Fruit and cream cheese puff pastry danish sounds like something you'd only ever find at a bakery counter, right? Wrong! This recipe gives you that same flaky, golden, jammy results at home, with only about 10 minutes of hands-on work. It looks seriously impressive, tastes even better, and nobody needs to know how easy it actually was.
These are SOOO DELICIOUS!! I was careful to follow the instructions to be mindful of the edges and I can't believe how BEAUTIFUL the layers are!! I did nothing fancy -- used store-bought puff pastry, made sloppy and oblong-shaped cuts, used regular blueberries with regular blueberry jam -- yet the end result STILL looks so impressive and tastes absolutely delicious.
- Olivia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These are a go-to whenever I'm putting together a brunch spread. They're easy to batch, work with whatever fruit you have on hand, and they look like you put in way more effort than you actually did. I have a whole collection of brunch recipes if you want to keep the spread going!
I started making these for weekend mornings when I wanted something special on the table without turning it into a whole production (unless you want to give some rough puff pastry a try). The combination of that crispy, flaky pastry with the creamy filling and warm jammy fruit on top is just SO good. You get sweet, tangy, fruity, and buttery all in one bite with texture galore.
What I love most? It's super versatile. Strawberries in the summer, peaches at their peak in August, blueberries year-round. You can switch it up every single time, and it never gets old. If you're a fan of this kind of sweet breakfast treat, this cream cheese cherry danish uses the same idea with a sweet cherry topping (straight from the can), and it's absolutely worth making.
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Why We Love it!
Bakery style at home - these homemade danishes have that gorgeous golden, flaky puff pastry you'd expect from a proper bakery, but made right in your own kitchen with store-bought pastry.
Use any fruit you love - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, cherries, etc. This recipe works with all of them, so use whatever is fresh or in season! A blueberry and peach combo? Say less!
Quick and easy - with one sheet of puff pastry and a handful of ingredients, these come together super quickly. Most of the time is bake time!
100% customizable - cut the pastry into squares, cirles, or rectangles! Drizzle with vanilla icing. Brush with jam. Do both! Make them your own!
Ingredients
- Puff pastry. Store-bought frozen puff pastry is the best option for a quick and easy puff pastry danish. Pepperidge Farm is easy to find and works great, though you can look for Dufour if you want more flavor. If you're feeling ambitious, my homemade rough puff pastry is a project that is absolutely worth it for extra flaky layers and a buttery flavor that's hard to beat.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese only. Make sure it's at room temperature so it spreads smoothly without tearing the dough. I always like to use Philadelphia brand.
- Fresh fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and peaches are all great options. Prep tips for each are in the instructions below.
- Cornstarch. Just a little bit, tossed with the fruit and sugar, helps the fruit juices thicken as it bakes, so it doesn't run all over the place.
- Vanilla. Used in both the cream cheese filling and the icing - don't skip it!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use any fresh seasonal fruit. You can also mix up totally frozen fruit with the sugar and cornstarch and bake it up that way (no thawing needed).
- Add a touch of lemon zest to the cream cheese mix for a bright, citrusy note.
- Use a flavored jam for the glaze. Apricot or peach on peaches, strawberries over strawberries, raspberry over mixed berries, etc.
- Cut the pastry into smaller squares or rounds, and them make bite-sized alongside some mini puff pastry quiche for a fun brunch spread!
How to Make This Recipe
One: Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until very smooth.
Two: Slightly roll out the puff pastry until it's about ⅛" thick. Keep it in a rectangular shape. Cut into 6 even pieces.
Three: Use the tip of a paring knife and score a 1cm border in all of the rectangles. Take care not to pierce the whole way through the pastry.
Four: Add a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese into the centers of the borders. Use a spoon or spatula to smooth it to the border markings.
Five: Add the prepared fruit to a bowl(s), then mix with sugar and cornstarch.
Six: Spoon a heaping ¼ cup of fruit onto the cream cheese, keeping it inside the borders.
Hot tip! Be very gentle when mixing the fruit and adding it to the pastry so you don't break it up too much.
Seven: Brush the edges with egg wash with a small pastry brush or your finger. Bake the pastry until golden and bubbly.
Eight: Brush warmed jam over the fruit to make them glisten and add an extra pop of sweetness. Mix together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and drizzle over the glaze (optional).
Hot tip! Don't the egg wash fall over the edges of the cut pastry (or else that will seal them and prevent the flaky layers from rising).
Expert Tips
- Freshly cut edges lead to the flakiest layers. Use a large knife to cut a very thin amount off the edges that weren't cut. Don't saw, just cut down, then lift up.
- Don't forget to score! The little border keeps the center from puffing up too much and acts as a frame to hold your filling in place.
- Keep the pastry cold right up until it goes in the oven. After assembly, pop the whole pan in the fridge while you preheat the oven. Cold fat in the pastry is what
- Be precise with the egg wash. Only brush the expoed pastry and try not to let it fall over the sides. If you seal the edges, the flaky layers won't rise as much (and that's sort of the whole point, right?!).
- Bake the danishes until the edges are deeply golden. You want them fully baked through so the bottom doesn't stay raw under the fruit.
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Testing Notes
This recipe was developed, tested, and created in my own kitchen.
- For frozen fruit, I tried both thawing first and baking directly from frozen. They finished with the same bake time and actually kept better structure with the frozen fruit, so go that route!
- I tested these with uncut edges and cut edges (meaning the original edges of the puff pastry). Cutting a very small amount off of each pastry before baking gives them nice clean edges, and they bake up SO much flakier.
