Sopapilla Cheesecake

Sopapilla cheesecake is an easy dessert recipe. It would make a great Cinco de Mayo dessert or a dessert to go with Mexican food like Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas. A cream cheese mixture is layered between crescent roll dough and topped with sugar and cinnamon.

This sopapilla cheesecake recipe is made with crescent rolls. I've also seen sopapilla cheesecake made without crescent rolls, with puff pastries, biscuits, and tortillas.

What is a Sopapilla?

Sopapilla (pronounced soh-pahy-pee-uh) is a fried bread dessert. It is like a deep-fried dough pocket. The center is usually filled with something sweet or even something savory.

This sopapilla cheesecake recipe isn't a viral food recipe on TikTok. Neither is churro cheesecake. However, it IS one of the official state pastries of Texas (who knew that was even a thing). Maybe that means sopapilla cheesecake will become a viral dessert recipe on TikTok soon? Sopapillas are also very popular in New Mexico. Some people even say sopapillas originated in New Mexico. That could be up for debate!

What does a Sopapilla taste like?

I've never enjoyed an authentic sopapilla. However, this sopapilla recipe is like a puffed-pastry and has a light and flaky crust. It is filled with a sweet cream cheese filling. Then it is topped with a cinnamon and sugar coating. This sopapilla cheesecake recipe could also be called churro cheesecake. It shares a similar flavor with churros because of the cinnamon and sugar flavoring.

What is the difference between sopapillas and churros?

Sopapillas are traditionally a deep fried dough that looks similar to French beignets. Churros have a tube like shape, are also deep fried, and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Sopapillas are softer and more doughy than churros. They taste similar to American donuts.

Ingredients Needed

The ingredients in sopapilla cheesecake are simple. The ingredients include cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and crescent rolls.

• Crescent rolls.
• Cream cheese.
• Sugar.
• Cinnamon.
• Butter.

How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake

1. Preheat your oven. Set your oven temperature to 350℉.
2. Grease baking dish. Grease a 9x13 baking dish by coating it with cooking spray or butter.
3. Open crescent rolls. Keep the crescent rolls chilled until you are ready to use them. Open each crescent roll package, but do not separate the individual pieces. Place one package/rectangle piece on the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish.
4. Make filling. Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until it is smooth. Spread the filling on top of the bottom layer of crescent roll dough.
5. Add top layer. Place one package/rectangle piece of crescent rolls on top of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Melt butter. Melt the butter and spread on top of the final layer of crescent roll dough.
7. Sprinkle with topping. Combine the remaining cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it over the top layer of the crescent roll dough.
8. Bake & serve. Bake the sopapilla cheesecake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and serve.

📖 Recipe

How to Serve Sopapilla Cheesecake

You can serve the Mexican dessert either hot or cold. I like it both ways! My recommendation is to try to serve the Mexican cheesecake hot. The cream cheese has a silky smooth texture when it is slightly warm. You can also serve it cold though!

You can try variations on the sopapilla cheesecake by drizzling honey on top or serving it with ice cream or fresh fruit.

How to Store Sopapilla Cheesecake

A lot of people ask if you need to refrigerate the cheesecake bars. The answer is yes! Treat sopapilla cheesecake like any other cheesecake and store it covered in the refrigerator. The filling is cream cheese based and must be kept cold. I wouldn't leave the sopapilla cheesecake out other than to serve.

You can also freeze sopapilla cheesecake. Cut the cheesecake into serving portions. Store it in a freezer-friendly storage container for up to a couple of months.