Easy Candy Cane Cherry Danish With Cream Cheese

Try serving this festive Candy Candy Cherry Danish for breakfast on Christmas morning (or your holiday party). Crescent rolls, cream cheese filling, and cherry pie filling transform into a fun candy cane-shaped danish that tastes delicious and looks beautiful for your Christmas festivities!

I have a special place in my heart for danishes because we used to get them from the local grocery store when I was a kid. The perfect combination of sweet pastry with fruit filling in the center sucked me in every time. And if the danish happened to have sweet cream cheese in it…I was hooked!

This year, I’ve been craving things that remind me of my childhood as well as recipes that bring out the inner child in all of us such as my candy Christmas tree pretzels or my Santa Gnome Cake Mix Cookies.

Recently, I was in a local pastry shop and saw some very delicious-looking cherry danishes. As I continued looking around the shop, I saw some Christmas decorations, including candy canes. An idea was born! 

What if I made a cherry danish in the shape of a candy cane? And to make it extra special, what if I added cream cheese to the filling?

This is certainly a holiday breakfast treat that your family will LOVE to pitch in and help make every year. Follow this tutorial to make your own easy cherry cream cheese danishes!

If you want more delicious breakfast recipes, try my Stuffed Breakfast Biscuits, Cinnamon Roll Snowman, or Apple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.

Ingredients Needed For Candy Cane Cherry Danish

Here the simple ingredients you’ll need to gather to make your cherry cheese danish:

• Cream Cheese – room temperature
• Sugar – go with granulated for the filling
• Vanilla extract
• Crescent Roll Dough – any brand will work (you could also use puff pastry sheets – see note below)
• Cherry Pie Filling – canned or homemade cherry filling (with fresh cherries)!
• Powdered Sugar – this is for the glaze on top
• Butter – soft, room temperature
• Milk – 1%, 2% or Whole

How to Make Candy Cane Cherry Danish

If you’re a cherry fan like we are, just follow these simple steps for throwing together this festive Christmas sweet treat (and new family favorite). Hint: it’s an easy recipe. 🙂

Step 1

Begin by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well combined in a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 3

Open 1 can of the crescent dough and separate each piece. Lay out each piece with the wide part of each piece facing left on the baking sheet. Slightly overlap each piece.

Step 4

Starting at the 6th piece of crescent dough going upward, begin to curve slightly to form the hook of the candy cane as you make your way up the cookie sheet.

Step 5

Now spoon the cream cheese mixture onto each piece of cherry danish dough, as shown, following the shape of the dough and the candy cane shape.

Step 6

Next, spoon the cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese filling.

Step 7

Now you are going to form the stripes of the candy cane by folding each pointed piece of the dough over, as shown. Tuck the tip of the dough under the cane.

Step 8

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 9

While the danish bakes, prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, soft butter, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.

Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze onto ONLY the ‘stripe’ sections of the candy cane (the pastry dough).

ENJOY!!! 😁

Candy Cane Cherry Danish Recipe Notes And Tips

• This recipe will make two (2) Candy Canes. You will use one can of crescent dough for each candy cane.

• It is best to add the icing glaze while the danish is still hot or very warm. The heat of the danish will help the glaze even out and be nice and smooth instead of a thick icing.

• You could choose to drizzle glaze over the top if you prefer that aesthetic!

• If you want your danish to be slightly less sweet, skip the glaze and coat the danish dough (after it’s all assembled) with an egg wash to help it brown when you bake it.

• Using parchment paper will allow you to slide or lift the Candy Cane Cherry Danish off the baking sheet without the risk of breaking the danish.

What To Serve With Your Cream Cheese Cherry Danish

That’s totally up to you (I vote for a cup of coffee)! It all depends on what vibe you want for an easy breakfast, weekend brunch, or special occasions. Here are some ideas (both sweet and savory):

• Cinnamon rolls
• Freezer Breakfast Burritos
• Blueberry Muffin Mix Pancakes
• Stuffed Breakfast Biscuits
• Breakfast meat
• Fresh fruit

Variations Of Candy Cane Cherry Danish To Try

• Raspberry or strawberry pie filling would be super delicious substitutes for the cherry pie filling if you want to change things up a bit. 😉

• This danish would be perfect for Valentine’s Day made in the shape of a heart with cherry, raspberry or strawberry pie filling.

• Let the kids add a few colored sugar sprinkles to the top of the danish. It will jazz up the danish a bit and they will have fun doing it.

Cherry Danish FAQs

Here are some common questions I see readers ask about this recipe. If you don’t see your question below, please leave it in the comments so I can answer it!

More Mouthwatering Breakfast Dishes To Try

If you love this candy cane cherry danish recipe, check out these other delicious recipes too!

• Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
• Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
• Blueberry Muffin Mix Pancakes
• Banana Protein Muffins

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