Easy Bakery-Style Cheese Danish
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 18 minutes
This easy cheese danish recipe brings the flaky, creamy magic of your favorite bakery right to your kitchen — no fuss, no yeast, just melt-in-your-mouth perfection. A crisp puff pastry base cradles a tangy-sweet cream cheese center, all baked to golden bliss.
Golden puff pastry filled with rich cream cheese — a homemade danish that tastes just like the bakery.
Cheese danishes are one of those cozy coffee shop classics I could never resist. That buttery pastry, the creamy center, the little dusting of sugar or drizzle of icing on top — ugh, perfection. And while I used to think they were some kind of complicated pastry chef voodoo, turns out they’re surprisingly easy with frozen puff pastry and a simple filling.
The key is to keep the filling smooth and not overly sweet. A little lemon juice brings brightness, and vanilla rounds everything out. I like cutting the pastry into little rectangles or squares and lightly scoring a border to help keep the cream cheese nestled in the center. Bonus points if you brush the edges with egg wash — they puff up all golden and fancy like you meant to impress someone.
Whether you're serving these warm for brunch or sneaking one with coffee in your pajamas, they’re the kind of treat that makes a weekday morning feel like a celebration. And hey, if you drizzle on a quick icing, no one will guess they weren’t from your favorite café.
Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 8 danishes • 🔥 Calories/Serving: 290
For the danish:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg (for egg wash)
1 tbsp water
Optional icing (for drizzling):
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Steps
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
Step 3
On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet and cut it into 8 equal rectangles.
Step 4
Place the rectangles on the baking sheet, spacing them out evenly.
Step 5
Use a knife to lightly score a smaller rectangle about ½ inch from the edge of each piece (don’t cut all the way through — this creates a border).
Step 6
Drop about 1 tbsp of the cream cheese filling into the center of each rectangle and gently spread it within the scored border.
Step 7
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp of water to make an egg wash. Brush the edges of each pastry with the egg wash.
Step 8
Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Step 9
Let the danishes cool slightly before serving. If using icing, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together, then drizzle over the top once danishes are warm, not hot.
Make it your own!
🍓 Add fruit on top
Place a slice of strawberry, a few blueberries, or a spoonful of jam on top of the cream cheese before baking.🍋 Make it extra tangy
Add ½ tsp lemon zest to the cream cheese filling for a brighter flavor.🍫 Chocolate twist
Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the cream cheese before baking for a sweet surprise.🍯 Skip the icing
Brush with warm apricot jam after baking instead of icing for a glossy, bakery-style finish.
Try it with…
Did you make this recipe?
Did you add a unique twist? Did your family enjoy it? Share your thoughts and any customizations you made in the comments below.
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