These cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars have a thick and luscious layer of cream cheese nestled between two layers of flaky crescent roll crust. It’s a fun to make quick dessert recipe that is made with only 6 ingredients!

We love great dessert recipes and these cream cheese bars are a crowd favorite! If you are looking for more desserts, try these Raspberry Cheesecake Bars, made with real raspberries. Or Raspberry Brownies, with an optional raspberry sauce.

A bar on a spatula above a pan of cream cheese bars.

Desserts hold a special place in our heart and the ones made with cream cheese seem extra special. And these bars do not disappoint with the amount of cream cheese that gets added to them, two whole packages!

This easy dessert has very little prep, the hardest part is remembering to pull the cream cheese out of the fridge a few hours early so that it is soft when you need to use it.

And only a few ingredients are needed to make it. You may even have everything on hand and don’t even have to run to the store!

Using store-bought crescent roll dough makes them quick and easy. Just whip up the creamy filling, by mixing the room temperature cream cheese and the sugar and spread that on top of a layer of crescent dough. Add another layer of dough on top, sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon, and bake!

Up close of a stack of 3 cinnamon bars on a black plate with a fork.

What are Cream Cheese Bars?

Cream cheese bars are exactly what they sound like, they are bars made with cream cheese. While many cream cheese desserts have a graham cracker crust, this one is a little unique. It is made with a layer of refrigerated crescent rolls.

After they are baked, the sweet cream cheese mixture gets soft and gooey between the layers of crisp, crescent crust. The melty butter the top and the cinnamon on top really gives that perfect flavor.

Now, these bars aren’t the same as cheesecake bars. Those would involve adding eggs in the cream cheese layer, but these are much simpler and don’t need any eggs added.

Why make these Dessert Bars?

Easy recipe. You will be eating this simple dessert in no time. Easy to prepare and easy to eat a lot of it. The cream cheese filling is amazing.
Favorite dessert. This is a family favorite recipe! It is highly requested because it’s delicious.
Great for gatherings. These cream cheese squares are the perfect dessert for a large gathering because it’s made in a 9×13 inch pan. Make them for potlucks, parties, bbq’s, dessert table for the holidays, or football games.

Cream Cheese Bar Recipe Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients needed to make this recipe. Check out the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts.

Crescent dough: You will be using 2 cans of refrigerated dough. I like to use the crescent sheets (they don’t have perforations to be split apart for crescent rolls). But, if you have crescent rolls already or that’s all you could find, you just have to press all of the seems together well on a cutting board.
Cream Cheese: Make sure to pull the cream cheese out in advance so that it is softened. I like to use the full fat rectangle packages of cream cheese.
Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated sugar and that is what I always use. If you try it with brown sugar let me know how is turned out in the comments below.
Vanilla: I recommend only using real vanilla extract not vanilla flavoring.
Butter: I always use real unsalted butter.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a dash of flavor.

All of the ingredients needed to make cream cheese bars.

How to Make Cream Cheese Bars

Here are the basic instructions for making these delicious dessert bars. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for detailed instructions.

STEP 1: Preheat oven. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

STEP 2: In a small bowl mix together part of the white sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.

STEP 3: Open one can of the crescent sheets (if you have crescent rolls press all the seams together on a cutting board or work surface) and lay into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

STEP 4: In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add in cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. Press mixture over the bottom crust.

The first four steps to make cream cheese bars.

STEP 5: Open the second can of crescent sheets and lay over the cream cheese layer, no need to press it down.

STEP 6: Melt the butter and brush it on the top layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top.

STEP 7: Bake until the top is golden brown.

The last two steps of making cream cheese cinnamon bars

Tips for Success

My top tip is to spread the cream cheese as evenly across the entire base layer of crescent crust, all the way to the edges. This will make sure that the middle isn’t more cream cheese heavy than the edges.
Use a pastry brush to add melted butter to the top layer of these bars.
Make sure to pull out the cream cheese early enough so that it is soft.
Keep the rolls of crescents in the fridge until ready to be used.
Don’t use refrigerator Pillsbury biscuit dough, they contain too much salt and the dessert won’t take right.

Recipe Variations

Lemon flavor. Make them cream cheese lemon bars by juicing 2 lemons and adding the lemon juice to the cream cheese filling. Can add the zest of the lemons, also.
Blueberry cream cheese bars. Fold in 6 ounces of fresh blueberries to the cream cheese after mixing it. May affect cooking time.
Apple cream cheese bars. Spread a layer of apple pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture then add the top crust.
Raspberry cream cheese bars. Spoon a few dollops of raspberry jam onto thee poured cream cheese layer and use a knife to swirl it. Then add top layer of dough.

Above view of a pan of cream cheese bars.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of cream cheese to use? There are a few brands out there to use, but my favorite is Philadelphia brand of cream cheese. Make sure not to use whipped cream cheese, you want to use the block of cream cheese anytime you bake.

How many bars does this make? The bars will be cut into 24 squares.

Can I use non fat or low fat cream cheese instead? You could use either one of these instead of full fat cream cheese, however it will affect the texture and creaminess of the bars.

How to Store & Reheat

How to store it? Let the bars cool completely and put in an airtight container or wrap the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. They should last about 3-5 days in the fridge.

Can I Freeze cream cheese bars?

How to freeze it? Let the bars cool completely before putting on a plate and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until firm. Then cover the bars with heavy duty aluminum foil and placed into an airtight, freezer safe container. They can be frozen for 3 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.

How to thaw it? Thaw frozen cooked in the refrigerator overnight until defrosted.

A square of cream cheese bar on a spatula above a tray of bars.

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If you’ve tried this cinnamon cream cheese bar recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes.

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