Description
These easy cream cheese danishes use store-bought puff pastry for a foolproof, flaky, and delicious brunch treat that takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sheets refrigerated puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- Coarse sugar (for sprinkling)
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons raspberry jam (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and roll gently into 10×12 inch rectangles.
- Cut each rectangle into four squares to make eight total squares. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Dollop 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each pastry square, spreading it out while leaving a 1-inch border.
- Fold the four corners of each square over to the center, on top of the filling, pressing edges gently to seal.
- Lightly score the folded pastry with a knife to create a decorative pattern.
- Whisk the remaining egg white with a teaspoon of water and brush generously over the pastries.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar and cinnamon if using.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Keep the pastry cold while working to ensure flakiness. Do not overfill the pastries to prevent leaking. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free puff pastry sheets. These can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Danish
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
Keywords: cream cheese danish, easy brunch, puff pastry recipe, quick pastries, make-ahead breakfast, gluten-free option