Easy Cheese Danish Recipe (VIDEO)
This Cheese Danish recipe is so easy to make. The cream cheese filling tastes like Cheesecake and the fresh berries and lemon glaze add a bright pop of flavor just like on our Blueberry Muffins.
From the flaky buttery crust to the creamy center, everything about these Cheese Danishes is good and they always disappear fast.
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You’ll love this method of forming the puff pastry. It looks fancy but it’s really very simple and you will be a pro in no time. This is a perfect party dessert or after breakfast treat with a mug of coffee.
Watch Cheese Danish Video
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Ingredients for Cheese Danish Recipe
- Puff Pastry – Using a store-bought (thawed) puff pastry, is the easiest way to make these. You can of course use homemade dough if you prefer.
- Berries – For this cheese danish, you will need about 1 1/2 cups of fresh berries or 12 pieces of each berry. If you prefer to make them all blueberry danish or all strawberry danish, that would work as well.
- Cream Cheese – forms the creamy center of the pastry
- Sugar – sweetens the filling
- Egg yolk – gives the filling a smooth and rich texture
- Vanilla extract – either homemade vanilla or storebought work great
- Lemon zest – adds subtle lemon flavor to the filling
Tools You Will Need
- Electric Hand Mixer (or a stand mixer)
- Rimmed Baking Sheet lined with Parchment
- Rolling Pin and a Pizza Cutter
- Small Cookie Scoop to portion cheese filling
- Pastry Brush for applying egg wash
Tips for Making Cheese Danishes
- Thaw puff pastry according to the package instructions. If you try to speed thaw, it will become sticky and difficult to roll out.
- Let the pastries cool completely to room temperature once they are out of the oven. Be patient at the end! The cream cheese filling is very much like cheesecake, so it needs a little time to set properly before enjoying.
- Cool before glazing – once the pastries are at room temperature, apply the glaze. If you glaze a hot pastry, the glaze will melt and run off the pastry.
- Be generous with the glaze. We use every last drop and then lick the spoon.
More Puff Pastry Desserts
The possibilities are endless with puff pastry; braided, filled, folded, rolled, and even made into a cake! These are our favorite easy puff pastry dessert recipes you will make over and over.
Easy Cheese Danish Recipe
This Cream Cheese Danish recipe is so easy to make! The cheese danish filling tastes just like cheesecake and the fresh berries and lemon glaze add a bright pop of flavor.
Ingredients
Cheese Danish Ingredients:
- 1 lb puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups berries, (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
Egg Wash Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
Ingredients for Lemon Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
How to Make Cream Cheese Danish:
-
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions. Preheat Oven to 400˚F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat liner.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon zest. Beat together on medium/high speed until creamy and smooth.
-
Unfold the first puff pastry sheet onto a clean work surface and roll lightly into a 10″x10″ square. Use a pizza cutter to slice each sheet into 12 even strips.
-
Combine 2 of the strips by tightly pinching two ends together then twist the strand from top to bottom. Press one end onto your work surface and loop the twisted strand around it, working from the center out. Pinch the end to attach it to the pastry. Flatten the center slightly with fingertips and poke the center a few times with a fork to prevent the center from puffing up too much.
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Place 1 Tbsp of the filling into the center and press the berries halfway into the cream. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 for the remaining strands and second sheet of puff pastry. Transfer filled pastries to lined baking sheet, keeping at least 1/2″ space between them.
How to Make Eggwash & Bake:
-
In a small bowl, combine 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water. Beat together thoroughly with a fork.
-
Brush outside edges with egg wash and bake in the center of the oven at 400˚F for 18 -20 min. Let cool completely to room temperature so the cream cheese filling sets properly then drizzle with lemon glaze.
Q: What is YOUR favorite way to use Puff Pastry? I would love to hear about your creative ideas in a comment below!
Natasha Kravchuk
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Would love to see a pineapple, cherry or pecan danish recipe also! Those are my favorites.
That’s a great suggestion, thank you!
