Cheese Danish

Golden pastry filled with a perfectly sweet cream cheese filling. This homemade cheese danish is quick and easy to make with just a few basic ingredients.

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A classic breakfast that is easy to make at home. Flaky, creamy, and lightly sweetened, these homemade cheese danishes only take 15 minutes to put together. A favorite at any bakery, you’ll want to sink your teeth into this great breakfast treat.

MORE RECIPE: Cherry Danish | Bluberry Danish | Cream Cheese Danish Recipes

Perfectly sweetened homemade cheese danishes are easier to make than you think. While danishes make a beautiful treat for special occasions, these are so quick to make that you can enjoy them all year round.

Forget waiting in line at the bakery or settling for stale danishes and make this homemade version instead with just a few ingredients. The secret to their simplicity is a package of crescent roll dough.

Simple and delicious, golden, buttery pastry is filled with a smooth and slightly sweet cream cheese filling. Whether you like your danishes warm or enjoyed at room temperature, you can serve your danishes with a mug of milk or coffee for breakfast.

Cheese Danish Ingredients

• Crescent dough rolls - you can also use puff pastry sheets
• Cream cheese - full fat and softened
• Vanilla extract - adds flavor
• Lemon juice - adds a hint of flavor to the filling, but can be omitted if you prefer
• Sugar - granulated sugar
• Eggs - one egg for the cream cheese mixture, and one to brush over the top of the pastry
• Water - mixed together with the egg to brush over the top of the pastry
• Sugar - powdered sugar to make the glaze
• Milk - for the glaze

The cream cheese inside these danishes is tangy and lightly sweetened and tastes lovely with a dollop of jam on top. If you want a slightly sweet pastry you can increase the sugar to a full cup. The glaze on top adds another bit of sweetness as well.

The lemon juice adds a hint of flavor to the filling, but it is optional. If you want to increase the lemon flavoring you could also add some lemon juice or zest to the glaze, or top with a lemon-flavored icing instead.

Instead of crescent dough, you can also use pastry sheets. If you are using crescent dough don’t worry about pressing out all of the perforations as the dough will puff up a little during baking.

How to Make Cheese Danish

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

SECOND STEP: Unroll a full sheet of crescent dough and press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish, pressing the seam lines together.

THIRD STEP: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 1 egg.  Spread mixture evenly over the crescent dough.

FOURTH STEP: Roll out the second sheet of crescent dough, pressing seams together with your fingers.  Lay dough over the top of the cream cheese layer.

FIFTH STEP: Mix the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over the top of the crescent dough top.

SIXTH STEP: Bake 30-40 minutes or until crescent dough is golden brown on the top AND on the bottom of the baking dish.

SEVENTH STEP: Allow cheese danish bake to cool for 20-30 minutes before topping with glaze.

GLAZE

EIGHTH STEP: To make the glaze, whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.

NINTH STEP: Drizzle glaze over cooled danish.  

TENTH: Cut into 12 bars and serve.

Can I use pastry sheets?

You can use pastry sheets instead of the crescent dough.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

This recipe is super easy to make ahead! Allow baked danish to completely cool and let the glaze set. Then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze the danish?

Unbaked danish can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and frozen for 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before baking.

Storing Cheese Danish

IN THE FRIDGE:  Store completely cooled leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks. 

Cheese Danish

Golden pastry filled with a perfectly sweet cream cheese filling. This homemade cheese danish is quick and easy to make with just a few basic ingredients.

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5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 oz crescent dough rolls
• 16 oz full fat cream cheese (softened)
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (divided)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp milk

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Unroll a full sheet of crescent dough and press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish, pressing the seam lines together.
• In a medium mixing bowl beat together softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 1 egg. Spread mixture evenly over the crescent dough.
• Roll out the second sheet of crescent dough, pressing seams together with your fingers. Lay dough over the top of the cream cheese layer.
• Mix remaining egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over the top of the crescent dough top.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until crescent dough is golden brown on the top and on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Allow cheese danish bake to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before topping with glaze.
• To make the glaze whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
• Drizzle glaze over cooled danish.
• Cut into 12 bars and serve.

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Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

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