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!
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!
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
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.)
Separate crescent roll dough into eight rectangles. Seal perforations to make a rectangle.
Using a brush or spoon, spread melted butter all over crescent rolls. Sprinkle each rectangle with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
Roll up from long side; pinch edges to seal.
Holding one end, loosely coil each one.
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.
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.
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.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Pumpkin Danishes
- Easy Apple Danishes (+Video)
- Strawberry Cheese Danish
- Cherry Crumble Danishes
- Crescent Cherry Cheesecake Cobbler
- Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Cheesecake Crescent Rolls
Easy Cheese Danishes
Ingredients
For the danishes:
- 2 (8 ounce) tubes crescent rolls
- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 8 Tablespoons light brown sugar
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons milk
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
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.
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.
Originally published: June 2011
Updated & republished: July 2020
Delicious. Have you ever made one with strawberries? If so what kind? I always seem to have to bake them longer.
Turned out perfect! I’ve had problems baking at the high altitude I live in and these came out perfect and extra scrumptious! DELICIOUS! Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! 🙂
Thank goodness it turned out good for you! Always love hearing how things turn out in high altitudes since I get that question often! 🙂
Oh my goodness! Absolutely delicious! I added a little fresh lemon peel to the cream cheese and in the glaze I used Almond extract, I put these glazed into the fridge to chill. Will be making these again!!
Can these be frozen for breakfast on the go.
Hi Pam, I don’t see why not! 🙂
I must say l was taken back, this recipe is so simple. I can say it’s on my sweet list for baking desserts. Ty
These were amazing! Easy to make. I’ve tried similar recipes and they were not that good. This one is a keeper! Thank you!
So happy you loved these!! Thank you Debbie!
These are INCREDIBLE. I have never been a huge fan of traditional danishes because the pastry always seems to be too dry, but the awesome moist Pillsbury dough is so soft and fresh these taste like a true delicacy! I lessened the cream cheese and replaced it with raspberry preserves on half, and those were amazing as well. First time on your site and will definitely be back for more!
Just FYI… I tried to Pin this and I got this message:
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Made these today! Beautiful results from a simple easy process, thanks for the great recipe! I wish I could share my phosphate with you all!
Tremendous, love these. I don’t think I ever need to buy a pre made cheese danish again , thanks.
Woo hoo! Love hearing that Ted!
Just made these. Oh, my! Your recipe is perfect. I added the cream cheese filling, then, put a couple of teaspoons of blueberry pie filling on top of that. HEAVEN!! I’ve seen a lot of other bloggers have copied your recipe since you created this years ago. But I know you are the original so I share YOUR recipe with friends. Thank you for all you do. I’ve been a HUGE fan for a long time!!
so many possibilities from this recipe i might try 1 spoonful of cream cheese filling and add 1 spoonful of cherry pie filling or blueberry
Made these today and they were absolutely delicious! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Made these today an they were absolutely delicious! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Thank you for your Military service. I am Navy Retired and understand the lifestyle.
Hello, at Union Station in Washington, DC there's a bakery that sells cherry cheese danishes. Your cheese danish recipe reminded me of them. Can you combine the cheese and cherry into one danish? :
Brandie, I just finished making them, Dilish. I do think that my cheese mix was a bit to loose? Did I mess that up? LOL!
I once made something very similar to this except instead of making it into a crescent roll type after you make it into the square you put the cream cheese filling in the center and squeeze the sides together the rest of the recipe of the same I'll have to try both ways because my mouth is watery right now and I've been thinking of making me the other ones for quite a while I just lost my recipe and I now have we found it thank you
Just made them and they are so good !
I added a tsp of raspberry preserve on top!
Tnank you for the recipe, it's a keeper!
Love your recipes!! Simple yet delish!! Please keep the recipes coming. Loving this site!!
I'm going to combine the apple with the cheese filling (underneath it). I'll bet that will be awesome. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I just made these and they're fresh out of the oven. The house smells great too! My husband and I absolutely love these! They are absolutely decadent!!! This recipe is definitely a keeper!!!
These are in the oven has I type. Look good and so easy. Can't wait to try the cherry ones too. TFS!
Leigh, I'm dying, that is the sweetest! Thank you so much!! So happy y'all loved it and that they told ya to come and let me know!
My eight year old daughter and I just made these and they are fantastic! In fact, my kids insisted I come on here and thank you for the recipe. So, thank you. 🙂
Just had a cheese Danish, fresh from the oven. They are delicious but I had a little bit of a hard time making them. The dough was sort of soft and sticky. The seams kept coming apart when I was rolling them up & the brown suger was going everywhere. They came part again when I was forming them into the pinwheel. They just wouldn't stick together, just stuck to my fingers! I was able to form the well ok, for the most part.
Despite all the troubles, they came out beautiful, to me, anyway! And tasted great! My husband and I couldn't wait and each are one before dinner! Thanks!