The Best Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish Recipe You’ll Ever Try

Rich chocolate cream cheese Danish promises a delightful culinary adventure that enhances ordinary mornings into extraordinary experiences.

Sweet pastry enthusiasts understand the magical allure of delicate, flaky layers melding with creamy, decadent fillings.

Bakers passionate about indulgent breakfast treats know this recipe elevates simple ingredients into something spectacular.

Elegant yet surprisingly straightforward, these Danish combine classic European pastry techniques with irresistible chocolate charm.

Delicate dough embraces a smooth, velvety chocolate cream cheese center that melts perfectly with each bite.

Warm, golden-brown edges hint at the sumptuous interior waiting to delight your senses.

Professional bakery quality meets home kitchen accessibility in this irresistible morning sensation.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish with Decadent Swirl

• Indulge in Creamy Chocolate Decadence: Experience a perfect blend of rich chocolate ganache and smooth cream cheese that melts in your mouth with every bite.
• Master Bakery-Style Technique at Home: Create professional-looking pastries using simple techniques like scoring the dough and chilling the pastry, which ensures a flaky, golden-brown texture that rivals bakery-quality treats.
• Quick and Impressive Dessert Solution: Transform frozen puff pastry into an elegant dessert in under an hour, making it ideal for unexpected guests or last-minute sweet cravings without complex baking skills.
• Versatile Treat for Any Occasion: Enjoy these danishes as a luxurious breakfast, afternoon snack, or elegant dessert that looks and tastes like a gourmet bakery creation but can be easily prepared in your own kitchen.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

• Puff Pastry Sheets: Delicate, flaky base that creates a light and crisp texture for the danish.
• All-Purpose Flour: Used for light dusting to prevent pastry from sticking during preparation.

• Cream Cheese: Smooth, rich base for the filling that provides creamy texture and tangy flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the cream cheese's tanginess.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor with its warm, classic taste.

• Chocolate Chips: Creates a rich, smooth ganache with deep chocolate flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Helps melt chocolate and creates a silky ganache consistency.
• Large Egg: Used for egg wash to create a golden, shiny pastry surface.
• Water: Helps thin the egg wash for even brushing.

How to Bake Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

Step 1: Unfreeze Pastry Sheets

Place frozen puff pastry sheets on the counter for 30 minutes to soften.

Step 2: Create Silky Chocolate Sauce

• Chocolate chips
• Heavy cream

Pour chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Pour hot cream over chips and let sit for 90 seconds. Stir gently until smooth. If chunks remain, microwave in 15-second intervals. Allow sauce to rest at room temperature until pudding-like.

Step 3: Whip Creamy Filling

Beat cream cheese with hand mixer on high speed for one minute. Add sugar and beat again until smooth. Blend in vanilla extract thoroughly.

Step 4: Shape Delicate Pastry

Dust surface with flour. Unfold thawed pastry sheets. Press seams together. Cut each sheet into thirds, then halve each third to create 12 rectangles. Whisk egg with water. Brush pastry edges with egg wash.

Step 5: Prepare Baking Station

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Arrange pastry rectangles on sheets. Lightly score inner rectangle border without cutting through completely.

Step 6: Add Dreamy Filling

Spread cream cheese mixture in center of each pastry rectangle.

Step 7: Chill Pastry Layers

Refrigerate one sheet. Freeze another sheet for 5 minutes to maintain buttery flakiness.

Step 8: Bake to Golden Perfection

Bake one sheet at a time for 17-20 minutes until pastry turns golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

Step 9: Drizzle Chocolate Finale

Spoon chocolate sauce over cream cheese filling, leaving edges visible.

Step 10: Indulge and Enjoy

Savor these luxurious danishes as a breakfast treat or elegant dessert.

Pro Tips for Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

• Chill for Flakiness: Refrigerate and freeze pastry sheets before baking to ensure ultra-crisp, perfectly layered texture that melts in your mouth.
• Smooth Ganache Secret: Let hot cream sit on chocolate chips exactly 90 seconds, then stir gently to create a silky, lump-free chocolate sauce without overheating.
• Cream Cheese Perfection: Beat cream cheese mixture thoroughly for a full 2 minutes to eliminate lumps and create an ultra-smooth, creamy filling.
• Precise Pastry Cutting: Use a sharp knife and gentle pressure when scoring pastry to create clean edges that allow beautiful rising during baking.
• Temperature Matters: Always bake one sheet at a time to maintain consistent oven heat and achieve golden, evenly baked Danish pastries.

