Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

This is a classic Texas dessert for potlucks, bunco/game nights, etc. It is not fancy, so while puff pastry may seem like a noble idea...just don't. For some reason the Pillsbury crescent dough just works, giving it more of that intended sopapilla texture (and I don't use canned dough otherwise!). A little citrus zest - orange is especially good - added to the cream cheese filling is a great addition, though.

Would love to make this but live somewhere where there is no pre-made crescent roll dough to purchase. Any suggestions for a substitute? Thank you

I've made almost this exact recipe for years and have never needed an egg. Once the filling is spread out over the dough and then baked, I think it somehow all sort of melds just right and, once refrigerated, doesn't seem to be mushy. I've never needed to go to the trouble of doing the knife in water thing. I just use a good, sharp knife and wipe with a towel in between cuts.

8" x 8" = 64 sq in 9" x 13" = 117 sq in 117 sq in/2 = 58.5 sq in For a PERFECT conversion, you'd need a pan that was 58.5 sq in, or 7 5/8" x 7 5/8" However, I've always used an 8" x 8" pan when halving recipes for 9" x 13" pans and have never had a problem. One important thing: you may have to reduce the cooking time slightly as there is less mass to heat and cook

OK, no question is stupid, right? If the cream cheese filling is covered by a layer of crescent roll dough, how can you tell if it is wobbling in the center to indicate "doneness"? Or does the crescent roll layer on top wobble, too?

Wonder how this would work-out using puff-pastry instead ...

This is hilarious. I have been making exactly the same thing for the past twenty years. I got the recipe from a lady in church in California and we all called it "Breakfast Cheesecake." I'm embarrassed when anyone asks for the recipe because it's so easy and so full of processed food. But it IS delicious....

It’s a pretty big rich recipe. When I make those crème de menthe brownies I also cut them into chocolate size pieces because they’re so rich. Wonder if you could use puff pastry sheets instead of crescent roll dough?

This cake is also known as churro cake!

Come on. It's called Ann Pillsbury's cream cheese crescent roll bars. It's a very old recipe and there is nothing sopapilla about it.

I'd like to make this but am wondering if the cream cheese filling needs an egg (or two) to firm up and allow for easier cutting and serving? This looks great for a pot luck I'm attending soon. The author doesn't include an egg in the recipe but it seems unusual otherwise.

I've been making almost this exact recipe for years and it's delicious and always a hit. My version has slightly different amounts on the sugar in the filling vs the on the top, and the cinnamon amount is more in this version, but the results are always a popular item for any event. There used to be a version of the crescent roll dough available that didn't have the perforations, and that made things a little easier. Not sure if that's still available or not, but something to look for.

I don't know how long people in the Southwest have been been eating this, but I have a recipe dating back to about 1998 (and is probably older) that is identical, except that it calls for toasted, broken pecans on top. It is not called cheesecake but is called Dogtrot Danish.

The recipe says to unroll the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, so I suggest you make it fit the bottom. You can manually stretch it or roll it out a bit.

Someone mentioned getting the crescent rolls without the perforation. I used to buy them for a different recipe, then couldn't find them. I moved to a new location, two hours away and found them in the store this week. I don't know if it was a pandemic/supply chain issue or my local store, but they DO still make them.