Starbucks Cream Cheese Danish Copycat
Flaky crescent dough filled with a smooth, lemony Neufchâtel cheese filling. This Starbucks copycat Danish bakes up golden in under 20 minutes.
Servings 8
Calories 296kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese (not cream cheese), softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon full-fat sour cream
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 8-ounce cans crescent dough
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or a sheet of parchment paper.
- Beat the Neufchâtel cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, and salt until completely smooth. The mixture should be light and spreadable, not stiff.
- Do not unroll the crescent dough. Slice each log into 4 rounds (8 total rounds from 2 cans). On a lightly floured surface, press each round into an oblong shape. Gently stretch this into a rectangle. To create an indentation for the filling, press two fingers gently into the dough, moving down the center from the top to the bottom of the rectangle and maintaining a raised border around the edges.
- Place the dough on parchment paper and spoon a scant 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and use this egg wash to brush the exposed edges of the dough.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until deeply golden brown. The filling should look just set — not liquid, not dry.
- Cool the danishes on the pan for 8 minutes before eating to allow the filling to firm and the flavors to settle.
Recipe Tips
- Softened cheese is non-negotiable. Set the Neufchâtel cheese on the counter for at least 30 minutes before mixing. Even slightly cold cheese will cause lumps that refuse to smooth out.
- Do not unroll the dough. Cutting the log into rounds preserves the laminated layers and produces a noticeably flakier result. Handle the dough as little as possible before shaping.
- Press the indentation firmly. A shallow or half-hearted indentation will allow the filling to migrate over the edges during baking. The indentation needs a clear border wall to contain it.
- Watch the oven at the 16-minute mark. Crescent dough can shift from golden to over-browned quickly. Pull the danishes as soon as the border turns a deep, even golden-brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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