If you're looking for an easy holiday breakfast or brunch you can't go wrong with this one!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
This easy Christmas breakfast is so cute for the holidays but quick enough to enjoy all year long!
- There's just 10 minutes of prep time.
- I think they are so cute for Christmas morning.
- Use powdered sugar for the filling to keep it smooth and creamy.
I love to sit with a cup of coffee in one hand and an easy cream cheese danish in the other watching the family opening presents on Christmas morning.
On the other hand, I really hate staying up late the night before getting my cheese kolache ready because I forgot to make them ahead of time.
It's happened... more than once. I finally got smart and now I keep a can of crescent rolls in the fridge...just in case. Great idea, right?
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- Add a little lemon zest to the cream cheese for a tangier filling.
- Some people use cherry pie filling instead of maraschino cherries.
- You can use any kind of fruit pie filling or jam - you just won't get the Christmas tree effect... which is fine in the middle of summer.
- Blueberry pie filling is especially good!
- Brush the top of the crescent roll dough with a little beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
🔪 Instructions
These are just an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom.
- Blend the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Open the crescent dough tube and take out the roll of dough - don't unroll it. Put it on a cutting board and cut the dough in 11 slices with a sharp knife.
- Arrange the rounds as shown above - to look like a Christmas tree or in a circle for a wreath (shown below). Make a well in the center of the dough circles except the bottom one and fill with the cheese mixture and a cherry. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the "trunk".
- Bake until done. Remove from the oven and drizzle with glaze.
🎥 Video
🥫 Storage
Danish of any kind are always best the day they are made. If you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days..
You can also freeze these for up to 3 months. Be warned, however, that the filling may get a bit grainy.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: I prefer powdered sugar over white sugar for sweet cream cheese filling because it doesn't get grainy and it helps the filling hold together.
- Make these crescent roll cheese danish recipe with full-fat cream cheese. The light and non-fat types get runny.
- Be sure the cream cheese at room temperature.
- The crescent rolls or sheets need to be cold.
- You can use either the original crescent rolls or the buttery ones. They're both delicious.
- Be sure to gently pat dry each cherry before setting it in the filling - that way the white filling will stay white.
- You can make this bigger by doubling the recipe and adding more rows to the "tree".
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes. Since there is dairy involved be sure to put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just warm them slightly before serving for the best flavor.
Yes it can but the filling sometimes gets a grainy texture. It's still fine to eat.
Sure. It's a little different but it will work. roll the sheets up and the cut in rounds like with the crescent rolls.
📚 Related recipes
Still looking for brunchy food? What about...
- Jalapeno sausage kolache are (actually klobasnek but whatever) a favorite here in my part of Texas.
- Raspberry thumbprint scones are a copycat of the ones Starbucks discontinued a few years ago - so good!
- S'mores stuffed French toast is an extra special holiday treat!
- We love this cranberry nut bread for eating AND giving as gifts.
🍽️ Serve with...
Salted caramel brulee latte is one of my favorite ways to start Christmas morning.
Sausage balls are always good - and a fun finger food for holiday brunch.
Russian tea is orangy, spicy, and tangy - perfect to cut the sweetness of these!
📞 The last word
Don't just make these delicious crescent roll cream cheese danish rolls for the holidays! This is an easy recipe that everyone loves anytime!
Make them in plain old rounds and top with a spoonful of your favorite pie filling or jam anytime you want to treat the family to something a little special.
Or, shape a heart for Valentine's Day. Whatever you like... just make them!
These gingerbread waffles are another perfect holiday breakfast recipe that's delicious all year long!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Easy Cream Cheese Danish
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 8 ounces crescent roll dough, the kind in a can in the refrigerated section of your grocers.
Cream cheese filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, full fat is best
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 maraschino cherries, without stems
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon and sugar mixture
Glaze ingredients
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, or cream. May need more.
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Line a cookie sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
- Heat the cream cheese up in the microwave until it is soft.
- Add the vanilla and blend well.
- Stir in the cream cheese until it's smooth.
- Open the crescent roll dough but leave them rolled up.
- Slice off 11 evenly sized rolls (or as close as you can get to even...)
- Place one roll in the center bottom of the cookie sheet - refer to video.
- Place 4 rolls in a line over that.
- Place 3 rolls in a line over that.
- Now place 2 rolls in a row - then 1 roll at the top. You should have the shape of a Christmas tree.
- Make and indentation in each roll except the bottom one with your thumb.
- Fill the indentations with the cream cheese mixture.
- Remove 10 cherries from the jar and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Place gently in the center of each of the 10 rolls that form the tree.
- Sprinkle the bottom roll with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. They'll register 190F to 200F on an instant read thermometer when they're done.
- Remove from oven.
Glaze
- If you plan to drizzle with glaze make the glaze with about ⅓ cup of powdered sugar and 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk or cream. Add a few drops of vanilla if you wish.
- Drizzle the glaze over the rolls, remove to a serving platter, and serve.
Notes
- I prefer powdered sugar over white sugar for sweet cream cheese filling because it doesn't get grainy and it helps the filling hold together.
- Make these crescent roll cheese danish recipe with full fat cream cheese. The light and non-fat types get runny.
- You can use either the original crescent rolls or the buttery ones. They're both delicious.
- Be sure to gently pat dry each cherry before setting it in the filling - that way the white filling will stay white.
- You can make this bigger by doubling the recipe and adding more rows to the "tree".
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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First published December 9, 2021. Last updated for editorial improvements November 29, 2023.
Sete says
Could these be made with half and half?
Marye says
Yes. It's for the frosting and cream makes it richer.
Sete says
Thanks, I almost always have half and half or canned milk (evaporated milk) on hand. Won't be as good but it will be.