Make delicious, beautiful bakery-style pastries at home! This Cherry Danish recipe is easy to make with just a few ingredients, and perfect for breakfast, lunch or brunch, and snacks.
One of my favorite foods to meal prep is bakery-style pastries. So many pastries are freezer friendly and easier to make at home than you might think!
My copycat Starbucks almond croissants are a family fave. And this Cherry Danish recipe is just as buttery and flaky, but filled with a sweet cream cheese and cherry pie mixture.
Serve these for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snacks! I like to make a few for the week ahead, and then pop the rest into freezer bags. That way, we can easily reheat them straight from the freezer in a toaster oven or air fryer for super delicious, grab-and-go breakfasts.
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Sweet, flaky, and fruity, these cherry danish pastries are easy to make and even easier to eat!
- Just a handful of ingredients: Made with just a few simple ingredients, you can quickly whip up a batch without a lot of mess or fuss.
- Easy to make: One of those ingredients is store-bought puff pastry — no need to worry about making your own while still tasting great!
- A versatile snack: Enjoy one of these sweet, fruity cherry danishes for breakfast or as the perfect afternoon snack.
- Freeze for later: These danishes freeze very well, so you can make them ahead and freeze a batch for later.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Puff pastry – I use store-bought puff pastry for this recipe. It saves a bunch of time and is easy to use!
- Cream cheese – A common ingredient in danishes for a sweet, creamy filling.
- Cherry pie filling: Using pre-made cherry filling saves more time and gives this recipe a bright, fruity flavor.
- Almond extract: For added depth of flavor.
- Egg wash: This gives these pastries a golden brown finish.
- Powdered sugar: To sprinkle on top.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Here’s an overview plus step-by-step photos for how to make these delicious cherry danishes. You’ll find the full ingredients and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and almond extract.
- Cut 2 thawed pastry sheets into a total of 12 rectangles.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mix onto the center of each pastry rectangle.
- Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the cherry pie filling on top.
- Fold over two sides of the pastry in the middle and gently press together.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Then brush with and egg wash and bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle each with powdered sugar.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
If you have leftovers, can store cherry danishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For peak freshness, it’s best to consume them within 3 days.
Yes. Place them in a single layer in freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge, then pop them in an air fryer or in the oven.
If you prefer, you can easily swap the cherry pie filling for another variety like apple, raspberry, or strawberry. Or make a batch of each!
🍽 Serving ideas
These tasty cherry danishes are perfect as a stand-alone snack. But they’d also make a delicious and colorful addition to a brunch charcuterie board alongside other pastry dishes like sweet strawberry turnovers and easy-to-make air fryer apple hand pies.
Or serve them with savory breakfast dishes like a huevos rancheros breakfast sandwich, salsa eggs, or a mouth-watering sausage frittata.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Baking sheets – These durable baking sheets are made to ensure even baking and browning.
- Large mixing bowl – These colorful mixing bowls are both fun and functional.
More pastry recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Cherry Danish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed according to package directions
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
- 1 egg plus splash of water for the egg wash
- confectioner's sugar for topping
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and almond extract until well combined. Set aside.
- Unfold the thawed pastry sheets on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, or a pizza cutter, cut each sheet into 6 even rectangles, giving you 12 rectangles total. Place them on the prepared lined baking sheets, 6 to each sheet.
- Spoon approximately 1 Tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each puff pastry rectangle. Gently spread the cream cheese mixture out a bit, leaving space around the edges.
- Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of the cherry pie filling on top of each cream cheese center.
- Bring together two sides of the puff pastry in the middle, gently pressing the corners together (see photos for example).
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Just before the 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Brush each of the pastries with egg wash. Then bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the pastry are golden brown and the pastry is fully cooked.
- Sprinkle each pastry with powdered sugar immediately, as soon as it's out of the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
