Patterson Watkins/Mashed
It's no secret that Costco has a beloved bakery section, offering sweet treats ranging from cakes to cookies to cinnamon rolls. Costco shoppers are nothing short of obsessed with the store's danishes, with fan-favorite flavors including almond or cherry. If you're anything like recipe developer Patterson Watkins, though, then you're team plain cheese danish all the way, which no doubt served as inspiration for her copycat Costco cream cheese danish recipe.
It's all about the flavor and texture balance when it comes to danishes, and in Watkins' recipe, she worked to ensure that each and every bite has that nice mix of creaminess, crispiness, sweetness, and tang. "Cheese danishes offer a pleasing flavor balance, not overly sweet, with a luxe-like richness, and sort of twangy tangy taste sensation you get from the cream cheese-filled center," she says. So not only will you end up with a great Costco dupe by following this recipe, but you'll end up with a much fresher danish than anything you can buy in a store.
Watkins is a big fan of store-bought puff pastry sheets, noting that they're "simple, easy, functional, and they bake up beautifully crisp, golden, and perfectly puffy." Homemade puff pastry can be burdensome to make, so this store-bought option provides a wonderful shortcut that will save you lots of time and energy (while still yielding a Costco-worthy pastry result).
Gather the ingredients for copycat Costco cream cheese danishes
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
The cream cheese filling for this danish recipe consists of softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, an egg (yolk and white separated), lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Assembling the pastries is easy, as you simply need a box of puff pastry dough and a little bit of apricot jam or jelly. Don't worry — these danishes aren't fruit-flavored nor will they taste like apricot. Instead, this ingredient (mixed with a bit of water to dilute) acts as a sort of sealant to help preserve the shelf life of the danishes and make them look extra shiny and beautiful. So, why apricot specifically? "The coloring is perfect for pastry, imparting and enhancing that golden hue of the baked puff," Watkins explains. "The flavor is moderately neutral and doesn't risk overpowering our intended ingredients."
Once the danishes are fully assembled and baked, all that's left is the icing for that extra pop of sweetness. To make the icing, you'll need powdered sugar, whole milk, and more vanilla extract.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep baking sheets
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Add the cream cheese filling ingredients to a bowl
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
To make the filling, place the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Step 3: Whisk to combine the filling
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Whisk to combine the filling and set it aside.
Step 4: Roll out the puff pastry sheets
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Roll the puff pastry sheets into a 12x12-inch square.
Step 5: Cut the pastry sheets into squares
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Cut each sheet into 6 squares (for 12 total squares). Trim the puff pastry, if necessary, to get the squares as uniform as possible.
Step 6: Transfer the pastry squares to baking sheets
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Transfer the squares to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Step 7: Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg white
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Beat the raw egg whites until frothy and brush the edges of the puff pastry squares.
Step 8: Fold in the corners of the pastry squares
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Fold the corners of the pastry squares toward the center and gently press to adhere.
Step 9: Add the cream cheese filling
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Using a small scoop or a tablespoon measure, dollop the center of each pastry with filling.
Step 10: Brush the pastries with egg wash
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Brush any exposed pastry with the remaining egg whites.
Step 11: Bake the danishes
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through, until golden brown.
Step 12: Set the danishes aside to cool
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Remove the pastries from the oven and set the baking sheets aside on wire racks to cool.
Step 13: Mix apricot jelly and hot water
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place the apricot jelly and hot water in a small bowl and whisk until slightly runny.
Step 14: Brush the danishes with apricot glaze
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
While the danishes are still relatively warm, lightly brush them with the apricot glaze. Set them aside to cool completely.
Step 15: Add icing ingredients to bowl
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Once the pastries have cooled, place the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
Step 16: Whisk to combine the icing
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Whisk to combine the icing and thin it, if necessary, with additional milk.
Step 17: Drizzle the cream cheese danishes with icing and serve
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Drizzle the Danishes with icing before serving.
What can I serve with cream cheese danishes?
Copycat Costco Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
Our copycat Costco cream cheese danishes come together easily with store-bought puff pastry and have the perfect balance of creamy, crispy, sweet, and tangy.
- For the cream cheese filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 egg, separated
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- To assemble
- 1 (17.3-ounce) box puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam or jelly
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- For the icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the filling, place the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Whisk to combine the filling and set it aside.
- Roll the puff pastry sheets into a 12x12-inch square.
- Cut each sheet into 6 squares (for 12 total squares). Trim the puff pastry, if necessary, to get the squares as uniform as possible.
- Transfer the squares to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Beat the raw egg whites until frothy and brush the edges of the puff pastry squares.
- Fold the corners of the pastry squares toward the center and gently press to adhere.
- Using a small scoop or a tablespoon measure, dollop the center of each pastry with filling.
- Brush any exposed pastry with the remaining egg whites.
- Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through, until golden brown.
- Remove the pastries from the oven and set the baking sheets aside on wire racks to cool.
- Place the apricot jelly and hot water in a small bowl and whisk until slightly runny.
- While the danishes are still relatively warm, lightly brush them with the apricot glaze. Set them aside to cool completely.
- Once the pastries have cooled, place the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine the icing and thin it, if necessary, with additional milk.
- Drizzle the Danishes with icing before serving.
| Calories per Serving | 363 |
| Total Fat | 22.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 32.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 36.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 16.3 g |
| Sodium | 169.7 mg |
| Protein | 4.7 g |
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
How can I modify this cream cheese danish recipe?
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
"Once you get the basics of danish crafting down, you can easily modify to include other fillings," Watkins says. If you are a fan of fruit-flavored danishes, the world is your oyster with this recipe as the base. Canned pie filling would work well here (cherry, blueberry, or peach, for example), and you would simply add the same amount as you would with the cream cheese in this recipe. You could also take a cue from Costco and pack two popular fillings into one danish, adding half a small scoop of both cream cheese filling and pie filling. Fresh berries would also be an option, and Watkins recommends adding strawberries or raspberries over the cream cheese filling base for a fruity twist.
Nuts are also a popular danish addition, and a simple sprinkle of chopped pecans or almonds would go a long way in adding some textural contrast and nutty flavor. The icing can also be tweaked, simply by swapping out the vanilla extract for a flavor like coconut, almond, or rum. Or you can skip the icing drizzle altogether and opt for something like Nutella instead.
Finally, although Watkins hasn't tried this herself, she notes that crescent roll dough could make for a worthy danish base (and it only makes sense, considering how similar croissants and danishes ultimately are). If you want to go the crescent roll route, unroll the dough and separate it into squares instead of triangles (if the dough is already perforated, squish two triangles together). Then, follow the recipe as written.
Can I store and reheat these danishes?
Not all pastries are known for their long-lasting shelf life, but danishes are, as Watkins describes them, "pretty durable." For the most basic storage route, simply bake up the danishes as called for and store them at room temperature for a couple of days (if you have a large household or just particularly enjoy danishes, they'll likely be gone after a couple of days anyway). But if you want them to last even longer, then the freezer is your best bet. Fully assemble (just short of the icing drizzle) and cool the danishes, then place them in a zip-top baggie and store them in the freezer for upwards of weeks.
When it comes time to bring your frozen danish back to life, a quick trip to the oven will get the job done. Thaw the danishes to start (either by leaving them in the fridge overnight or keeping them at room temperature for a few hours), then reheat them in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes. If you do end up storing any danishes in the fridge or freezer, just make sure you're reserving that icing drizzle until right before you intend to serve and enjoy the pastries.
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