This easy Philadelphia cream cheese puff pastry Danish tart recipe will be the talk of the table at your next fancy breakfast party or brunch! Made with flaky puff pastry, cream cheese filling, and fresh berries, they aren't just tasty but absolutely beautiful. If you have been looking for the perfect puff pastry with cream cheese filling recipe to turn heads and satisfy the taste buds, look no further!
Jump to:
- 🌟 What is the difference between puff pastry and Danish pastry
- 🌟 Why this is the best Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish recipe
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 👩🍳 How to make this recipe
- ❄️ Storage & freezing
- 🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
- 🎓 Expert tips
- 🥣 Equipment notes
- ❓Recipe FAQs
- 🍪 More Puff Pastry Recipes
- Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish
🌟 What is the difference between puff pastry and Danish pastry
The terms "puff pastry" and "Danish pastry" are sometimes used interchangeably due to their similar shape and appearance. However, while a Danish is a variant of the puff pastry, the two are prepared differently and have different characteristics.
Danish pastries are much more complicated than the traditional French puff pastry, which is made with flour, butter, vinegar, and water. They are leavened with yeast and include egg, milk, or cream, and sugar to sweeten the dough. Danish pastries also have a much higher fat level and are less airy and crisp than puff pastries.
The recipe below is made with puff pastry - to keep it simple - but they are often referred to as "Danish" due to their shape and crispiness.
🌟 Why this is the best Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish recipe
- It is easy to make - This is an easy cheese Danish recipe that requires minimal effort and just 15 minutes to put together. The rest of the time is spent waiting for it to bake!
- It only requires a handful of ingredients - My easy cream cheese puff pastry recipe only requires store bought puff pastry, fresh fruit, and a few of your everyday household ingredients. No specialty store visits are required!
- It is versatile - One of the best things about these easy cream cheese puff pastry tarts is that you can make them with various fillings, toppings, and flavors. See my Flavor Variations & Substitutions section for inspiration.
- It is perfect for fancy occasions - These cream cheese puff pastry danishes are simple yet eye-catching, just what you need to impress your guests.
📝 Ingredient notes
- Puff Pastry: Try my homemade rough puff pastry recipe to make your puff pastry from scratch. Alternatively, to save time, you can use frozen store-bought puff pastry as seen in other cream cheese puff pastry recipes.
- Cream Cheese - I like to use the Philadelphia brand for my cream cheese pastry filling recipes as it is high-quality and has an excellent texture and taste. However, you can use any brand as long as it is full-fat.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for regular, granulated sugar. To learn more about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, check out my sugar guide.
- Egg Yolk: You will need one egg yolk for the cream cheese topping. See my guide on what eggs do in baking to learn more about their role in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract helps to enhance the flavor of the cream cheese topping. Avoid using imitation vanilla extract!
- Egg: A second whole egg is needed to make the egg wash, which deepens the color of the puff pastry Danish and gives it a shine. See my egg wash tutorial to learn more.
- Milk: A small splash of milk is required to make the egg wash.
- Berries: You can use strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any other berries to top the puff pastry cream cheese tarts.
🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
👩🍳 How to make this recipe
- If using frozen puff pastry sheets, thaw them until soft enough to pull apart but still very cold.
- Meanwhile, wash the berries. If using strawberries or raspberries, cut them lengthwise into two pieces.
- Next, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk in a small bowl for a few minutes until thoroughly combined.
- Unfold one of the thawed puff pastry sheets and cut it into six rectangles.
- Use a sharp knife to lightly score each rectangle about half an inch in on all four sides, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Then, take one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and spread it on the pastry, leaving out the scored side. Arrange the fruits on top.
- Next, make the egg wash by whisking the egg with a splash of milk. Lightly apply the wash around the pastry, not over the cream cheese or fruit.
- Repeat the same process with the second pastry sheet. You will have 12 cream cheese puff pastry tarts at the end, six for each baking sheet.
- Keeping the puff pastry as cold as possible is critical to the recipe's success. It will be too sticky to work with if it becomes too warm. Never try to force a warm puff pastry. Instead, you can always pop it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to chill until firm again.
- Move the puff pastry danishes to the fridge to chill. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200C / 392F without a fan.
- Once preheated, bake the puff pastry tarts for 40-45 minutes. After about 15 minutes, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent the top of the pastry from browning and burning before the bottom bakes.
- Once baked, let them cool on the baking sheet for approximately three minutes. Then, move them onto a cooling rack.
