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Danish Pastry:
Puff pastry cream cheese Danish is flaky and crisp, and it complements the creamy cheese filling better than refrigerated crescent roll dough.
To skip the store-bought stuff, make Homemade Crescent Roll Dough for softer Danish, or this crisp homemade puff pastry dough from my Napoleon Cake (it’s super easy, no laminating needed)! 
Cheese Danish Recipe
This cheese Danish recipe has been on my blog for almost a decade—that’s way before Starbucks launched its cheese Danish.
It looks like a fancy dessert, but it uses store-bought puff pastry for a huge shortcut! Sure, you can make everything from scratch, but it wouldn’t be on my list of easy spring or summer dessert recipes (think Mother’s Day or easy Brunch ideas).
This method of twisting and forming the puff pastry creates little “nests” perfect to hold the cream cheese filling! They look just like the Costco Bakery Danish desserts, but with minimal effort.
Danish Fillings:
Homemade cheese Danish filling is so easy to whip up using cream cheese. You can add a zest of lemon peel for a refreshing twist. However, Mennonite stores carry Danish Pastry Cheese Filling Pouches that are pre-made and ready to pipe into the pastries in a cinch.
You can pick from strawberry, blueberry, or cherry fillings, although I like the chunky cherries in the canned cherry pie filling tins. The cream cheese danish has to be my favorite!
I’ve also seen a baker fold the puff pastry an extra time and apply a layer of buttercream to make a richer and flakier Danish. You can find his complete tutorial here, as well as his homemade Danish dough recipe. 
Mise en Place
Equipment:
- Two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Patry brush
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
- Rolling pin
- Hand Mixer
- Tablespoon
Ingredients For Cheese Danish:
- Puff Pastry- You’ll need a pound box of frozen puff pastry. It usually comes in a box of two sheets. Make sure to thaw it as instructed before using.
- Cream cheese Filling is simply cream cheese, powdered sugar, and an egg yolk. Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract for a sweeter pastry. Powdered sugar blends better into cheese than granulated sugar. Cane sugar can leave a gritty aftertaste, especially if it’s on the coarse side.
- Eggs—I use two eggs: one yolk for the cheese filling and the reserved egg white, as well as another whole egg for the egg wash. That way, nothing goes to waste.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze- adds a finishing touch and is essential in creating a sweet cream cheese Danish pastry! You could use lemon juice in place of some of the water and add some lemon zest for a refreshing twist. Drizzle it over the top after they bake.
Note: Adding turbinado sugar to baked goods like puff pastry creates a crunchy topping and adds extra sweetness and texture. Sprinkle some coarse organic cane sugar over the puff pastry (after applying the eggwash), especially around the edge, for a sweeter, crunchy topping.
Pro Tip: Add some fresh berries, sliced strawberries, or lemon zest for a pop of color and flavor.
Watch Our Easy Cheese Danish Video:
How to Make Cheese Danish (Step-by-Step Tutorial):
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C)—line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out puff pastry sheets to 10″ by 15″ rectangles. Cut each sheet into 15 one-inch strips.
3. Take one strip of dough, holding down one end; take the other end and swirl the strip to make a spiral. Then wrap the spiral around clockwise to form a round shape. 
4. Attach another strip of dough to the end of the first swirl and repeat, likewise pinching down the seam end of the dough to seal the swirl. 
5. Place the pastry swirls onto a lined baking sheet. 
6. Then flatten the center of each swirl using your hands to make indents for the filling. Set aside. 
Cream Cheese Filling for Danish:
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the sifted powdered sugar and one egg yolk (reserving the whites for the egg wash), and beat until smooth and silky.
2. To make egg wash, combine the reserved egg white, one whole egg, and water. 
3. Brush pastries with egg wash and fill each center with the cream cheese filling. I made some using cherry pie filling (delicious too). 
Note: Fill the cheese Danishes with only 1 tbsp of filling and cover during baking. Once baked, trim off any browned surfaces and top with the remaining cheese filling while still hot for white silky cheese tops, as the cheese tends to brown easily. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and flaky. 
5. TO MAKE GLAZE: Stir together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. 
6. Drizzle glaze over warm danishes and allow to cool before serving.
Helpful Tips for Making Cheese Danishes:
- Allow the puff pastry to thaw at room temperature for at least 40 minutes for easier handling.
-
Make sure the cream cheese is soft to prevent a lumpy filling. When in a hurry, I remove the wrapper and microwave the cream cheese block for 20-30 seconds to bring it to room temperature fast.
- If you want the glaze to appear, reserve half for drizzling later, over cooled danishes. I like to drizzle the glaze over warm Danishes so that it penetrates through the crispy puff pastry. If you don’t want the glaze to melt off, make it thicker so it melts nicer.
- Don’t have cream cheese? Make a cherry Danish using canned pie filling (the ones you use for cheesecakes) instead.
- If you don’t have a microwave, you can bring cream cheese to room temperature fast by putting it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes (with the wrapper on).
- Stretch the servings and make “mini” versions by doing everything the same except for using one strip of puff pastry and filling with half the cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar to prevent a gritty cheese filling.
Have you made this Cheese Danish? I’d love to know if there’s an easier way to shape the puff pastry dough. Comment below to let me know.
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Easy Cheese Danish Recipe (Video)
Equipment
- 1 electric hand mixer
- 2 large baking sheets, (lined with parchment paper)
- 1 rolling pin and Pizza cutter
- 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon, (for cheese filling)
Ingredients
Cheese Danish Ingredients:
- 17.3 oz Pkg of Frozen puff pastry, (2 sheets, thawed)
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, (softened)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, (sifted)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, (divided)
Ingredients for Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 7 tsp water
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Meanwhile, roll out puff pastry sheets to 10" by 15" rectangles. Then, cut each sheet into 15 one-inch strips using a pizza cutter.
- Take one strip of dough, holding down one end; take the other end and swirl the strip to make a spiral.
- Then wrap the spiral around clockwise to form a round shape. Attach another strip of dough to the end and repeat, pinching the seam below the dough to form a "nest" shape.
- Place swirled puff pastry dough onto the prepared pans, then flatten the center of each twisted "nest" using your hands to make indents for the filling. Set aside.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then add one egg yolk and powdered sugar (reserving the white for the egg wash) and beat until creamy.
- Make the Egg Wash: In a small bowl, mix one egg, the reserved egg white, and water. Brush the Danishes with the egg wash.
- Fill each center with a tablespoon of the Cream Cheese filling. Reserve leftover cheese filling for retouching after baking. (See notes).
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
- Make the powdered sugar glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle over cheese danishes.
Notes
- We found that baking at a lower oven temperature of 380°F omitted the need to cover the filling when baking. So feel free to add a heaping tablespoon of filling without reapplying afterwards.
- If baking at a higher oven temperature of 400°F, fill the cheese Danishes with one tablespoon of filling and cover the filling part with parchment paper during baking. Once baked, fill in any brown spots with the remaining cheese filling while still hot for white silky cheese tops, as the cheese tends to brown easily.
- For shiny Danishes, mix together one part granulated sugar with two parts hot water straight out of the oven for extra shine. This creates that shiny crust you see in Bakery pastries.
- I've experimented and sprinkled coarse organic cane sugar over the Danishes after applying the egg wash with delicious results! It adds a little more sweetness and crunch from the sugar.
- To make mini Danishes, swirl one strip of dough and make an indent, then fill with one heaping teaspoon. Bake as directed (about 20 minutes).
Nutrition (per serving)
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