This strawberry Danish recipe is a delicious homemade pastry recipe that is easy to make and is made with a sweet cream cheese mixture and a fresh strawberry sauce, then baked to flaky, golden perfection, and drizzled with glaze. These strawberry danishes is great served for breakfast, brunch, or as a midday snack.
I love a good danish. I more than love them, in fact. Every time I drove by the bakery I used to pick them up, which was a couple of times a week. For the past few years, though, I’ve skipped the bakery and simply made my own at home. I found a recipe online about three years ago, and over the course of tweaking it, I managed to create the perfect danish that ended up being just as good as the fresh ones I bought. I’ve never bought them again. I love making these for a sweet breakfast or afternoon snack, and I make a point of serving them when my kids and grandkids come to visit. They can’t get enough of them!
Strawberry Danish
This delicious treat starts with a homemade strawberry filling and a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling – also homemade! I twist puff pastry strips and then wrap it to make a pinwheel. I top it with the cream cheese and strawberry mixtures, then bake it until golden brown. Finally, I finish it off with a simple vanilla drizzle to create classic strawberry danish. It’s the perfect sweet breakfast, dessert, or afternoon snack.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Danish Recipe
- The flavor combination of a flaky, golden pastry filled with sweet cream cheese and fresh strawberry sauce, topped with a glaze drizzle, is simply irresistible.
- They are easy to make and are great for parties and potlucks. They are a sweet treat for breakfast and brunch and make a delicious afternoon snack.
- They use simple ingredients that are easily available at the local grocery store and are versatile by using different types of berries.
Strawberry Danish Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients that you can find in your kitchen or at your local grocery store. There’s nothing complicated about the ingredients!
Pastry
- Puff pastry sheets
- Large egg
- Water
Strawberry Filling
- Fresh strawberries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Cornstarch
Cream Cheese Mixture
- Cream cheese, room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolk
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
Glaze Drizzle
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Strawberry Danish with Cream Cheese
This recipe is much easier to make than you might think. With its braided pinwheel base and two fillings, this recipe might look fancy, but as long as you follow the directions, you’ll have no issues. It’s actually beginner-friendly!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Strawberry Filling
Add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce beings to form. Mix the cornstarch and water and add the mixture to the strawberries. Stir until thickened, remove from the heat, and cool.
Step 3: Make the Danish Base
While the strawberry filling cools, cut each pastry sheet into 8 strips. Pinch the ends of two strips together to create long strips. Then, twist two strips together to create a braid. Place one end of the long, twisted strip down onto the parchment paper and wrap the strip around itself to form a pinwheel. Poke the pinwheels 4 to 5 times with a fork.
Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Mixture
Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat for 2 minutes.
Step 5: Make the Strawberry Danish
Add a heaping spoonful of cream cheese mixture to the center of each pastry followed by a spoonful of strawberry filling. Then, whisk the eggs and water together and brush the mixture over each pastry.
Step 6: Bake
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pastries cool.
Step 7: Drizzle
When the pastries have cooled, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla together. Then, drizzle the mixture over the pastries. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Stir the strawberry mixture constantly while cooking to prevent scorching.
- Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened to ensure a smooth, creamy filling with no bits of raw cream cheese.
- The egg wash is crucial to the color of the pastries. Don’t skip it, or the danishes won’t be golden.
Variations
- Use your favorite berries to make different danish variations, such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
- Dice fruit fillings can be used for this danish, as well.
- Make a custard filling for the danish for a tasty twist.
What to Serve with Strawberry Danish
Serve this danish with a glass of milk for the kids or a cup of coffee or tea for the adults. These are delicious paired with fresh fruit or chocolate or as a sweet addition to a larger breakfast with all your favorite savory options like sausage, eggs, and bacon, as well.
Recipe FAQ
Frozen strawberries will work in place of fresh for the sauce. Use them in the same amount.
Puff pastry should always be thawed before baking. The best way to do this is to place it in the refrigerator overnight.
These strawberry danishes should always be refrigerated because they have a cream cheese layer.
These will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can! When stored properly, they’ll last for up to a month in the freezer.
How to Store Leftover Strawberry Danishes
Refrigerate these strawberry danishes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to a month. Defrost them overnight in the refrigerator.
Try This Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish Today
This strawberry danish is so easy to make and absolutely delicious. You can’t beat that combo! With both a cream cheese and strawberry filling layered on top of a golden-brown, braided puff pastry pinwheel, these danishes are just as good as any you’ll find in a bakery, and they’re always oven-fresh! Give these a try, and you’ll never buy a danish from the bakery again.
More Delicious Strawberry Desserts You’ll Enjoy
This Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is an easy sweet and salty dessert featuring a sweet cream cheese layered on top of a pretzel crust, and topped with a strawberry pie filling and fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Danish with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 box puff pastry sheets, each cut into 8 strips
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, each cut into 4 pieces
- ⅛ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon water
Glaze Drizzle
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Strawberry Filling
- In a small saucepan, add strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Heat over medium heat until sauce begins to form, stirring frequently.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together, then add to the strawberries. Stir until thickened then remove from heat and let cool.
- Cut each pastry sheet into 8 strips.
- Take two strips of puff pastry and pinch the ends together to create one long strip.
- Twist the strip until it forms a braided piece.
- Place one end of the long, twisted strip down onto the parchment paper and wrap the dough around it, starting in the center and creating a pinwheel base. Poke the center 4 to 5 times with a fork.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat for 2 more minutes.
- Add a heaping spoonful of cream cheese mixture to the cent of each pastry followed by a spoonful of strawberry filling.
Egg Wash
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and water together until combined.
- Brush easy pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Glaze Drizzle
- Once the pastries have cooled, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla together.
- Drizzle each pastry with lemon glaze and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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