A cheese danish might not be the most nutritious breakfast but they sure are delicious!
Plus, they come together in just a few minutes! Trust me, you’ll never be able to go back Starbucks after having one of these homemade. The combination of slightly sweet and tangy cream cheese filling with the crisp buttery puff pastry makes a homemade cheese danish a true breakfast (or dessert!) treat.
A few notes:
- Buy your puff pastry: While I’m sure homemade puff pastry is equally as delicious, it’s much faster to just go buy some at the store. My favorite brand to use for these is Dufour.
- Keep the filling centered: The filling tends to spill over the sides as the puff pastry rises and bakes. Spillage tends to be a bigger issues if you’re making 10 danishes vs 8 since the rectangles will be skinnier than the squares. Use a cookie scoop if you have one to help keep everything uniform.
- Don’t waste a piping bag: A plastic sandwich bag will do just fine to glaze your cheese danishes. However, try to cut the hole in the piping bag as small as possible as it helps the glaze lines stay distinct.
Cheese Danish
These homemade cheese danishes are super easy to put together and so delicious. Enjoy them as a dessert or save them to have a breakfast treat!
Equipment
- Cooling Rack
- Plastic Sandwich Bag or Piping Bag
Ingredients
The Filling
- 6 oz Cream cheese softened
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla
The Pastry
- 1 box Puff pastry thawed
- 1 Egg white beaten
The Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- ¼ tsp Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.6 oz Cream cheese, 3 Tbsp Sugar, 1 Egg yolk, 2 tsp Lemon juice, 1 tsp Vanilla
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry into a 16×8 in rectangle. If making 8 danishes, cut in half lengthwise and then into quarters to make 8 squares. If making 10 danishes, cut in half lengthwise and then into fifths to make 10 rectangles.1 box Puff pastry
- Brush the edges of puff pastry pieces with the beaten egg white. Fold each corner about an inch towards the center so you end up with a diamond shape. Gently press so the edges stick down and then brush the entire danish with the remaining egg white.1 Egg white
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of each pastry.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the danish is baking, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until very smooth. Pour into a plastic sandwich bag or pastry bag. Set aside.1 Cup Powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp Milk, ¼ tsp Vanilla
- After 15 minutes of baking, rotate the pans 180° and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Place on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, and while the pastry is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top of the pastries.
- Serve warm, or store in an airtight container to enjoy for breakfast the next day.
Notes
- Buy your puff pastry: While I’m sure homemade puff pastry is equally as delicious, it’s much faster to just go buy some at the store. My favorite brand to use for these is Dufour.
- Keep the filling centered: The filling tends to spill over the sides as the puff pastry rises and bakes. Spillage tends to be a bigger issues if you’re making 10 danishes vs 8 since the rectangles will be skinnier than the squares. Use a cookie scoop if you have one to help keep everything uniform.
- Don’t waste a piping bag: A plastic sandwich bag will do just fine to glaze your cheese danishes. However, try to cut the hole in the piping bag as small as possible as it helps the glaze lines stay distinct.
