Sopapilla cheesecake reinvents the classic Mexican dessert: creamy cheesecake layered between flaky croissant dough, topped with cinnamon, sugar & honey.

What Are Sopapillas?

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. This was the inspiration for our crunchy cinnamon sugar crust.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

This is one of the most-requested dessert recipes in our family! My husband started making this sopapilla cheesecake almost 15 years ago for special occasions and it is still a favorite celebration treat!

Real, creamy cheesecake layered between flaky croissant dough and topped with cinnamon, sugar, and honey – it’s easy to see why there are never any leftovers with this one!

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, our creamy cheesecake filling 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!

Ingredients

2 cans of Refrigerated Crescent Roll 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.
3 (8 ounce) Blocks of Cream Cheese — At room temperature
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Sour cream
4 Large Eggs
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

Toppings

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Ground Cinnamon
Honey, for drizzling

Helpful Kitchen Tools

For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe. Disclosure policy available here.

Instructions

To Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F and coat the bottom and sides of your baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Unroll one can of crescent dough in the bottom of the baking dish. If needed, pinch together the seams or perforations to seal them so you have one layer of dough that covers the entire bottom of the pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), beat together the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Add the heavy cream, flour, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crescent dough. Open the second can of dough, unroll it, and place on top of the cream cheese layer.
Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of this mixture on top of the dough before placing into preheated oven. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes.

Prep Tips

Freezing the Dough – To make the crescent dough easier to handle and less sticky, freeze it for 10 minutes before making this dish.
Crescent Dough – When we originally published this recipe almost 10 years ago, one can of crescent dough was enough for the entire recipe. However, readers have let me know since then that the size of the cans has changed and this may not be the case anymore. You will probably need two cans of crescent dough, so I would make sure to have enough on hand just in case!
Gluten-Free Version – 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 and purchase gluten-free crescent dough.
Substitutions – If you can’t find crescent dough sheets, you can use crescent rolls and unroll them and piece them together like a puzzle to form each of the two layers of dough.
Serving – Allow cheesecake to cool completely before cutting and serving, so everything will set. After plating each piece, drizzle with honey and finish with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
Storage – 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 Unique Cheesecake Recipes To Try:

Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)

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close up of sopapilla cheesecake bars on plate.

Print Recipe

4.63 from 8 votes

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Sopapilla cheesecake reinvents the classic Mexican dessert: creamy cheesecake layered between flaky croissant dough, topped with cinnamon, sugar & honey.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Chill time2

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake, cinnamon, sopapilla

Servings: slices

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Cost: $12

Equipment

9x13 inch baking dish