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Elegant and easy to make, Puff Pastry Danishes are flaky, crispy-edged breakfast pastries that you can customize for everyone at your table. This easy danish recipe comes together almost too quickly to be believed.
Puff Pastry Danish
These danishes may not be exactly the same as their very labor-intensive traditional counterparts, but they are a delightful, super-fast substitute.
While you most certainly can use homemade pastry in this recipe, I generally use frozen puff pastry. The frozen stuff is just too convenient!
To make these even more quickly, I prep all the filling ingredients the night before and then just assemble and bake them in the morning.
Danish with Puff Pastry
To make these breakfast beauties, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Egg
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Puff pastry
- Water
- Jam, jelly, and/or chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
You may be tempted to try using pie filling instead of jam or jelly, but I don’t recommend it. I found it to be a little too watery for these danishes.
These are best enjoyed the same day they are made. Don’t get me wrong, these are still good 24 hours later, they just don’t have the same crispness after the first day.
Puff Pastry Danish Recipe
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To prepare the filling, use a hand mixer or sturdy spoon to beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Set this aside.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each puff pastry sheet into a 12 x 12 inch square.
Cut each into 9 pieces. Prick with a fork three or four times in the center, leaving an untouched border around the outside edge. Beat the egg white and water together and brush onto each puff pastry square.
Dollop a scant tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each square and then top with a teaspoon of your choice of jam, jelly, or chocolate chips.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until puffy and light golden brown. Use a spatula to transfer them to cool on wire racks.
Whisk together the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk to start. If it is too thick, you can whisk in additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle over the top of the danishes.
While these are best served the same day, you can store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you make them, let me know what filling you tried! Chocolate chip was my kids’ favorite because they really do love everything chocolate, but I loved the raspberry ones.
Puff Pastry Cream Cheese Danishes
Ingredients
For the filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
For the Danishes
- 2 puff pastry sheets slightly thawed
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 cup jam jelly or chocolate chips
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F.
- With a hand mixer or sturdy spoon, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk, lemon juice and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each puff pastry sheet into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut each into 9 pieces.
- Prick with a fork 3 to 4 times in the center, leaving an untouched border around the outside edge. Beat the egg white and water together and brush onto each puff pastry square.
- Dollop a scant tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each square and then top with a teaspoon of your choice of jam, jelly, or chocolate chips.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until puffy and lightly golden brown. Use a spatula to transfer them to cool on wire racks.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk to start. If it is too thick, you can whisk in additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle over the top of the danishes.
- While these are best served the same day, you can store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 7/2/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/27/25}
Looking for some more ways to use puff pastry? Try Caramel Apple Puff Pastries or Pumpkin Pie Puff Pastry Turnovers!
I used homemade blueberry and strawberry jam. WOW.
Followed directions and these were delish! I will be making some for 4th of July morning.
Is there a way to use some type of blueberries or strawberries for these danishes?
Absolutely I used strawberry last week. The kind they use at bakery to fill doughnuts….they were yummy! I didn’t use cream cheese just the strawberry filling and glaze on top.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the danishes, Vicki!
Hiya thanks for the fillings but just so you know. Puff Pastry is the easiest dough to make. All the “keep it coldl scare is nonsense. Mix it, flatten butter, wrap and roll. Cool room. Don’t worry about all the fridge time. Truly easy as white bread.
Bissous
I docked the middle of each square and each one still puffed up (along with the cream cheese) and the jam all fell off…delicious, but not as pretty.
My jam all fell too… Delicious, but not pretty. What’s the secret for making it pretty?
These are a family favorite in my house! I get requests to make them all the time!
So easy and so good. LOVE to keep the ingredients on hand to make these on weekends.
I love anything made with puff pastry, It adds such a buttery deliciousness to anything its made with. These pastries are a hit with me and I love their individual portioned sizes!
No one believed I made these myself! They thought I bought them at a bakery.
Having freshly made cheese danishes sure beats anything you can buy in a store.
These are a family favorite in my house! I get requests to make them all the time!