Strawberry Danish Pastry (Printable)
Buttery puff pastry squares topped with cream cheese and glazed strawberries—golden, tender bites for breakfast or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (approximately 8.8 oz), thawed if frozen
→ Cream Cheese Filling
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
→ Strawberry Filling
06 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
→ Egg Wash
10 - 1 large egg, beaten
11 - 1 tablespoon whole milk
→ Optional Glaze
12 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 teaspoons whole milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How to Cook:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Blend until smooth and creamy, then set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, toss the diced strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir gently to coat evenly and set aside.
04 - Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut into 8 equal squares. Score a 0.4 inch border around each square, being careful not to cut through the pastry.
05 - Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each square, spreading gently within the scored border. Spoon 1 tablespoon of strawberry mixture over the cream cheese layer.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg with milk to prepare the egg wash. Brush the borders of each pastry square with the egg wash for a golden finish.
07 - Place assembled pastries on the prepared baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed.
08 - Transfer baked pastries to a wire rack to cool slightly before glazing.
09 - For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled pastries if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy cheese and tangy strawberries hit the perfect balance of flavors, and it feels like a bakery treat made at home.
- These gorgeous little pastries are as welcome on a brunch table as they are for dessert after dinner, and nobody will believe how quickly they come together.
02 -
- Overfilling the centers makes the danishes split or leak,—after a few messy bakes, I learned to use a gentle hand with the spoonfuls.
- Always cool danishes before glazing, or the icing will slide right off (learned the sticky way at a brunch rush).
03 -
- Scoring a border keeps the filling neat and gives that classic raised edge after baking.
- Even a little more lemon zest can really brighten the filling—it’s the not-so-secret secret that always gets compliments.