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Cream Cheese Danish – Buttery, flaky puff pastry filled with a lightly sweetened cream cheese center and baked to golden perfection. This easy homemade version comes together in just 30 minutes for a bakery-quality treat. Perfect for brunch, a quick breakfast, or a simple sweet snack!
A warm, flaky Cream Cheese Danish feels like something you’d pick up from a bakery, but they’re surprisingly easy to make at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have golden, buttery pastry filled with a lightly sweetened cream cheese center, all baked to perfection in about 30 minutes.
This recipe keeps things simple by using store-bought puff pastry, so all the effort goes into the rich, tangy filling. A touch of vanilla and lemon zest brightens up the cream cheese, balancing the flavors without being overpowering. Pair these danishes with Spicy Sausage Rolls for a savory contrast and sip on a Raspberry Mimosa to round out an effortless brunch spread.
These danishes are perfect for a weekend treat, a quick pastry fix, or a simple way to make an ordinary morning feel special. Serve them as-is, or add a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of icing for an extra touch of sweetness. However you enjoy them, they won’t last long!
Why You’ll Love Cream Cheese Danishes
- Perfect for any time of day – Enjoy them warm with coffee in the morning, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or as a last-minute dessert.
- Customizable with different toppings – Add fresh fruit, jam, or a drizzle of icing to switch up the flavors.
- Bakery-quality results at home – These danishes taste like they came from a pastry shop but are made right in your own kitchen.
- Make-ahead friendly – Prep the pastries and store them in the fridge overnight so they’re ready to bake fresh in the morning.
- Crowd-pleasing for any occasion – Whether serving guests, bringing them to a brunch, or treating yourself, these danishes disappear fast!
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Puff Pastry Dough
- Cream Cheese
- Lemon Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Sugar
- Egg
- Water
How To Make Cream Cheese Danish
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet – Set the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Cut and shape the puff pastry – Roll out the thawed puff pastry into a rectangle, then cut it into six evenly sized pieces. Score a border around each piece and prick the centers with a fork to help control how they rise.
- Make the cream cheese filling – In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the danishes – Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each pastry, spreading it evenly while keeping it inside the scored border.
- Brush with egg wash – Lightly brush the edges of the pastries with whisked egg and water to give them a golden, glossy finish when baked.
- Bake until golden brown – Place the pastries on the middle rack and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are puffed and golden.
- Cool before serving – Let the danishes rest on a wire rack for a few minutes to allow the filling to set.
- Enjoy warm or add toppings – Serve as-is, or sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with icing for an extra touch of sweetness.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Thaw puff pastry properly – Let the puff pastry thaw in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to keep it cold but pliable. If it gets too soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes before working with it.
- Don’t skip the scoring step – Lightly scoring a border around each piece of pastry helps create a crisp, defined edge while keeping the center from puffing too much.
- Keep the filling inside the border – Spreading the cream cheese mixture within the scored area prevents it from overflowing while baking.
- For extra crispiness, bake on parchment – A parchment-lined baking sheet helps the bottoms brown evenly while keeping the pastries from sticking.
- Brush with egg wash for a golden crust – A light egg wash on the edges of the pastry gives it that shiny, bakery-style finish.
- Add a fruit topping for variety – Spoon a little fruit jam or fresh berries over the cream cheese filling before baking for a fruity twist.
- Make ahead for an easy breakfast – Assemble the danishes the night before, store them in the fridge, and bake fresh in the morning.
Store leftover danishes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for a few minutes to crisp up the pastry again.
Yes! Freeze baked danishes in a single layer, then transfer them to an airtight container. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warm and flaky
More Tasty Breakfast Recipes
- Bakery Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Griddle Cakes
- Chorizo Breakfast Burrito
- Breakfast Crunchwrap
- Chocolate French Toast
Cream Cheese Danish
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry dough, thawed
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Egg + 2 Tablespoons water, whisked for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out thawed puff pastry into a 12×9" rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, into 2 strips about 4 1/2 inches wide. Cut those two strips crosswise into thirds, so you will have 6 small rectangles.1 sheet Puff Pastry dough
- With a knife, score 1/2 inch border around the edge of each piece of puff pastry. Use a fork to make five or six pricks into the dough within the border of each piece. This will help keep the middle of each piece from rising.
- In a bowl, stir together softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until nice and smooth. Spoon about 3 Tablespoons of mixture into the middle of each piece of dough and spread around evenly, ensuring the mix stays within the borders.8 ounces Cream Cheese, 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- Brush the edges evenly with the whisked egg wash.1 Egg + 2 Tablespoons water
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, on the middle rack and rotate the baking sheet half way through baking. Once the puff pastry has puffed up and is nicely golden brown remove from the oven and cool before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These look so easy but elegant. Yet somehow they’re also playful and remind me of pop tarts. I bet the kids would love them (not that they’ve ever seen a real pop tart. lol).
These would make a perfect breakfast!
Lovely danishes. 🙂 I have yet to use puff pastry… this looks like a great recipe to try it out with. 🙂 Thanks for guest posting for Erin. 🙂
These sound so easy – and good! I love sweets like this! =)
My husband just saw these and said I better get to work!
I love this idea – I need to make some, STAT!
These will be perfect for my Easter brunch – thanks 🙂
These little pastries look perfect and so easy right up my alley.
where does the egg wash come in?
Brush it on before baking. Thanks for pointing that out. I will update the recipe.