Made with store-bought puff pastry, these cherry cream cheese danish bake up light, airy, and perfectly crisp, just like something you’d find in a cozy little bakery—but without the hassle of making dough from scratch. Sweetened cream cheese and a mixture of cherry pie filling and dark sweet cherries creates the perfect sweet but not too sweet filling for these delicious pastries.
This is also a cheater recipe, meaning it includes a shortcut that will save you time or effort without sacrificing taste. In this case, there are two shortcuts—frozen puff pastry and a can of cherry pie filling—that make this recipe extra easy to make. These cheater ingredients allow you to bake up golden, bakery-worthy pastries in under 45 minutes—yum!
Cherry Cream Cheese Danish Ingredients:
Puff Pastry: 1 box (2 sheets) of puff pastry will yield 8 danish. If your puff pastry is currently chilling in the freezer, pull it out and let it thaw on the counter for 30-40 minutes before starting these cherry danish.
Cream Cheese Layer: A block (8 oz) of cream cheese is mixed with some powdered sugar and almond extract to make a sweet, delicious filling that pairs perfectly with the cherries in each danish.
Cherry Filling: 1 can of cherry pie filling is mixed with about a half cup of dark sweet cherries (from Oregon—shop on Amazon here) to make the fruit part of the filling. You can also chop up some fresh cherries or just add a bit more cherry pie filling in place of the canned dark sweet cherries.
Since I do not want the fruit filling to be overly sweet, I do not add any extra sugar to the cherries in this recipe (the cherry pie filling is already quite sweet as it is).
Egg White, Plus Some Water: Using an egg wash made with just the egg white instead of the whole egg gives the turnovers a subtle shine and helps the puff pastry stick where the corners are pinched together. While a whole egg can also be used, it causes the turnovers to become significantly more brown during baking. I prefer the lighter, more even color you get with an egg white wash.
Tips & Notes for Making Cherry Danish:
- Docking the Puff Pastry: You want to dock (aka poke small holes in) the middle of each square of puff pastry to allow steam to escape, which will ensure that the docked dough won’t puff up quite as much while baking. This will create an even surface for the filling to sit on within each danish.
- Fruit Filling: Feel free to swap out the cherry filling with your favorite fruit—think of your favorite cheesecake toppings! For example, raspberry and strawberry pie filling would also work for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese Filling: Each danish has a thin layer of cream cheese filling in it. If you’re looking for more cream cheese, consider making 1.5x the normal amount of filling to create a more generous layer within each danish.
- Toppings: Make sure you wait until the danish are completely cool before topping them with powdered sugar or a glaze. Otherwise, the sugar will melt and your topping will disappear.
- Serving and Storage: These danish are definitely at their best when served the same day you bake them. You can store them in an airtight container or bag and eat them the next day, although I would recommend storing them in the fridge because of the cream cheese filling. Luckily these pastries are very easy to make, so it’s not much of a hassle to make them right before you want to eat them!
Whether you’re looking for a sweet breakfast pastry or an after-dinner dessert, these easy cherry danish are perfect for you. Read on for the recipe. Then, make sure you leave a rating and review once you have tried these cherry cream cheese danish for yourself!
Cherry Cream Cheese Danish (Made With Puff Pastry)
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
Ingredients
- 1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 can cherry pie filling (21 oz)
- ½ cup dark sweet cherries
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp water
- Powdered sugar or a simple glaze to top the pastries optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Place the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined and smooth. Set aside.8 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp almond extract
- Place the cherry pie filling in a small bowl. Drain the dark cherries before measuring out ½ cup. Roughly chop the cherries into halves/quarters and add them to the bowl. Gently stir the pie filling and dark cherries together until well combined. Set aside.1 can cherry pie filling (21 oz), ½ cup dark sweet cherries
- On a lightly-floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry into a large square (about 10"x10"). Cut the large puff pastry square into four squares (about 5"x5" each). Repeat the same process with the second puff pastry sheet.1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
- Use a fork to dock (poke small holes in) the center of each of each puff pastry square, leaving about a ½-¾" border around the edge. Add about 2 heaping teaspoons (or about one tbsp) of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each puff pastry square. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese over the docked part of the puff pastry.
- Now, add a generous 1½-2 tablespoons of the cherry mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture. I place the cherry filling in a diagonal line, so the filling will peek out when two of the corners are folded inward.
- Mix the egg white and water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, dab a generous amount of the egg wash onto the corner of the puff pastry that will be folded in second (this will act like glue to hold the two corners together). Fold in two opposite corners of the puff pastry, pressing/pinching firmly to make sure that they are stuck together. Brush the tops and edges of each danish with egg wash.1 egg white, 1 tsp water
- Bake 4 danish on a half sheet pan for 22-24 minutes at 400°F, turning the pan about halfway through to ensure even baking. The danish should be puffy and golden brown when they are done baking.
- Remove the danish from the oven and place them on a wire cooling rack. Wait until they are cool before drizzling on a simple glaze or sprinkling them with powdered sugar. Serve right away!Powdered sugar or a simple glaze to top the pastries
Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen
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2 Responses
I can’t get enough of these – they are delicious!!!! So easy to make.
Thank you, George! So happy to hear this!