Flaky Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish with Puff Pastry and Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish

These mini Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish are a fall baking favorite that works at almost any hour of the day. The recipe makes 12 mini pastries and takes under 30 minutes from start to finish, so you can serve them for breakfast, set them out for brunch, bring them to a party, or finish a meal with one alongside coffee.

Each pastry starts with flaky puff pastry and gets two fillings instead of one. A spoonful of sweetened cream cheese goes down first, a spoonful of spiced pumpkin goes on top, and a toothpick swirls the two together so every bite carries both flavors.

A quick egg wash brushed around the edges helps the pastry bake up deep golden brown, and an optional powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the finished Danish adds a soft, sweet finish.

The original Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish recipe comes from In Katrina’s Kitchen, where the author describes fall arriving slowly in Ohio. Cool days alternate with heat waves before autumn finally settles in, and the cooler weather is what brings baking back into the kitchen.

This recipe is described there as a favorite fall project, and it is easy to see why. A batch of 12 disappears quickly and nothing about the process feels fussy.

The recipe is American in style and fits neatly into holiday and Thanksgiving collections, though you do not need an occasion to make it.

The pumpkin flavor stays light and creamy rather than heavy, and the pastries taste just as good on a quiet weekend morning as they do on a holiday table.

If puff pastry is new to you, the next section explains what it is and how to handle it.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish

Puff pastry is a laminated dough. That simply means the dough is built in layers. A block of cold butter is wrapped inside the dough, then the whole thing is rolled out and folded over on itself again and again.

Each roll and fold multiplies the layers, and when the pastry hits a hot oven, the water in the butter turns to steam and pushes those layers apart. The result is light, crisp, and flaky.

Because that rolling and folding takes a long time to do by hand, many home bakers reach for frozen prepared puff pastry instead. It is sold in the freezer section of the grocery store, usually near the frozen pies and the whipped topping. One box is enough for this whole recipe.

Thaw puff pastry on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes while you assemble the other ingredients. It rolls out much more easily once it has softened a little.

A few handling notes make the process smoother:

• Most boxes contain 2 sheets of puff pastry, and this recipe uses both of them.
• Roll each thawed sheet into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. Exact measurements are not required, so do not fuss over the edges.
• Cut each sheet once lengthwise and twice across the width. That gives you 6 rectangles per sheet and 12 Danish in total.
• Thawing on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes is enough time to make the dough easy to roll out.

If you have not bought puff pastry before, take a moment to check the box. You want the flat sheets of dough rather than the small pastry shells that come already cut, because you will be rolling and cutting the dough yourself. Once the pastry is thawed and rolled, the rest of the recipe moves quickly.

What is Puff Pastry?

Pastries like these are at their best warm from the oven, or at least on the day they are made. Puff pastry loses its crispness as it sits, so plan to eat most of the batch fresh if you can.

If you do have leftovers, store the baked mini Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish in the refrigerator.

For reheating, you have a few options:

• Eat them cold straight from the refrigerator.
• Toast them in a toaster oven or an air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Microwave them if you are in a hurry, though the microwave will cost you the flakiness that makes these worth baking.

The dry heat of a toaster oven or an air fryer helps the pastry crisp back up, which is why those two are the better choices for leftovers.

How to Store Leftovers

Yes, and this is a handy swap when puff pastry is not already in the freezer. Refrigerated crescent dough, the kind sold in tubes, works as a substitute. One tube makes 8 mini Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish rather than 12, so plan accordingly.

Crescent dough is softer and less buttery than puff pastry, so it bakes differently. Two adjustments keep things on track:

• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F instead of 400 degrees F.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

The fillings and the assembly steps stay exactly the same. You will simply end up with a slightly smaller batch and a softer pastry. If you enjoy that style, a classic Starbucks Cream Cheese Danish is another easy option to try next.

Can I Use Crescent Dough Instead?

If this recipe leaves you wanting more pumpkin, there is plenty more where that came from. These are the pumpkin favorites that pair well with a tray of Danish:

• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup can be used to make a pumpkin spice latte at home, which is a natural match for a warm Danish.
• Pumpkin Pie Candy Cups use 1/4 cup of pumpkin per batch, so they are a good way to use up what is left in the can.
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins have been a Thanksgiving favorite for over twenty years.
• Libby’s Pumpkin Roll is called a classic, and it is a lovely way to finish a holiday meal.