💡 Top Tip: Working in a cold kitchen helps make working with the puff pastry dough easy. Additionally, try to handle the dough as quick as possible. If making the dough from scratch, use a rolling pin to avoid overhandling it.
❄️ Storage & freezing
These cream cheese puff pastry Danishes have the best flavor and texture when you serve them fresh on the same day. However, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
To freeze, wait until the puff pastry Danish has cooled completely, then move it to a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each pastry. It will last in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in the oven until warm.
🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
Once you learn how to make this easy puff pastry cream cheese recipe, you can customize it to suit your tastes and preferences in several ways.
You can top your puff pastry Danish tarts with jam, pie filling, or other fruits such as sliced apples, apricots, or pears (as I do in my pear puff pastry tarts). Just make sure what you use is not too juicy, which will cause the puff pastry dough to get soggy.
You can skip the fruit and top the cream cheese with chocolate chips or crushed nuts. Or, you can serve them with the cream cheese filling only.
Add a little fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to give the cream cheese filling a zesty flavor. You can also swap the vanilla extract for another flavor, such as orange or almond.
To make your cream cheese puff pastry savory, top it with ham and mushrooms, pesto, or tomato and basil.
Once baked, top them with powdered sugar or a drizzle of honey or my homemade caramel glaze.
🎓 Expert tips
- Work as quickly as possible with the dough to prevent it from getting too warm.
- Use room temperature egg yolk and softened cream cheese for a smooth, creamy filling.
- Avoid adding more cream cheese filling or fruit to the pastry than as instructed in the recipe. While it may be tempting to top it with more delicious fillings, adding too much can make the pastry too moist, cause leaks, and prevent it from baking correctly.
- Before removing the pastry from the oven, check whether the bottom is well-baked. It should be golden brown on the top and bottom and not appear wet or doughy.
🥣 Equipment notes
Always use a digital scale when measuring the ingredients for the most accurate and consistent measurements.
A digital oven thermometer is also helpful for ensuring the correct temperature when baking your puff pastry tarts. Having the right temperature is critical for avoiding over- or underbaking them!
❓Recipe FAQs
For the best cream cheese puff pastry tarts, only use high-quality, full fat cream cheese, which delivers the thickest, creamiest filling. Any other cream cheese would be too runny and make your puff pastry cream cheese Danish too moist.
It is possible to prep the ingredients for the filling ahead of time, but I do not recommend assembling and baking the pastries until the day you plan to enjoy them.
To make your cream cheese danishes gluten-free, buy gluten-free puff pastry dough. You can make this recipe vegan by substituting the butter for one of these butter substitutes and the egg with one of the options in my egg substitution guide. However, changing one ingredient may require reformulating other parts of the recipe to keep the balance between texture and flavor.
🍪 More Puff Pastry Recipes
Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish
Ingredients
- 2 packs Puff pastry store-bought or 2 portions of my homemade rough puff pastry
- 226 g (1 cups) Cream cheese full fat, eg. Philadephia
- 67 g (⅓ cups) Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg for the egg wash
- Splash of milk for the egg wash
- Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or any other berries
US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry sheets (if using frozen) but make sure they are still cold.
- Wash the berries and cut the strawberries and raspberries lengthwise.
- Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk for a few minutes until fully combined.
- Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets and cut it into 6 rectangles, as in the process image.
- Using a sharp knife, lightly score each rectangle about ½ inch in on all 4 sides. Do not cut all the way through the dough.
- Spread about one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on the pastry, but leave out the scored side. Then, arrange the fruits on top.
- Whisk the egg with a splash of milk and apply egg wash all around the pastry (not on the cream cheese & fruit part).
- Continue with the other puff pastry sheet until you get 12 tarts. Bake 6 at once.
- If at any point the puff pastry becomes warm to handle, pop it into the freezer or fridge for a few minutes to chill. Do not force the pastry if it is too warm.
- Chill the pastry while pre-heating the oven to 200C / 392F (no fan). Bake the tarts at 200C / 392F (no fan) for about 40-45 minutes. Cover them after about 15 minutes to avoid them browning too much.
- Let them slightly cool in the baking tray for 3 minutes then move them onto a cooling rack.
- The cream cheese puff pastry danish tarts are the best served fresh. Any leftovers can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Notes
- Work as quickly with the pastry as you can. As the pastry warms, it will stick and become very difficult to handle.
- Do not add more cream cheese or fruit to the pastry as it will either leak or make the pastry too moist, and it won't bake properly
- Check the bottom of the pastry to see whether it is well baked.
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