Cherry Crumble Danishes
A tasty breakfast (or dessert) recipe, these easy Cherry Crumble Danishes have layers of flavor that will please even the pickiest of eaters!
A TASTY CHERRY DESSERT RECIPE
I’m a total breakfast person and I love both sweet and savory. This recipe for easy Cherry Crumble Danishes has quickly become one of my favorites. These have so much depth of flavor to them starting with the cream cheese layer then the cherry pie filling with a crumble topping and then it’s all finished off with a simple glaze. Baking this all inside some delicious puff pastry (adding a bit of a crunch) puts it over the top! It whips up faster than you might think. If you want to switch up your breakfast or dessert routine, then you have to make this Cherry Crumble Danish recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
In Denmark, Danish pastries are actually called wienerbrød meaning “Viennese bread” which would make you think they came about in Vienna, Austria. Yet in Austria they are called plundergebäck which translates to “Danish pastries”. There are conflicting stories to exactly how this happened, but in general, it was thought that Austrian bakers started making the pastries while living in Denmark.
Cherry is one of my personal favorites but you can fill these with any of your favorite fruit fillings such as blueberry, apple, lemon, peach, etc.
No, this is completely optional. It really give a nice flavor and texture contrast to these danishes but you do not have to make it if you are not a crumble person.
I have not made this particular recipe in anything but puff pastry. I have made other danishes made from crescent dough sheets and rolls. You’ll have to play around with the baking time though.
It’s very similar but slightly different. The Danish pastry is basically a different type of puff pastry. Danish pastry rises using yeast and puff pastry rises because of steam created between the layers of the puff pastry.
We do this so that area does not puff up like the outside of the danish, this helps create a section of the dough where the filling can sit.
These will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These can also be frozen, place cooled glazed danishes in a freezer container separated by parchment paper and they should keep frozen for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- light brown sugar
- salted butter
- all-purpose flour
- puff pastry
- cherry pie filling
- egg
- water
- powdered sugar
- whole milk
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CRUMBLE DANISHES:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper then set aside. For the cream cheese filling, place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, mash everything together with a fork (or a handheld electric mixer) to combine. Set aside.
For the crumble topping, mix together the brown sugar and butter in a bowl until combined. Add in the flour and stir it together until all of the flour is moistened and the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
Place one sheet of puff pastry on a clean work surface. If your puff pastry feels a little sticky, you may want to put a dusting of flour down before placing the puff pastry on top. Cut along the folds of the pastry so you have 3 pieces. Cut these pieces in half so you now have 6 rectangles. Score each pastry about ½ inch to ¾ inch around the border of the rectangle with a small, sharp knife.
Poke a few holes with a fork into the pastry but just in the center of the smaller rectangle you scored. This will keep the puff pastry from rising too high in the center where the filling is. Place these on one of the prepared sheet trays, not touching. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
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.
Top with about 2-3 tablespoons of cherry pie filling, again keeping inside the border. I try to get at least four cherries onto each one.
Sprinkle the crumble over the cherries.
In a small bowl whisk together the egg with a small splash of water to create an egg wash. With a pastry brush, brush the outer border of the exposed puff pastry with the egg wash. This is going to give it a nice golden color during baking.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown and the edges are puffed. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool.
While the pastries are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. You want the glaze to be thick yet pourable, start with 1 tablespoon of milk and add up to another tablespoon to your desired consistency.
Drizzle the glaze evenly over the pastries. Serve immediately.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Cherry Crumble Danishes
Ingredients
For the cream cheese filling:
- 8 ounces (one block) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crumble topping:
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
For assembly:
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 ½ cups cherry pie filling
- 1 large egg
- splash of water
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.
- For the cream cheese filling, place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, mash everything together with a fork to combine, set aside.
- 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, set aside.
- 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.
- Score each pastry about ½ inch to ¾ inch around the border of the rectangle with a paring knife. Poke a few holes with a fork into the pastry but just in the center of the smaller rectangle you scored. Place these on one of the prepared sheet trays, not touching. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
- 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.
- Top with the cherry pie filling, again keeping inside the border.
- Add the crumble over the cherries.
- 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.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown and the edges are puffed. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool.
- While the pastries are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. You want the glaze to be thick yet pourable, start with 1 tablespoon of milk and add up to another tablespoon to your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze evenly over the pastries. Serve immediately or let cool completely.
Notes
- Change up your filling to any of your favorite fruits.
- The glaze is optional, they are great plain or with powdered sugar.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