For a muffin version of that same pumpkin and cream cheese pairing, try these Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. They share the flavor combination in a completely different format, which makes them handy when you want something portable.

If you like PUMPKIN

The ingredient list divides into four parts: the puff pastry base, a pumpkin filling, a cream cheese filling, and the optional glaze.

A few notes before you start:

• Let the cream cheese soften so it blends smooth instead of lumpy.
• The glaze is optional, so you can serve the Danish plain or drizzle it over the top.
• One tube of refrigerated crescent dough can replace the puff pastry, though it makes 8 Danish instead of 12.
• Thaw the puff pastry on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes before you start rolling.

Ingredients

This recipe moves in three stages: the pastry, the two fillings, and the assembly. Read through it once before you start and the whole thing will feel straightforward.

Prepare the puff pastry dough

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Roll each thawed puff pastry sheet into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle.
3. Cut each sheet once lengthwise and twice across the width so that each sheet becomes 6 rectangles, for 12 total.

Prepare the fillings

1. Mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and egg in a small bowl. Set it aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Set it aside.

Assemble the pastries

1. Place 6 puff pastry rectangles on each baking sheet and prick each one all over with a fork, about 4 to 5 times per rectangle.
2. Drop a spoonful of cream cheese filling into each rectangle, then add a spoonful of pumpkin filling on top. Swirl the two together with a toothpick.
3. Whisk the egg and water together, then brush the egg wash onto the edges of each Danish.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown.
5. Drizzle with the powdered sugar glaze if you like. It is optional.

Keep the spoonfuls modest so the fillings stay inside the pastry edges rather than running off. One batch makes 12 mini Danish, which is enough for a small crowd or a very good weekend at home. Serve them warm for the best texture.

Instructions

Here is the quick overview before you start baking:

The source recipe lists 332 kcal per serving. Keep in mind that nutrition figures shift depending on the brands you buy and how generous you are with the filling and the glaze.

Recipe details

Can I make these with crescent dough instead of puff pastry?

Yes. One tube of refrigerated crescent dough makes 8 mini Danish instead of 12. Bake them at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes rather than at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

How should I store leftover Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish?

Keep baked leftovers in the refrigerator. They can be eaten cold, or reheated in a toaster oven or an air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes. A microwave works too, but it softens the pastry and takes away the flakiness.

Do I have to thaw the puff pastry first?

Yes. Let the frozen sheets thaw on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes while you mix the fillings. Thawed dough rolls out easily and does not crack.

Is the glaze required?

No. The powdered sugar glaze is optional. The Danish are complete without it, so you can skip the drizzle if you prefer a less sweet finish.

FAQs

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish These mini Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish are a fall baking favorite that works at almost any hour of the day. The recipe makes 12 mini pastries and takes under 30 minutes from start to finish, so you can serve them for breakfast, set them out for brunch, bring them to a party, or finish a meal with one alongside coffee.

• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: 12 Danish 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
2 Tablespoons water
Pumpkin Filling
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg

Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons sugar

GLAZE
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons milk

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

PREPARE the Puff Pastry dough
1-PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees F: PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2-ROLL each thawed Puff Pastry sheet into: ROLL each thawed Puff Pastry sheet into two 9×12 rectangles. Cut each sheet once lengthwise and twice in width so that each sheet has 6 rectangles.

PREPARE the fillings
3-MIX pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, spices, and: MIX pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, spices, and egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
4-In the bowl of your mixer COMBINE: In the bowl of your mixer COMBINE cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE the Pastries
5-PLACE 6 Puff Pastry rectangles on each: PLACE 6 Puff Pastry rectangles on each baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork (4-5 times per rectangle).
6-DROP a spoonful of cream cheese filling: DROP a spoonful of cream cheese filling into each Puff Pastry rectangle. Add a spoonful of pumpkin filling on top. SWIRL with a toothpick.
7-WHISK egg and water together: WHISK egg and water together. BRUSH the egg wash onto the edges of each Danish.
8-BAKE for 20 minutes until golden brown: BAKE for 20 minutes until golden brown.
9-DRIZZLE with powdered sugar glaze: DRIZZLE with powdered sugar glaze; optional.

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 332kcal