Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls combine flaky crescent pastry with a sweet and creamy lemon cheesecake filling for a deliciously quick and indulgent dessert. The buttery crescent rolls pair perfectly with the sweet and tangy lemon cheesecake filling, creating a tasty combination of flavors and textures.
Crescent Rolls stuffed with a creamy, sweet, perfectly tangy Lemon Cheesecake filling and bursting with fresh lemon flavor! These beauties are a great treat for dessert, breakfast, or a snack, and are ideal Brunch stars. They are also perfect for a party or potluck, as they can be easily transported and served.
Why Should I Make These Crescent Rolls
- Simple. An easy dessert with only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time.
- Quick. Made with (store-bought) refrigerated crescent roll dough.
- Fluffy. They are soft, creamy, flaky, and pillowy.
- Customizable. Adaptable to your favorite flavors, but lemon is best, IMHO.
Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Ingredients
- Refrigerated crescent rolls (like Pillsbury’s)
- Cream Cheese
- Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Large egg yolk, lightly beaten, for the cheesecake filling
- Lemon zest
- Pure vanilla extract
- Large egg, lightly beaten, for the egg wash topping
- Turbinado sugar, for the topping
- Powdered sugar, for the glaze
- Lemon juice, for the glaze
How To Make Crescent Rolls with Cheesecake Filling
- First, you will pick up a couple of cans of crescent roll dough (the Pillsbury type) from the store. You can also use puff pastry dough, but you must roll it out really thin before using it. Then, you’ll cut the puff pastry dough into triangles just as it needs to be cut to make crescents.
- Next, we will move on to the more delicious phase, making our cheesecake filling with cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla. Make sure to mix it until creamy and smooth.
- Spread the cheesecake filling onto each triangle, roll them up into the shape of a crescent, and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet; freeze for 30 minutes before baking. Bake time is around 11 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For optimal results in baking, especially when creating dishes like cheesecakes or pastries, it’s crucial to use ingredients like cream cheese, eggs, and butter at room temperature. Ingredients at room temperature blend more easily and uniformly, ensuring your cheesecake filling is creamy and free of lumps.
- Cheesecake Filling Preparation: When making the cheesecake filling, blend cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla together. It’s important to mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth for a consistent flavor and texture.
- Freezing Before Baking: A key step is to freeze the filled crescents for 30 minutes prior to baking. This helps maintain their shape and ensures even cooking.
- Alternative Fillings: When making pastries like crescent rolls, don’t hesitate to get creative with your fillings. Beyond the classic cheesecake, you can explore a variety of flavors like fruit preserves, Nutella, almond paste, or savory options such as ham and cheese or spinach and feta.
Storage
If you plan to consume the crescent rolls within a day or two, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to a month.
Crescent Dough Desserts
- Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries
Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cans (8-ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls, I use Pillsbury's
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, or full fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten to break up the yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten to break up the yolk
- turbinado sugar
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with wax paper.
- Unroll the dough and break it up into 16 triangles.
- Transfer the triangles to the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if necessary. Set aside.
- In your mixer's bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and flour until well combined.
- Add in the egg yolk and beat until incorporated.
- With the mixer on, add the lemon zest and vanilla, and continue to mix until completely smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling at the center of the wide end of each triangle.
- Starting at the wide end, roll the dough to the opposite point and pinch the edges to seal.
- Keep rolls pointed side down and slightly curve the sides to resemble a crescent shape.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Remove crescents from the freezer and transfer them to the greased baking sheet.
- Brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle them with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until puffed up and lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
- In the meantime, place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in the lemon juice; whisk until combined. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled crescent rolls.
- Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Hi… this looks sooo good but is it possible to omit the egg yolk from the filling?
Yep, that’s totally fine, but you’ll need a little bit of extra liquid (maybe milk, more vanilla, lemon juice) in the cheesecake mixture so to achieve that silky smooth texture. Just add enough to make it smooth… you won’t need much.
Hi this looks absolutely t die for. My husband and son love all things lemon. Question…is this a bake cream cheese filling or can u use with other things as a no bake filling?
I just made these tonight! They were good, but next time I will leave the flour out of the filling. They don’t bake long enough for the raw flour taste to disappear. The glaze has a nice lemon tartness to cut through the sweetness. I will make again with that one adjustment!
These look AMAZING! I love lemon and cheesecake….swoon!
Easy and decadent. My kinda recipe!!!
Looks wonderful.
These look like a must try!!
They look and so so amazing.
Just curious… can you make these ahead of time & store in the freezer & then pull out to bake when needed?! If so, does the baking time need to be adjusted if they’ve been in the freezer longer than 30 minutes?!
Can these be frozen after they are baked
Hi Eleanor! I’ve never tried it… but it should work as long as they are cooled down completely before placing them in the freezer. However, my suggestion is that it’s always better if you freeze them first, then bake right before serving.
Not enough filling for 2 cans of rolls…. Should have used the 8 oz of cream cheese, etc….disappointed directions were not more accurately measured….
Hi Jane! I have made these multiple times, and if anything, I’ve had some filling leftover. BUT, maybe I use much less of the filling and that is why it works out for me. Nevertheless, I’m sorry that it didn’t work for you! Have a great rest of the weekend!
