars before either but they sure do look delicious!
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HAHA! Being from Texas it seems crazy that everyone doesn’t know sopapillas!
I so loved Unsolved Mysteries (you could watch it in syndication until not too long ago – maybe you still can?) Between that and Murder She Wrote – my childhood television watching was probably a bit off, now that I think of it…
And sopapillas. And cheesecake.
Thank you for this post – made me happy just to look at it
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I loved that show! It used to scare the living daylights out of me, but still I watched. The creepiest one that I remember was the one where a woman was sure she was someone else in a past life and she went into a trance and they found photographics that she said were her back then. I couldn’t sleep without a lamp on for weeks!
Umm, I am GLAD I have never seen that one! No sleet for sure
Awesome recipe. Mum made it today following you. Stupendous taste. Amazing dish. Great blog. Gotta return for more posts. Thanks.
Suzaina recently posted..Physical Therapy Assistant
YUMMY. How creative is this? I def want to give this a try. I love baking, you inspire me!
So I made these, and let me tell you, some pretty good stuff indeed! I did change the recipe a bit and made sure to put in lots of honey to replace some sugar. And I managed to double the butter-I’m feeling slightly guilty about that (just slightly). Thanks for sharing and the inspiration though! I hope you don’t mind if I share my adapted version.
Kim recently posted..Caramel Apple Bars (Yay, it’s Fall!)
These were AMAZING! I added sliced almonds to the top before baking and the the extra crunch really added something great to them! These are def. on my ‘bake often’ list! Thanks!!
great idea! Love the addition of almonds!
You like me you really like me!!! These are so so good! I’m just a scary crime show watcher…it began with Unsolved Mysteries also. Right now it’s Criminal minds. This is why I dont sleep.
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These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! Just had one question: in the list of ingredients, the amount of cinnamon says 1 tsp; however, in the recipe directions, it references a tablespoon of cinnamon. Which is the proper measurement? Thanks!
You’re right! it is 1 Tbsp of cinnamon! I’ll change it right now!
Cool, thanks Shelly!
I made these this weekend. A huge hit with the entire family. Quite a few OMGs. I will definitely be making these again. More cinnamon is always a good thing. I only used a teaspoon and they were great but a tablespoon would make them awesome! Thanks for so many great recipes.
I just made these and they are amazing! Actually, they haven’t even finished their initial 20 minutes of cooling, but I scooped out a corner spoonful and let it cool. I’m going to have to share these quick before I eat the whole thing!
HAHA! I did that too
i knew those crescent rolls were handy, but i had no idea they had the potential to be a part of something as incredible as this! brilliant, shelly!
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I saw this recipe and had to try it! Very easy to make, which is a good thing considering I can burn hard boiled eggs. My husband was the taste tester and he isn’t big on anything sweet but he loved this! I took them to work with me and they were gone in 10 minutes! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked them!
I’m really gonna have to try these… A couple of my fb friends were raving about Sopapilla Cheesecake. To be exact…. “It’s like angels left a little piece of Heaven behind…” Lol. I want a piece of Heaven.
My boss brought these in about a week ago and they are delicious. It is so hard to stop eating them!
do you think this will work with puff pastry sheets??? Has anyone tried that….
Maybe on the top? That might be really good!!
I love cheese cake, so I was really happy when I discovered your website in the internet, it´s amazing, so I tried to bake one as soon as I could, I used Spanish cheese as it was the only one I had at home, it was fabolus, really amazing, I think it really improved it, just have a look at the website, which I think you´re going to love and then let me know what do you think.
kind regards
Ana
http://www.asturiascheese.com/spanish-cheese/abredo-2
I wonder if these will be okay out of the fridge. I want to take them to school, but I won’t have access to a fridge all day. My last class is the one I want to take them to, but it isn’t until 2:35 and I get to school at 10 am…..
Suggestions?
I made these and added pumpkin and pumpkin spice to the cheesecake layer. They were a huge it! Check them out on my blog.
KTC recently posted..Sopapilla Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Hi I don’t mean to sound not appreciative to your recipe but I did not like them, I did not like all that bread around the great filling, I’m wondering if puff pastry could be used instead…has anyone tried that…
It might work… Haven’t ever tried it. We loved the crescent around it do I guess it’s just a matter of preference
let me know if you try the puff pastry!
These look absolutely amazing. I can’t live much longer without them.
Heather recently posted..Turkey Vatapa
Sin. Absolute sin. I just made this dessert (never got to the bar part) and could not wait to EAT IT.. all hot and steaming. Like hell will taste when I get there. With a mouth full of THIS CAKE!!! I’d shake your hand in gratitude but I am holding a plate of Sopapilla Cake with one hand and stuffing it in my face with the other (I am typing with my mind!).
Thank you
I never knew that a different last step, adding butter, cinnamon & sugar on the top would change my cream cheese danish, which is just brushed on top with an egg yolk, into a Sopapilla. And yes, cream cheese danish’s are known in New Jersey
Going to make these now for my FIL’s party tomorrow! As for nobody here in Jersey knowing what a sopapilka is – they are beyond sheltered!!! Another reason I must vacate this state!!!!
I just made these tonight, and they are AMAZING!!! Everyone has absolutely loved them! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I have been making these bars since about 7th grade (I am a junior in college now)! I do have a couple variations however. First in the cream cheese mixture I actually put an egg in. I don’t use the stick of butter on the top. I have tried them with it, but they are just as good without the butter, I promise.
Shelly, I made these last night and I am pretty sure my world stopped for 3 reasons:
1) My house smelled like Cinnabon. That alone makes you worthy of all this praise.
2) My husband, a “non-sweets guy” (I don’t comprehend) was ANGRY (yes, and a little frantic) that I was taking half of these to work to share. He is obsessed.
3) So easy. SO SO easy to make. Holy smokes, you nailed it, thanks so much for sharing!
ATTENTION! ALERT! Do NOT put these in a smaller than suggested pan! It will equal fire!
oh no! what happened?
Thank you for answering my prayers for a bar dessert for Cinco de Mayo! These look amazing!
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Matthew M. was on unsolved mysteries??? What a trip. I love, love love that you posted a Mexican dessert. They’re hard to find, and I’ve never seen this one before!
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