Easy Berry Danish with Cream Cheese

Our Berry Danish features a silky smooth cream cheese filling topped with glazed berries, crumble topping, and powdered sugar glaze. Breakfast, snack, or dessert, you decide!

Have you ever thought about making your favorite bakery treats at home? You can with our recipe for Berry Danish, WAY easier than it looks!

With puff pastry crust, it tastes like you were busy in the kitchen all day, while in reality, these come together in about 35 minutes. This is truly a recipe that will leave anyone who tastes them begging for more.

If you are like me, I love making my favorite store-bought or bakery treats at home. A lot of the time, they really aren’t that hard to make and then end up coming out even better than when I purchase them.

Plus, you know exactly what is going into your food and body, which I absolutely love. With a toddler around the house these days, I get to keep a little peace of mind knowing she is eating something that isn’t overly processed.

And, let’s face it, these danishes are just flat-out delicious.

Not only is there a cream cheese filling, but also sweet and tart berry filling, a crunchy crumble topping, AND a powdered sugar glaze… that’s a 4-way knockout, my friends.

Make your favorite bakery treat at home with our recipe for Berry Danish. I know your family and friends will agree, this is one special treat.

1. Ready in about 35 minutes!
2. Enjoy any time of the day.
3. Easy to make and has lots of customizations to fit your tastes.

• Cream cheese
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Light brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Triple berry preserves
• Cornstarch
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Puff pastry
• Large egg
• Splash of water
• Powdered sugar
• Whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, line two large sheet trays with parchment paper, and set them aside.
2. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a clean work surface. Cut along the folds of the pastry, so you have 3 pieces. Cut these pieces in half, so you now have 6 rectangles. Place these on your prepared sheet tray not touching each other. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
3. Score each pastry about ½ inch to ¾ inch around the border of the rectangle with a paring knife.
4. Poke a few holes with a fork into the pastry, but just in the center of the smaller rectangle you scored. 
5. For the cream cheese filling, place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, and mash everything together with a fork to combine.
6. Evenly distribute the cream cheese filling into the center of the pastries and smooth it out, making sure you do not go into the outer border of the pastry. It will be about a tablespoon of the filling per pastry. Pin
7. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the berry preserves and microwave for 15-30 seconds until loosened up. Stir in the cornstarch until dissolved. Add the blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, stir, so the berries are coated.
8. Top with the berry filling, again keeping inside the border.
9. For the crumble topping, mix together the brown sugar and butter in a medium sized bowl until combined. Add in the flour, and using a fork, stir it together until all of the flour is moistened, and the mixture is crumbly. Add the crumble over the berry filling.
10. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and splash of water. With a pastry brush, brush the outer border of the exposed puff pastry with the egg wash. Pin
11. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown and the edges are puffed. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool.
12. While the pastries are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. The glaze should be thick yet pourable. Start with 1 tablespoon of milk and add up to another tablespoon to your desired consistency.
13. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the pastries. Serve immediately while warm or let cool completely.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING?

No, you can leave that step/ingredient out entirely.

Continue with the recipe as written, no need to add anything in its place.

ARE THESE A GOOD MAKE-AHEAD OPTION?

There are wonderfully made ahead!

They will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days, but they freeze even better.

I suggest freezing without the glaze. Wrap room temperature danishes individually with plastic wrap and then foil, and place into a freezer-safe bag or container.

Place in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.

Allow the danish to come to room temperature either by placing it in the fridge overnight to thaw or on the countertop straight from the freezer.

Warm slightly in the oven or microwave, drizzle with the glaze, and serve.

ANY ADDITIONS?

If you’re looking for a little extra flair, try a thing or two from this list.

• Lemon zest: Grate a little on top of the cream cheese filling for a bright citrus twist—an easy way to give these danish pastries a subtle zing.
• Turbinado sugar: Sprinkle on the top of the cream cheese area just before baking for extra crunch and sparkle.
• Almond extract: Swap this in place of some vanilla for a sweet, nutty flavor (think almond croissant vibes).
• Blueberry jam swirl: Even if you’re already using berry preserves, a swirl of leftover blueberry jam or a spoonful of jam can add another layer of berry goodness.
• Combination of fresh fruit: If you have leftover peaches or cherries, slice them up and arrange them alongside your fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
• Maple syrup drizzle: Warm a bit of maple syrup and lightly drizzle over the warm pastries for a cozy breakfast flair (especially nice for a “morning coffee” treat).
• Savory dish twist: If you’re adventurous, skip the sweet toppings and add a bit of ham or bacon with the cream cheese for a sweet-and-salty breakfast pastry.
• Egg yolk wash: If you want extra shine, mix one egg yolk with a splash of water and brush it on the edges of the pastry right before baking.
• Crescent rolls dough: If you want to switch up the pastry style, use a sheet of crescent dough for a pillowy result—just watch the end result closely while baking.
• Little crunch of chopped nuts: Sprinkle almonds or pecans over the crumble topping for more texture.

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

Be sure to let me know how it turns out in the comments!

• Homemade puff pastry instead of store-bought if you’re feeling ambitious and want a “from-scratch” approach—though store-bought is definitely easier.
• Frozen mixed berries if fresh aren’t in season; just thaw and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before use.
• Pie dough in place of puff pastry if that’s all you have—though it’ll be less flaky, it still creates a delicious pastry base.
• Lower sugar option: Replace half the sugar in the cream cheese filling with a sugar substitute if you want a slightly healthier approach.
• Cream cheese mixture from a tub if you don’t have blocks of softened cream cheese—just note the consistency might be thinner.
• Crescent rolls dough again in place of puff pastry if that’s all your grocery store has—shaping might differ, but it’ll still be a perfect dessert or breakfast item.

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

These need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese filling.

To reheat, you can bake until warmed through or in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Or, you can eat them cold or room temperature, still delicious!

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container.

To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.

Ready for that staple breakfast, snack, or dessert recipe everyone will rave over?

Make our Berry Danish and see what all the fuss is about!

If you’ve tried these BERRY DANISH, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!