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Easy Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

close up of round lemon pastry with powdered sugar and lemon wedge on top this idea

So I might be a little obsessed with making puff pastry danishes now! I can’t help it – they are so good! And being so easy to make, I can’t help but want to make them for any and everything. These lemon cream cheese danish are inspired by the strawberry cream cheese danish and my lemon bars!

These lemon danish pastries are perfect for Easter breakfast or a spring brunch! They are easy to make, using frozen puff pastry helps keep things quick and simple. Then you’re just mixing up a lemon cream cheese filling. After a quick bake in the oven, top with some lemon curd, and you’ve got a delicious pastry, that’s perfect for Easter brunch.

six lemon danishes with powdered sugar and lemon wedge topping pushed together

I used circle cookie cutters to make these. Two circle cookie cutters, one slightly smaller than the other, will make it even easier to make. (You’re scoring a smaller circle inside the larger one, you can see that step in a photo below). I have a round cookie cutter set that I use all the time for baking, and it worked great for these.

round lemon cream cheese danish with powdered sugar and lemon wedge on it

Ingredients for Lemon Cream Cheese Danish:

See the full recipe below!

six round lemon pastries on marble board
lemon puff pastry danishes on wood cutting board with lemon wedges and powdered sugar by danishes
puff pastry circle cut outs on parchment paper lined cookie sheet
5 from 3 votes
six lemon danishes with powdered sugar and lemon wedge topping pushed together
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Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

Made with puff pastry, cream cheese and lemon curd, these danish are so delicious and easy to make. The perfect pastry for a spring brunch.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Servings: 12 Makes approx. 12-16 danish, depending on circle size
Ingredients
  • 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup lemon curd, homemade or store bought
  • powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
  1. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice & lemon zest. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Unfold pastry and gently roll out creases.

  4. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut out pastry circles. Using a smaller cookie cutter, or a knife, make a smaller circle indent (not cutting all the way through) inside the larger circle (photo above).

  5. Brush the outer edge of the circles with beaten egg.

  6. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cream mixture into the smaller circle, leaving the border around the edge.

  7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
  8. Let danishes cool slightly.
  9. Top each danish with a tablespoon of lemon curd.
  10. Dust with powdered sugar.
lemon pastry on wood cutting board surrounded by lemon wedges and more lemon pastries

Find more recipe inspiration here!

-Manda

 

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