Puff pastry needs exactly 81 layers of butter-dough folds to create those flaky pockets—shortcuts create dense, greasy disasters.
Easy Cream Cheese Danishes
Indulge in these delightful cream cheese danishes, bursting with fresh strawberry goodness! With a flaky pastry base and a rich, velvety filling, these treats are effortlessly made using just three ingredients and a touch of love. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, they're sure to impress your taste buds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
8
people
Level
beginner
The Story
These beauties are actually Austrian wienerbrød that Danish bakers perfected in the 1850s after striking Copenhagen bakers imported Viennese pastry masters—then American diners in the 1960s bastardized the whole thing with Philadelphia cream cheese, turning Europe's delicate morning pastry into a sugar-bomb breakfast that would make a Habsburg emperor weep into his coffee.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Saguenay region, they fold maple syrup directly into the cream cheese mixture and replace strawberries with wild blueberries, creating a Franco-Canadian hybrid that's basically breakfast nationalism on a plate.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese
- 1 egg egg
- 1 package puff pastry
- 1 cup (237 ml) strawberries
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2
Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into squares.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- 4
Place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square.
- 5
Fold the corners of the pastry over the filling to create a danish shape.
- 6
Brush the tops with beaten egg.
- 7
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- 8
Top with sliced strawberries before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill your puff pastry for 15-20 minutes after cutting but before filling to prevent butter layers from melting and losing lamination structure during assembly.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Bring cream cheese to exactly 65-70°F before mixing so it incorporates smoothly without overmixing, which breaks down fat structure and creates a grainy texture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Create a 1/4-inch border around filling and press pastry edges with fork tines to create a proper seal, preventing cream cheese from leaking and burning on the pan.technique1/4-inch border
- ✓Brush egg wash only on pastry surfaces, not the filling, because proteins in egg wash will coagulate at 160°F and create an unappetizing skin on the cream cheese.technique160°F coagulation
- ✓Add strawberries after baking because their 90% water content will release steam during baking, creating soggy pastry bottoms and diluting the cream cheese filling.timing90% water content
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
8
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Puff pastry needs exactly 81 layers of butter-dough folds to create those flaky pockets—shortcuts create dense, greasy disasters.
Easy Cream Cheese Danishes
Indulge in these delightful cream cheese danishes, bursting with fresh strawberry goodness! With a flaky pastry base and a rich, velvety filling, these treats are effortlessly made using just three ingredients and a touch of love. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, they're sure to impress your taste buds!
The Story
These beauties are actually Austrian wienerbrød that Danish bakers perfected in the 1850s after striking Copenhagen bakers imported Viennese pastry masters—then American diners in the 1960s bastardized the whole thing with Philadelphia cream cheese, turning Europe's delicate morning pastry into a sugar-bomb breakfast that would make a Habsburg emperor weep into his coffee.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Saguenay region, they fold maple syrup directly into the cream cheese mixture and replace strawberries with wild blueberries, creating a Franco-Canadian hybrid that's basically breakfast nationalism on a plate.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese
- 1 egg egg
- 1 package puff pastry
- 1 cup (237 ml) strawberries
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2
Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into squares.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- 4
Place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square.
- 5
Fold the corners of the pastry over the filling to create a danish shape.
- 6
Brush the tops with beaten egg.
- 7
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- 8
Top with sliced strawberries before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill your puff pastry for 15-20 minutes after cutting but before filling to prevent butter layers from melting and losing lamination structure during assembly.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Bring cream cheese to exactly 65-70°F before mixing so it incorporates smoothly without overmixing, which breaks down fat structure and creates a grainy texture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Create a 1/4-inch border around filling and press pastry edges with fork tines to create a proper seal, preventing cream cheese from leaking and burning on the pan.technique1/4-inch border
- ✓Brush egg wash only on pastry surfaces, not the filling, because proteins in egg wash will coagulate at 160°F and create an unappetizing skin on the cream cheese.technique160°F coagulation
- ✓Add strawberries after baking because their 90% water content will release steam during baking, creating soggy pastry bottoms and diluting the cream cheese filling.timing90% water content