This easy Cream Cheese Danish recipe uses frozen puff pastry to make assembly a cinch. They’re filled with a sweet cream cheese mixture that turns them into a bakery-style pastry that you can make even better at home.

Easy Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

This recipe for cream cheese filled danish uses puff pastry from the frozen section of the grocery store. It’s the greatest way to use a shortcut hack and impress others with your skills without telling them how quickly they come together. How do you make homemade Cream Cheese Danish? (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

Thaw Puff Pastry – Thaw puff pastry per package directions.
Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet or 2 standard size baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make Filling – Add cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract (OR lemon) and egg yolk to a medium size bowl. Beat on medium high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and fully combined.
Roll Puff Pastry – On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry sheets, rolling with a rolling pin just until smooth around 12 x 14 inches in size.
Cut into Strips – Use a sharp knife or pastry wheel to cut each sheet into 12 even strips. Pinch the ends of 2 strips together to create one long strip then twist.
Twist and Form into a Circle – Wind the twisted strip into a spiral and place onto the pan.
Use the back of a spoon or a bottom of a glass to gently flatten the centers to create a bed for the cream cheese.
Assemble – Use a tablespoon to divide the filling between the pastries dolloping into the center.
Egg Wash – Use a pastry brush to brush the puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.
Bake – Bake per the recipe until golden and puffed. Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes then gently remove to a cooling rack to cool completely while you make the glaze.
Make Glaze – In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and heavy cream with vanilla. Drizzle over cooled danish.

How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Cream Cheese Danish: 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed per the package directions, plain cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla or lemon extract, one large egg beaten with cold water for the egg wash and one large egg yolk for the filling. For the vanilla glaze you’ll need powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla or lemon extract.
Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: Sheet pans, parchment paper, a stand mixer or a hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, a pizza wheel, sharp knife or pastry cutter, a medium bowl and a small bowl to make the egg wash, a whisk and a pastry brush.
You can change the flavor of the cream cheese mixture using orange zest, lime zest or lemon zest.
You can thaw puff pastry two ways. If you’re someone who plans ahead, pop it into the fridge overnight and let it thaw slowly in a cool environment and it’s ready to go in the morning. Otherwise, you can thaw puff pastry at room temperature following the package instructions which varies slightly from brand to brand. Pepperidge Farm usually recommends 30 minutes on the counter then carefully unfolding the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Should you choose the quicker route, it’s important to watch the time and not let it go too far, or it will effect the quality of the puff dough.
You may also choose to top these with cherry, blueberry or strawberry pie filling to create different flavors. It’s a terrific way to personalize one treat turning it into several choices.
How long will Cream Cheese Danish last? You can store these Cream Cheese Danish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.

More Easy Pastry Recipes to Make

We all like to treat ourselves from time to time and there’s no reason you can’t make your bakery favorites at home in your own kitchen. More popular pastries and sweet treats you may also like to make:

Cherry Danish with Cream Cheese Glaze starts with frozen bread dough.
Better than bakery style Cream Horns recipe.
Chocolate Eclairs filled with homemade pastry cream.
Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts will delight kids of all ages.
Glazed Caramel Apple Turnovers are drizzled with a homemade vanilla cream glaze.
Powdered sugar coated light and airy New Orleans Beignets.
See how to make your own Puff Pastry here from Preppy Kitchen.

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