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Home » Food » Breakfast » Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries

Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries

By Lana Stuart · Published: Jan 14, 2021 · Last Modified: Jan 14, 2021 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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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 on Never Enough Thyme 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!

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.

Enjoy!

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'll Love ...

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

Have you tried this recipe? I'd love for you to give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card and/or in the comments section further down.

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📖 Recipe

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

Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Roll Pastries

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.
4.58 from 115 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 446kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

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

Topping:

  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Honey, for serving (optional)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • 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.

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition Information

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

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.

About Lana Stuart

Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
More About Lana →

Previous Post: « Sour Cream and Onion Cornbread
Next Post: Easy Sausage Muffins »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SS says

    October 25, 2018 at 3:30 pm

    If you unroll 1 can you get 8 crescents... so should it be one can of the crescents? 4 on top + 4 on bottom is 8 meaning 1 can correct?

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      October 25, 2018 at 3:33 pm

      Yes, that's correct.

      Reply
  2. Irish1 says

    October 12, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    I love this recipe. I went further and added 1egg and 2/3 cup ricotta, and 1/2 tsp. orange zest to the cream cheese. Delicious!

    Reply
  3. Val J says

    May 17, 2017 at 8:46 pm

    Do these need to be refrigerated?

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      May 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

      I would refrigerate any leftovers.

      Reply
  4. Dors says

    March 22, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    Tried making this but I used 2 rolls of crescent rolls ( bottom-2 layers + top- 2 layers)... it came out looking like a cake ?. Not sure if I read the recipe right, or should I have used only 1 roll & spread out the first 4 triangles then topped it with the next 4?

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      March 22, 2017 at 8:20 pm

      It should be one layer on top and one layer on bottom. I went back and clarified the instructions to make it easier to understand.

      Reply
      • Dors says

        March 22, 2017 at 9:13 pm

        Ok thanks. For the meantime, we'll just enjoy our cream cheese crescent roll "cake" ?

      • Lana Stuart says

        March 22, 2017 at 9:17 pm

        I bet it still tastes good!

  5. Darlene Campbell says

    January 14, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    Made this with apples and extra Conn sugar. My husband are half in about an hour. Bad boy gotten a tummyache. Bet he learned to share. Darlene

    Reply
  6. Brenda says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:53 am

    This looks delicious and I want to try it soon,but this pan does not look like a 9x13 pan more like an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Which is right? Thanks

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      December 19, 2016 at 10:58 am

      You're right, Brenda. That is an 8x8 pan in the photos. I'll make a correction.

      Reply
  7. Jim says

    August 25, 2016 at 12:10 am

    Is the butter 1/4 stick or 1/4 cup? I'm guessing 1/4 cup 'cause more butter is better in baked goods.

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      August 25, 2016 at 9:31 am

      It's 1/4 cup! So sorry - I'm correcting the recipe right now.

      Reply
  8. Miss P says

    August 24, 2016 at 8:58 am

    Move over. I don't want to elbow you as I go for this treat.

    Miss P

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      August 24, 2016 at 9:58 am

      Avoiding the elbows! Try this with a little peach preserves spooned over the cream cheese layer. Yum!!

      Reply
  9. Margaret says

    August 23, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    Sprinkle blueberries over the cheese. Delicious

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      August 24, 2016 at 9:55 am

      I haven't tried blueberries, Margaret. That sounds great!

      Reply
  10. Alice says

    August 23, 2016 at 11:09 am

    My aunt does something similar and adds home-canned peaches. Simply delectable.

    Reply
    • Lana Stuart says

      August 23, 2016 at 11:52 am

      Sounds delicious! This basic recipe can be taken in so many directions - almost any kind of cooked or fresh fruit can be added with a drizzle of sugar frosting on top. Or you could drop in some chocolate chips on top of the cream cheese filling and top the finished dish with drizzled chocolate...so many options!

      Reply
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Lana Stuart, author of Never Enough Thyme

Hi! I'm Lana Stuart, the cook, writer, and founder of Never Enough Thyme. I've been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 so I could share my delicious home cooking recipes with all of you. You'll find almost 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
More About Me →

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