Storing and Reheating Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

• Refrigerate: Place cooled danishes in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in Oven: Warm pastries at 325°F for 5-7 minutes to restore crispy texture and prevent sogginess.
• Microwave Option: Gently reheat for 15-20 seconds, understanding the pastry might lose some crispness but will still taste delicious.

Pairing Ideas for Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

• Pair with Robust Coffee: Brew a strong, dark roast coffee like Colombian or French Roast to complement the rich chocolate and creamy filling, cutting through the sweetness with its bold flavor profile.
• Match with Fruity Red Wine: Select a slightly sweet red wine such as Port or Zinfandel, which will enhance the chocolate's depth and provide a luxurious counterpoint to the cream cheese's tangy notes.
• Serve with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Add a scoop of cold, creamy vanilla bean ice cream alongside the warm danish to create a delightful temperature and texture contrast that amplifies the dessert's decadence.
• Accompany with Spiced Chai Latte: Brew a smooth chai latte with warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom, offering a complex, aromatic drink that beautifully balances the danish's sweet and rich characteristics.

Creative Variations on Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish

• Raspberry Chocolate Swirl: Dollop raspberry preserves alongside the chocolate ganache for a fruity burst of flavor that complements the rich cream cheese filling.
• Nutty Chocolate Crunch: Sprinkle chopped almonds or pecans over the ganache before serving to add a delightful textural contrast and nutty undertone.
• Salted Caramel Drizzle: Replace the chocolate ganache with a homemade salted caramel sauce, creating a sweet and salty combination that elevates the classic Danish.
• Espresso Chocolate Infusion: Mix a teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the ganache to introduce a sophisticated coffee note that deepens the chocolate's complexity.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish Recipe

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4.8 from 39 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Chocolate cream cheese danish brings European bakery charm directly to home kitchens with silky chocolate and tangy cream cheese nestled in flaky, buttery pastry. Sweet indulgence meets elegant simplicity, creating a pastry you cannot resist enjoying with morning coffee or afternoon tea.

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Ingredients

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Pastry Ingredients:

• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets
• 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¾ cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Unwrap the frozen puff pastry and allow it to soften at room temperature for approximately half an hour, ensuring the dough becomes pliable without becoming too warm.
2. Create the chocolate ganache by placing chocolate chips in a heat-resistant bowl. Gently warm the heavy cream until it releases delicate steam, avoiding a rolling boil.
3. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips and let the mixture rest for precisely 90 seconds. Stir carefully until achieving a silky, uniform texture, using short microwave bursts if any stubborn chocolate chunks remain.
4. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken, transforming into a luxurious pudding-like consistency over two hours at ambient temperature.
5. Whip the cream cheese using an electric mixer, incorporating sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes exceptionally smooth and airy.
6. Dust a clean work surface with a light coating of flour. Carefully unfold the pastry sheets, pressing seams together with delicate fingertips.
7. Slice each pastry sheet into precise rectangles, creating 12 individual pastry bases with clean, even edges.
8. Prepare an egg wash by whisking egg and water together, then delicately brush the pastry borders to ensure a golden, glossy finish.
9. Position oven racks to the middle position and preheat to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Gently score an inner rectangle on each pastry piece, creating a border that will rise beautifully during baking.
11. Distribute the cream cheese filling centrally on each pastry rectangle, spreading evenly within the scored boundaries.
12. Strategically chill the prepared pastries – one sheet in the refrigerator, another briefly in the freezer – to maintain optimal butter temperature and ensure maximum flakiness.
13. Bake the danishes individually, rotating sheets for even golden-brown coloration, approximately 17-20 minutes.
14. Cool the pastries completely on wire racks, allowing them to set and develop a crisp texture.
15. Drizzle the prepared chocolate ganache over the cream cheese filling, creating an elegant, artistic finish that reveals glimpses of the creamy underneath layer.
16. Serve immediately, presenting these decadent pastries as an indulgent morning delicacy or sophisticated dessert.

Notes

• Thaw pastry sheets completely at room temperature to ensure even baking and prevent cracking.
• Create smooth ganache by allowing hot cream to melt chocolate thoroughly, microwaving gently if needed.
• Chill pastry sheets before baking to maintain flaky, crisp layers by keeping butter cold.
• Use egg wash along pastry edges to create a beautiful golden-brown seal and shine.
• Score pastry rectangles lightly to help create a raised border that contains filling perfectly.
• Serve freshly cooled to enjoy the best texture and temperature of the delicate danish.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes (per sheet)
• Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Danish

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 17 g
• Sodium: 160 mg
• Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 18 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 40 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 50 mg