Copycat Starbucks Cheese Danish

A simplified rendition of the cheese Danish with inspiration from the beloved Starbucks pastry (or at least, beloved by me during my college years). Layers of flakey, buttery dough topped with a pool of velvety, sweet cheese in the middle. This version of the treat is what I like to call the “poor-man’s cheese Danish,” because it eliminates the need for elaborate, time-consuming homemade dough (pastry chefs, please don’t from attacking me in the comments). With store-bought puff pastry sheets, you can bake a cheese Danish rivals the Starbucks version with ease. Believe me, as a former Starbucks barista, I have downed my fair share of cheese Danishes over the years. Now it’s time to pass all the insider secrets to you, dear reader. 

Ingredients You’ll Need for These Cheese Danishes

• Puff Pastry Dough – Puff pastry can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores, usually sold in a pack of two sheets. You will need one 17-ounce package. Make sure to read the defrosting instructions, most will instruct you to thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight. 
• Neufchâtel Cheese – Neufchâtel is similar to cream cheese, but a bit lighter as it is naturally lower in fat content. It is the same type of cheese used in the Starbucks cheese danish formula, so the search is worth it here to create the same flavor and mouthfeel. You will need one 8-ounce package. 
• Eggs – You will need 1 egg yolk for the cheese filling and 1 whole egg to brush on the pastry dough before baking to help turn the edges a golden brown color. 
• Granulated Sugar – You will need a little less than 1/4 cup of sugar. 
• Lemon Juice – You will need 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for the cheese filling to help brighten up the flavor. 
• Vanilla Extract – You will need 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 
• Table Salt – You will need 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 

Notes

Copycat Starbucks Cheese Danish

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Mia
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 danishes 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Buttery, flakey layers topped with a smooth, sweet pool of cheese in the center. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 sheets (490 grams) puff pastry dough
• 8-ounces (227 grams) Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon (40g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (optional, for egg wash)

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Instructions

Thaw the Puff Pastry: 

1. The night before, place the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator to thaw.

Prepare the Cheese Filling: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the Neufchâtel cheese and egg yolk until combined. 
3. Add the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Spoon the cheese mixture into a piping bag. 

Assemble the Danishes: 

1. Remove the thawed puff pastry from the refrigerator. Unfold the two sheets and cut each into four equal rectangles so you end up with a total of 8 dough rectangles.
2. Place each rectangle two inches apart on a baking sheet and pipe thick lines of the cheese mixture into the center of the pastry dough. Leave about an inch of the edge of the dough uncovered.
3. Smooth out the piped lines of the cheese mixture with an offset spatula.
4. Whisk the second whole egg and brush the mixture on the dough edges of each pastry.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries have turned golden brown.

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Keywords: Cheese Danish, Danish, Starbucks