Easy Cream Cheese and Jam Danish Recipe - soft and fluffy pastry with creamy vanilla filling and sweet strawberry jam topping. Perfect breakfast or brunch treat!

CREAM CHEESE DANISH
Freshly baked pastry and a cup of just brewed coffee is my idea of a perfect morning. Coffee just seem to taste better when you pair it with a sweet and delicious danish. Like these Cream Cheese and Jam Danish pastries on the photos. They are soft and fluffy with a creamy vanilla filling and sweet strawberry jam topping. They also could not be easier to make. I used a ready crescent dough you can buy in a can. I love using it to make little treats beyond just crescents.
If not twisting them into round danish pastries, I simply make them into crescent that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. The Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls from Cathy at Lemon Tree Dwelling are perfect for those lemon cravings.
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How to make Danish Pastry from crescent dough?
I love the convenience that comes with using a canned dough, like biscuit or crescent roll dough. You can use it as intended - rolled into crescents, or shape it however you like and add sweet or savory ingredients.
I separated the triangles of dough and rolled each one up into a rope. Then, holding the ends, twist the dough in opposite directions. It is not necessary at all, but just makes the finished pastry prettier. Roll the rope into a spiral round and tuck the end under so the pastry has a uniform shape. I gently pressed the center of each danish to make space for the filling. Sweet vanilla cream cheese filling is my go to. It's perfect for a sweet breakfast treat. Next comes the fruit jam. You can use any kind. My kiddos love strawberry jam so that's what I used. After that, all you need to do is baked these beauties, let them cool and watch them disappear. They are absolutely delicious!
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Easy Cream Cheese and Jam Danish
Ingredients
- 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls 8 count
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 teaspoons strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk cream cheese (it has to be very soft), sugar and vanilla. Set aside.
- Open the can with dough and separate the crescents. Roll each crescent dough into a 10" rope. Gently twist the ends of dough into opposite directions. This is not necessary but makes the finished pastry prettier.
- Roll the dough rope into a loose spiral shaped bun and place on prepared baking sheet. Gently press down the center of each danish to make space for the cream cheese filling.
- Place half of a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry. Top with one teaspoon of jam.
- Bake pastries for 12 to 14 minutes OR until the dough is golden brown and the cheesecake part appears set.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes on the sheet. Then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Mary says
Complete and utter fail! Crescent rolls puff up and that’s exactly what happened. The thumbprint turned from an innie to an outie and pushed the filling out. The only thing that worked was using the silicone mat - I didn’t have burned jam on my cookie sheet.
Sj cochran says
Use puff pastry sheet does rise on edges super easy and not as doughy as biscuits the best. I found a recipe on safari, wonderful . Good luck
Sues says
Wow, these look so easy to make and delicious, too!!