This Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danish recipe is ridiculously quick and easy, and the results are way better than store bought! You can elevate them further by topping them with cherry jam, fresh fruits, or a chocolate drizzle!
You don't need puff pastry to enjoy a beautifully buttery, flaky crescent roll danish with cream cheese! I mean it when I say these danishes are restaurant quality, and for just a fraction of the time and effort!
Enjoy them with all your breakfast and brunch favorites, or simply alongside a hot cup of Turkish coffee!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You don't need an electric mixer for this recipe, you can make the cream cheese mixture by hand.
- When your friends try an easy cream cheese danish, they'll think you bought them from a pastry shop!
- Make them ahead of time, or on a whim! Because the total time to make cream cheese danishes from crescent rolls is only 20 minutes, they make the perfect spontaneous breakfast treat.
- You only need a few simple ingredients to get flawless danishes, but you can dress them up with all kinds of toppings if you feel like getting creative!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pillsbury crescent dough: Original or butter flavor
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract
- Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese
- Egg (optional): Coating the danishes with egg wash is a great way to enhance the presentation, giving them a glossy shine like you'd get from a pastry shop!
Topping Ideas:
- Fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, apricots
- Powdered sugar glaze
- Sprinkle of fresh lemon zest
- Cherry, strawberry, or apple pie filling
- Chocolate drizzle
- Raspberry jam, peach preserves, or your favorite jam
- Pinch of powdered cinnamon or powdered sugar
- Lemon curd
🥐 How To Make Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danishes
Preheat oven at 375° F
Step 1: Add 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 2.5 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a small bowl and mix until combined.
Step 2: Remove crescent roll dough from the tube. Keep it rolled up, ignoring the seams, and cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife.
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Step 3: Space out the crescent roll pieces on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, gently squeezing the sides with your hands to round them out if needed. Use a large wooden spoon to flatten the pieces of dough, then spoon cream cheese filling into the center of each.
Step 4: Whisk an egg in a small bowl, then use to brush a thin layer along the sides of the danishes. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 5: Allow danishes to cool for 15 minutes. Optionally, you can top them with fresh fruits, jams, chocolate, lemon/orange zest, etc!
Pro Tip: While you could technically add most toppings to the danishes before putting them in the oven, I prefer to save this step for last because the surface area becomes larger once they've cooked and it's easier not to make a mess.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Cream cheese danishes should be refrigerated within 2 hours of baking, as cream cheese is a perishable dairy product. Refrigerate them for up to a week, and enjoy them cold or reheated.
Yes, you can freeze cream cheese danishes for up to 2 months, then just thaw them in the fridge or reheat in an oven or a microwave!
You can reheat cream cheese danishes an air fryer for about 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees F, adding more time if necessary. If using an oven or toaster oven, you may need to double the reheating time. You may want to remove fresh fruit toppings before reheating to prevent the pastry from getting soggy.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- The cream cheese mixture will be thick, but thats okay! We don't want it to run during the baking process!
- Don't take the crescent roll dough out of the fridge until you're ready to use it. The colder it is, the better it will hold its shape.
- I like to make a variety of flavors, especially if sharing with friends and family.
- If there are leftovers, you can store extra crescent roll cheese danishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
🥮 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this a crescent roll danish with cream cheese, be sure to check out these related recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danishes
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz crescent roll dough
- 1 egg
Optional ingredients
- jam
- fresh fruit
- chocolate drizzle
- lemon curd
Instructions
- Add 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 2.5 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a small bowl and mix until combined.
- Remove crescent roll dough from the tube. Keep it rolled up, ignoring the seams, and cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife.
- Space out the crescent roll pieces on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, gently squeezing the sides with your hands to round them out if needed. Use a large wooden spoon to flatten the pieces of dough, then spoon cream cheese filling into the center of each.
- Whisk an egg in a small bowl, then use to brush a thin layer along the sides of the danishes. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow danishes to cool for 15 minutes. Optionally, you can top them with fresh fruits, jams, chocolate, lemon/orange zest, etc!
Notes
-
- Since the toppings are optional, the nutrition value is for plain danishes.
- While you could technically add most toppings to the danishes before putting them in the oven, I prefer to save this step for last because the surface area becomes larger once they've cooked and it's easier not to make a mess.
- The cream cheese mixture will be thick, but thats okay! We don't want it to run during the baking process!
- Don't take the crescent roll dough out of the fridge until you're ready to use it. The colder it is, the better it will hold its shape.
- I like to make a variety of flavors, especially if sharing with friends and family
- If there are leftovers, you can store extra crescent roll cheese danishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Jen says
A wonderful easy way to add a sweet to a brunch or breakfast. They were a big hit in my house. Thank you so much!!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Jen! So glad they were enjoyed by your family!
Kathy Fisher says
Hadn't even finished reading this and the oven was turned on. This is the recipe I didn't know I needed. Soooo good. I'll be making this again. Mucho thanks Hilda.
Hilda Sterner says
Haha, this has to be the fastest anyone has tried and reviewed a new recipe! We're glad you approve, this is a Nena original! Enjoy!