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Easy Cheese Danishes

These Easy Cheese Danishes use a shortcut (crescent roll dough) to make your favorite bakery pastry at home. So simple and delicious!

A SIMPLIFIED WAY TO MAKE CHEESE DANISHES

Do you remember a short while back I posted a recipe for Easy Apple Danishes? Well, I got such great feedback from that recipe that I had to try my hand at some cream cheese ones. So I decided on a yummy cream cheese filling – and butter my butt and call me a biscuit – I was surprised at how good these turned out. So this one is for all you cheese danish lovers!

Easy Cheese Danishes made with crescent rolls and layered on a white platter.

TIPS FOR MAKING CRESCENT ROLL CHEESE DANISHES:

  • If you don’t need so many danishes, just use one tube of crescent rolls and save the leftover cream cheese filling for another time. Just put it in a container with an airtight lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Try adding strawberry or raspberry jam along with the cream cheese. It adds amazing flavor!
Crescent Roll Cheese Danish recipe from The Country Cook, layered on a white plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • crescent rolls
  • cream cheese
  • granulated white sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • light brown sugar
  • powdered sugar
  • milk
crescent roll dough, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla extract, sugar, butter, powdered sugar.

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHEESE DANISHES:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese with white sugar and vanilla extract. Mixture should be creamy and smooth when finished (like cheesecake batter.)

cheesecake cream cheese filling batter in a clear bowl.

Separate crescent roll dough into eight rectangles. Seal perforations to make a rectangle.

sealing perforations of crescent roll dough.

Using a brush or spoon, spread melted butter all over crescent rolls. Sprinkle each rectangle with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

light brown sugar sprinkled on crescent roll dough.

Roll up from long side; pinch edges to seal.

rolled up crescent roll dough.

Holding one end, loosely coil each one.

coiled crescent roll dough to make a danish shape.

Now you want to get in there with your fingers and spread out the dough some to make room for the filling. Just pull and stretch and make a nice dent in the middle. Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Top each coil with about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling.

prepared crescent roll cheese danish on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350(F) for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. For the glaze, in a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth and drizzle over each warm danishes.

stack of cheese danishes on a round white plate.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t need so many danishes, just use one tube of crescent rolls and save the leftover cream cheese filling for another time. Just put it in a container with an airtight lid and store in the fridge for up to a week. Makes 8 danishes.

a hand holding up a cheese danish.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Crescent Roll Cheese Danishes recipe

Easy Cheese Danishes

These Easy Cheese Danishes use a shortcut (crescent roll dough) to make your favorite bakery pastry at home. So simple and delicious!
4.90 from 97 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the danishes:

For the glaze:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese with white sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles (there will be two crescent rolls to each rectangle.) Seal perforations.
  • Using a brush or spoon, spread melted butter all over crescent rolls.
  • Sprinkle each rectangle with about 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar.
  • Roll up from long side of the crescent rectangle; pinch edges to seal.
  • Holding one end, loosely coil each.
  • Spread out the dough in the middle some to make room for the filling.
  • Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Top each coil with about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling.
  • Bake at 350(F) for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • For the glaze, in a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth and drizzle over each warm danish.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • It’s important that the cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature. If it isn’t, it will end up lumpy. 
  • Salted or unsalted butter can be used. I prefer salted. 
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 448mg | Sugar: 25g

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.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: June 2011
Updated & republished: July 2020

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162 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These look amazing- I am not surprised that Pillsbury is thrilled that you have found one of their products to be so versatile in making breakfast goodies! The best thing about success is when it comes when you are not looking for it-a nice surprise. I have book marked this recipe for making when I have guests and do not want to spend all my time in the kitchen.

  2. Cheese danishes are my favorite! It would be unsafe for me to be in a room with all 8 of these delicious gems!!! Great recipe, Brandie~

  3. 5 stars
    Those look amazing! Thank you so much for your easy recipes! You make me feel like a good cook and baker and that is saying A LOT!! I appreciate you more than you know and for not making me feel bad for using shortcuts!

  4. Wow Im a danish freak and I have to make these, Im already thinking about what else I can use for fillings? The list could be endless.
    Thanks!!

  5. 5 stars
    Oh my those look delicious as do your other recipes. I will definitely be back for a visit. Love your kind of cooking!

  6. 5 stars
    Brandie…I need to tell you I've been a lurker of your delicious blog for quite some time now and have made MANY of your recipes with 100% success!
    Just last night I made the apple version of these cheese danishes and my husband LOVED them. When he says "this is a keeper" I know to file it away.
    Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to post these recipes. I know it is a commitment.
    ~~Peggy Lee
    *made your whoopie pies last week*

  7. Congrats on all of your success from one recipe – it was a good one! This one looks delicious as well!

  8. 5 stars
    Brandie – wow! My husband will fall in love with me all over again if I make these for him!!! Woo-hoo! Love this one Girl!! 🙂

  9. woww what a great trick..Fantastic idea and so fast…I adore cheese danish and this one I will have to try..I am still so impressed!!!

  10. That is a great response from a recipe. Congratulations! I know being a food blogger and receiving comments and emails is the reason we do this. This looks like an easy danish recipe and one I'd love to try. Pillsbury products make their way into our cart on most grocery trips. Yummy!

  11. I am going to HAVE to try this one! What a simple weekend breakfast. I think my family will love this!

  12. Yum. Looks fantastic. I cannot wait to try this out. I have all the ingredients awaiting me.