Hi Natasha! August 23rd was my birthday. My mom made these and they were absolutely delicious!
Happy Birthday, Ashanti!
I enjoyed from Natasha’s kitchen
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
These came out awesome! Can you make them the night before and out them in the oven in the morning?
Hi Rose, These are very best fresh but we have enjoyed leftovers the following day and they still tasted great. We covered loosely but fully and refrigerated overnight.
I meant to ask can you refrigerate raw over night and bake in the morning? I love your recipes, I make them often with my 10 year old daughter, thank you!
Hi Rose, I think that would work to prep them ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake the next morning.
Thank you!
Hi, I brush a sheet of puff pastry with melted butter. Then grated tasty cheese and cover with caramelized onions and garlic and sprinkle chopped parsley over that. I then cut into 4 long strips and fold each strip over itself, length ways, and seal edges as best as u can….don’t be too fussy! Line a baking tray and as u lift the strip onto the tray, give them a twist. Brush with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 200° for 20mins. Until pastry is golden and cut into 3 or 4 pieces each strip. Filling can be changed to… cooked chopped bacon and mushrooms or whatever u have on hand….but always with the cheese. They freeze really well and r a great B4’s. Top the bacon and mushroom strips with sesame seeds. Cheers Pam (Aust)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Pam!! That sounds delicious!
I live in Yukon Territory (neighbour of Alaska). I have tried and love many of your recipes. Have used many over and over because they are so good. Next challange is the Easy Cheese Danish. Wish me luck! You make it look easy!
You got this!! I hope you love the danish recipe!
It’s a wow wow wow explosion in my mouth! Children also got impressed, and they are pretty picky:) Thank you very much, Natasha! Spasibo ogromneishee!!
That’s so great, Rodica!! That is the best when kids (& the entire family)love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Omg!! These are so wonderful and delicious. Everything you post is amazing. Any tips on storing the leftovers for tomorrow…..if there is any!!
Glad you loved it, Michelle. These are very best fresh but we have enjoyed leftovers the following day and they still tasted great. We covered loosely but fully and refrigerated overnight.
These danishes were so addicting, we could not stop eating them. I was so surprised how easy they were to make!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Lily!!
Hi Natasha,
I’m diabetic and would love if you could create some diabetic-friendly desserts.
rockstde
Hi Lois, thank you so much for that suggestion! You’ll find in our recipe comments most of our readers make adjustments for their diets after trying the recipe the first time around.
These were so good!! First time making them and loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed these danishes, Eden!
Perfectly flaky on the outside and creamy on the inside. My new favorite!
The best combination! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me, Krystle!
Ohhhh, these were simply delicious! Dangerously so;)
Thank you for providing such wonderful tasty and attractive recipes! I don’t get to get in to town as often as I used to, can you provide me with a homemade puff pastry? I
d love to be able to make these more often:)
Thank you again:)
I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, Dee! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, and thank you for that suggestion! I’m adding that to my to-do list!
Hi Natasha, is it okay to prep the cream cheese mixture the night before? Thanks.
Hi Christine, I bet that could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I made the cream cheese mixture the night before. It worked well and saved time for brunch the next day. The danish was a hit with my family. Thanks Natasha. Love all your recipes.
You are very welcome, Christine. I’m happy that you liked the recipe!
Can I freeze before baking or prep the night before and freeze so they are ready to be baked the next morning?
Hi Madisen, I honestly have not tried freezing these danishes but I think it’s worth experimenting. Wrap in plastic wrap then place in freezer bags before placing into the freezer.
I tried using apples with this and it was amazing! I used a croissant pastry sheet and adjusted temp to 375 for 10 minutes. I also used cinnamon in the glaze instead of lemon. It was delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hey Natasha! I’ve been wanting to make these for a long time, and finally did today. They turned out delicious and my whole family adored them. Thank you so much for such great recipes!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hey Natasha! I’ve been wanting to make these for a long time, and I finally did today! My whole family loved them and demanded that I make them again! Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
Finally made these. Yes, it was so easy and so good. Thank you!
