Most of the time we eat a healthy breakfast. Our staple daily favorites rotate around egg bake, and roasted vegetables, and berry bake. But once in a while, especially on weekends, we enjoy this easy breakfast cheese danish for breakfast and snacks.
This crescent roll cheese danish disappears quickly, so it’s a good thing it’s super simple to make.
If you have kids, this is also a kid-friendly recipe to make together, and soon you’ll be able to delegate it to them as one of their things to make for everyone. It’s a quick one to learn by heart, so by the second time you make it, you may not even need to pull up the recipe.
Tips and Toppings
For a shortcut to making sauce toppings, you can use ready made preserves, jams, syrups, custard, and pie fillings to add more flavors and delight. Even better, add a few sprinkles of the actual fruit. E.g., if you use raspberry jam, add a few fresh raspberries, and even a drizzle of raspberry syrup! YUMMY and looks like gourmet fair.
Add Fruit Toppings and Filling
- You can top the cream cheese mixture with your choice of fruit spreads before adding the top layer of dough.
- Swirl syrup (e.g., blueberry, strawberry or chocolate) into the creamy batter for additional flavor and streaks of color.
- Add flavors to your cream cheese batter, such as lemon curd for a lemon cream cheese danish.
Create Openings for Cream Cheese to Rise
We ended up with one package of solid crescent dough sheets and one package of the perforated triangle sheets. Subsequently, we discovered it works well to use the solid sheet crescent dough sheets for the first layer and the triangle sheets for the top.
You can open up the top layer a little to allow the cream cheese to bubble up. Just use a pizza cutter or knife to open the perforated dough top sheet just a little, (just a quarter to half inch opening at each perforation will allow the cream cheese to bubble up in between).
Reduced Sugar Options
- Omit the glaze and it’s still delicious!
- Substitute sugar in batter with maple sugar. The color will be more beige like the sugar. We organic maple sugar (powdered or crystals).
- Create a fruit syrup or chocolate syrup instead of confectioner sugar glaze, using maple syrup or honey to sweeten.
Reduced Fat Option
- Use low fat cream cheese.
- Use half the cheese sugar batter for a lighter, thinner pastry.
Keep Crescent Dough Refrigerated
Keeping the crescent dough refrigerated until ready to use will keep it from getting sticky and hard to work with.
Easy Breakfast Cheese Danish Recipe
This super simple and easy breakfast cheese danish recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth craving without keeping you in the kitchen for too long.
Ingredients
- 2 cans ready to use refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 packages 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white + 1 Tbsp milk or water
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for glaze)
- 2 tbsp milk (for glaze)
Instructions
- Sit cream cheese out to begin softening.
- Preheat oven to 350* degrees
- Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan. We like to use coconut oil.
- Lay crescent roll sheet in the pan, pushing the dough gently out to the edges.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg until smooth.
- Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly.
- Top cheese mixture with second pack of crescent rolls dough.
- Brush with egg wash (egg white + 1 Tbsp milk or water)
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown
- Cool for ~20 minutes, while you make the glaze. Drizzle and brush on cooled danish.
Healthier Tweaks, if You Must 😉
If you want a treat but would like to modify the sugar and fat content a little, there are substitutions you can make that also work well. We often use substitutions to reduce sugar and improve nutrition without sacrificing delight.
For a Lighter Cheese Danish
For a lighter, less dense danish, you can use half the amount of cream cheese filling. Just halve all but the egg ingredients as well and it’s still very good. You can also choose low fat cream cheese. However, it will be more pastry and less filling, so we favor the full amount.
If you use the half filling method, it will probably bake in less time, more like 30-35 minutes.
Or just go all out and enjoy your treat! 😋
More Tips on Making Easy Cheese Danish – Contributions from the Community
Cheese Danish With Buttery Sweet Cinnamon and Nut Topping
Have made this for years. I do not put any glaze on it. My recipe has soft butter, sugar, cinnamon and nuts – I use pecans – mix together and sprinkle on top before baking.
~Judy
Cheese Danish With Strawberry Cream Cheese
I made this treat for Christmas Day brunch. I used an 8×8 baking dish and used the same amount of cream cheese except I used one container of regular cream cheese and one container of strawberry cream cheese.
It turned out amazing and very much enjoyed it. Because of the extra cream cheese in the smaller dish, I baked it for the same time as mentioned above. Actually used my Ninja Smart Foodi XL Pro Air Oven to bake it, I mean super duper yummy. Thanks for the recipe and I hope everyone gives it a try at least once.
