Fall favorite! A simple apple cheese Danish pastry your whole family will love!
Fall is by far my favorite season. There’s something so inexplicably beautiful about the trees producing an exciting array of colors before winter. If you’re a “fall girly/guy” like me than you know that fall flavors reign supreme in the world of food. Usually at the beginning of fall the apple and pear trees in my yard start dropping fruit and that combined with the petrichor scent of the first rains, my backyard begins to smell like a Bath & Body Works candle. When that moment hits, I know it’s time for a homemade cinnamon apple cheese Danish, cozy fire, hot tea, and a good book.
Cinnamon apple cheese Danish is a very simple recipe that combines classic flavors for a homey and comforting flavor profile. The pastry is crisp and buttery, The cream cheese adds a tangy and sweet note, while the apples and cinnamon add spice and a familiar al dente sweet bite. Plus, a divine crumble topping for an added layer of texture. It’s not cloyingly sweet and the sugar can easily be reduced to fit a variety of tastebuds. Be sure to try these cinnamon apple cheese Danish this fall season. (or year-round!)
Puff pastry- Because I do everything possible to save time and physical exertion, store bought puff pastry is my go-to. I use puff pastry year-round for dozens of different recipes that I will share eventually one day. If you would like to make your own dough more power to you but basic store-bought dough is easiest for these apple cheese Danish.
Apples- I’m not entirely sure what kind of apples I have in my yard, but they are tart. A tart apple is best for baking. “Granny Smith” is a good option if you’re using store bought apples.
Cream cheese- Cream cheese can be replaced with Neufchatel cheese. I wouldn’t recommend a dairy free cream cheese just because they are often coconut based and might melt into a mess in the oven instead of baking. I’ve never tried it but if you do, please let me know in the comments how it turns out!
INSTRUCTIONS
apple crumble cheese Danish
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 pkg puff pastry dough
apple filling
- 4 cups chopped sour apple
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
apple crumble topping
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
cream cheese filling
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon
Instructions
Apple filling
- Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel, core, and chop into half inch cubes, roughly 4 cups of sour apples.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter, sugars, spices, and vanilla.
- Add the apples stirring occasionally and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Crumble topping
- In a small bowl combine the flour, melted butter and sugar until crumbly. Set aside.
Cream cheese filling
- In a bowl combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Whip together until smooth. Set aside.
Assembly
- On a parchment lined baking sheet cut the puff pastry into 6 sections. Fold the edges of the dough up and pinch the corners together so it makes a small sided dish.
- Place a dollop of the cream cheese mixture dividing the entire bowl among the 6 pastries. Spread the dollop along the bottom leaving about 1/4-inch space on the sides.
- Repeat the process with the apple mixture. leaving 1/4-inch space on the sides and using all the apple mixture.
- Lastly sprinkle the flour-based crumble evenly over the 6 pastry tops.
- Make sure the Danishes are at least 1 inch apart from each other preferably 2 inches and bake for 25-30 minutes at 400F until the dough is cooked and golden brown.
