Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Cheese danishes are a breakfast favorite, and our homemade version takes them to a whole new level of deliciousness. Made from scratch, including the dough, these danishes are perfectly crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, with a creamy, lightly sweetened cheese filling. Already have an account?
Homemade Dough: Unlike many recipes that use store-bought puff pastry, making the dough from scratch creates a superior texture and flavor. Versatile Filling: The cream cheese filling is rich and smooth, and you can customize your danishes with your favorite jams or a sweet glaze. Make-Ahead Friendly: The dough can be prepared in advance and even frozen, making it easy to bake fresh danishes for breakfast, brunch, or anytime.
Cheese danishes are a fan favorite at everyone’s local bakery or coffee shop and always a good choice when you want something sweet in the morning but not too sweet that you end up crashing before noon. But our homemade cheese danishes? They are out of this world tasty!! IMPORTANT NOTICE: This recipe was improved and updated on 7/18/2024, to include a NEW STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.
Table of Contents
What Are Scratch-Made Cheese Danishes?
Scratch-made cheese danishes are a delicious homemade pastry, distinct from those made with store-bought pastry doughs. Key characteristics include:
Homemade Dough: Uses a yeasted “viennoiserie” dough, enriched with sugar, milk, and eggs, and folded to create multiple layers, similar to a croissant. Rich Filling: Filled with a creamy, lightly sweetened cheese mixture made from cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Perfect Texture: The result is a pastry that is crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, with a rich, smooth cheese filling.
Tools You Need
Measuring cups and measuring spoons Measuring jug or Mixing bowl Whisk Dough cutter Rolling pin Plastic wrap Pastry brush Baking sheet Parchment paper Cooling rack
Key Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
Cream cheese Cream cheese provides a creamy and tangy base for the filling and adds richness and depth of flavor to the danishes. Check out our recipe for Homemade Cream Cheese if it’s not easily accessible. Powdered sugar Powdered sugar, also known as “icing sugar” or “confectioner’s sugar”, sweetens the filling and helps to thicken it. It also incorporates easily into the cream cheese mixture. You can easily make Homemade Powdered sugar using our recipe. Egg yolk The egg yolk helps bind the ingredients together and adds richness and a smooth texture to the filling. Vanilla extract Vanilla extract adds a pleasant vanilla flavor to the filling. Moreover, it also complements the creamy and tangy notes of the cream cheese. Egg wash Egg wash is applied to the surface of the danishes before baking. It creates a shiny, golden-brown crust as the pastries bake adding a professional finish and enhancing the visual appeal of the danishes. Substitutes for egg wash such as full-fat sour cream will work better here than yogurt, milk, or butter.
How to Make Cream Cheese Danish From Scratch?
Make the basic Danish dough
Make the cream cheese filling
Assemble the easy cheese Danish
Final baking
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
When you fold the pastries in, be sure you don’t bring the corners all the way to the center; otherwise, you’ll have no space for your filling. Make a quick glaze for a sweeter pastry. Whisk 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Drizzle it on top of the pastries once they have cooled. You can add a dollop of raspberryjam or apricot jam on top of the cream cheese filling to make a fruit and cheese Danish. Make a danish braid instead of individual pastries. After you roll the dough, spread the cream cheese filling in a 3-inch strip down the center of the dough square. Cut the edges of the dough into 10 strips all the way to the cream cheese strip. Lay the strips of dough in an alternating pattern over the filling. Proof and bake as you would the individual pastries. Use this Danish dough to make our Morning Buns!
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make Ahead:
Danish Dough: The Danish dough takes at least 6 hours to make — but you can make it in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using. Cream Cheese Filling: The filling can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Storage Instructions:
Freshly Baked Danishes: Best enjoyed the day they are made for optimal freshness and texture. Leftovers: Store any leftover danishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator (room temperature is not recommended) for up to 3 days. Reheating: To refresh danishes, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and warm them for about 10 minutes until they are crisp and warmed through.
What Type Of Cheese Is In A Cheese Danish?
We use plain cream cheese (you can also use homemade, which is a lot easier than you think!) that I combine with confectioner’s sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Cream cheese is great with desserts because of its soft texture and mild flavor. According to their website, if you want to make a copycat version of Starbucks’ cheese danish, they use Neufchâtel cheese.
What other pastry dough can I use here?
You can also try our Easy Puff Pastry Dough for this homemade cheese Danish.
More Breakfast Doughs
No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls Best-Ever Sticky Buns Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Strata Wholesome Breakfast Pizza Recipe Toaster Oven Breakfast Tart
Full (and printable) recipe below!