~Kevin Hutcheson
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes to Enjoy
- Buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake – perfect with a cup of coffee
- Overnight French toast casserole – wicked good and uber simple, with blueberries and cream cheese, our newest favorite easy breakfast treat or snack.
Savory Breakfast Recipes
- Easy breakfast casserole – easy and quick; make on Sunday or Monday for several days of breakfast at the ready… like an square omelette.
- Breakfast quesadillas – this is for when you don’t want a sweet breakfast.
- Healthy & Delicious Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash and Eggs – roasted sweet potatoes with “baked” eggs.
FAQ
Can You Freeze Cheese Danish?
Love that you’re planning ahead, and yes you can freeze this cheese Danish recipe! Here are several ideas for freezing cheese danish:
- Freeze before cooking, then sit at room temp for approximately 1 hour before baking. If you have time to do it this way, it allows the work to be done in advance but then the baking to happen before serving time so that it’s freshly hot plus aromatic.
- Freeze after cooking, tightly sealed in airtight container or wrapping. Defrost in fridge overnight, or at room temp for an hour or so before heating or serving cold.
Can You Make Multi-Layered Cheese Danish?
Yes, just bake each layer for 5 minutes before covering it.
So… to make this cheese danish in layers, you can simply double (or triple, etc), the recipe and repeat the layers. You may want to bake the first layer for approximately five to ten minutes before adding the second layer of cream cheese batter followed by the top layer of dough.
Baking each layer lightly first will help prevent any interior layers of dough would need to be baked for 5-10 minutes to keep it from being doughy.
OR… if you want multiple layers but not a big batch, you can use a smaller, square casserole dish and double the layering there, using the single recipe and still bake the first layer for ~5 before adding the top layer.
If you do this, we’d love to hear how it turns out and see photo/s! 🙂
Do you think I could have the cream cheese filling and add some raspberry jam too?
Hi Sarah!
Absolutely! For best visual and overall texture, we’d recommend:
RASPBERRY JAM TOPPING
– placing the rasberry jam on top of like a glaze.
– Stir it well before topping so that it’s easier to work with and less stiff.
– Add a few fresh raspberries for garnish if you can find them… frozen can work too
OR,
RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE SWIRL
– stir jam well to get it somewhat fluid
– Stir VERY SLIGHTLY into cream cheese batter for a swirl effect
Please let us know how it turns out. You can reply here or write to us.
Does this need to be refrigerated after making it?
Hi Heidi!
Yes, best to refrigerate, especially since it contains cheese and eggs.
Let us know how it goes, and best holiday wishes!
LeAura
what measurement do use when using splenda?
Hi Jackie!
You can use a one-for-one measurement of granulated Splenda to sugar ratio. Hope that helps. Let us know how it turns out!
LeAura
How can I make this with cherry pie filling on top or on top of cheese filling
Hi Patricia!
Thanks for asking and so glad you’re going to make it!
We prefer it on top, however, you can do it either way.
WITH CHERRIES ON TOP:
– Works well if these are to be served on a plate with a fork since it will be messy.
– Look great and all extra special and tempting
– If you like more of the topping flavor
BLENDED INTO CREAM CHEESE
– Best for traveling or “away” food as it’s less messy than cherries on top
– Also looks pretty and tastes good
– Uses less topping to keep the cream cheese from getting too messy and liquidy
Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions. We’d love to hear how it goes for you and see your pics too if you care to share them, so feel free to send us a note.
Thank you
You’re most welcome!
After refrigerating leftovers, do you eat it cold or reheat it?
Hi Kim!
Either way is delicious! Kind of like bagels and cream cheese… some folks prefer it heated and some prefer it cold. If you need to grab it to go, then cold is less messy as finger food and still tasty. If you’re eating it at home, then heated lightly in a microwave or toaster oven is an even richer experience and you may prefer it on a plate with a fork.
Hope that helps. Let us know how it goes if you make it and feel free to share you photos!
Happy cooking!
LeAura
Can you make this the night before?
Hi Pam!
Yes, definitely, you can make it the night before. Some people enjoy them cold, or you can heat them in the microwave or toaster oven.
If you make these, please let us know how it goes, and feel free to share your photos.
ENJOY!
LeAura
Can you make multi layers? If yes what do i have to fo diffrent
Hi Dee Dee!
Great idea! We haven’t done it yet, but you’ve give us the idea and we’re going to try it.
