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Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls Danish Recipe

4.2 from 28 reviews

These Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls Danish are a delightful and simple pastry recipe perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack. Flaky crescent dough is filled with a creamy, sweetened cream cheese mixture and topped with luscious cherry pie filling, then baked to golden perfection with a cinnamon sugar butter glaze. This recipe yields eight delicious, individually portioned pastries that impress with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1 can Pillsbury Crescent Dough

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1 tbsp butter (melted)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup cherry pie filling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) to prepare for baking the Danish rolls.
  2. Prepare the dough: Open the can of crescent dough but leave it rolled up. Cut the roll into 8 equal slices. Place each slice on a baking sheet and gently press down in the center to form a shallow bowl about 2 ½ inches in diameter, keeping the edges slightly raised to hold the filling securely.
  3. Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, use a mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Set aside the filling for later use.
  4. Mix cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring well to blend these fragrant toppings evenly.
  5. Butter and sugar the dough: Using a pastry brush, coat each dough bowl with the melted butter. Then sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture evenly over each piece to add a sweet, spiced glaze.
  6. Fill and top the Danish: Spoon about one teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each dough bowl, spreading it to fill the cavity but leaving a slight indentation in the middle. Place 2 to 3 cherries from the cherry pie filling into that indent to complete the topping.
  7. Bake: Place the prepared baking sheet in the oven and bake the Danish rolls for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
  8. Store leftovers: Once cooled, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • Ensure the cream cheese is softened at room temperature for easier mixing and smoother texture.
  • For a different flavor twist, substitute cherry pie filling with blueberry or raspberry filling.
  • Use a pastry brush carefully to avoid soaking the dough with too much butter, which may make it soggy.
  • Serve warm for the best texture and flavor, optionally dusting with powdered sugar before serving.
  • Reheat leftovers in a toaster oven or conventional oven to restore crispness.

Keywords: cherry danish, cream cheese crescent rolls, easy breakfast pastry, sweet crescent rolls, quick danish recipe