Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars is one of my husband’s most requested desserts of all time! Real, creamy cheesecake layered between flaky croissant dough and topped with cinnamon, sugar, and honey – it’s heavenly! There are almost never any leftovers!
Mateo’s “Famous” Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
I’m going to start right off by saying this recipe is NOT one of our usual healthy desserts!
But it is soooo worth the splurge!
This is my husband’s go-to “gift” recipe – he makes this treat for friends’ birthdays, Christmas presents… you name it.
Around the holidays, my husband might make five cheesecakes at a time! Our friends and family just can’t get enough!!
One taste and you’ll see why it is one of our all-time favorite desserts ever!!
As far as cheesecakes go, this one is relatively easy to make. However, unlike a lot of so-called “easy cheesecake” recipes you find online that are no more than cream cheese mixed with sugar, this is a real cheesecake!
You’ll drool over this creamy, yet light and fluffy cheesecake, sandwiched between layers of cinnamon-y sopapilla (a traditional Mexican dessert).
Honestly, I don’t think my descriptions do this one justice, so I’ll let the photos do the talking!
PS- My husband’s Guava Cheesecake is amazing too! If you’re looking for a unique cheesecake recipe, this is SO worth a try!
What Does the Word Sopapilla Mean?
Sopapillas are a fried pastry that is usually associated with Mexican cuisine. The traditional sopapilla is a dessert made from dough that is cut into triangles, fried, and topped with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and honey.
Interestingly, it is thought that sopapillas actually originated in New Mexico, and spread around Central and South America over the past couple hundred years.
It’s no wonder they’re so popular! Sopapillas are easy to make and require on simple ingredients, but they taste light and fluffy and just the right amount of sweet!
Where Did Sopapilla Cheesecake Originate From?
My husband has been making this cheesecake recipe for as long as I’ve known him (about 12 years now!)
While I can’t say that he is the “creator” of this dish, I’d wager a bet that he has been making it longer than most of the recipes you’ll find posted on the internet!
Sopapilla Cheesecake Ingredients
This is a quick-glance shopping list. A full printable copy of ingredients/directions is available at the bottom of the post.
- Refrigerated croissant dough — Always check the date on the dough can, as older dough (even if it’s not expired) doesn’t taste as good and tears easier.
- Cream cheese blocks — We use three of the 8oz bricks of cream cheese. If your store has them in different sizes/packaging, just make sure that you get about 24 ounces.
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
- Eggs
- Flour — You can use all-purpose flour, or even almond flour to go gluten free.
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Honey
Note: For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe; read our full disclosure policy here.
Kitchen Tools Used:
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake with Crescent Rolls
Use an electric stand mixer or hand mixer to make batter. Be sure to mix in the eggs one at a time so you don’t over-beat.
Set batter aside and layer the bottom of your casserole dish with crescent dough (we use a classic 13×9″ Pyrex Baking Dish
). It will be like putting together a puzzle.
TIP: Freeze dough for 10 minutes beforehand for easier handling.
Pour cream cheese mixture over the first layer of croissant dough, then cover with the rest of crescent dough triangles.
To make your cinnamon sugar sopapilla topping:
Toss together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Use half of this mixture to coat the top of the cream cheese and dough before placing into preheated oven to bake.
TIP: Be sure to chill your cheesecake completely before cutting and serving. After plating each piece, drizzle with honey and finish with remaining cinnamon sugar.
How to Make Cheesecake Sopapillas Gluten Free
Believe it or not, when making them for me, my husband makes these sopapilla cheesecake bars gluten free! All you have to do is use almond flour where this recipe calls for flour.
Does Sopapilla Cheesecake Need to be Refrigerated?
Because this is a real cheesecake, made with dairy products, you’ll definitely want to store any leftovers in the fridge. While it’s ok to leave out on the counter while serving, be sure to place in the fridge after 30 minutes to an hour.
This dessert should keep for 2-3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
More of our favorite cheesecake recipes:
- Pink Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Red White and Blue Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Godiva Cheesecake
- Funfetti Swirl Cheesecake
- Guava Cheesecake
- Tropical Fruit Cheesecake Bites
Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe (Printable Copy):
If you love this recipe, rate it!
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Cheesecake Ingredients
- 1 can croissant dough
- 3 blocks cream cheese 8oz each
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup flour we used almond flour, but you can use multi-purpose
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 1/4 cup cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add heavy cream, flour, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Mix in eggs one at a time, just enough to combine with the batter. Set aside.
- In a medium casserole dish, layer the bottom completely with croissant dough.
- Pour cheesecake batter over the first layer of croissant dough.
- With the remaining croissant dough, cover completely the cheesecake batter.
- In a small bowl, toss together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon. Use half of this mixture to coat the top of the cheesecake.
- Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for half an hour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to fully set.
- Before serving, drizzle with honey and dust with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin this Recipe on Pinterest:
More of our favorite cheesecake recipes:
No Bake Cookie Monster Cheesecake
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- Bunny Bait - March 22, 2023
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Steph says
Hi there Stacey I stumbled upon your blog via Pinterest. This dessert just looks and sounds delish!! Can’t wait to try making it. Just a question, how many eggs does the cheesecake require as it isn’t stated in the recipe above but was included in one of the steps.
Cheers,
Steph
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
The recipe calls for 4 eggs. Thank you so much for pointing out my accidental omission– I’ve corrected the post! You’re going to love it!!
Leigh Leigh says
Mouth is watering!! Pinned and shared on Facebook!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Aww thanks! I made hubby take the leftovers to work so I wouldn’t eat anymore…they are addicting!
Becky says
Please clarify blocks of cream cheese. How many ounces?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Becky, I’m referring to the standard “block” of cream cheese (usually in single serving box) — these are 8oz each. Sorry for any confusion! I’ll update the recipe to reflect this 🙂
Becky says
Thank you. I am old enough to remember when there were 4 and 8 ounce blocks.
Denise says
The printable version is missing a step…to put a second layer of dough prior to putting the cinnamon on top.:)
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Thanks for letting me know! I fixed it 🙂
Kendra says
Hi! Is this ok to make the night before to take into work the next morning? I know it says to refrigerate for two hrs but wanted to make sure it would ok to refrigerate overnight.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Kendra, we keep our leftovers in the fridge, so it should be fine to make ahead and keep cold overnight. You can pop it in the oven if you have a chance in the morning, or simply have people microwave at work when they cut a slice. Hope you love it!
DANA says
I REALLY NEED TO KNOW IF YOU CAN FREEZE CRESCENT ROLL CHEESECAKE, FOR A MONTH. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE
CRUST WHEN THAWED.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Dana – I would wrap the cheesecake in parchment paper and then place in a freezer bag. It should freeze and reheat fine, though the curst might not be quite as flaky as when it is freshly baked. Hope this helps!
Sarah says
Hi! When I made the recipe the crescent dough didn’t cook at all. Did this happen to anyone else? Not sure what I did wrong.
Raq says
It shows just one can of dough.. so the bottom layer has only 4 triangles… half the can?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Raq- we used the jumbo cans for this recipe, so if you use the smaller cans you’ll probably need two. Hope this helps!
Joanna says
Hi you mentioned it can be gluten free with almond flour but doesn’t the dough have gluten ? My sis has celiac so want to make sure
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Joanna, you’d want to make sure to buy gluten free dough – I’ll make sure to update the recipe so that is more clear.