This easy cream cheese danish is made with lemon curd, and puff pastry for an easy breakfast or brunch danish recipe that everyone will love.

cut Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on black plate with fresh lemon slices


 

A good cheese danish has always been my favorite breakfast indulgence. That flaky puff pastry crust and the sweetened cream cheese in the middle….it’s the ideal way to start the day!

This easy cream cheese danish recipe uses premade puff pastry to keep things simple but we have fancied it up by lacing the top into a beautiful braid.

Inside is sweetened cream cheese and delicious lemon curd to the perfect combination of sweet and tart (we have a recipe for peach cream cheese danish too!). Add a little glaze on the top after everything is baked and you end up with a breakfast pastry that is easy enough to make for the family and awesome enough to add to your brunch menu.

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ingredients for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

Using premade doughs is a great way to simplify your breakfast baking without sacrificing flavor. We use it for our easy chocolate croissants, holiday breakfast ring, and even our air fryer maple bacon donuts…OMG you have to try them!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Frozen puff pastry – You’ll need 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry. Some people use crescent rolls dough to make a quick danish but puff pastry cooks into a buttery, flakey crust that is perfect for breakfast pastries.
  • Cream cheese – Cream cheese adds the perfect tangy flavor to this cheese danish.
  • Confectioner’s sugar – You’ll use this powdered sugar to sweeten the cream cheese filling and to make the glaze for the puff pastry.
  • Vanilla extract – A little vanilla extract helps mellow out the lemon without masking the flavor.
  • Lemon zest – Zesting a lemon is a great way to get a real punch of flavor without the added liquid of using lemon juice. You’ll use this in both the filling and the glaze.
  • Lemon Curd – Yum! I could eat this stuff with a spoon. You can make your own lemon curd or you can find it in the aisle with the jellies and jams at the grocery store.
  • Egg – This is used to make a simple egg wash to brush over the puff pastry to give it a nice golden brown appearance.
  • Milk – You’ll add this to the glaze to thin it out enough to drizzle it over the cooled danish before serving.

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare oven. Preheat oven to 400F.

Step 2 – Make the filling. In a small bowl mix cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest together until thoroughly combined.

soften crea cheese for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

Step 6 – Egg Wash. Make a simple egg wash by mixing the egg whites and egg yolk with the water. Set aside.

Step 3 – Prepare dough. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet. Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush some of the eggwash along the edges of the pastry dough.

Cut 1-inch strips down the left and right thirds of the puff pastry, leaving the middle section untouched.

filling a Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

Step 4 – Fill Pastry. Add the cream cheese mixture to the middle of the puff pastry and then spread the lemon curd over it.

Step 5 – Braid. Fold the end of the puff pastry up and over, then fold the top strip from the left in towards the middle. Fold a strip from the right inwards to overlap the left strip. Continue alternating left and right down the length of the puff pastry.

Brush the remaining egg wash over the dough.

how to make a Lemon Cream Cheese Danish braid

Step 7 – Bake. Place in a 400 F oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 8 – Cool. Once the pastry has finished baking remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Approximately 1 hour.

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on parchment paper and baking sheet

Step 9 – Glaze. When the lemon pastry has cooled to room temperature mix up your glaze by mixing the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Drizzle the glaze over it.

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish with glaze

Step 10 – Serve. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tip: Sometimes the dough puffs up a lot as it bakes and your braid may start to pull apart. Don’t panic! When the pastry comes out of the oven let gently use a fork to move the pieces of the braid back into place. As the dough cools it will fall and everything will lay in place nicely.

What is Cheese Danish Filling Made of?

Traditional cheese Danish filling is made of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sometimes eggs. We skip the eggs for our simplified version!

To change up the flavor you may include ingredients like lemon curd, strawberry preserves, cherry, apple, or blueberry pie filling, fresh berries, or chocolate.cut Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on platter with lemon slices

Are Cream Cheese Danishes Sweet?

Yes, cream cheese danishes are typically sweet. The filling is usually made with sugar, which gives it a sweet taste. In addition, the puff pastry crust may be dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with a sweet glaze, adding to the overall sweetness of the pastry.

What Does Cheese Danish Taste Like?

A cheese Danish typically has a flaky, buttery puff pastry crust and a creamy, tangy filling made with cream cheese and sugar. The filling taste similar to cheesecake, specifically a no-bake cheesecake. It may also include additional flavors like fruit preserves or lemon curd.

Do Cream Cheese Danishes Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes, cream cheese danishes should be refrigerated to keep them fresh. The cream cheese filling can spoil if left at room temperature for too long.

To store them, place the danishes in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Can Cream Cheese Danish Be Frozen?

Yes, cream cheese danish can be frozen. To freeze, wrap the pastry tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.

Frozen cream cheese danishes can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

To reheat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then bake in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on a black plate

You’d never believe it was that easy to make just looking at it! This danish is delicious and beautiful and absolutely perfect for spring and summer brunches or make it ahead of time for a lazy morning breakfast this summer. Either way, you and whoever you share it with (I won’t tell if you keep it all for yourself) will love it.

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Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

This flaky Lemon Cream Cheese Danish is an easy breakfast or brunch recipe made with puff pastry and filled with a creamy, sweet and tart filling.
cut Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on black plate with fresh lemon slices
Print Recipe
4 from 64 votes

Ingredients

Danish

  • 1 sheet Frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 4 ounces Cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup Confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 2 Lemons, Zest and set 1 teaspoon aside
  • 2.5 ounces Lemon Curd
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tablespoon Water

Glaze

  • ½ cup Confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon zest

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Mix cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest (set 1 teaspoon aside for later) together until thoroughly combined.
    soften crea cheese for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
  • Make a simple egg wash by mixing the egg and water. Set aside.
    Egg wash for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
  • Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet. It will be divided into 3 parts. Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush some of the egg wash along the outer edges of the pastry dough.
  • Cut 1-inch strips down the left and right thirds of the puff pastry, leaving the middle section untouched.
    Puff Pastry Braid for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture over the middle of the puff pastry and then spread the lemon curd over it.
    filling a Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
  • Fold the end of the puff pastry up and over the filling.
  • Fold the top left strip in towards the middle. Fold the top right strip inwards to overlap the left strip. Continue alternating left and right down the length of the puff pastry.
    how to make a Lemon Cream Cheese Danish braid
  • Brush the remaining egg wash over the dough.
  • Place in a 400 degrees F oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
    Lemon Cream Cheese Danish on parchment paper and baking sheet
  • Once the pastry has finished baking remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Approximately 1 hour.
  • When the lemon pastry has cooled to room temperature mix up your glaze by mixing the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Drizzle the glaze over it.
    Lemon Cream Cheese Danish with glaze
  • Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 209mg, Potassium: 114mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 304IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cream cheese danish recipe, lemon braid, puff pastry danish
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda