Easy Gluten-Free Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars Recipe! (2024)

Why You’ll Love This Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

I love deep-fried pastries, but I don’t always love the actual deep frying part when I make them at home – there’s so much oil and often a bit of mess. So I love the idea of taking the general concept and flavors of sopapillas – deep-fried, air-filled pastries – and crossing them with classic cheesecake to make them into a simpler, still super decadent dessert.

This isn’t my original idea, but there aren’t many gluten free versions out there, which is why I had to take on the challenge. The results were incredible, so here’s why you’ll want to get in on the goodness too:

• Buttery and creamy. In this gluten-free version of sopapilla cheesecake, I use two batches of homemade gluten-free crescent roll dough to sandwich a creamy, vanilla-scented cheesecake filling.
• Quick and easy. This recipe takes just 45 minutes from start to finish, with only 10 minutes of prep work required.
• Perfect for any occasion. You can make these sopapilla cheesecake bars for a dinner party, a birthday celebration, or just because!

What Is Sopapilla Cheesecake?

Traditional sopapilla pastries are little pillowy pockets of air-filled, deep-fried dough. They can be made in either a savory or sweet manner, but you’ll most often see them on menus as a dessert offering drizzled with honey.

Sopapillas have an interesting history – they’re thought to be a version of the olive oil fried dough known as sopaipas that originated in southern Spain. It’s probable that Spanish settlers brought their culinary tradition to North America, specifically New Mexico, where it evolved into the sopapilla pastries you’ll now find on many New Mexican menus. You may also see versions of sopapillas in Mexico and in South America. In this recipe, though, I skip the gluten and frying to make gluten-free baked sopapilla cheesecake bars. Let’s get into it!

What You’ll Need

Here’s a quick glance at what you’ll need to make this recipe. Don’t forget to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Gluten-Free Crescent Roll Dough: You can use my recipe for gluten-free crescent roll dough, or purchase gluten-free dough if it’s available where you live.
• Cream Cheese: If you wish to make this recipe dairy-free, you can use a dairy-free cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese.
• Sugar: I just use white granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Egg: To bind everything together.
• Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. To make these sopapillas dairy-free, use your favorite non-dairy butter instead.
• Cinnamon: Use ground cinnamon for this recipe.
• Honey: To be used as a garnish.

How to Make Sopapilla Cheesecake

Follow along with the photos and details below to learn the best method for making sopapilla cheesecake bars.

• Preheat the oven and have a pan ready. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Then, set aside a 9×13-inch ungreased baking dish.
• Mix the cream cheese and sugar. Combine the cream cheese and a cup of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer until smooth, and scrape down the bowl.
• Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat the mixture again until it’s just combined.

• Roll out half of the dough. Remove 1 batch of chilled crescent roll dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with flour. Next, roll the dough out to a rectangle that’s roughly 9×13 in size.
• Fit the dough in the pan. Use your pan as a guide to cut the dough to the exact size that will fit in the bottom of the baking dish. Using the parchment paper to hold the dough, transfer it there.

• Spread out the cream cheese mixture. Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the dough.
• Roll out the second half of the dough. Roll out the second piece of dough using the same method as above. Transfer it to the pan and place it on top of the cream cheese mixture.

• Add the melted butter. Pour the melted butter over the top crust. Use a pastry brush to spread it evenly.
• Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it over the top of the dough. Combine the remaining 1⁄4 cup of sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle it over the top crust.

• Bake the bars. Bake them in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool completely before slicing.
• Garnish with honey. Garnish your cheesecake bars with a drizzle of honey and serve!

What Goes With Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars?

When you’re in the mood for simplicity, serve individual slices of sopapilla cheesecake drizzled generously with honey. But if you want to up the ante, try some of my ideas below.

• Drizzle with chocolate sauce. You can either skip the honey and substitute chocolate sauce, or top the sopapilla cheesecake bars with honey and chocolate sauce. Make sure to use a thinner chocolate sauce rather than a hot fudge sauce, which is typically thicker.
• Top with whipped cream. A pile of lightly sweetened whipped cream would taste so good contrasted with the sweet cream cheese filling! You could add the whipped cream before dolloping on the honey, or add the whipped cream after you’ve drizzled the honey. Whatever you like!
• Add fresh fruit. Sliced strawberries or a combination of fruit like raspberries and blueberries would go so well on top of slices of cheesecake. Add whipped cream and fruit for the ultimate presentation.
• Sprinkle on some toasted nuts. Add some toasted nuts like chopped walnuts or almonds along with the honey for crunch and texture.

More Gluten-Free Cheesecakes

Ready to test out some more easy gluten-free cheesecakes? You’re in the right place!

• No-Bake Peach Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Flourless Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll
• Syrnyk Ukrainian Cheesecake
• No-Bake Apple Cheesecake Bars

Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.