This Sopapilla Cheesecake recipe features sweetened cream cheese between layers of a cinnamon-sugar crust for the perfect combination of New-Mexican sopapillas, churros, and cheesecake in one! It’s easy to make and a great dessert for potlucks.
Easy Sopapilla Mexican Cheesecake Recipe
One of my friends served this sopapilla cheesecake at a baby shower a while back (except she made her crust from scratch.) The very first bite sent me over the moon and I begged for the recipe. I’ve made it several times since, especially if I need something simple for a potluck that transports well.
The middle is sweet and creamy, sandwiched in-between crisp flaky dough, topped with cinnamon-sugar and a drizzle of honey. It’s almost like a giant stuffed churro!
What is Sopapilla?
Sopapillas (pronounced soh-pahy-pee-uhz) comes from the Spanish word “sopaipa,” translated to English, means “bread soaked in oil.” They are a type of fried puffed pastry; sort of a cross between a French beignet (but no yeast) and Indian fry bread, so they are light and flaky. They can be served either sweet, usually with honey, or savory stuffed with beef, like a tamale.
Ingredients Needed
This Mexican cheesecake recipe is made with just a few simple pantry items.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Refrigerated crescent roll sheets – If your grocery store carries the crescent roll dough sheets, definitely use those. If you can only find the perforated ones, that’s totally fine. Just pinch the seams together to seal completely.
- Cream cheese – The base of the cheesecake filling. Bring it to room temperature first for easier blending.
- Granulated sugar – Included in the cheesecake filling for sweetness and also mixed with the cinnamon, sprinkled on top of the dough.
- Egg – Provides structure to the filling.
- Vanilla – Just a touch adds great flavor!
- Unsalted butter – This is melted and brushed over the top dough which helps the cinnamon-sugar adhere to and also makes it golden and crisp as it bakes.
- Ground cinnamon – Mixed with sugar and sprinkled on top before baking, resulting in crisp crust that’s warm and sweet.
- Honey – An optional topping, but drizzled over the warm crust, it gets absorbed and adds another level of deliciousness. Don’t skip it, if possible!
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake
This recipe is so easy to make in just a few simple steps.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Bottom Crust. Layer the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish with one crescent roll sheet.
- Filling. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until combined and fluffy. Spread it over the bottom crust.
- Top Crust. Place a second crescent roll sheet over the cheesecake filling.
- Butter. Brush melted butter over the top crust.
- Cinnamon-Sugar. Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over the entire top crust to cover.
- Bake. Bake until golden brown, then cool completely (or chill overnight) before slicing.
Tips and Variations
- Enjoy warm or cold. Once baked, allow to cool for at least 1 hour, but it is amazing warm or cold. I usually chill it overnight (which makes it easier to cut) but then bring to room temperature before serving so it has a fluffy texture.
- Halve the recipe. You can easily cut all the ingredients in half and bake in an 8×8 pan, if needed.
- Add some fruit topping. A delicious variation is adding a thin layer of cherry pie filling, apple pie filling, or raspberry sauce on top of the cream cheese layer, before you put the top crust on. So good!
- Don’t skip the honey. The honey (and cinnamon-sugar) are what give this dessert elevated flavor, which makes it so amazing – if possible, don’t skip it!
Serving Suggestions
This dessert is very sweet, so no additional toppings are necessary – the honey and cinnamon-sugar are the wow factor. But if you want to take it up another notch, nobody will judge you! A few other optional toppings include chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or Ice cream.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. You can enjoy this dessert warm or cold, but once cooled, it does need to be stored in the refrigerator. Any leftovers should be covered tightly and eaten within 3 days. Note: the longer it chills, the top will lose its crispness.
- Freezer. Let the bars cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, take them out of the freezer bag, place them on a plate, and defrost in the fridge.
- Rewarm. Place bars on a plate in the microwave at 50% power for 5-10 seconds, if desired.
More Mexican-Inspired Desserts To Try:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Sopapilla Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar , divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- (2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese , softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- (2) 8 ounce tubes refrigerated crescent roll sheets (if you can't find the seamless dough sheets, use the perforated crescent rolls)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 of the sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add in the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, the egg, and vanilla; beat to combine. Set aside.
- Unroll the tubes of crescent roll dough sheets; gently press one of them into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. (If using perforated crescent roll dough, pinch the seams together to seal completely.)
- Using a spatula, evenly spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the dough, then cover with the other roll of crescent dough.
- Brush the top all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over to cover.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, and bars appear set when gently shaken.
- Remove from oven and drizzle evenly with the honey.
- Cool for at least 1 hour in the pan. I usually chill it overnight (which makes slicing it way easier), and then bring to room temperature (or rewarm) before cutting into 12 bars. But you can enjoy it warm or cold. So good!
I made these for our luncheon after church and they were a huge hit! They were so simple to make. Next time I am going to try one of your variations (besides honey…used that today).
This was so delicious and easy.
Made this today for our home church group, and our friends could not stop raving about it! Definitely a new addition to our potluck arsenal. Thank you so much! God bless!
This was a great recipe. I made the regular recipe and one with the apple pie filling. Both were yummy! Many compliments at my work and also wanted the recipe.
Made this for a fiesta themed company party and it was a total hit! Made three pans and not a single crumb was left.
This was so easy to make and delicious! Everyone said it resembled a cinnabon taste. I would definitely make this again, and it’s perfect for bigger crowds. I made the recipe as is, no changes.
I actually have a question. I have made thus dessert Nanyang times but I was thinking if using puff pastry. Has anyone tried that?
So delicious! Served this for a brunch and everyone raved about it.
Great desert
Turned out great and everyone ate it ALL! There were no leftovers to take home after the party!
Hi-
I totally get the ease of using refrigerated roll dough, but we are not fans. Do you have a homemade version of a substitution for them?
Tbanks!
Delicious! First time making this, and took them to a Mexican themed pot luck. Everyone loved them. The end/edge pieces were a little dry because the crust was thickest there, so next time I would make sure it’s thinner, with a little more filling along the ends.
Hey! I used a pizza cutter around the edges horizontally to make them nice and clean and even. Hope that helps for next time!
Do I need to pre-bake the bottom layer to avoid a soggy crust?
Am I able to use a foil 9×13 pan or do I have to use a glass pan?
That should be fine.
Easy and my family loved it
I first made this recipe for us at home and with one bite determined it was a delicious winner for our church ladies’ mission luncheon!! it was received very well with numerous requests for the recipe! Thank you very muc!!
This cheesecake tastes so good! I’d never heard of this dessert before, but was sold by that cinnamon honey crust on top. Amazing and easy. Will definitely make again!
Excellent recipe! Everyone raved about how tasty it was. Plus, it was simple to make.
I’ve made this a few times now and we love it! We’re not big fans of honey so we drizzle some caramel sauce on top instead. I put chocolate chips in the cream cheese mixture for one version I made and it was delicious!
How simple for something so delicious!