These sopapilla cheesecake bars have a buttery, flaky crescent roll crust layered with crunchy cinnamon sugar and creamy cheesecake filling. I love drizzling this cheesecake with caramel or chocolate sauce when serving, just like a food truck churro!
I make this cheesecake in bar form, and it’s perfect for sharing. You might also like these cheesecake brownies, and if you crave cinnamon sugar, try my cinnamon roll cake and these cinnamon roll cookies.
I grew up in Houston, Texas, where our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant had the best sopapillas and churros on their dessert menu. This churro cheesecake takes all those cinnamon sugar flavors and packs them into a 3×3” square with creamy cheesecake filling. These are like the cheesecake version of my churro bars. The golden, buttery baked crust topped with crunchy cinnamon sugar tastes just like a churro!
Why These Sopapilla Cheesecake Will Change Your Life
- Semi-homemade. I make the flaky crust from a tube of canned crescent roll dough. It bakes up crispy and golden, similar to the fried dough of a churro.
- Classic sopapilla flavors. The buttery crust coated with crunchy cinnamon sugar mimics the flavors of a churro perfectly. I love it in contrast to the tangy, sweet cream cheese layer.
- Easier than a traditional cheesecake. Cheesecake bars are the best way to enjoy homemade cheesecake without the labor of love involved in making a classic cheesecake. You can eat these with your hands!
- Any occasion. Whenever I need an ultra-easy cheesecake recipe that’s perfect for potlucks and gatherings, these churro cheesecake bars are the answer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
We’re going to use crescent roll dough, cinnamon sugar, and a simple cheesecake filling to make this easy sopapilla cheesecake. Below are notes on what you’ll need. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list with amounts.
- Crescent Rolls – Pick up an 8-count tube of crescent rolls, like Pillsbury, from the refrigerated section. If you wanted to go the from-scratch route, you can use homemade crescent roll dough.
- Cream Cheese – You’ll need the packages that come in bricks, and not the tubs of spreadable cream cheese. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before you start so it’s easy to mix.
- Sugar – I recommend granulated sugar or light brown sugar for the cheesecake filling.
- Vanilla
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, and melted in the microwave.
- Cinnamon Sugar – You’ll combine granulated sugar or brown sugar with ground cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar topping.
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Before you prepare your sopapilla cheesecake bars, here’s a quick overview of what to expect. These bars are super easy and a lot quicker than making a whole cheesecake! The key is to pinch the seams of the crescent dough tightly closed, so the filling doesn’t leak out of the bottom or through the top crust of the cheesecake. Follow the steps with photos here, and scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Prep. Set the oven to preheat to 350ºF. Meanwhile, grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare the bottom crust. Pop open the first tube of crescent rolls and unroll them, laying them flat inside the baking dish. You may need to stretch the dough to cover the bottom. Use your fingers to press the seams closed.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Next, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, and spread that over the crescent dough.
- Add the top crust. Unroll your second tube of crescent rolls and layer the dough flat over the cheesecake filling. Again, do your best to pinch the seams closed.
- Add the cinnamon sugar topping. Pour melted butter evenly over the dough, and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake. Finally, pop the churro cheesecake in the oven at 350ºF for 30 minutes until it’s golden on top. Afterward, let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for 20 minutes before moving it to the fridge to chill overnight. Slice the cheesecake into bars before serving, and enjoy!
Topping Ideas
If you’ve ever ordered churros before, you know that the second-best thing about a crispy, cinnamon sugar-coated churro is the toppings that come with it. These sopapilla cheesecake bars are so similar to churros so the topping/dips are compatible, but I always love to add a drizzle of dulce de leche or fudge sauce, or one of these easy toppings:
- Microwave caramel sauce
- Vanilla ice cream (it’s even better when it’s homemade!)
- Whipped cream
- Honey or maple syrup
- Strawberry syrup
- Chocolate sauce or melted Nutella
How to Store
- Refrigerate. Once your sopapilla bars have cooled completely, place the bars in an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with saran wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze these bars for up to 2 months. Pre-freeze the bars on a baking sheet, and transfer the frozen bars to a container or freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Easy Cheesecake Recipes
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30 bars 1x
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
These easy Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars recipe has creamy cheesecake filling layered with buttery, flaky crescent roll dough and crunchy cinnamon sugar. Slice them into bars and serve drizzled with chocolate or caramel!
Ingredients
- 2 cans (8 count) Crescent Rolls
- 2 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and lay flat in the bottom of the baking dish. Stretch the rolls to cover the bottom of the pan and pinch any seams closed.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spread this over the top of the crescent roll layer.
- Unroll the remaining can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese mixture, and again, pinch any open seams closed as best you can.
- Pour the melted butter evenly on top.
- Prepare the topping by mixing together the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Let cool for approximately 20 minutes and then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Cut into bars
Notes
- Store airtight in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 109.8 mg
- Fat: 11.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 23.4 mg
I remember watching Unsolved Mysteries… loved that show! Love your Sopapilla Bars, too!
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
i had no idea this was such a popular recipe! I hadn’t heard about them until recently!! love your post! 🙂
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
They look so delicious!!
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!
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.
You are a genius.
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
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!
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.