Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish

5 from 2 votes

Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish

These cream cheese puff pastry Danish tarts are made with flaky puff pastry, a vanilla cream cheese filling, and fresh berries. Ready in under an hour with just a handful of ingredients, they are the perfect make-ahead brunch bake that looks far more impressive than the effort involved.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Cream cheese puff pastry Danish

2 packs Puff pastry store-bought or 2 portions of my homemade rough puff pastry
226 g Cream cheese full fat, eg. Philadephia at room temperature
50 g 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

Optional: decoration

226 g Cream cheese full fat, eg. Philadephia, use it cold
226 g Heavy cream 36% fat, use it cold
60 g Powdered sugar
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or any other berries

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

If using frozen puff pastry, thaw in the refrigerator until pliable but still cold.
Wash and dry the berries. Slice strawberries and raspberries lengthwise. Pat all fruit dry.
Whisk the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together until fully smooth. Keep refrigerated until needed.
Cut each puff pastry sheet into 6 equal rectangles. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a border about 1.5 cm / ½ inch from each edge. Do not cut all the way through. Return to the fridge while you prepare the egg wash.
Whisk the egg with a splash of milk. Brush the egg wash over the pastry border only, avoiding the filling and fruit.
Spread the cream cheese filling inside the scored border of each rectangle. Arrange the fruit on top.
Continue with the other puff pastry sheet until you get 12 tarts. Bake 6 at once.
Chill the assembled tarts while preheating the oven to 200°C / 390°F (no fan).
Bake at 200°C / 390°F (no fan) for 40 to 45 minutes. Halfway through, check the pastry and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly.
Before removing from the oven, check that the bottom is deep golden brown. Cool on the tray for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Optional decoration: Once baked and cooled, pipe a border of cream cheese frosting around the edge, fill the center with fresh strawberries, and serve immediately.
Storage
Best served fresh on the day of baking. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 160°C / 320°F for 8 to 10 minutes to restore crispness. Do not microwave. To freeze (without decoration), cool completely, layer between sheets of parchment paper, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.

Notes

Ingredient notes

Use full-fat cream cheese only. Low-fat versions contain too much water, and the filling will run during baking.
Pat the berries completely dry before placing them on the pastry to avoid excess moisture.
Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation.

Technique notes

Keep the pastry as cold as possible throughout. If it warms up and becomes sticky at any point, return it to the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
Do not overfill, or the filling will leak, and the pastry won't bake properly.
Check the bottom of the pastry before removing from the oven. It should be deep golden brown throughout, not pale or doughy.
The oven must be fully preheated before the tarts go in. Use a digital oven thermometer if you have one, as most home ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial indicates.

Nutrition