Made these for a brunch date today. They were delicious! Not too much of an overpowering lemon taste, just the right amount! The only issue was that the glaze was clear. The glaze in the pics above is clearly white. Mine would’ve looked much prettier if you were able to see the glaze. Otherwise the taste was truly delicious. The perfect brunch dessert!
Hi Amy! So happy you enjoyed them!! Thank you! Next time just pour a bit more powdered sugar in the glaze and that will thicken it and it will appear whiter. Have a great Sunday!
I just love crescent rolls and I am thinking about getting up and making these to ty out and see if they are as good as they Look I cook something on Wed. To take to Church as a dessert So I will Try Them Today !! Thank You For Sharing This Recipe , Sincerely Frances Barker….
Made these this morning, turned out great!!! Only change, substituted sugar w/Splenda w/n the cream cheese mixture.
HI! So it worked with the splenda, too? YAY! I’m going to make them for my dad, then. 🙂 Very happy to hear you enjoyed them! Thank YOU!
what if you just froze the filling before putting in the crescent rolls. Seems like it would be easier to fill and roll up.
Hi Jeanie! The reason I freeze the crescent rolls is because the filling has less of a chance of melting/oozing out while baking.
Oh my gosh!! Currently dying over these… so flaky, warm, gooey, goodness!! I need these in my life. Correction: these will soon be in my life. 🙂
That lemon cheesecake filling just sounds so divine.. wish I had one of these rolls to devour right now!
Omg, these crescent rolls would make a beautiful breakfast tomorrow! Yummy!
I shoved everything in my office. I’m still waiting on the hubs to relocate all the crap to the attic. It might never happen. These… These are going to happen. Pinned.
These look truly irresistible! What a genius combination!
Can you trade the Turbinado Sugar for brown sugar?
These look gorgeous and sound amazing. I love that they could even be eaten for breakfast or for dessert.
I know it’s January and we’re all supposed to be on a healthy kick, but… That just leaves me craving sweets even more. And lemon cheesecake inside of crescent rolls? Pure genius. Pinned!
I wish I had these for breakfast. They looks so sweet and delicious!
Oh yes, these would be the bomb warm! I’m all about warm desserts even if the recipe says to let them coo . I’m a rebel 😉
I’m a scratch baker too, but it’s cold and I’m lazy, and I just want to get to the finish line with several large bites of these cresent rolls. That cheesecake filling. Omgosh!!
Oh yes, I would definitely choose the lemony cream cheese filling – these look irresistible. And I love how simple they are to put together.
Nothing wrong with a little convenience (esp after the holidays!!). I’d love one for breakfast right now! And feta mac and cheese…that’s on my mind as well!!
My husband will love you for these crispy and lemony treats!
We always get cresent rolls from costco and keep them in the fridge. next time I’ll try this recipe! LOVE the lemony cream idea. I think refreshing part made me feel like I could eat more than chocolate filling. 😉
Omg, I love crescent rolls so much it’s embarrassing. I wish I had one of these right now!
Kate….these look divine! Nothing perks me up more than lemon pastry in the middle of winter! Sweet and easy and i wouldn’t change a thing! (stunning photos!)
Um, yum! Lemon and cram cheese are so amazing together. I’m posting a recipe with both of those ingredients tomorrow. 😉
I basically want to inhale the entire batch, that’s how much I love these!!
I love anything lemon and anything cheesecake. These bites look especially delicious!
I am right there with you celebrating easy! I’ve heard rumors that homemade crescent rolls take three days to make and I am too impatient for that! 🙂
These look wonderful! I cannot get crescent rolls here in Australia can you suggest an alternative please!
Hi June!!
I’ve been searching the net for a good hour looking for a substitute, but it looks like Australia does not like to sell refrigerated dough. I even asked in a forum and was told that Aussies like their baked goods made from scratch. I don’t blame you! 😀 If by some miracle you find refrigerated dough that’s used for croissants, take it. If not, you’ll have to make croissants from scratch. BUT, I do have a recipe for Macedonian croissants (dinner rolls), and instead of the feta, you can use the lemon cheesecake mixture. Here’s the recipe: https://diethood.com/macedonian-dinner-rolls/ I hope this helps, somewhat. Thank you, June!
Wow, these look fantastic! Makes me want to have breakfast for dinner… yum!!
Awesome use of crescent rolls!! I love coming up with different ways to eat them 🙂
Monday’s should always be about easy so it’s less stressful! Love that lemony cream inside!
it is citrus season in Arizona!
Nothing at all wrong with a few little shortcuts – especially if THAT FILLING is inside! I love lemony treats and this one is calling my name!
I was thinking about other fun things to use for the filling but then I read your comment about the lemon filling being “beyond.” You just don’t mess with that. Can’t wait to try this, pinned the recipe!
Easy is good! On a Monday, I can’t handle anything too difficult. I could eat these for dessert (and lunch and snack time).
NOW that’s a crescent roll I could dig into!
Oh my goodness. I love all things lemon. These look incredible!!
What is turbinador sugar?
Hi! That’s sugar in the raw. It looks like large brown crystals. Should be easy to find in the baking aisle next to the other sugars. I hope that helps!