This Cream Cheese Danish recipe make it easy to enjoy flakey bakery-style pastries right at home. Each puff pastry square is filled with whipped cream cheese, folded up, and baked until golden before drizzling with vanilla glaze.
Feel free to flavor the cheese filling even more with fruit jams, honey, lemon curd, or other sweet ingredients. And if you’re looking for more puff pastry recipes, you may also love this Caramel Cream Cheese Puff Pastry or these Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists.
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Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
Would you believe me if I said you can skip the trip to your local bakery or coffee shop next time you get a craving for breakfast pastries? Yes, those flakey Danish with creamy cheese filling can be yours with just a few ingredients and a little time. These homemade cream cheese Danish are light, flaky, and stuffed full of whipped cream cheese.
The secret ingredient that makes the whole process super easy and totally delicious can be found right at your local grocery store: frozen puff pastry. Once it’s thawed, it’s actually very simple to work with and can be used to make all sorts of yummy desserts and appetizers.
The filling for these Danish couldn’t be simpler: just a little cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Feel free to add in fruit jam, lemon curd, or a drizzle of honey to create any number of variations.
Key Ingredients
- Puff Pastry - you will need to thaw the frozen puff pastry before you can use it, but you still want it to be chilled. The best way to do this is to just transfer it to the fridge overnight.
- Cream Cheese - the cream cheese filling is made with lightly sweetened and flavored cream cheese. It should be nice and soft so that you can mix with the powdered sugar and vanilla, and then pipe into the center of each danish.
- Egg Wash - egg wash not only creates a nice shine on the danish once they are baked, but it also helps the coarse sugar stick.
- Powdered Sugar - you will need powdered sugar for both the cheese filling and for the glaze. It’s perfect for sweetening things without adding gritty texture.
- Milk - the milk is used to thin down the glaze. You may need to adjust and add a little bit more if it’s too thick to drizzle.
How to Make Puff Pastry Danish
- Cut the puff pastry squares. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets and lay them out on a flat, lightly floured surface. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal sized strips. Cut each strip in thirds to make a total of 9 squares for each sheet.
- Prepare the squares for the filling. Lightly score a circle into the middle of each square using a round cookie cutter without cutting all the way through. With a sharp paring knife, cut the pastry from each corner of the square to the circle and poke a few holes into the circles.
- Make the cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the filling. Add the filling to a piping bag and squeeze about 1½ tablespoons into the middle of each circle. Dip your finger in a small bowl of cold water, then take each corner of the puff pastry and fold it over to create a star shape.
- Bake. Egg wash each pastry and sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top. Bake in your preheated oven for 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.
- Glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of milk to make the glaze. Once the Danish are baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze over the tops. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
While I do not recommend baking these ahead of time, you can prepare these danish up to 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge until you are ready to bake. If you want to prepare them even further ahead of time, you could actually freeze them for up to 2 months, then transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw before baking the next day.
One of the easiest substitutes for puff pastry in this recipe is crescent roll dough. Just carefully unroll the dough and lay flat on a lightly floured surface. You can gently roll over the perforations, then cut and prepare the dough as directed.
Yes—because the filling is made with cream cheese you should store any leftovers in the fridge. Before you eat them again, you can reheat briefly in a preheated oven to try and make the puff pastry a little crispy again.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. In order to re crisp the puff pastry, warm them in an oven or toaster oven preheated to 350 degrees.
- Freezer: you can free unbaked danish for up to 2 months, then transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw and bake the following day. You can also freeze baked danish for the same amount of time, reheating in a preheated oven to revive some of the flakiness.
Cheese Danish with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry thawed
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large Egg for Egg Wash
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Raw Sugar
Glaze
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets and lay them out on a flat, lightly floured surface. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal sized strips. Cut each strip in thirds to make a total of 9 squares. Arrange the puff pastry squares on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with at least 1" between each pastry.
- Using a round cookie cutter that is slightly smaller than each puff pastry square, lightly score a circle into the middle of each square without cutting all the way through. Use a sharp paring knife to cut the pastry from each corner of the square to the circle. With a fork, poke a few holes into the circles of each pastry to allow the outside border to rise and puff up while the center stays lower and holds the filling.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients until light and fluffy.
- Add the filling to a piping bag and squeeze about 1½ tablespoons into the middle of each circle. Dip your finger in a small bowl of cold water, then take each corner of the puff pastry and fold it over to create a star shape.
- Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl, then use a pastry brush to brush all of the exposed areas of the puff pastry. Sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top of each pastry.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.
- While they are baking, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of milk into a small bowl. Mix well—the consistency should be somewhat thick, but still thin enough to drizzle. If the consistency is too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Once the danishes are baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze over the tops. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Puff Pastry Recipes
- Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry
- Caramel Cream Cheese Puff Pastry
- Pesto and Parmesan Puff Pastry
- Cheese Twists with Puff Pastry
- Brie and Fig Puff Pastry
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish
- More Dessert Recipes
- More Easy Appetizers
These homemade cream cheese Danish are a quick, easy, and delicious breakfast treat. They're made with flaky puff pastry dough and stuffed with whipped cream cheese.
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