I noticed the print friendly recipe section is missing how to make Lemon glaze! I watched the video so many time before i made this so it was ok, but thought to let you know!
You’re welcome and thank you too for sharing your good feedback with us. Thank’s for noticing that, I’ll see if I can have the recipe updated soon.
Thank you for the recipe calculator!!!!!
Can I use mango or any canned fruits instead of berries?
Hello Jeane, I think that should work too although I haven’t really tested it to advise with the measurements and result. Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment!
surely!! Will do!! 🙂
😋🤩👍
Hi, Love the recipe! Just wondering the shelf life of the danishes.Do I need to refrigerate?
Hi Betty, since there is cream cheese in the danishes, I would refrigerate after a day if you want to keep them longer than that.
My wife just tried this and was so happy. She said “Natasha…Nathasha. That was so good, I am glad I made this. My son agreed.
Small note, in our oven it took 35 minutes.
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so glad you enjoyed that, David!
Is there a big taste difference between store bought and homemade puff pastry? Is it worth making it homemade?
I still feel new to the kitchen and this was easy and delicious – even did it with a toddler!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
Can I substitute for whipped cream cheese?
Hi Luba, I haven’t tested this with whipped cream cheese so I can’t say for sure. As a general rule of thumb, it is not recommended to substitute with whipped cream cheese if the recipe is baked like in cheesecake because it changes the texture. It is easier to substitutew the two for a recipe that isn’t baked (like with spreads). If you experiment, let me know how it goes.
Natasha, I have a question: can I use a heavy duty wax paper instead of parchment?
Thank you!
Hi Tetyana, wax paper is not heat resistant and the wax will melt at high temperatures.
Good to know. Thank you! I just greased the baking sheet with butter. Excellent result! 🙂
Could these be frozen after baking and cooling ?
Hi Sherry, I honestly have not tried freezing these danishes but I think it’s worth experimenting. Wrap in plastic wrap then place in freezer bags before placing into the freezer.
Hello Natasha, I cannot stop making your delicious amazing recipes, I made the cream cheese danish this afternoon for my friends on St. Patrick’s Day after dinning desert it was a hit, everyone including myself love it. Thanks again. Also letting you know your videos are so helpful, showing everyone watching.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I love your recipes Natasha. I’ve purchased puff pastry a few times, put it in the freezer wanting to use it at the first opportunity only to throw it when it’s past the due date of too old, period. I’m totally intimidated with this product, but I want to try this recipe so I’ll dig the last box of it out and try it.
This would be perfect for that, Claudette! I hope you love it!
Thanks for sharing the great recipe. My family and friends love it🙂
I’m so happy to hear that!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
This recipe is a keeper!! A delicious and very impressive pastry that guests will love. They will think you bought them from a high-end bakery. So tasty, I had to hide these danishes from me! The next day I took them out of the fridge and they were just as good or better as the lemon flavor popped with every bite. Really delicious! Your other reader is right–they are a “bit of heaven”. Thank you for sharing, Natasha!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Can you tell the difference between homemade and store puff pastry? Is it really worth making it homemade?
I prefer homemade because it’s I know that it’s fresh but store-bought pastry should also work
I made these and lovedddd them! I loved how they were flaky and the fruit gave it a great flavor. Thanks sooooo much, and I will make it again.
You’re welcome, Kenzie! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hello, what kind of puff pastry you use, pls?
Hi Trin! We use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry for this recipe. We have a picture of in the recipe post.
I must thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site.
I really hope to check out the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated
me to get my own website now 😉
I’m so happy to hear that!
Hi Natasha, love your recipe, thanks for sharing! I initially used soft cheese (couldn’t find ‘cream cheese’ in shops in the UK). When I mixed it with 1 egg yolk, the mixture became way too liquid. I couldn’t use it as danish filling. I tried mascarpone cheese next time – without adding yolks. Still it wasn’t thick enough. Seeing this, I put my pastry into the oven without any filling for 10 min, took it out, filled with cream and backed for another 8 min. Still, much of the filling ended up on the baking tray. If you have any advice on how to adapt the recipe, would you please share it? Thanks!
