Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish
These Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish made with crescent roll dough are so delicious and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet treat any time of the day!
Servings: 8
Estimated Calories: 210
Ingredients
For the Danish:
- 1 (8-ounce) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 teaspoons strawberry jam, preserves could also be used
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (I use a half sheet pan, which is approximately 18 x 13 inches).If you don't have parchment paper, spray the pan lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, the lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth; set aside.
- Remove the crescent roll dough from the tube but don't unroll it. Cut the dough into 8 equal slices (a serrated knife works best for this).
- Place the dough rounds on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Using your fingers, gently press each piece of dough into a 2½-inch round, leaving the edges slightly raised to help hold in the filling.
- Top each dough round with ⅛ of the cream cheese mixture, leaving a border of dough around the edges.
- Place 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of the cream cheese mixture on each danish.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove the danish from the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool (about 15 minutes).
- In a small bowl, mix together the ½ cup of powdered sugar and enough of the milk to make a glaze of your desired consistency; start with the 2 teaspoons and add more, a little at a time, until it is how you want it (I make mine just thin enough to easily drizzle while still being on the thicker side to give you those nice lines of glaze...it usually takes about 4 teaspoons of milk for me).
- Put a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under the cooling rack to catch the extra glaze for easy clean-up (you can use the same piece of parchment that you baked them on).
- Drizzle the glaze evenly over the danish. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Best when served fresh from the oven!
- Store leftover danish covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. They're delicious cold (and will have a firmer consistency), or you can put them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so to warm and soften them up.
- Because it's such a small amount, I beat the cream cheese filling with a spoon, but you can use an electric mixer if you prefer.
- I recommend using a light-colored baking sheet and baking on the center rack in the oven so the danish don't get too dark, especially on the bottom.
- If you use a dark pan, you might want to consider reducing the heat to 350°F (you might have to increase the baking time slightly).
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