Cream Cheese Cherry Danish with Puff Pastry
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A cherry danish with puff pastry is easy to make, with cream cheese filling, and cherries then bake until a flaky and golden brown for breakfast or dessert.
Easy Cherry Danish
This cream cheese cherry danish with puff pastry is so easy to make for the whole family! Just cut your frozen puff pastry into squares, add your cream cheese filling and cherries then bake for a sweet treat.
This bakery style cream cheese danish recipe is buttery, flaky and simple to make at home with puff pastry. It’s a fuss free recipe that is perfect for a breakfast treat, or an easy snack! Just like my apple hand pies, it’s also a quick dessert for any occasion.
Why I Love This Recipe
- This easy cherry danish with puff pastry is easy to make using store bought puff pastry, cherries and cream cheese.
- Substitute the cherries for any fruit and these homemade danishes will still be fast, simple and delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down for the full printable recipe.
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- Cream cheese filling: Half a block of full fat cream cheese, softened. Granulated sugar adds sweet taste and vanilla is used for rich flavor.
- Frozen puff pastry: The recipe requires one sheet of thawed, but still chilled store-bought puff pastry.
- Cherries: I used frozen cherries that were thawed and drained well. Fresh cherries could be used as well.
- Egg: You will need one egg for that glossy egg wash sheen.
How to Make Cherry Danish with Puff Pastry
In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to smooth the edges. Cut into 8 equal squares of puff pastry sheets.
Place a spoonful of the sweetened cream cheese mixture in the center of each square then top with a few cherries. Fold corners of puff pastry towards center, slightly overlapping, to form a pinwheel or diamond shape over the cherry filling.
Use a pastry brush to brush beaten egg over edges of the pastry to seal. Transfer pastries to the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes. Cool the cream cheese cherry danishes for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Fruit Substitutions: You can substitute the cherries for all sorts of fruits, including, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or raspberries.
- Lemon juice: Toss the cherries with a small amount of lemon juice to retain a brighter color and balance the sweet cherries.
- Almond Extract: You can also substitute all or some of the vanilla for almond extract.
- Cherry Pie Filling: If you would like to replace to cherries with cherry pie filling, the homemade cherry danish will be sweeter in taste.
- Crescent Rolls: Try these easy cherry cream cheese danishes with crescent rolls instead.
- Air Fryer Cherry Danishes: The cherry danishes can also be air fried. Assemble as directed then set the air fryer to 325°F, and air fry for 8-10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Ensure the frozen puff pastry is thawed but still cold. If the puff pastry gets too warm while assembling, return it to your freezer to chill. This ensures your danish is flakey and golden brown.
- You can use whatever discard of the puff pastry you have to make into decorative shapes and apply them to the danish before baking.
- Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar or try a powdered sugar glaze by combining some powdered sugar with cream then drizzling over pastries.
- Serve the cream cheese cherry danishes at breakfast or weekend brunch with a cup of coffee! They are great for special occasions like Christmas or Valentine’s Day.
Storage
- Store: These cherry danishes taste best fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
- Freeze: I prefer to freeze these before baking. Assemble then flash freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once frozen, wrap in plastic wrap then store in a freezer safe bag up to 2-3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator then bake as directed.
More Fruity Recipes
Cherry Danish with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry , thawed but cold
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen cherries , thawed and drained
- 1 egg , beaten
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to smooth the edges. Cut into 8 equal squares.
- Place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each square then top with a few cherries.
- Fold the corners of the pastry towards the center, slightly overlapping, to form a pinwheel or diamond shape. Press lightly to seal.
- Brush the beaten egg over the edges of the pastry for a golden finish.
- Transfer the pastries to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and golden brown. Let the pastries cool for 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
