This Cherry Cheese Danish brings bakery-quality pastries right to your kitchen with minimal effort and maximum flavor. The combination of tangy cream cheese filling and sweet-tart cherries wrapped in golden, flaky pastry creates an irresistible treat that's perfect for weekend mornings or special occasions!
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👩🍳 While cherries are spectacular in this recipe, the basic technique works beautifully with other seasonal fruits too!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Cherry Cheese Danish
Cherry Preparation: Pat fresh or thawed frozen cherries completely dry with paper towels before mixing with flour. Excess moisture can make the pastry soggy and prevent proper browning. Tossing the cherries with flour helps absorb any remaining moisture and prevents them from sinking into the cream cheese layer.
Cream Cheese: Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing for the smoothest, lump-free filling. Cold cream cheese won't incorporate well with the sugar and lemon juice, resulting in a grainy texture. Let it sit out for about 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
I keep puff pastry cold for maximum flakiness - if it gets sticky, I refrigerate it for 10 minutes. I work quickly but gently when twisting to maintain the layered structure.
I create loose, relaxed swirls rather than tight spirals to give the pastry room to expand while baking. Tight twists restrict the puff pastry's natural rise and create dense spots. I aim for about 3-4 inches in diameter for each danish.
You can enjoy these danishes warm from the oven as a perfect breakfast pastry or afternoon treat! I love serving them with a hot cup of coffee or tea, though they are equally delicious paired with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
🩷 Melissa
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Cherry Cheese Danish
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon flour (coarse)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Slice the puff pastry crust into 6 even strips.
- Twist the strips and then roll them in a swirl pattern on a sheet tray.
- Combine the cherries, flour, cinnmamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly between the puff pastry swirls.
- Spoon the cherry mixture over the cream cheese.
- Whisk together the water and egg to create an egg wash.
- Brush the pastry with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Cheese Cherry Danish
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400ºF and slice the puff pastry into 6 even strips.
Step 2: Twist each strip and roll them into swirl patterns on a baking sheet.
Step 3: Combine the cherries, flour, cinnamon, and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.
Step 4: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each puff pastry swirl.
Step 5: Top the cream cheese with the cherry mixture. Whisk together egg and water to make an egg wash, then brush over the pastry.
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Either fresh or frozen cherries will work in this recipe. If you have previously frozen cherries that have now thawed, you may need to drain off the excess juice before using them depending on how juicy they are.
Don't worry if the pastry tears slightly - it will still bake beautifully. Gently press any small tears together and continue shaping. The egg wash will help seal minor imperfections, and once baked, small tears are rarely noticeable.
While the egg wash creates that beautiful golden color and slight sheen, you can skip it if needed. The danish will still taste delicious, though they'll appear more pale and matte. You could brush with melted butter as an alternative.
Yes, a small amount of filling may bubble out during baking, especially if the danish are very full. This is completely normal and doesn't affect the taste. The leaked filling often caramelizes slightly, adding extra flavor.
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Alli
Delicious!