Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

What happens when you combine cinnamon rolls with cheesecake? Your new favorite cheesecake recipe is born! Classic cheesecake swirled with a cinnamon filling on top of a cinnamon roll base and finished off with a cream cheese icing make for the ultimate Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake.

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

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I’ve said this before but as much as I like the components in cheesecake, I don’t love them altogether.

My husband, however, is a cheesecake lover and requested this cinnamon cheesecake for his birthday.

Instead of the traditional graham cracker crust, this cheesecake uses cinnamon rolls as the base! They are topped with a creamy cheesecake, a cinnamon roll filling, and drizzled with cream cheese frosting to finish it off.

Equipment you’ll need

• Springform Pan – You’ll need a 9″ springform pan. They’re often easy to find at HomeGoods/TJ Maxx for a great price.
• Hand Mixer – To get your cheesecake nice and smooth, an electric mixer (either hand or stand) is recommended.
• Silicone Spatulas – I use these for everything. This set even comes with a mini spatula that you can use to swirl the cinnamon filling with.

Ingredients

• Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls – You’ll need one tube of your favorite cinnamon rolls plus the icing packet that comes with them. Look for the 12.4 ounce (8 count) I’m partial to Pillsbury.
• Cream Cheese – I recommend full-fat cream cheese. Start with it at room temperature for the best results.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream makes for a soft, moist cheesecake.
• Eggs – Two large eggs, also at room temperature.
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar is what I tested with.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor.
• Butter – You’ll melt butter for the cinnamon swirl mixture. You can use salted or unsalted.
• Brown Sugar – Also for the cinnamon swirl, you can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Flour – Just a bit of all-purpose flour to thicken the cinnamon filling.
• Cinnamon – Try to use a high quality ground cinnamon like ceylon for the best flavor.

How to make Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

1. STEP ONE: Make the cinnamon roll “crust” by gently pressing a tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls into the bottom of a greased 9″ springform pan. Set aside.

2. STEP TWO: Make the cheesecake filling by mixing together room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Then slowly stream in the heavy cream while mixing until smooth. Finally, add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each until smooth.

3. STEP THREE: Make the cinnamon filling by mixing together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Then stir in the melted butter until well combined.
   
4. STEP FOUR: Assemble the cheesecake by pouring half the cheesecake batter over the cinnamon roll base and then drizzling half the cinnamon filling over the top. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top and then finish it off with the remaining cinnamon mixture. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl.

5. STEP FIVE: Bake for 45-50 minutes in a 325°F preheated oven or until the edges are set and the center just slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and let cool for an hour on the counter. After an hour, move it to the fridge for approximately 3 hours to fully chill. Before serving, drizzle with the icing packet that came with the cinnamon rolls. Slice & enjoy!

What to serve with cinnamon bun cheesecake

This cheesecake is the perfect dessert after a dinner of small batch chicken enchiladas, spicy chicken chipotle pasta, or slow cooker Italian beef sandwiches.

If you want to make it a cheesecake party, here are some others I’ve made for my husband’s birthdays: mini cheesecakes, Reese’s stuffed cheesecake bars, chocolate chip cheesecake, and red velvet cheesecake swirl brownies.

How to store cheesecake

How to store leftovers

Leftover cheesecake should be covered and stored in the refrigerator.

How long will cheesecake last in the fridge?

Homemade cheesecake will keep 3-4 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze cheesecake?

Yes, any cheesecake can be frozen, either individual slices or the whole cheesecake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil and freeze for up to a month for the best flavor.

When ready to eat it, move it to the fridge to thaw, or place it on the counter.

FAQs

Can I substitute the heavy cream for something else?

Yes! The heavy cream can easily be swapped out for ½ cup of sour cream. You need to change the amount due to the consistency.

Also note that the cheesecake will be more tangy with sour cream than it would be with the heavy cream.

Do I have to layer the cheesecake and cinnamon mixture layers, or can I add all the cheesecake filling then all of the cinnamon mixture?

You can do either, but pouring the different mixtures in in layers helps ensure that the cinnamon mixture goes all the way through the cheesecake filling.

The center of the cheesecake is still jiggly, is that alright?

Yes! Cheesecakes need to ‘set’ even after being baked, so it is normal for more than the very center to be jiggly, just make sure the edges are firm.

It should firm up after it’s chilled in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Need more cinnamon filled recipes? Try these:

Cinnamon Quick Bread

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews

Toffee Doodle Cookies

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Need more cheesecake recipes? Try these:

Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Berry Cheesecake Fluff

Click here for my entire collection of dessert recipes.

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Melissa Williams

What happens when you combine cinnamon rolls with cheesecake? Your new favorite cheesecake recipe is born! Classic cheesecake swirled with a cinnamon filling on top of a cinnamon roll base and finished off with a cream cheese icing make for the ultimate Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake.

4.84 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 680 kcal

Equipment

• Springform Pan

Ingredients

  

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For the Cinnamon Roll Base

• 12.4 ounce refrigerated cinnamon rolls including the icing

For the Cheesecake

• 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
• ¾ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs at room temp

For the Cinnamon Filling

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325℉.

To make the cinnamon roll base

• Spray a 9" springform pan with a non-stick spray, open the cinnamon rolls and without overlapping, gently press all 8 of them into the bottom of the pan. Set aside and save the icing packet.

To make the cheesecake

• To a large bowl, use a hand mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer), to beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
• Slowly add in the heavy cream and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add in 1 egg, beat until combined, then add the next egg and beat until combined. Set aside.

To make the cinnamon filling

• To a medium mixing bowl, use a spatula to stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Then, add the melted butter and stir until well combined.
• Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the prepared cinnamon rolls pan and use a spatula to evenly spread it out.
• Drizzle half of the cinnamon filling evenly on top.
• Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top and gently smooth it out.
• Drizzle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top and then use a butter knife to gently swirl the cinnamon filling around.
• Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until only the middle of the cheesecake slightly jiggles, but the edges are firm.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature for about 1 hour, then place in the fridge to cool for 3 hours.
• Once the cheesecake has chilled, drizzle the reserved icing packet over the cheesecake, slice, and enjoy!

Notes

For the icing, be sure to only snip a little bit of the package, to make sure too much doesn’t come out at once. It only took one little packet of the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls to cover the cheesecake like in the photos.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 680kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 8gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 532mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 1332IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published January 16, 2014

The highlight of this cake, for me, was the candle. I was watching a new talk show on Food Network over the weekend, saw this Lotus Candle and immediately ordered one. You light the center then it drops open & lights the 12 candles on its own. While it’s spinning & playing Happy Birthday. Stuff like that makes me happy.