However, we’ve researched it for you from the Pillsbury co. who makes the dough, and they say to bake each layer ~5 minutes before covering it.
So… to make this cheese danish in layers, you can simply double (or triple, etc) the recipe and repeat the layers, but bak the first layer for ~5 minutes before adding the second layer of cream cheese batter followed by the top layer of dough.
OR… if you want multiple layers but not a big batch, you can use a smaller, square casserole dish and double the layering there, using the single recipe and still baking the first layer for ~5 before adding the top layer.
Hope that helps. Please let us know if you have any other questions, and if you do this, we’d love to hear how it turns out and see photo/s! 🙂
BUT… the main difference is that you’d need to partially bake each layer — 5 minutes should do) before you cover it with the next layer of batter and dough.
So any interior layers of dough would need to be baked for 5-10 minutes to keep it from being doughy.
The top layer off crescent rolls, is it one sheet? Or laying them down individually?
Hi Christine!
SO SORRY we missed replying to this. For some reason the notification didn’t come in.
I’m sure you’ve already resolved this but if you make it again, then yes… the top layer is one sheet.
Please let us know if you have any other questions and we’d love to hear how it turned out.
Best!
LeAura
Cooks@RecipesAndMe.com
Is it best to have the cream cheese room temperature before making the filling?
Hey Melissa!
SO SORRY we missed replying to this. For some reason the notification didn’t come in.
I’m sure you’ve already resolved this but if you make it again, yes, it’s easier to work with room temp cream cheese since it’s softer.
Best!
LeAura
I didn’t see the recipe for the glaze. Did I miss it somewhere? Thanks!
Hi Andrea!
Sorry that’s not clear. So the glaze is the last three ingredients blended together:
1/2 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for glaze)
2 tbsp milk (for glaze)
Mix all ingredients together in a pan over low heat then drizzle over the pastry.
Thanks for asking… we’ll update that to make it more clear.
Please let us know how it works out. We’d love to hear.
LeAura
Hi LeAura, Your recipe sounds delicious! Can you tell me have you ever put it together the night before and then just cook in the morning? Thanks so much and have a Blessed Easter!
Hi Linda!
Thank you! It never fails to be scrumptious and a crowd pleaser. And YES! You can easily make it ahead, refrigerate it covered, and then bake it within a week.
We’d love to hear how it goes if you care to share a note and a photo, but no worries if you’re busy. And you too… a BLESSED EASTER! 🙂 <3
Hi!
I have made this several times already. It has been a great hit. I make it and serve as a dessert. I use a thinner glaze on top, because I think is sweet enough but the thin glaze gives it a litter sheen. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Diane!
SO GLAD that you enjoy this recipe and that it’s a big hit. Same for us: we enjoy it as dessert or an afternoon treat and also go for the lighter glaze for sheen without being overly sweet.
Thanks for commenting and letting us know. Feel free to share a picture next time you make it if you’d like to.
Happy cooking!
LeAura
Made this treat for Christmas Day brunch. I used an 8×8 baking dish and used the same amount of cream cheese except I used one container of regular cream cheese and one container of strawberry cream cheese. Turned out amazing and very much enjoyed it. Because of the extra cream cheese in the smaller dish, I baked it for the same time as mentioned above. Actually used my Ninja Smart Foodi XL Pro Air Oven to bake it, I mean super duper yummy. Thanks for the recipe and I hope everyone gives it a try at least once.
Hey Kevin! THANKS for those details!! GREAT IDEA to use strawberry cream cheese for part (or all). We’ll be making this again this week…. maybe try your idea. Thanks for sharing, and letting us know about the Ninja Smart Foodi XL Pro Air Oven! So many amazing appliances these days!
Have made this for years. I do not put any glaze on it. My recipe has soft butter, sugar, cinnamon and nut – I use pecans – mix together and sprinkle on top before baking. – judy
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Nancy!
Love that you’re planning ahead, and yes you can. Here are several ideas for freezing the cheese danish:
1. Freeze before cooking, then sit at room temp for approximately 1 hour before baking. If you have time to do it this way, it allows the work to be done in advance but then the baking to happen before serving time so that it’s freshly hot plus aromatic.
2. Freeze after cooking, tightly sealed in airtight container or wrapping. Defrost in fridge overnight, or at room temp for an hour or so before heating or serving cold.
I hope this helps. We’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Cooks@RecipesAndMe.com
LeAura