Strawberry Danish with Cream Cheese (Printable)
Golden, flaky Danish filled with cream cheese and sweet strawberries—ideal for breakfast or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 ounces), thawed if frozen
→ Cream Cheese Filling
02 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
→ Strawberry Filling
06 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
→ Egg Wash
10 - 1 large egg, beaten
11 - 1 tablespoon milk
→ Optional Glaze
12 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, blend softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
03 - In another bowl, combine diced strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir gently and set aside.
04 - Roll out the puff pastry and cut into 8 even squares. Score a 1/2-inch border around each square, being careful not to cut all the way through.
05 - Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each square, spreading gently within the border. Top with 1 tablespoon of strawberry mixture.
06 - Using a pastry brush, coat pastry borders with egg wash made from beaten egg and milk.
07 - Transfer pastries to the prepared baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and puffed.
08 - Remove from oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.
09 - For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with 2 to 3 teaspoons milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled pastries if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- With store-bought puff pastry, these come together faster than anyone needs to know.
- The sweet cream cheese filling and fresh strawberries hit the ideal balance between indulgent and bright, making every bite memorable.
02 -
- Trying to shortcut the pastry thawing leads to cracks you will fight later—patience really does pay off.
- I discovered that too much strawberry filling can make the centers soggy, so stick with just a tablespoon.
03 -
- Don't skip the wire rack—it stops steam from making the bottoms soggy.
- Border scoring helps the filling stay put and the pastry puff up with picture-perfect edges.