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–+ servings
Multiple cheese danishes on a marble surface.
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Cheese Danish

This delightful Cheese Danish recipe comes together quickly and easily with only a few ingredients. A delicious creamy cream cheese filling wrapped up with a flaky puff pastry, it's the perfect way to start the day!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Austrian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 163kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet

Ingredients

For the Danish

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened (170g)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 batch puff pastry or 1 box, thawed
  • 1 egg white lightly beaten

For the Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Danish:

  • Position two oven racks towards the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla on medium-low speed until well combined.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the homemade puff pastry into a 16x8-inch rectangle, cut in half lengthwise, and then into quarters crosswise, creating 8 (4-inch) squares. (If using store-bought puff pastry, lightly roll each sheet to flatten the creases and cut to make 8 (4-inch) squares.) Brush the edges of the squares lightly with the beaten egg white. Fold each corner in about 1 inch towards the center and gently press to adhere. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Brush any exposed pastry with egg white.
  • Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each pastry.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pans and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Let cool on the baking sheet while making the glaze.

For the Glaze:

  • While the pastries cool, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the warm pastries before serving.

Video

Notes

  • If you have a cookie scoop, use it to scoop the cream cheese filling so that they are even.
  • Always thaw the puff pastry according to the package’s instructions, as the puff pastry will crack and tear if you try to roll frozen pastry.
  • Puff pastry is sold in block form as well, so if you’d like to save time, be sure to grab puff pastry sheets to save yourself the work of rolling them flat.
  • Add a spoonful of your favorite fruit jam in the center of the baked danish before drizzling with glaze for extra flavor.
  • Give the cheese danishes a few minutes to cool before adding the glaze. You want the cheese danish to be warm but not piping hot as the glaze will melt off.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 324IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg