Delicious Apple Cheese Danishes (Printable)
Flaky pastries with spiced apples and cream cheese filling.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry Components
01 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
02 - 1 large egg, beaten
→ Cream Cheese Filling
03 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Spiced Apple Filling
06 - 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, finely diced
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
11 - 1 tsp lemon juice
→ Icing
12 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2-3 tsp milk or lemon juice
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until apples are soft and syrupy. Let cool completely.
03 - Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
04 - Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface to smooth creases. Cut into 8 equal squares. Place on prepared tray. Lightly score a smaller square inside each and prick the center with a fork.
05 - Spread cream cheese filling in the center of each pastry. Top with cooled apple mixture.
06 - Brush pastry edges with beaten egg. Bake for 18–22 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
07 - Mix powdered sugar with milk or lemon juice to make a drizzle. Zigzag over cooled danishes.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The contrast of warm, spiced fruit against a cool, tart filling is absolute heaven.
- You get bakery style results at home without needing any advanced pastry skills.
02 -
- Do not skip the step of pricking the center of the pastry with a fork or the center will puff up too much.
- Keep your ingredients cold to ensure the puff pastry rises properly in the oven.
03 -
- Egg wash only the edges you want to shine, avoiding the crust rim if it gets too dark.
- Sprinkle a coarse sugar on the pastry edges before baking for a sparkling finish.