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Dessert You Can Make With Crescent Rolls and Cream Cheese

In need of a quick and easy dessert or a decadent breakfast? These cream cheese filled crescent rolls are sure to be a new family favorite.

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey.

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey. Text overlay for pinning.

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey. Text overlay for pinning.

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey. Text overlay for pinning.

Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries - Convenient, refrigerated crescent rolls filled with sweetened cream cheese. Quick and easy!

Even though I enjoy cooking, I'm really not much of a baker. Baking is too precise with all the measuring. It's just..."fiddly." And I'm not a fiddly cook.

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey.

That's why this recipe for Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries is perfect for me!

Not only are cream cheese crescent rolls quick and hassle-free, they are versatile! You can make them for an indulgent breakfast for birthdays, holidays, and the like, or surprise the family after dinner with a cheesecake-like dessert that will have them singing your praises.

They're so easy! All you have to do is roll out some crescent rolls, fill them with sweetened cream cheese, and bake and you're done. Now you have a heavenly cheesecake crescent roll that is light, flaky, and oh so scrumptious. I personally believe refrigerated crescent roll dough to be one of the greatest inventions of mankind.

Close up view of one serving of the finished recipe.

Refrigerated Crescent Rolls Are a Baker's Best Friend

In my opinion, pre-made crescent roll dough is one of the most versatile "convenience" products in the grocery store. They can go either savory or sweet and can be used as a substitute for many types of dough -- pie crust, puff pastry, and even pizza dough!

You can use crescent rolls in all sorts of recipes and they will save you hours of mixing, kneading, and rising. There have even been entire cookbooks written about using refrigerated crescent roll dough. For me, they're more than convenient - they're essential.

I once heard someone say "give a southern girl a can of crescent rolls and she'll make a party!" Darn right.

I even have quite a few go-to recipes that use refrigerated crescent rolls: Crescent Roll Breakfasts Stacks, Prosciutto Ricotta Pinwheels, Italian Style Hand Pies, Sausage Swirls, and Sausage-Pineapple Rollups, to name a few.

This one, with its sweetened cream cheese filling, is very much like a cheese danish pastry or a cheesecake filled croissant. Tender, melt in your mouth, flaky dough with a lovely sweet filling.

Next time you're looking for a crowd-wowing dessert to bring to a pot luck or family get together, these cream cheese filled crescent rolls are the way to go. I hope you enjoy them. I know my friends and family love them!

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Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients You'll Need
  • How to Make Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries
  • TIP: How to Store and Reheat Your Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
  • FAQs
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Quick and Easy (10 minutes to prep; 20 minutes to bake)
  • Kid Friendly (Kids love these pastries!)
  • You can serve it for breakfast or dessert

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients needed for the recipe from left to right: vanilla extract, refrigerated crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon-sugar mixture, and butter

There's nothing fancy in these ingredients. They're so simple you probably already have most of them in your refrigerator and pantry.

  • Vanilla extract
  • Refrigerated crescent rolls (I like the Pillsbury brand, but honestly any will work just fine)
  • Cream cheese (Plain, unflavored, nothing fancy)
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Butter

You'll find detailed measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries

I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you'll find the recipe card.

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

A layer of crescent roll dough in a baking dish.

Unroll half a package (4 rolls) of crescent rolls. Press the seams together and place on the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan.

Medium bowl containing softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla stirred with wooden spoon

In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Baking pan with crescent roll dough and cream cheese filling spread on top

Spread over crescent rolls in baking dish.

Baking pan with crescent roll dough filled with cream cheese mixture and topped with second sheet of crescent roll dough

Unroll remaining crescent rolls, press seams together and place on top of cream cheese layer in baking dish.

Prepared and filled crescent roll dough in pan topped with melted butter

Top with melted butter.

Prepared crescent roll dough filled and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

Sprinkle top evenly with sugar and cinnamon.

Baked, filled crescent roll dough in pan

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned. Allow to cool, then slice and serve. May be topped with a drizzle of honey, if desired.

Several servings of Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries on serving plates.

TIP: How to Store and Reheat Your Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

On the off chance that you have any leftovers, you'll need to store them in an airtight container or resealable bag (make sure to gently squeeze out any excess air) in the refrigerator. They should keep for 3-5 days.

To reheat, I recommend using your regular or toaster oven at 300 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them, checking them frequently to avoid burning the crescent dough.

I don't recommend microwaving these pastries as you'll lose that flaky, crisp texture of the dough that makes this recipe so amazing.

FAQs

What can I use in place of crescent rolls if I'm out? Is there a substitute?

If you don't have any crescent rolls on hand, you can use pie dough or even frozen puff pastry. Note that the cooking time will vary for each type of dough -- make sure to check the baking instructions for the dough you're using.

Can I use a store brand of crescent rolls or should I always use the "big name" brands?

I typically use Pillsbury crescent rolls, but you can use any brand that your local store carries. It doesn't have any impact on the taste or recipe outcome. Just use any brand that you like. They're all fairly high quality.

Is puff pastry the same as crescent rolls?

No, it isn't. While puff pastry and refrigerated crescent rolls have a similar flaky texture, they are not the same. They're prepared in different ways with the main difference being that crescent rolls contain yeast and baking powder where puff pastry is strictly flour, water, and butter.

My cream cheese crescent rolls weren't done after baking for 30 minutes! What did I do wrong?

You probably did nothing wrong. It could be that your oven isn't calibrated correctly and the temperature is off. Just give them a few more minutes in the oven while keeping a close watch on them so that they don't burn.

More Recipes You May Like

  • Easy Overnight Sweet Rolls
  • Hash Brown Breakfast Skillets
  • New Orleans Beignets
  • Sausage Gravy and Biscuits with Tomatoes
  • Easy Peach Turnovers

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📖 Recipe

A serving of cream cheese filled crescent roll pastries being drizzled with honey.

  • 8 ounces refrigerated crescent rolls (recommend: Pillsbury)
  • 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup butter melted

Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Honey, for serving (optional)

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Unroll half a package (4 rolls) of crescent rolls. Press the seams together and place on the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan.

  • In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Stir with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

  • Spread cream cheese mixture over crescent rolls in baking dish.

  • Unroll remaining crescent rolls, press seams together and place on top of cream cheese layer in baking dish.

  • Top with melted butter.

  • Sprinkle top evenly with sugar and cinnamon.

  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned.

  • Allow to cool, then slice and serve. May be topped with a drizzle of honey if desired.

Leftovers will keep for 3-5 days stored in an airtight container or resealable bag (with excess air removed) in the refrigerator.

To reheat, use your regular or toaster oven at 300 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them, checking them frequently to avoid burning the crescent dough.

You can substitute pie dough (it won't be as flaky) or frozen puff pastry for crescent rolls. Note that the cooking time will vary for each type of dough, so make sure to follow the baking instructions for the dough you're using.

You can use any brand of crescent rolls that you like. Even store brands are all fairly high quality.

If your recipe isn't done after the specified baking time, you probably did nothing wrong. It could be that your oven isn't calibrated correctly and the temperature is off. Just give them a few more minutes in the oven while keeping a close watch on them so that they don't burn.

Serving: 1 | Calories: 446 kcal | Carbohydrates: 54 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 52 mg | Sodium: 456 mg | Potassium: 39 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 42 g | Vitamin A: 617 IU | Calcium: 37 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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-- This post was originally published on August 23, 2016.

Dessert You Can Make With Crescent Rolls and Cream Cheese

Source: https://www.lanascooking.com/cream-cheese-filled-crescent-roll-pastries/