With this easy to make Cherry Danish recipe, you’ll have a freshly baked, pastry with a light and flaky crescent roll crust, a gooey cream cheese, and cherry pie filling. It’s perfect for a family breakfast or even just a mid-day treat!
Looking for some other fun breakfast baking recipes? Be sure to check out our other sweet treats like Monkey Bread and Cinnamon Roll Casserole. And if you’re a fan of the cherry cheesecake flavor, you have got to try this No Bake Cherry Cheesecake recipe!
WHAT IS A DANISH PASTRY?
Danish pastries are those super buttery, light and flaky pastries with a creamy, fruity filling. You’ve likely seen them in your local bakery or grocery store. They are most commonly filled with cheese or jam (or a combination of both) and topped off with icing. You may have also heard them referred to as just a ‘Danish’.
Cherry danish INGREDIENTS
You will need:
- 1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
- 2 tubes flakey crescent rolls (placed in the freezer for 30 minutes)
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 can cherry pie filling (2 if you want more whole cherries on top)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten together
- ¼ cup slivered almonds (optional)
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & Additions
PIE FILLING: You can swap out the pie filling in your Danish pastry for any pie filling. The options are pretty much endless. Blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, or apple would all be great substitutions. You could even use a different filling for each of the Danishes, and have a variety to serve up for guests or family members!
TOPPINGS: Slivered almonds are a great addition to these easy danishes. They add just the right amount of texture to an otherwise soft and chewy dish.
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CHEESE DANISH
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to clean the sides of the bowl as you are mixing. Set cream cheese mixture aside.
STEP THREE: Open only one package of crescent rolls and remove them from the tube. Do not unroll them, instead, keep them in a long cylinder shape and place them on a cutting board. (The crescent rolls will dry out and not shape easily if left on the counter. This is why we recommend freezing them and then cooking in batches)
STEP FOUR: Using a sharp knife, cut the long cylinder into 12 equal pieces.
STEP FIVE: Using your fingers and thumbs, flatten each round circle in the middle. Place each circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. With a pastry brush, was the edges and sides of the crescent rolls with your egg wash.
STEP SIX: Using a small spoon, place a small amount of cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese filling. Make sure to have at least 3 cherries on each danish or they will look flat and not full of fruit. You may need a second can of pie filling in order to get enough whole cherries.
STEP SEVEN: Using a small spoon, place a small amount of cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese filling. Make sure to have at least 3 cherries on each danish or they will look flat and not full of fruit.
STEP EIGHT: Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
STEP TEN: Whisk together powdered sugar and milk to create glaze. Drizzle each danish with glaze and serve warm. Open your second tube and repeat.
STORING THIS RECIPE
IN THE FRIDGE
You most definitely want to keep your cherry danish in the refrigerator between servings. This will keep it fresh for much longer. Cover your danish with foil or plastic wrap, or place it in a plastic bag. Make sure it is sealed tightly, to prevent it from drying out.
IN THE FREEZER
To freeze your cherry danish, wrap it tightly in either freezer plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure it has completely cooled off after baking. Place the wrapped danish into a freezer safe Ziploc bag and put into the freezer. Make sure to take it out with plenty of time to thaw before serving.
You’re sure to love this easy cherry and cream cheese danish. What’s not to love with a flaky crescentcrust, gooey cream cheese, and cherry pie filling. This classic pastry dessert is a favorite any time of day.
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Banana Bread Pudding
- Coffee Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Granola
- Breakfast Casserole
Cherry Danish
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (1 block) softened
- 2 tubes flakey crescent rolls placed in freezer for 30 min
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 up slivered almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese, sugar and almond extract until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to clean the sides of the bowl as you are mixing. Set cream cheese mixture aside.
- Open only one package of crescent rolls and remove them from the tube. Do not unroll them, instead keep them in a long cylinder shape and place on a cutting board. (The crescent rolls will dry out and not shape easily if left on the counter. This is why we recommend freezing them and then cooking in batches).
- Using a sharp knife, cut the long cylinder into 12 equal pieces.
- Using your fingers and thumbs, flatten each round circle in the middle. Place each circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. With a pastry brush, wash the edges and sides of the crescent rolls with egg wash.
- Using a small spoon, place a small amount of cream cheese in the center of each crescent roll.
- Using a small spoon, place a small amount of cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheesefilling. Make sure to have at least 3 cherries on each danish or they will look flat and not full offruit.
- Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together powdered sugar and milk to create glaze. Drizzle each danish with glaze and serve warm. Open your second tube of crescent rolls and repeat.
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