Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
Jan 12, 2015, Updated Apr 07, 2025
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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. This is an easy crescent roll dessert that only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. No fancy equipment, no complicated steps—just mix, roll, and bake!
- Quick. Thanks to store-bought refrigerated crescent roll dough, you can have a batch of these lemon cheesecake filled rolls in the oven in no time. Perfect for last-minute brunches, baby showers, or when that sweet craving hits.
- Fluffy. These are the softest, flakiest pastries with a creamy cheesecake center.
- Customizable. This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Try swapping the lemon for raspberry jam, blueberry preserves, or even Nutella.
Recipe Ingredients
- Refrigerated Crescent Rolls – The base for this easy treat. They bake up golden, flaky, and buttery. I use Pillsbury, but any brand will work. You could also sub with puff pastry.
- Cream Cheese (reduced-fat or full-fat) – Softened cream cheese gives the filling its creamy, rich base. Neufchâtel is a good swap if needed.
- Sugar – Sweetens the filling and balances the tang from the cream cheese. If you want, you could try a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup (but it will change the flavor).
- All-Purpose Flour – Helps thicken the filling slightly so it doesn’t ooze out.
- Egg Yolk – Helps bind the filling together.
- Lemon Zest – Adds fresh, zippy flavor and brightens up the whole filling. You can use orange zest instead for a different citrus twist.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Almond extract would also be delicious here, just use less!
- Egg – Brushed on top for that golden finish. You could use milk or cream instead, but the egg gives the best shine.
- Turbinado Sugar – Adds crunch and a little extra sweetness on top. Swap with sanding sugar or plain granulated sugar if needed.
- Powdered Sugar + Lemon Juice – Creates that smooth, sweet glaze that you’ll drizzle over the baked crescent rolls.
How To Make Crescent Rolls with Cheesecake Filling
- First, grab a couple of cans of crescent roll dough (the Pillsbury kind works great) from the store.
- Next, move on to the best part—making the cheesecake filling with cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the filling onto each triangle, then roll them up into crescent shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the crescents are puffed and golden brown.
Katerina’s Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Dough Alternative: Using puff pastry instead of crescent rolls? You totally can! Just make sure to roll it out really thin first, then cut it into triangles so you can shape them just like classic crescents.
Storage
If you plan to serve 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
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Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
Crescent rolls filled with lemon cheesecake filling are a sweet, creamy, and delicious dessert. Flaky crescent rolls pair perfectly with the tangy lemon cheesecake filling.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (8-ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls,, I use Pillsbury's
For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- 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
For the Egg Wash and Topping
- 1 large egg,, lightly beaten to break up the yolk
- turbinado sugar
For the Glaze
- 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.
Make the Glaze
- 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
Serving: 1crescent roll | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
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.
Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating
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.