Homemade Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish

Enjoy this homemade strawberry cream cheese danish for dinner, lunch or even breakfast. Its soft, filled with strawberries and cream, then drizzled with powdered sugar glaze.

Aren’t danishes the best? I love that you can fill them with almost any fruit. You can enjoy them for dinner, lunch or even breakfast with a cup of coffee. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t like that? This homemade strawberry cream cheese danish is so delicious! The dough is soft, yet flaky. It is filled with rich and sweet cream cheese filling. The cream cheese is topped with fresh strawberries. The danish is baked until it reaches that beautiful golden color. Drizzle the strawberry cream cheese danish with icing to get the perfect and delicious danish.

I’m all about quick and easy recipes, but there is something special when you make your own dough from scratch. The end result just doesn’t beat store bought dough. So with this strawberry cream cheese danish, you will be making the dough from scratch. But trust me, it’s not too difficult. It just requires lots of patience and time. I’ll be giving you lots of tips on how to get the perfect dough. But if you are short on time, you can use puff pastry sheets. The danish will still turn out delicious. If you have time, be sure to try out this recipe. It’s definitely worth it!

Ingredients needed

This is what you’ll need for the dough

• Flour: To build structure in the danish. I use all purpose flour.
• Butter: You will be using lots of butter. Butter adds those flaky layers in the dough. Make sure the butter is cold.
• Eggs: To bring flavor and structure to the danish. You will need one egg and one egg yolk.
• Milk: To add flavor and soften the dough. I prefer using whole milk. It has more fat which makes the dough more tender.
• Water: To help the yeast activate.
• Yeast: Helps the bread rise. I use instant active dry yeast.
• Sugar: To add a little bit of sweetness to the dough.

This is what you’ll need for the filling

• Cream cheese
• Sugar
• Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Strawberries

Making the Danish

How to make the dough

Before you start make sure you have extra time planned as this dough takes a few hours to make.

1. Proof the yeast. In a large bowl, add warm water. Add the yeast and sugar. Cover and let it stand for 10 minutes, until proofed.
2. Make your butter and flour mixture. Prepare the butter and flour while the yeast is proofing. You will be cutting the butter into the flour. You can do this a few different ways. It’s ok if you have large chunks of butter. (You will be rolling them out in a few steps.) Set aside once done.
   • Cut the butter into the flour using a fork, butter knife or pastry cutter.
   • Cut the butter into the flour using a blender or a food processor.
3. Combine everything together: Once the yeast has proofed, add the egg, egg yolk, whole milk and the rest of sugar. With a fork or whisk, stir until combined. Add the flour/butter mixture and stir until all the flour is moistened and pulls with the spoon. The dough will be very thick and sticky.

Refrigeration and rolling

The dough will require 3 refrigeration periods. Refrigerating the dough allows the butter to harden and allows the dough to rest. I do not recommend skipping refrigeration. You will also be rolling and folding the dough out every time after each refrigeration. Rolling and folding the dough helps create the layers once the dough is baked.

1. Refrigerate: Wrap the dough in plastic wrapping while forming a square. Refrigerate the dough for 2- 4 hours. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight.
2. First roll and refrigeration: Once the dough has been refrigerated, transfer to a well floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle. Then fold into thirds, like you would a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, and roll into a large rectangle again. This is called a turn. Rolling the dough this way helps create those layers once the dough is baked and distributes the butter evenly between the layers. You will need to do this a total of three times. So you’ll need to do three turns. When you did the three turns, fold into thirds again and place the dough back into the plastic wrap. Return the dough back to the refrigerator and refrigerate the dough for 1 ½ hours.
3. Second roll and refrigeration: Once the dough has been refrigerated you will do three more turns. Fold the dough into thirds again, then return the dough back into the refrigerator. Refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes. (This will be your last refrigeration.)

Once the dough is almost done refrigerating start preparing the filling.

How to make the filling

1. Prepare the cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.
2. Prepare the strawberries: Slice the strawberries into thin slices. Spread them out on a plate, baking sheet or cutting board and sprinkle with some sugar. Set aside.

How to assemble the danish

1. Roll the dough: Take the dough our of the refrigerator and transfer to a floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle. The rectangle should be approximately 16×12. At this point you have two options:
   • Leave the dough as is and make one big danish OR
   • Cut the dough in half to make two medium danishes. You will want to cut the dough in half using the smaller edge. You should end up with two medium rectangles. NOT two really long strips.
2. Assemble the danish: (If you’re making two danishes divide the cream cheese filling and the strawberries evenly between the two) Place the cream cheese filling in the center of the rectangular dough. Top with the strawberries.
3. Make the braid: Evenly cut slits, starting from the cream cheese filling to the edge of the dough. Repeat on the other side. Make sure you are cutting the same amount of slits on each side. ( I made two small danishes and I had around 6 slits on each side)
   • Now you will braid the dough:
     1. Fold the top portion of the dough ( not the slits) into the cream cheese filling. This ensures the filling stays inside the danish.
     2. Get the first right slit and fold it over to the left. Next get the first left slit and fold it over to the right. Continue this process until you reach the last slits on each side.
     3. Fold the bottom portion of the dough ( not the slits) into the cream cheese filling. Then finish off by folding the slits over the opposite end.
     4. Transfer the dough to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Brush with egg wash and bake: To make the egg wash mix one egg and 1 tbsp. of milk or water. Lightly brush with egg wash. Bake the danish for 35-40 minutes or until tops or golden brown.
5. If desired, drizzle with powdered sugar icing: combine approximately ¼ cup of powdered sugar with a few teaspoons of milk. Add more powdered sugar or thin out glaze to your desired consistency.

Tips for success

• Measure flour correctly by spooning the flour into the cup then leveling it with a butter knife.
• The dough will be sticky! When you add the flour and mix it all together, the dough will be sticky. It needs to be sticky, so you do not need to add more flour.
• It’s ok if you have large chunks of butter. When cutting the butter into the flour, it’s ok to leave larger chunks of butter. Just be sure they aren’t massive! The butter will be rolled out with every roll and refrigeration.
• Don’t skip the refrigeration. Refrigerating the dough in between the turns allows the butter to stay cold. It also gives time for the dough to rest making it easier to roll next time.
• Refrigerate the dough up until you’re ready to bake. You don’t want the dough to stay at room temperature for too long. If the dough is at room temperature for too long, the danish can spread while baking. Also, the butter won’t be cold, which may lead to no layers when the danish is baked. If your oven isn’t ready yet, place the danish back into refrigerator.
• Cover with foil if the top of the danish is getting dark. If your danish is not done baking, but the top is getting dark you can cover it with foil and continue baking until danish is done.

Substitutions:

• I prefer using instant dry yeast. Active dry yeast can be used as well. Substitute 1:1 ration.
• Lower percentage milk can be substituted for whole milk.
• Use your favorite fruit! You can make this with raspberries, peaches, cherries…. the possibilities are endless.
• You can also use puff pastry instead of making the dough. I’ve done this before and it turns out delicious. But I’d really recommend you give this dough a try!

Other recipes you may like

• Apple Cream Cheese Danish
• Nectarine Danish Filled with Cream Cheese
• Apple Hand Pies
• Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

If you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Comment and rate below. I would also love to see your creation! Share your photo by tagging tasty_treat_pantry on Instagram.

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