This crescent roll cream cheese danish is flaky, creamy, and made with simple ingredients. Make it for a sweet breakfast or an easy crescent roll cream cheese dessert.
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Why I Love This Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Dessert
I love using flaky crescent roll dough to make life easy in the kitchen. First it was my fan-favorite dessert cinnamon crescent rolls, and now this crescent roll cream cheese danish recipe. Similar to my cheese danish with puff pastry it gives you that bakery-style feel without the extra work.
Store-bought crescent dough is shaped into individual pastries and filled with a creamy filling that tastes similar to no bake cheesecake. These cheese danishes are perfect for a special breakfast, weekend brunch, or even as a simple crescent roll cream cheese dessert to share with family or guests.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Crescent roll dough sheets: You will need 16 ounces total, or two cans Pillsbury crescent rolls.
- Cream cheese: A block of full fat cream cheese works best. Do not use the tub kind or low fat cream cheese.
- Lemon: Lemon juice and zest add bright flavor to the filling.
- Sugars: You will need granulated sugar for the cream cheese filling and brown sugar to sprinkle on the crescent dough.
- Egg yolk: This helps bind the filling together.
- Powdered sugar icing: For a simple glaze, you will need powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
How to Make Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danish
Use a hand mixer to combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Mix cream cheese mixture until smooth and creamy.
Unroll crescent roll dough sheets into 8 rectangles pressing the perforated seams of two triangles together for each pastry.
Brush each rectangle with a little melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Then, roll them up lengthwise like a log, pinch the seams closed, and coil each one into a little circle.
Use your fingers to gently press a well into the center of each pastry then scoop about
1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the middle of each one and arrange them on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden.
Recipe Tips
- Softened cream cheese: Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature so it whips up fluffy and smooth. I love this easy method to soften cream cheese.
- Fruit and chocolate variations: Add a spoonful of strawberry or raspberry jam on top or add some mini chocolate chips! Swirl Nutella into the cream cheese.
- Glaze options: This cream cheese glaze is another favorite to drizzle on top.
- Serving: Savory ideas to balance these sweet crescent roll cream cheese danishes include my egg and potato casserole or crescent roll breakfast casserole.
- Best served fresh: While you can store them, these taste best when eaten within 24 hours.
Love crescent roll dough recipes? Make sopapilla cheesecake bars, croffles or resurrection rolls with crescent rolls!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danish
Video
Ingredients
- 2 packages crescent roll pastry dough sheets , or regular ones
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make filling: Combine 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Lay out dough: Unroll the pastry sheets. You will need 8 rectangles, so press the perforations of two triangles together to form each rectangle.
- Brush on butter and brown sugar: Spoon or brush about a teaspoon of melted butter on each rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar.
- Roll up dough: Roll up each rectangle lengthwise and pinch together the edges gently. Coil the dough log into a circle. Gently press an indentation in the middle of each roll, using your fingers. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
- Fill: Place about 1 Tablespoon of filling into the center of the dough.
- Bake: Bake cheese danishes in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool on a cooling rack.
- Glaze: Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons cream and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle on top of cooled danishes.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Whitney
These are such a treat!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Agreed and quick to make too! Thanks for the review of the crescent roll cream cheese Danish!