Hi Natalia. It sounds like the soft cheese is too soft causing your filling to be runny.. American cream cheese is pretty firm and keeps its shape really well unless it is warmed. I would recommend bring your mixture to slightly under room temperature. I hope this helps
I made this recipe and it is sooooo amazing delicious… Thanks Natasha.
You’re so welcome, Izabela!! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been trying to find a danish like this forever. I went to Italy last year and had a danish just like this in Rome. I have never been able to get it off my mind since. It sure is a bit of heaven! This is the closest I have found to it. Thank you!
Wow! Thank you for this amazing review! I’m so happy you found our recipe!
Hi Natasha, do you think frozen fruit would work for this recipe?
Hi Alena, I think frozen blueberries might work best if using a frozen berry.
Can I use fruit preserves or jams instead of fresh fruit?
Hi Nora! I haven’t tried that honestly. It does sounds like a good idea however. If you experiment please let me know how you like it!
Do you have to refrigerate after you finish them? I found that filo pastry dough didn’t work too well, it would not roll out. But I didn’t get the pastry shown on this site. I still made them they just weren’t as pretty but equally delicious I think. Next time I will use filo pastry shells and otherwise follow the directions. I love filo
We enjoy them fresh but if you need to store them, cover them loosely but fully and refrigerated overnight.
will they get soggy in the fridge overnight?
Hi Jackie! We enjoy them fresh but if you need to store them, cover them loosely but fully and refrigerated overnight.
Can we use Betty cocker croissant dough?
Hi Emily, I haven’t tested it that way so I’m not sure but it might be worth experimenting! Keep an eye on them though as the bake time might be slightly different with the different dough.
Any tips on if one wanted to make these smaller, for part of a small appetizer for brunch? Only use one ribbon of dough? Or still two, but thinner? Kind of sounds like a silly question but I’d love more, smaller servings 🙂
Hi Ashley, I think it might be tough to make this same shape of pastry smaller. It won’t twist properly if it is just 1 ribbon. You could modify the recipe for smaller pastries but you may need to do a simpler shape of pastry.
I Made them with one ribbon instead of two and i actually preferred that! THEy were perfect size, not too big or small 😊
That’s so great Oksana! I’m so happy it was perfect for you!
Wow!! Simply delicious!!!!
Thank you for the compliment Inna 😀
This is looking so tasty. I want make this.
They’re so easy and good! I hope you try them!
Do you think frozen berries work ok?
Hi Emily, I think that would work and frozen blueberries are probably your best bet for not becoming overly juicy.
They were incredibly easy to make and ohh sooo yummy!!!! My husband loved them. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!
You’re welcome Julie! I’m glad you both love the recipe, thanks for sharing your great review!
These look sooooooooooo delicious. But do you have to use the store-bought dough? Is there a different recipe for it.
Hi Elena, you could use a homemade dough if you prefer 🙂 We don’t have a recipe for that posted yet so you might have to google that one.
Hi Natasha do you think if I make these at nite and keep them in fridge and cook them in the morning will okay
Hi Shirley, I think that would work to prep them ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake the next morning.
I made these thanks for your recipes they came out so awesome pity I did not take photo – morning tea at work it was so amazing and they got finished in no time will be making them again
You’re welcome Shirley, I’m glad you love them! Thanks for sharing your review!
Great Recipe!!! I was always afraid of baking, but my danishes came out perfect.
I am so happy to hear these cheese danishes were a success for you!! Thank you for the amazing review 🙂
Those look amazing. I’ll need to make them!
They taste as good as they look, I hope you love them Julie!
Will these be good if made the night before brunch ?
Hi Veronika, these are their very best fresh but we have enjoyed leftovers the following day and they still tasted great. We covered loosely but fully and refrigerated overnight.