Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Last Updated on June 10, 2021 by Annie
These dairy-free sopapilla cheesecake bars are made with a flaky pastry filled with a cinnamon cheesecake-like filling. Topped with a delicious cinnamon sugar layer these cheesecake bars are a delicious Mexican-inspired dessert perfect for any occasion.
Around Cinco de Mayo (when I was working on my round-up of the best dairy-free recipe for Cinco de Mayo) it came to my attention my Mexican-inspired recipes lacked any substance in the dessert category. Knowing I needed to remedy this situation, and fast, I returned to an old favorite I often made in my dairy-filled days, Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars.
Layers of flaky pastry sandwich a creamy yet tangy cheesecake-like filling and are baked to golden perfection with a crispy cinnamon sugar topping. They are by no means close to an authentic sopapilla but are inspired by the fried dessert that is topped with cinnamon sugar and honey.
What are Sopapillas?
If you are unfamiliar with sopapillas, they are a fried dough often served as a dessert or with coffee. Similar to a beignet the dough puffs up while frying leaving a hollow center. After cooking, sopapillas are tossed with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar and often drizzled with honey.
I say these cheesecake bars are inspired by sopapillas but they differ in quite a few ways.
- They are baked instead of fried.
- The dough is layered with a cheesecake filling instead of hollow.
- You can serve them hot or cold, but cold allows the filling to set longer.
How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Crescent Rolls– You know that pressurized can of rolls that are perfect for pigs in a blanket? Grab one of those packages to make these cheesecake bars.
- Cream Cheese- I LOVE Kite Hill’s cream cheese for this recipe. It mixes up easily and gives the cheesecake part a nice creamy finish.
- Sugar, Vanilla, and Cinnamon– For sweetness and a little bit of flavor.
- Lemon Juice- Adds a little tang to the cream cheese filling.
- Plant-Based Butter– Allows the cinnamon sugar to stick to the top layer of crescent rolls (also adds a delicious buttery flavor that makes these absolutely divine!)
- Cinnamon Sugar– For topping the sopapilla cheesecake bars.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into 2 squares made of 4 triangles. Try to keep the crescent roll triangles connected.
- Press one of the crescent roll squares into the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl stir together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese filling mixture evenly over the crescent roll layer in the pan.
- Top with remaining crescent roll dough half.
- Then, pour melted plant-based butter over the top and brush to coat the whole top.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping.
- Bake 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate to set.
Dairy-Free Changes to Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Crescent Roll Dough– Check to make sure you select a crescent roll dough made without milk. I used Pilsbury Original Crescent Rolls for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese– Select a dairy-free cream cheese for the filling. I used Kite Hill Plain cream cheese throughout the testing of this recipe.
- Plant-Based Butter– Select your favorite plant-based butter to melt and pour on top of the cheesecake bars.
Storing + Serving Suggestions
To store, keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you are looking for a few different ways to dress up these sopapilla cheesecake bars you can:
- Drizzle with honey
- Top with a dollop of vegan whipped topping
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Decadent Desserts to Try Next
- Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
- Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
- Chocolate Eclair Dessert
- Magic Cookie Bars
- Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches
If you tried these Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars and enjoyed them feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe
Layers of flaky pastry sandwich a creamy yet tangy cheesecake-like filling and are baked to golden perfection with a crispy cinnamon sugar topping in these sopapilla cheesecake bars.
Ingredients
- 1 package Crescent Rolls
- 8 ounces Dairy-Free Cream Cheese I used Kite Hill cream cheese
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons Plant-based Butter melted
- 2 tablespoons Sugar granulated
- ½ tablespoon Cinnamon
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
-
Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into 2 squares made of 4 triangles. Try to keep the crescent roll triangles connected.
-
Press one of the crescent roll squares into the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.
-
In a medium bowl stir together 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon until smooth.
-
Spread the cream cheese filling mixture evenly over the crescent roll layer in the pan.
-
Top with remaining crescent roll dough half.
-
In a small bowl stir together 2 tbalespoons sugar with ½ tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.
-
Pour 2 tablespoons melted plant butter over the top and brush to coat the whole top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping.
-
Bake 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate to set or serve slightly warm.
