You will love this Easy Cream Cheese Danish recipe. Once you follow the simple steps in this post, you'll be a Danish Making Diva!
Ever since I can remember, I have loved cream cheese danishes. I'm a sucker for cream cheese. What can I say?
Cream cheese danishes are sweet (because you know the cream cheese is mixed with sugar) without being overwhelmingly so. Tasty without overpowering the bread. And intricate in their simplistic braiding that looks so complicated and refined.
Once I learned how to braid dough, I was set. I was a Danish Making Diva!
Look out Sunday mornings, and every other day of the week mornings. Because I have it all figured out now. A sweetly simplistic cream cheese danish doesn't have to be time-consuming or imposing. It's. Wait for it... Easy. (Hence the name Easy Cream Cheese Danish!)
I know... danishes don't look easy. They look difficult and challenging. But you know what? They really don't have to be. You too can become a Danish Making Diva! (Or Danish Making Dude for all the guys out there who want to get in on the danish-making fun too!)
Simple Steps to Becoming a Danish Making Diva (and Making This Easy Cream Cheese Danish Recipe)
- Find a sweet dough you like to work with. I love working with a recipe that has been in my family for years. The dough I used in this Easy Cream Cheese Danish recipe is the same dough I use every Christmas to make our traditional coffee cake, Potica.
- Roll out your dough onto parchment paper so it will be easy to transfer to a cookie sheet.
- Fill the dough with favorite filling or layer it with a couple fillings like my cream cheese filling and apple pie filling or strawberry jam. Yum!
- Use kitchen shears to cut the sides of the dough and criss-cross.
- When you're finished, pop it in the oven and you're a Danish Making Diva! Told you.
The Trick to This Easy Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
The trick to working with this soft dough in this recipe is refrigeration. It will be easiest to work with if refrigerated overnight.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes for You to Enjoy
- Low Carb Crepes - Sweet or Savory Flourless Crepes Two Ways
- Chocolate Breakfast Biscuits
- The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ready for the recipe? Here you go! Let me know if you make it and what you think... and meanwhile: What is your favorite danish/breakfast recipe?
Recipe
Easy Cream Cheese Danish
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup margarine or butter
- ½ cup milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Heat the butter and milk until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate and then mix in egg yolks.
- Blend in the cooled milk mixture and then sift in the flour, sugar and salt.
- With dough hook, mix on medium speed until dough is soft and pliable.
- Place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for about 8 hours. It will rise in the refrigerator.
- After dough has been refrigerated, remove and tear in half. On parchment paper, roll out into a rectangular shape about 15 inches long and 8-9 inches wide.
- Meanwhile, soften cream cheese and mix together until smooth with powdered sugar and milk.
- Pour cream cheese mixture down the middle of the dough and spread out to two ends.
- Use kitchen shears to cut strips in dough and braid in criss-cross fashion.
- Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 18-25 minutes. This will vary depending on the type of baking sheet you are using. Pizza stones tend to be on the higher end of the baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
Karen says
looks good! I will have to give it a try
deborah says
I really like yeast doughs that have butter and milk in them. They are soft and yummy!
Jessica says
Me too Deborah! They are the best.
deanna ritz says
These look delicious and really easy for a saturday morning. Thank you so much for sharing. I also blog about cooking and would for you to visit my blog. I hope you have a great day.
Jessica says
Thanks! They really are simple. I think I'm going to make these again for tomorrow morning. Let me know if you make them and how you like them.
Lia says
I am trying to duplicate a recipe I tasted last week. The chef added a pack of vanilla pudding mix to the dough. I think I will try your recipe with the pudding mix added. Thanks for poating this 🙂
Jessica says
Your welcome! I'd love to hear how the vanilla pudding mix added to the dough works out. Interesting.
Doc says
What kind of glazing are you using on the Danish in the pictures?
Jessica says
Hi Doc- It's powdered sugar mixed with milk. You could also use water, or orange juice if you'd like a citrus taste. Just add a little liquid at a time to the powdered sugar.
Renee says
How much yeast is in 2 packets? I just have a jar. Thanks!
Jessica says
1/4 ounce per packet.
Tee says
How many servings does this yield?
Jessica says
Easily 8 servings... just depends on how big you cut the pieces. 😉
DD says
I am a bit confused on the recipe where it says to remove the dough from fridge and tear in half - am I to roll out two rectangular shapes of 15 x 8?
Jessica says
Hi DD. Yes, there is enough dough to make two pastries. Sorry for the confusion.
Bethany says
When you say 2 packages of yeast, do you mean 2 envelopes or two full packages with a total of 6 envelopes? Or do you know the amount it breaks down to Tablespoon wise?
Jessica says
2 Envelopes. 😉
Shawniib says
This is an awesome recipe thank you so much for sharing it
Jessica McCoy says
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Nicole says
Made this for breakfast. Absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it. Better than you can buy anywhere. Thank you! Definitely a recipe to keep.
Jessica McCoy says
So glad to hear it was such a big hit Nicole! 🙂
james says
this is the best my family loves it easy to make I added homemade strawberry jam two one turned out great thanks so much we love it
Barbara says
I see the dough makes two, but is the filling for two also?
Jessica McCoy says
Great question! The filling makes enough for one. I normally save 1/2 the dough for something else.
michelle says
I followed this recipe exactly it came out perfect I wish I could upload pictures. Thank you so much, I added cherry pie filling on top the cream cheese then folded.
Jessica McCoy says
Hi Michelle- I was practically drooling when I read that you added cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese. That sounds insanely good! What a great addition. I might have to try that one myself and take some pictures. If I don't eat them all up first. 🙂 LOL. Blueberry pie filling would be great too.
Kristin says
I tryed your recipe and followed your directions, and I have to say it was delicious 🙂 It was only in the fridge for about 5-6 hours instead of 8 and was still great. Thanks for sharing.
Jessica McCoy says
So glad to hear! I need to make my cream cheese danish again soon. 😉 Have a great week!
Rebecca says
These look awesome! Danishes are one of those once in a blue moon kind of treats that I only have when I'm at some sort of brunch/breakfast event. I've never thought to make them myself, but heck I think I'm going to have to now! I bet they'd be awesome with some fresh fruit baked inside along with the cream cheese :).
Mommy on Demand says
Sounds amazing!! Thanks for sharing at Happiness is Homemade, you are being featured on Sunday so make sure to stop on over again!
Jill says
This sounds fantastic!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Laura says
I've never had a cream cheese Danish before, these look fantastic. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas