Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Breakfast Bars

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I was immediately taken by these new-to-me cream cheese bars. They were like portable cheese danishes, but better. As we all hustled and bustled to finish packing and get out the door, I couldn't help myself from grazing past the sideboard to grab another... and another.

I knew I had to find the recipe, because these tasty bites would be perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast. I started with a base recipe found online, and then I created the divine cinnamon filling to add a bit of delicious flair -- super easy, a little trashy, but oh-so yummy. I'm not usually one for using canned doughs of any sort, but what's the harm every now in then? Especially when you have Christmas dinner to make!

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Ingredients

  • For the Cinnamon Filling:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • .......................
  • For the Cream Cheese Bars:
  • 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Additional sugar, for topping

Preparation

Step 1

For the Cinnamon Filling:
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and cook until sugar and butter are well combined, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Whisk in egg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.


For the Cream Cheese Bars:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

2. Roll out 1 can of crescent roll dough into the bottom of the casserole dish to form a crust, making sure to press seams together.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Spread the filling evenly over the crust with a rubber spatula. Pour the cinnamon filling over the cream cheese mixture and spread out evenly (I used a silicone pastry brush).

4. Roll out remaining can of crescent roll dough onto large sheet of wax paper. Pat out dough to form a 9 x 13 inch rectangle, carefully pressing the seams together to seal. Gently flip the wax paper/dough over the cinnamon cream cheese filling to form a top crust.

5. Bake for 30 minutes until top crust is golden. Remove from the oven and dust with additional sugar. Cut into 2-inch squares, or smaller if feeding a crowd. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recipe can be made the day before and cooked before serving OR freeze cooked bars and thaw before eating (if serving at room temperature).

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