These apple danish pastries are an easy homemade take on a bakery classic. Made with puff pastry (no yeast required), flaky layers cradle a smooth cream cheese filling topped with cinnamon-spiced apples — a perfect fall brunch or dessert during apple season. Serve alongside other apple recipes for a cozy spread.
Sweet breakfast pastries pair beautifully with puff pastry. These danishes work well for breakfast, brunch, or a holiday treat — elegant enough for guests yet simple to prepare.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brunch-worthy: A cream cheese apple danish is an impressive, guest-ready pastry that pairs well with coffee or tea.
Quick and approachable: Using store-bought puff pastry eliminates the time and skill needed for yeast-based Danish dough, while still delivering flaky, layered pastries. If you prefer homemade pastry, a rough puff pastry also works.
Minimal ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples. If you like, omit the cream cheese for a classic apple danish filled only with spiced apples.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry: Two sheets thawed (store-bought is fine).
- Cream cheese: Full-fat, softened to room temperature.
- Apples: Tart or baking apples like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Braeburn.
- Sugars: Brown sugar for the apple filling and granulated sugar for the cream cheese filling.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the apple filling so juices don’t soak the pastry.
- Egg: Whisked with a splash of water for an egg wash to create a golden finish.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Drizzle caramel or vanilla icing over the finished danishes.
- Leave out the cream cheese and use only the apple filling for a simpler pastry.
- Add a streusel topping for extra crunch.
- Turn the filling into a braided danish instead of nests.
- Use canned apple pie filling (drain excess syrup first).
- Make mini danishes by cutting pastry into smaller squares and baking in a muffin tin.
- Cut rectangular pieces of pastry and layer filling on top for open-faced danishes.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Peel, core, and dice the apples into roughly 1 cm pieces.
2. In a skillet, combine the apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cook until apples soften. Mix cornstarch with a little water, stir into the apples and cook until the juices thicken. Remove to cool.
3. Beat cream cheese with granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. Lightly roll each puff pastry sheet and cut into 1″ (about 2.5 cm) strips — about 9–10 strips per sheet.
5. Twist one strip into a corkscrew on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Coil it around itself to form the center of a nest.
6. Wet the end of the first strip and press a second strip onto it to seal, then twist and continue coiling. Repeat with a third strip to build each nest, tucking the final tail underneath.
Hot tip! A little water helps the pastry strips adhere as you coil them.
7. Press down the center of each nest to form a sealed well about 2″ (5 cm) wide for the fillings.
8. Whisk an egg with a splash of water and brush the egg wash over each nest, including the center.
9. Add about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture to each well.
10. Spoon the cooled apple filling on top of the cream cheese, trying to keep excess juices from running down the sides.
Bake on the center rack at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle vanilla icing or caramel if desired.
Expert Tips
- Work briskly so the pastry stays cold. Keep extra strips refrigerated while assembling.
- Make three nests from one sheet, then repeat with the second sheet to streamline the process.
- Wet edges slightly to help the strips stick while twisting and coiling.
- Press the center well firmly so filling won’t leak out during baking.
- Let the apple filling cool completely before adding it to the pastry to avoid soggy bottoms.
- Chill assembled nests for 30 minutes in the fridge (or 15 minutes in the freezer) before baking to ensure a better rise.
Recipe FAQs
Traditional Danish pastries are usually made from a yeast-leavened laminated dough and shaped in various forms, often with a custard, cream cheese, or fruit filling in the center.
Danish pastry dough is yeast-leavened and often enriched, while puff pastry relies solely on layered butter and dough to create lift and flaky layers without yeast.
If the pastry is gooey, it likely needs more time in the oven. When filling is added, the center can remain softer; bake until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp.
Yes. Fully assemble and refrigerate on a pan covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days and bake straight from the fridge. You can also flash-freeze assembled nests, transfer to a sealed container, and bake from frozen.
Storage
Store leftover danishes at room temperature for up to one day; they are best eaten the same day. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh.
For longer storage, refrigerate covered for one additional day and reheat as above.
Freezing Instructions
Flash-freeze fully assembled danishes on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and bake from frozen following the recipe timing (you may need a few extra minutes).
More Sweet Brunch Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade Custard Donuts (Fried or Baked)-
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
-
Bakery Style Apple Fritter Donuts
-
Strawberry Almond Bostock Pastry with Croissant
Did you make this recipe? Share a photo and tag @thecozyplum on Instagram or Facebook and leave a star rating below!
📖Recipe
Apple Danish
Callan Wenner
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter or knife
- Large sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 large baking apple, peeled, cored, and diced into ½” pieces
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a pan over medium heat and cook until apples begin to soften.
- Mix cornstarch with water, add to the apples, cook 30 seconds until thickened, then stir in vanilla. Remove to cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla until very smooth.
- Unfold puff pastry sheets and roll to about 1/16″ thickness. Cut each sheet into 1″ strips (9–10 per sheet).
- On the parchment-lined pan, twist one strip into a corkscrew and coil it, wetting edges to adhere subsequent strips. Use three strips per nest and tuck the tail under.
- Press a 2″ well in the center of each nest to hold filling. Repeat to make six nests.
- Whisk the egg with a splash of water and brush the egg wash over each nest.
- Add about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture to each center, then top with a spoonful of apple filling.
- Bake on the center rack for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Store leftover danishes at room temperature for one day. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate up to one additional day and reheat in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes. You can also flash-freeze assembled nests, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months and bake from frozen.