Strawberry Danish with Cream Cheese (Printable)

Buttery puff pastry squares with cream cheese and macerated strawberries, baked until golden and optionally glazed.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 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 lemon zest

→ Strawberry Filling

06 - 1½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Egg Wash

10 - 1 egg, beaten
11 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Optional Glaze

12 - ¾ cup powdered sugar
13 - 2–3 teaspoons milk
14 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, gently toss diced strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch until evenly coated. Set aside.
04 - Roll out puff pastry sheet and cut into 8 equal squares. Lightly score a ½-inch border around each square without cutting through.
05 - Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each pastry square, spreading gently within the scored border.
06 - Top each with 1 tablespoon of the strawberry mixture, keeping filling inside the border.
07 - Brush the borders of each pastry with egg wash made by whisking together the beaten egg and milk.
08 - Bake pastries for 18–22 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
09 - Remove from oven and transfer pastries to a wire rack. Allow to cool slightly.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, 2–3 teaspoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled pastries if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • When you take the first crispy bite, the contrast of creamy cheese and bright berries is honestly the best kitchen secret I can share.
  • It&s become my go-to when I want to impress brunch guests without too much fuss.
02 -
  • The first time I baked these, I overcrowded the pan and ended up with more of a Danish patchwork—always leave space so every pastry puffs properly!
  • Switching to cold (not room temp) puff pastry made those perfect, lofty layers—don&t rush the thawing.
03 -
  • Always use cold pastry for the best flaky results—even refrigerate it for 10 minutes before baking if your kitchen&s warm.
  • Press down the scored border edges with a butter knife—this helps the centers stay sunken and the edges rise tall.

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