Cheese Danish

Name: Sweet Cheese Danish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese (softened); ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (divided); 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (room temp); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; ½ teaspoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed); 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed); Splash of water

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

You need to give this Puff Pastry Cream Cheese Danish recipe a try!

Softened cream cheese is blended together with just the right amount of sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice to make a sweet cream cheese filling that’s placed in the center of a flaky puff pastry. You can easily top your sweet cream cheese danish with berries or jam for even more flavor, color and texture.

You don’t have to be a baker to make delicious sweet treats like cheese danishes. Using sheets of puff pastry, half the work is already done for you. So, this recipe is quick, easy, and comes out perfect no matter what your skill.

picture of a cheese danish on a plate next to a cup of coffee

Cream Cheese Danish ingredients

This delicious cream cheese danish recipe is made with simple ingredients, and is quick and easy to whip up. Here’s what you need to get started:

Cream cheese– Before starting the recipe, you will need to let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for about 30-minutes to soften.
Sugar– When measuring your sugar, you will need 2 teaspoons and ? cup for different parts of the recipe. Don’t measure it altogether.
Eggs– For this recipe, you will need an egg yolk for the cream cheese filling, and an egg for the egg wash. Make sure they are both at room temperature before using.
Vanilla– Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Lemon juice and zest– You will need both fresh squeezed lemon juice and some lemon zest.
Puff pastry sheets– Before making your cheese danishes, allow the puffy pastries to thaw on the counter so they are easier to mold and cut.

How to make Cheese Danish

Once you’ve gathered and measured all your ingredients, you can get your danishes filled and in the oven in 10-minutes. Follow the steps below!

picture of cheese danish filling in a bowl

picture of danish dough on a baking sheet

picture of hand brushing butter on danish

picture of danish dough with cheese filling on baking sheet

picture of hand adding sugar to pastry dough

First, preheat the oven to 400?. Then, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Add cream cheese, ? cup of sugar, an egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a medium sized bowl. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
Next, place a piece of puff pastry on a clean work surface. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the pastry so there are no creases. Then, cut the pastry into 4ths.
Place each quarter of the puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Fold the corners in so you can fill the center.
Place 11/2 tablespoons of your cream cheese filling into the center of each puff pastry.
Whisk together an egg and a splash of water to make the egg wash. Then, brush each pastry with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over each pastry.
Finally, bake your cheese danishes for 16-18 minutes. Then, place them on a wire rack to cool for 10-minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!

Tips and tricks to perfect this Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

Remove danish from the oven when the puff pastry is a golden brown.
The sugar on top is optional. I like it because it gives the danishes a light crunch and more sweetness.
Add fresh berries on top before baking, or mix them into the filling to make flavored danishes. You could also add jam or preserves on top.

How to store Cheese Danish

If you have any leftover cheese danishes, you’ll want to cover the pastries with foil or plastic wrap and place them in a Ziploc bag. Then, store your pastries in the refrigerator for up to 7-days.

Sweet Cheese Danish Recipe FAQS

Once you’ve blended the ingredients for the cream cheese filling, and added it to your puff pastry, you’ll bake the cheese danish until it’s a golden brown color. This requires them to be baked at 400?.

It will take you about 10-minutes to gather your ingredients and make the filling. Then, the danishes will take an additional 18-minutes to cook. Afterwards, you’ll want them to cool for 10-minutes. So, this recipe will take a total of 38-minutes.

The lemon juice helps to counteract the richness of the cream cheese, so you will taste lemon in the filling. If you don’t want any trace of the lemon flavor, leave out the lemon juice and the lemon zest.

More Sweet Breakfast Treats

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many of us run out the door without eating in the morning. That’s why I like other quick, grab ‘n go breakfast ideas like this recipe. If you liked my cheese danish recipe, you’ll love my Easy Apple Fritter Bread, 10-Minute Baked Banana Bread Doughnut Holes, or my Lemon Berry Mini Bundt Cakes.