- You don't have to add the jam glaze, but the fruit looks really dull and boring without it. I honestly didn't want to shoot the final product without the jammy glaze. It also helps give them an extra little pop of flavor!
- The first time I made this, I loaded them up with too much fruit, and even though I extended the bake time, the bottoms were still soggy. The recommended amount is now my go-to.
Common Questions
Frozen store-bought puff pastry is totally the move here. Look for one made with butter instead of oil if you can find it - the flavor is noticeably better (like Dufour). Pepperidge Farm is a widely available option that works great, though.
Yes! No need to thaw it first, just toss the frozen fruit with sugar and cornstarch and proceed with the recipe as usual.
This could be for a few reasons. The pastry wasn't cold enough when it went into the oven, the egg wash dripped over the cut edges and sealed them, or the oven wasn't fully preheated.
Yes! Assemble (before egg wash and baking) and keep them covered in the fridge for a few hours before baking. Just add the egg wash before you pop them into the oven.
Storage
Store baked danishes at room temperature for one day - a paper bag works great for this because it lets a little air circulate and keeps the pastry from getting too soft. Cover and refrigerate for an additional day.
To freeze, wrap each danish individually in plastic wrap, place in a zip-top bag, and freeze for up to one month. Unwrap completely and bake from frozen in a 400℉ oven for about 5-7 minutes until hot and crispy again.
These danishes love to be eaten fresh and warm. They lose their crispiness over time, but a few minutes in a hot oven brings them right back.
More Puff Pastry Recipes You'll Love
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Fruit and Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Paring knife
- Pastry brush (optional)
- Rubber spatula
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 sheet puff pastry or homemade rough puff pastry
- 1½ cups fresh fruit strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry, peach are good options
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- jam, jelly, preserves optional, for glaze
Vanilla Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/205℃.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soft cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a spoon or small rubber spatula.4 oz full fat cream cheese, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Roll out the dough to ⅛”-¼” thick. Cut the pastry into six desired shapes. Rectangles and squares work well and cookie cutters can be used to make circles.1 sheet puff pastry
- Transfer the cutouts to a parchment lined baking sheet. Take care not to touch the sides too much or it will seal the edges and prevent flaky layers.
- Lightly score a ½” border on the inside of the pastry with the tip of a sharp knife, careful not to cut through the dough completely.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese to the center of each piece of dough, and spread evenly to the scored border.
- Add the pastry (on the pan) to the fridge while you prepare the fruit. The colder the pastry, the better it bakes.
- Prepare whatever fruit you want to use. If using strawberries, cherries or peaches, hull/pit, then slice - leave blueberries and raspberries whole.1½ cups fresh fruit
- Add the fruit to a bowl, then sprinkle on the sugar and cornstarch and carefully mix to combine.1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- In another small bowl, whisk together an egg and a splash of water.1 large egg
Assembly
- Add a ¼ cup of fruit to the top of each area of cream cheese.
- Using a small pastry brush or your finger, rub the egg wash on all exposed sides of the dough. Try not to let the egg wash fall over the edges or it will seal the layers and prevent them from puffing up.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the exposed edges are golden brown and flaky.
- While the danishes bake, heat a few tablespoons of jam in the microwave for a few seconds until loosened.jam, jelly, preserves
- Note: Try to pair flavors appropriately (i.e. apricot or peach preserves with peaches, strawberry jam with strawberries, etc).
- When the danishes are done, brush the jam over the fruit. This step is not required, but add a nice sheen and a touch of extra flavor.
- Mix together the powdered sugar, milk (start with 1 tablespoon), and vanilla, then drizzle on top of each danish.½ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk or water, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Marc says
Hi. I know this comment/question is a few years after the fact, but... when you say freeze the pastry, you mean the already baked pastry, right? I know, probably a very stupid question! But I just want to make sure! Im new and absolutely love your recipes, btw!!
Callan Wenner says
Hi Marc, not a stupid question at all (I should have been more clear in the post)! Yes, freeze the baked pastry after wrapping tightly in plastic wrap. You can then refresh them in the oven directly from frozen.
Heather says
Hello! Could I use frozen fruit that has been thawed and drained in place of fresh?
Callan Wenner says
Hi Heather - toss the frozen fruit with sugar and cornstarch and bake them up! No need to thaw it first.
Luci the Cat says
Looks like recipe is missing a step - it says to spread cheese filling, top with fruit (strawberries, other berries) then bake.
Are you sure the strawberries should go into the oven?
Callan Wenner says
Hi there, no steps missing. The fruit goes on top of the cream cheese, and then the entire thing gets baked. This makes the fruit tender and the cornstarch (tossed with the fruit) helps to thicken the juices that release during bake time. See the step-by-step pictures within the post write up for reference!
Ana says
So good! Highly recommend using homemade puff pastry (also by The Cozy Plum) as it tastes so much better than store bought. Thanks for the recipe!
The Cozy Plum says
Yay! Totally agree with you on the homemade pastry - it's worth the effort!
Olivia says
These are SOOO DELICIOUS!! I was careful to follow the instructions to be mindful of the edges and I can't believe how BEAUTIFUL the layers are!! I did nothing fancy -- used store-bought puff pastry, made sloppy and oblong-shaped cuts, used regular blueberries with regular blueberry jam -- yet the end result STILL looks so impressive and tastes absolutely delicious. I love The Cozy Plum recipes because I feel like a rockstar baker even though I'm a total newbie... she makes baking feel so easy and accessible!! THANK YOU!!
The Cozy Plum says
Olivia thank you so much for this review! You are the best and this is so nice. Glad you enjoyed them!