Cranberry-Almond Cheese Danishes
‘Tis the season for all things sweet and decadent, starting with these Cranberry-Almond Cheese Danishes! Danishes on Christmas morning are one of my favorite annual traditions, and these are the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Buttery puff pastry is piled high with almond cream cheese and cranberry sauce, then drizzled with almond glaze.
“I made these today, and they are amazing! I used my all edges brownie pans. Cooked fresh cranberries. Can’t wait for breakfast!” – Christine (So Much Food reader)
Table of contents
We Eat These Danishes While Waiting to Open Christmas Gifts!
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with a box of Entenmann’s danishes every holiday morning. I love a good danish with my morning coffee while waiting to open presents. (If I’m feeling extra festive, I make an Irish coffee!)
While there’s no shame in the boxed danish game, these cranberry cheese danishes are too simple to not make at home! It all starts with flaky, all-butter puff pastry. We mix up a simple cream cheese filling with a bit of sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract, spread that onto the puff pastry and finally top with cranberry sauce. Bake until golden brown and then drizzle a quick almond glaze over the top. So good and so simple!
These danishes are absolute perfection! They’re sweet and decadent without being over the top, and the cranberry sauce topping adds the perfect tart contrast. This is a recipe you’ll turn to over and over again whether it’s the holiday season or not.
Recommended Equipment
Ingredient Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Puff Pastry. Opt for high-quality all-butter puff pastry. My favorite is the all-butter puff pastry from Trader Joe’s.
- Cream Cheese. You’ll want to use a brick of cream cheese here, not the spreadable whipped kind.
- Egg + Egg Yolk. The egg yolk gives the filling a cheesecake-like texture without feeling grainy, while an egg whisked with a bit of water creates an egg wash that helps the edges of the puff pastry turn golden brown.
- Sugar. Classic granulated sugar is the play here.
- Almond Extract. Almond extract for the filling and the glaze pairs so nicely with the tart cranberries.
- Vanilla. If you have it, vanilla bean paste is great, but vanilla extract works too.
- Cranberry Sauce. You can make a batch of either my homemade orange cinnamon cranberry sauce or brandied cranberry sauce, use up the leftover cranberry sauce from your holiday dinner, or buy a can of your favorite cranberry sauce from the store.
- Almond Glaze. The almond glaze is a simple mix of milk, powdered sugar, and a touch of almond extract.
- Sliced Almonds. Toasted almonds on top give the danishes a nice crunch.
How to Make Cranberry Cream Cheese Danishes
- Defrost the puff pastry. It’s SO important that you remember to defrost the puff pastry in the fridge overnight! I’ve forgotten to do this once or twice and wound up making the danishes with only partially thawed puff pastry — the recipe did not turn out.
- Prep the puff pastry. This recipe uses two large sheets of puff pastry, which comfortably feeds 8 – 10 people. Cut the sheets of puff pastry in half to create two long rectangles, then score the edges to create a frame of pastry that will rise around the filling (see the photos below for reference).
- Make the cream cheese filling. If you’ve got an electric hand mixer, bust it out! If you remembered to bring your cream cheese to room temperature, it will blend together easily with the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Assemble the danishes. I find it easiest to pipe the cream cheese filling onto the puff pastry; if you don’t have a piping bag, transfer the filling to a zip-top bag and snip off a corner. Top the cream cheese layer with cranberry sauce and brush the edges with egg wash.
- Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes. You’ll know your cranberry cheese danishes are done when the edges are golden and puffed up. Wait a few minutes before drizzling with almond glaze and sprinkling with toasted almonds.
Chef Tips for the Perfect Holiday Danishes
Thaw the puff pastry adequately. Give the puff pastry enough time to defrost. I always pull mine out of the freezer and into the fridge the night before I plan to bake.
Keep the puff pastry cold before baking. After rolling the puff pastry out and cutting into rectangles, return the puff pastry to the fridge before piping on the filling. Cold puff pastry bakes up taller and crispier!
Use room temperature ingredients. On the flip side, make sure your cream cheese and eggs are room temperature! This allows them to mix more easily so you end up with a smooth, cheesecake-like filling.
Don’t go too heavy on the cranberry sauce. Be somewhat sparing with the cranberry sauce so that you don’t end up with soggy danishes.
Rest the danishes before glazing. After the danishes come out of the oven, let them rest for at least 10 minutes before glazing. If the danishes are too warm, the glaze will melt and slide right off.
Recipe Variations to Try
I love the cranberry sauce and cream cheese combo, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to flavor combinations. Here are some of my favorite ways to adapt this recipe:
- Fresh fruit. You can always top your cream cheese with fresh fruit before baking! Berries are especially good with the cream cheese filling. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries all mixed together.
- Add some Nutella. Who doesn’t love chocolate? Mix some Nutella into the cream cheese filling and bake as is.
- Try different jams. You can really top these danishes with any jam you like! Strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry, and apricot are some of my favorites!
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA onInstagram.
More Favorite Sweet Holiday Brunch Recipes
- Dutch Baby with Cranberry Compote
- Apple Pie French Toast Casserole
- Nutella-Stuffed French Toast
- Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
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Cranberry-Almond Cheese Danish Recipe
Ingredients
Cranberry-Almond Danishes
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, defrosted (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
- 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 1/4 cup cranberry sauce or jam, homemade or store bought
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Almond Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prep the puff pastry. Gently unfold and roll out your sheet of puff pastry just to flatten and smooth it. Cut it into two rectangles, about 10 inches by 5 inches. Gently score around the edge of each rectangle, about 3/4" in from the edges. This will create a frame of pastry that will rise around the filling as it bakes. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and back in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or a sturdy ziplock bag.
- Assemble the danishes: Cut the tip off the piping bag or the corner off of the ziplock and pipe the cream cheese evenly between the four pieces of puff pastry inside the scored rectangle. Top with the cranberry sauce and brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the puff pastry edges with a bit of sugar.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the almond glaze and top with toasted almonds.
Rate & Review This Recipe
I made these today, and they are amazing! I used my all edges brownie pans. Cooked fresh cranberries. Can’t wait for breakfast!