These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish are a delicious fall treat, perfect for a sweet breakfast or easy dessert. Theyโre made with flaky puff pastry and stuffed with both pumpkin and cream cheese fillings.
Top with our homemade vanilla glaze and enjoy with a cup of coffee. If you are looking for more pumpkin desserts, you can also try our Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes, No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake, or these Pumpkin Pie Crunch Bars. And if you want to keep it simple, try my Cream Cheese Danish.
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish
Itโs officially fall, and that means pumpkin recipes are in full swing! This pumpkin Danish recipe is a perfect way to celebrate and can be served either for breakfast or dessert. To keep things easy peasy, we use store bought puff pastry for the base. Once it is thawed, itโs really easy to work with and can be turned into so many delicious pastries.
The pumpkin cheesecake filling is actually two separate fillingsโsweetened pumpkin puree and whipped cream cheese. They are both piped into the center of each pastry rectangle and swirled together before baking.
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.
- Pumpkin Puree - make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling! You can either use store bought puree or make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - this is added along with brown sugar and cinnamon to flavor the pumpkin filling. You could also use straight cinnamon.
- 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. Itโs 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 itโs too thick to drizzle.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Danish
- Cut the puff pastry. 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 half to make a total of 6 rectangles for each sheet.
- Prepare the squares for the filling. Using a paring knife, lightly score a line about ยฝ" inside of each rectangle without cutting all the way through. Poke a few holes into the center of each with a fork..
- Make the cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy and add into a piping bag.
- Make the pumpkin filling. In a separate small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix well, then add the mixture to a piping bag.
- Add the filling. Squeeze about 1ยฝ tablespoons of cream cheese and pumpkin the filling into the middle of each rectangle. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixtures together.
- Bake. Egg wash each pastry and sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top. Bake in your preheated oven for 15-18 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
If you donโt have piping bags you can also use small plastic baggies! Just add the filling and squeeze it into one of the corners, then cut off the very tip. You could also scoop each filling onto each pastry and spread it out with an offset spatulaโit will just take a little longer.
Yes! 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.ย
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.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry thawed
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- ยฝ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pumpkin Filling
- ยฝ cup Pumpkin Puree
- โ cup Brown Sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ยผ teaspoon Cinnamon
Egg Wash
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Raw Sugar
Glaze for Cheese Danish
- ยฝ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Milk
- ยฝ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Thaw according to package directions. Unfold the sheets of puff pastry and lay 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 half to make a total of 6 rectangles, then arrange them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with at least 1" between.
- Using a paring knife, lightly score a line about ยฝ" inside of each rectangle. (Don't cut all the way through the pastry) Poke a few holes into the center of each pastry with a fork 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 the vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer and combine the ingredients until light and fluffy, then add to a piping bag and cut off the tip.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix well, then add the mixture to a piping bag and cut the tip to about the width of a pencil.
- Squeeze about 1ยฝ tablespoons of cream cheese and pumpkin the filling into the middle of each rectangle. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixtures together.
- 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 about 15-18 minutes, or until the Danishย are golden brown.
- While they are baking, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of milk into a small bowl. Mix wellโthe 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 of Our Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
- Classic Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Frosted Pumpkin Bars
- The Best Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Baked Pumpkin Rice Pudding
- Pumpkin French Toast
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
- More Dessert Recipes
These festive pumpkin cream cheese Danish with puff pastry and vanilla glaze are the perfect fall breakfast or dessert. They're filled with pumpkin flavor and gooey cream cheese filling.
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