Hawaiian Roll Cherry Danishes
These Hawaiian Roll Cherry Danishes are warm, gooey, bakery style treats made in minutes! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an easy dessert.
A Short Cut Dessert (or Breakfast!) Recipe
If you love shortcuts that feel a little elevated, these Hawaiian Roll Cherry Danishes are going to be a favorite! These danishes come together quickly and bake up perfectly! They’re perfect for whipping up for a special breakfast, a holiday brunch, or as an easy dessert. You can even adjust the sweetness to your liking, making them as indulgent or as simple as you prefer!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, if you don’t have or don’t care for cherry pie filling, you can use other fruity pie filling. Peach, blueberry, apple, or even strawberry pie filling would all be great alternatives.
Yes. You can assemble the rolls with the filling and refrigerate them (unbaked) for up to 24 hours. Let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking.
Absolutely. You can skip the butter and sugar topping or brush the rolls with plain melted butter only. You can also drizzle less icing on top.
Yes, creating a small well helps hold the filling in place and prevents it from spilling over while baking.
Instead of regular icing, I mentioned adding almond extract for cherry almond flavor profile. To change it up a bit more, try a cinnamon cherry version by sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top of the danishes before baking. Go for a chocolate cherry flavor by drizzling the danishes with melted chocolate after icing them. Add some lemon zest to the icing for a lemon cherry version.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be enjoyed chilled or lightly warmed.
Freezing is not recommended. The texture of the rolls becomes too soft once thawed.
Warm in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds or in a 300°F oven for a few minutes until just warmed through.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – you can use the store brand version. You want to look for the sweet rolls as they will add the best flavor.
- cream cheese– Don’t forget to use these Tips to Soften Cream Cheese Faster if you need them. It needs to be softened (not melted.)
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract– if you want to give these an almond cherry flavor, you could also add some almond extract to the icing. I think almond and cherry go beautifully together.
- cherry pie filling – if you want to go through all the trouble of making a homemade cherry pie filling, go for it! This obviously works with all flavors of pie filling.
- butter– you can use salted or unsalted butter, it doesn’t make a difference. Salted butter has so little salt that it’s not going to give these a salty taste. If you’re worried you will taste salt and you don’t want to, then use unsalted.
- granulated sugar
- milk – I always prefer to use whole milk for baked goods but a 2% should work here. I haven’t tested with milk substitutes.
How to Make Hawaiian Roll Cherry Danishes:
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Place rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cut a little square out of the center of each hawaiian roll. Do not cut all the way down, just make enough space for the filling. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer (or by hand), beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese filling into the well of each Hawaiian roll.
Place a spoonful of cherry pie filling over the cream cheese in each well. In a bowl, combine melted butter and granulated sugar. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire top layer of the rolls with the butter/sugar mixture making sure to get into the cracks. Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and the rolls are warmed through.
NOTE: Oven times can vary so if they aren’t golden brown and aren’t quite warmed through, continue to bake until they are.
In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. When rolls are done, drizzle the icing over the warm rolls.
Then enjoy!
Craving More Recipes?
Hawaiian Roll Cherry Danishes
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
- 12 ounce cherry pie filling
Butter sugar topping:
- ½ cup melted butter (can use salted or unsalted)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Place 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish (or a parchment paper lined baking pan with higher sides.)
- In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.NOTE: this is easiest with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer but can be done by hand. It will just take a little longer and little more elbow grease.
- Cut a little square out of the center of each Hawaiian roll. Do not cut all the way down, just make enough space for the filling.
- Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese filling into the well of each Hawaiian roll.
- Place a spoonful of cherry pie filling over the cream cheese in each well.
- In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup melted butter and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.
- Using a pastry brush, generously brush the entire top layer of the rolls with the butter/sugar mixture making sure to get into the cracks.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 6 to 8 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and the rolls are warmed through.NOTE: Oven times can vary so if they aren’t golden brown and aren’t quite warmed through, continue to bake until they are.
- In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. NOTE: If it is too thin to your liking, add a little more powdered sugar at a time until you get it how you like it. If it is too thick to your liking, add a tiny bit of milk at a time until it is thin.
- When rolls are done, drizzle the icing over the warm rolls. Then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
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.
Loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing! My whole family loved it!
Thanks so very much Helen! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
Looking forward to this easy recipe I enjoy making the easy things in your recipe seem to be very simple. Thank you.
Hope you love it Judy, thank you!