Cherry Cheese Danishes

Ingredients

Danishes

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• ⅔ cup cherry preserves

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Ingredient Notes

• Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature so it mixes more smoothly into the filling.
• This recipe uses cherry preserves for the cherry filling, but it still gives that classic cherry cream cheese danish flavor.
• A thawed sheet of puff pastry creates the perfect base for these easy danishes without making traditional danish dough from scratch.

How to Make Cherry Cheese Danishes

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, add the egg and whisk until beaten.
3. Add the flour, sugar, and salt, then whisk until combined.
4. Pour in the lemon juice and almond extract and whisk again.
5. Add the softened cream cheese and whisk slowly at first to combine, then whisk until smooth and creamy. A few small lumps are fine and will bake out. Set the cream cheese mixture aside.
6. Line a baking sheet or sheet pan with parchment paper.
7. Roll out the thawed puff pastry dough and cut it down the center to make two rectangles, about 10 inches by 5 inches each.
8. Score a border around each rectangle, about 1½ inches from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. If you like, lightly brush the pastry edges with a little milk using a pastry brush. This helps the pastry bake up more golden brown.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and lightly golden.
10. Remove the pastry from the oven and gently press down the center of each rectangle, leaving the scored edges puffed. This makes room for the cream cheese filling.
11. Divide the filling evenly between the two pastries and spread it over the center.
12. Spoon the cherry preserves over the filling, adding dollops along the center and gently spreading them over the top of the cream cheese.
13. Return the pastries to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes, until the centers are set and the edges are deeper golden brown.
14. While the danishes bake, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
15. Drizzle the icing over the warm danishes, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.
16. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

These are perfect for brunch alongside something like this Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.

Tips for the Best Cherry Cheese Danish

• Let the cream cheese soften first so the filling mixes easily and stays smooth.
• Keep the puff pastry cold but thawed. If it gets too warm, it can be harder to work with.
• If the pastry edges start browning too much during the second bake, loosely cover just the edges with foil.
• A sharp knife or pizza cutter works well for cutting the pastry cleanly.
• These danishes are best the day they are made while the pastry is still crisp and flaky.

Easy Recipe Variations

This cherry cheese danish recipe is easy to change up depending on what you have on hand.

• Swap the cherry preserves for blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry preserves
• Use fresh cherries cooked down into a quick homemade filling
• Add a little lemon zest to the filling for brighter flavor
• Skip the almonds if needed

This same method also works well with other sweet fillings, making it one of my favorite ways to use puff pastry for brunch.

Can You Make These Ahead of Time?

You can prepare the cream cheese mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to use. The pastries themselves are best baked fresh so the flaky pastry dough stays crisp.