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Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
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4.8 from 5 reviews

This Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish recipe features flaky puff pastry filled with a smooth cream cheese mixture and topped with rich chocolate ganache. Perfect for a decadent breakfast or dessert, these Danish pastries combine creamy, sweet, and chocolatey flavors with a crisp, buttery crust.

Ingredients

Scale

Puff Pastry

  • 2 Frozen puff pastry sheets

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 oz Cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1/3 cup White granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

  • 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup Heavy cream

Egg Wash

  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 tsp Water

Instructions

  1. Thaw Pastry: Place frozen puff pastry sheets on the counter for 30 minutes to thaw completely before cutting and prepping.
  2. Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.
  3. Mix Ganache: Let the chocolate and cream sit undisturbed for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir gently until smooth. If chocolate chunks remain, microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted. Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 2 hours until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
  4. Make Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer on high speed for 1 minute until smooth. Add sugar and beat again for 1 minute. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
  5. Prepare Pastry Sheets: Place thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Gently press the seams together with your fingers. Use a sharp knife to cut the pastries into thirds along the seams, creating three long rectangles per sheet.
  6. Cut Rectangles: Cut each long rectangle in half to yield 6 rectangles per sheet, totaling 12 rectangles. Repeat for the second sheet. Mix the egg and water to make an egg wash and brush the edges of each rectangle with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
  7. Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Create Pastry Borders: Place the rectangles on the cookie sheets, 6 per sheet. Carefully cut a smaller rectangle inside each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1/2 inch border, but do not cut all the way through. This allows the edges to puff up around the filling.
  9. Fill Pastries: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each rectangle and spread evenly within the borders.
  10. Chill Pastries: Place one baking sheet in the refrigerator and the other in the freezer. Let the frozen sheet sit for 5 minutes to cold-set the butter, ensuring crisp and flaky pastries.
  11. Bake Pastries: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes or until the pastries are puffed and golden brown. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before baking the next sheet.
  12. Top with Ganache: Once the pastries are fully cooled, spoon the thickened chocolate ganache over the cream cheese filling. Make sure some cream cheese is visible around the edges for contrast.

Notes

  • Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth mixing.
  • Do not cut the inner rectangle all the way through to allow the edges to puff up properly.
  • Chilling the pastries before baking helps maintain flakiness.
  • If ganache hardens too much, gently warm it before spooning on top.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Keywords: chocolate cream cheese danish, puff pastry danish, cream cheese pastry, homemade danish, breakfast pastry, dessert danish

Find it online: https://dailysimplerecipe.com/chocolate-cream-cheese-danish-recipe/