Crescent Roll Cheesecake Recipe

Who loves cheesecake, but not the hassle of making this indulgent dessert? Well, your life is about to change for the better, thanks to this recipe for crescent roll cheesecake developed by Christina Musgrave, who shares recipes at Tasting with Tina. "[My inspiration for this recipe] was to develop a delicious and easy cheesecake bar with a unique crust that can be done quickly," Musgrave says. But wait — crescent roll crust? If you're skeptical, don't be. As Musgrave explains, "These bars taste like a piece of cheesecake, but with a flaky crescent roll crust on the top and bottom." Yum!

This is the ultimate sweet treat to bake up for a special occasion. As Musgrave says, "This is a great, easy dessert for a birthday, party, or holiday. These would be a hit at any holiday party, as they can be cut in big or small pieces and they can be handheld without a mess."

You will likely only have to shop for a few ingredients if you plan on making this crescent roll cheesecake, as most of what's needed is definitely already hanging out in your kitchen cupboards. So, add 2 cans of crescent rolls and 2 packages of cream cheese to your shopping list. Then, gather 1 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar. You are ready to prepare this recipe.

We asked Musgrave why her cheesecake recipe calls for crescent rolls, and she explains, "It's a super easy crust and it provides texture on the top and bottom of each bar." She also explains how this treat is enhanced with just a few simple ingredients. "The sprinkled powdered sugar and cinnamon add a sweet and spiced flavor to the dessert." 

Your first step en route to cheesecake bar bliss is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Simply layer 1 can of the crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan. Musgrave advises to press the dough down firmly so you get rid of all air pockets. Also, make sure you don't have any gaps in between your crescent triangles. 

Once your bottom layer of crust is arranged, grab a large bowl — you can also use a stand mixer — and combine your softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Your goal is to stir the mixture until it's free of lumps. Once your cheesecake filling is velvety smooth, it's time to layer it atop the crescent rolls, smoothing it out evenly, as you will be adding your top layer of crescent rolls next.

Once your cream cheese mixture is spread over the bottom layer of crescent roll, unroll your second can and create the top crust layer by laying it gently over the filling.

Finally, bake your cheesecake bars for 30 minutes. Musgrave notes, "This recipe should be hard to burn." Still, she advises, "Make sure you watch [the cheesecake] in the oven [to ensure] it is baking evenly and not browning too much on top."

When the crescent roll cheesecake is baked to perfection, top it with cinnamon and powdered sugar for a sweet finishing touch. If you do plan on bringing your cheesecake to a party, it's okay to make it ahead of time. Or, if you fix this treat for yourself — which we highly encourage — Musgrave says, "Leftovers keep in the fridge for three to four days." As in, if you don't finish it all in one sitting, you can enjoy this dessert practically all week long!