Cheesecake crescent roll casserole is a sweet, easy bake with a sweet cream cheese filling sandwiched between two layers of refrigerated crescent dough, drizzled with melted butter and covered in cinnamon sugar. It bakes into a golden, crisp-topped pan of creamy cheesecake bars, much like sopapilla cheesecake. It takes 10 minutes to assemble and serves 12.
How to make it: Press one can of crescent dough into a greased 9×13 dish, sealing the seams. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla and spread it over the dough. Lay the second can of dough on top, pour on the melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and set.
Why You’ll Love It
- Seven ingredients: crescent dough, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, butter and cinnamon.
- 10 minutes of prep: press, spread, top and bake.
- Two textures: a flaky, cinnamon-sugar crust over a creamy cheesecake layer.
- Brunch or dessert: serve it warm with coffee or cold with berries.
Is This the Same as Sopapilla Cheesecake?
Very close. Sopapilla cheesecake bars are made the same way: crescent dough on the bottom and top, a sweet cream cheese filling in the middle and a crackly cinnamon-sugar crust. The name comes from the fried, cinnamon-sugar pastries the topping tastes like. Whatever you call it, it’s an easy shortcut to cheesecake flavor without a springform pan or a water bath.
Ingredient Notes
Crescent roll dough: 2 cans, 8 ounces each. Crescent dough sheets, without perforations, make sealing even easier.
Cream cheese: 16 ounces, softened completely so the filling is smooth.
Sugar: 1 cup for the filling and 1/4 cup mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the topping.
Vanilla: 1 teaspoon of extract in the filling.
Butter: 1/4 cup unsalted, melted and poured over the top so the cinnamon sugar sticks and turns crisp.
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Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 oz each)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar (for the filling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (for the topping)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for the cinnamon sugar)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
How to Make Cheesecake Crescent Roll Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
2. Add the bottom layer. Open one can of crescent roll dough and unroll it into the baking dish. Press it into an even layer, sealing any seams.
3. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Spread. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll layer in the baking dish.
5. Add the top layer. Open the second can of crescent roll dough and place it carefully over the cream cheese layer. Press gently to seal with the bottom layer.
6. Butter and cinnamon sugar. Pour the melted butter over the top dough layer. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the buttered layer.
7. Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
8. Cool and serve. Allow the casserole to cool slightly before cutting and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Crescent Cheesecake
- Soften the cream cheese fully. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps and is hard to spread over soft dough.
- Seal the seams. Pinch the perforations together on the bottom layer so the filling doesn’t leak through.
- Stretch the top layer gently. Roll it out on the counter first if it needs to cover the whole pan.
- Spread with care. Dollop the filling all over and spread gently so the bottom dough doesn’t tear.
- Cool before cutting. Warm filling is soft. For neat squares, chill it first and cut with a sharp knife.
Variations
- Fruit: spoon cherry or blueberry pie filling over the cream cheese before the top layer.
- Lemon: add lemon zest to the filling.
- Chocolate: scatter mini chocolate chips over the filling.
- Honey drizzle: drizzle honey over the warm bars, like a sopapilla.
- Nuts: add chopped pecans to the cinnamon-sugar topping.
If you like baking with crescent rolls, Cinnamon Roll Crescents are a 20-minute option filled with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Storage
The filling is cream cheese, so refrigerate leftovers, covered, within 2 hours. Serve them cold, or warm a square briefly in the microwave. Chilled bars also cut more neatly.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For brunch, set it out with coffee, fruit salad and a savory egg dish.
More cheesecake and crescent desserts: cinnamon roll cheesecake, 5-ingredient blueberry cheesecake rolls and crescent roll apple dumplings. For easy bars, try ooey gooey bars or 4-ingredient turtle bars, and for brunch, cinnamon roll coffee cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to refrigerate it?
Yes. The cream cheese filling should be refrigerated, covered, once it has cooled.
Can I use crescent dough sheets?
Yes. Seamless sheets are even easier because there are no perforations to seal.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake it the day before, refrigerate it and serve it cold or gently warmed.
Why is the bottom soggy?
It needed a few more minutes. Bake until the top is deep golden and the filling is set.
Can I use less sugar?
You can cut the filling sugar a little; it will be less sweet and slightly softer.
How do I cut clean squares?
Chill the pan first, then cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Wrap cooled squares tightly, freeze and thaw them in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Soften the cream cheese, seal the dough and let the bars cool before cutting. If you add cherry pie filling or a honey drizzle, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough 8 oz each
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar for filling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted, for topping
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for cinnamon sugar topping
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
- Open one can of crescent roll dough and unroll it into the baking dish. Press it into an even layer, sealing any seams.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll layer in the baking dish.
- Open the second can of crescent roll dough and place it carefully over the cream cheese layer. Press gently to seal with the bottom layer.
- Pour the melted butter over the top dough layer. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the buttered layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
- Allow the casserole to cool slightly before cutting and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
