June 20, 2022
Review RecipeCherry Breakfast Braid
This sweet and tasty recipe is a simple, homemade favorite with dough, creamy cheese, cherries, and a delicious glaze!
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This sweet, homemade cherry breakfast braid is so yummy, plus it’s absolutely beautiful! Flaky pastry dough is stuffed with cream cheese and cherry filling before being braided, baked, and topped with a decadent glaze.
Want more tasty recipes made with simple ingredients for breakfast? We love this sausage breakfast casserole while this coffee cake will satisfy your sweet tooth.
Cherry Breakfast Braid Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- ¾ cup canned cherry pie filling (I used Duncan Hines-Comstock brand)
For the Braid
- 1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated sheet of crescent roll dough
For the Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from the zested lemon)
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
SWEET FILLING: You could also use blueberry, apple, raspberry, or peach filling in this recipe. You could even double the amount of cream cheese filling and omit the fruit altogether. This is a very versatile recipe.
SAVORY FILLING: You could also turn this breakfast braid into a savory treat and add meat, eggs, and cheese for the filling.
CRESCENT ROLLS: I used a refrigerated crescent roll sheet for this, but if you can not find them in your local grocery store, you can use an 8-ounce container of regular crescent rolls. You will not separate them, but will push the seams together gently and unroll into a single rectangle. A sheet of thawed puff pastry would be another good alternative.
ALMOND EXTRACT: To make an almond glaze, you could add a dash of almond extract with the glaze ingredients.
How To Make This Cherry Breakfast Braid Recipe
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
If you are serving a crowd, you can very easily double this recipe. If you get 1 (21-ounce) can of the canned pie filling, you can split the contents in half between the two breakfast braids and it will yield approximately ¾ cup for each braid.
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In a medium mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, salt, and lemon zest until smooth.
PRO TIP:
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to make combining them easy and ensuring there are no lumps.
STEP THREE: Unroll the crescent roll sheet onto the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it to a rough 8×14-inch rectangle.
STEP FOUR: Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 10 (1½-inch) strips, at a diagonal, on each side. You want to leave the center solid (about 3-4 inches wide) because that is where you will place your filling.
PRO TIP:
Use either a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or a pastry wheel to easily cut the diagonal lines.
STEP FIVE: Evenly spread your cream cheese mixture onto the center of your cut crescent roll sheet, being careful to not get it on the cut strips.
STEP SIX: Spoon your cherry pie filling onto the top of the cream cheese filling.
STEP SEVEN: Fold the ends of the crescent dough up, and over the top of the cream cheese and cherries. This helps the filling to stay nice and neat inside the ends of the cherry breakfast braid when baked.
STEP EIGHT: Starting at one end, fold one strip across to the other side of the filling. Then take one strip from the opposite side and cross it over the top of the strip you just placed. Repeat until you have made a criss-cross (braid) pattern on the top of your crescent and fillings. You want to make sure that you go all the way across to the other side when placing your strips. This ensures that your filling does not seep out the sides when baked.
STEP NINE: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
STEP TEN: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. If your glaze is too thick, you can add a small amount of additional lemon juice to thin it. Be careful to not add too much liquid.
STEP ELEVEN: Allow your baked cherry breakfast braid to cool on the counter for 30 minutes before adding the glaze and serving.
PRO TIP:
Make sure the puff pastry braid is cooled before you drizzle the glaze to make sure it sets nicely.
How To Serve
Breakfast braids are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. The result is an impressive and tasty treat that is so beautiful. It’s stunning when served as part of a brunch spread because it looks so gorgeous and fancy. Treat yourself to this delicious cherry braid and a cup of coffee or how about an iced caramel macchiato?
MORE CHERRY DESSERT RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
IN THE FREEZER: If you want to freeze this easy recipe, we would recommend assembling it and freezing it before baking. Cover braid in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil to freeze. Once you are ready to serve it, thaw and bake.
Our yummy recipe is crazy easy to make thanks to the refrigerated dough and our effortless cherry cream cheese filling. You’ll find this cherry breakfast braid hard to resist. It’s easy to indulge in the entire braid by yourself.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use homemade cherry pie filling?
We use canned cherry pie filling but you could use homemade pie filling instead if you prefer.
Can I make this a savory braid? If so, what fillings could I use?
Shredded cheese, ground beef, bacon, scrambled eggs would all be delicious choices.
Can I freeze the cherry braid?
We recommend freezing it before you bake it. Cover in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and then freeze once assembled. Thaw and bake when you are ready to eat it.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Peach Dump Cake
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- S’mores Hand Pies
- Oreo Pie
- Cheese Danish
- Lemon Lush
- Blueberry Hand Pies
Cherry Breakfast Braid
This sweet and tasty recipe is a simple, homemade favorite with dough, creamy cheese, cherries, and a delicious glaze!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 7
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 small lemon zest
- ¾ cup cherry pie filling (I used Duncan Hines-Comstock brand)
Braid
- 8 ounces crescent roll sheet (I used Pillsbury brand)
Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from the zested lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest until smooth.
- Unroll the crescent roll sheet onto the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it to a rough 8×14-inch rectangle.
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 10 (1½-inch) strips, at a diagonal, on each side. You want to leave the center solid (about 3 to 4 inches wide) because that is where you will place your filling.
- Evenly spread your cream cheese mixture onto the center of your cut crescent roll sheet, being careful to not get it on the cut strips.
- Spoon your cherry pie filling onto the top of the cream cheese filling.
- Fold the ends of the crescent dough up, and over the top of the cream cheese and cherries. This helps the filling to stay nice and neat inside the ends of the cherry breakfast braid when baked.
- Starting at one end, fold one strip across to the other side of the filling. Then take one strip from the opposite side and cross it over the top of the strip you just placed. Repeat until you have made a criss-cross (braid) pattern on the top of your crescent and fillings. You want to make sure that you go all the way across to the other side when placing your strips. This ensures that your filling does not seep out the sides when baked.
- Bake for 2 to 25 minutes or until golden.
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. If your glaze is too thick you can add a small amount of additional lemon juice to thin it. Be careful to not add too much liquid.
- Allow your baked cherry breakfast braid to cool on the counter for 30 minutes before adding the glaze and serving.
Video
Notes
- If you are serving a crowd, you can very easily double this recipe. If you get 1 (21-ounce) can of the canned pie filling you can split the contents in half between the two breakfast braids and it will yield approximately ¾ cup for each breakfast braid.
- Make sure your ingredients are room temperature to make combining them easy and ensuring there are no lumps.
- Use either a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or a pastry wheel to easily cut the diagonal lines.
- Make sure the puff pastry braid is cooled before you drizzle the glaze to make sure it sets nicely.
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Toni Thomason says
Talk about a crowd pleaser! This is absolutely incredible!!!
Jill says
Delicious and easy!