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Cream Cheese Tea Roll

posted by Liz Berg on February 4, 2023

This easy, semi-homemade Cream Cheese Tea Roll is made with frozen bread dough and will capture your heart with your first bite! This recipe will be on rewind whenever you have weekend guests or a family brunch.

My mom found this Cream Cheese Danish Recipe on a package of frozen bread dough. Her artist’s eye was able to create a breakfast treat that was as beautiful as it was delicious!

Overhead view of Cream Cheese Tea Roll on a white plate.

Table of Contents hide

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like:

7 Cream Cheese Tea Roll Recipe

Why You Must Make

Using frozen bread dough makes it super easy! Semi-homemade recipes are definitely de rigueur.
The sweet cream cheese filling and drizzle of icing create an unforgettable breakfast or brunch treat.
If your family is like mine, they’ll go crazy for this recipe!!

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Butter, Real Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Milk
Frozen Bread Dough – Enough for one loaf, I use Rhode’s brand. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Cream Cheese – Have it at room temperature so it will blend smoothly.
Fresh Lemon Juice – Tastes fresher than bottled. Helps balance the sweetness of the filling.
Powdered Sugar – Sift if needed for smooth icing.

How to Make

My mom found this Cream Cheese Tea Roll Recipe on the back of a bag of frozen sweet dough many moons ago. Sara Lee cheese danishes were a special childhood treat and this semi-homemade bread elicited memories of those tender, cream cheese-filled pastries.

To start, roll out defrosted bread dough into a rectangle. Use a little flour on the surface to prevent sticking.
Next, spread the surface with a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Leave a little space around the edges to help seal the bread after it’s rolled into a cylinder.
After that, roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Pinch the two ends together to form a ring, then snip or slice the dough at intervals (without cutting all the way through) before rotating the slices about 45 degrees to expose the filling.
Cover the roll and leave in a warm spot to rise for an hour before baking and icing.
If you’re making this for a holiday brunch, garnish your cream cheese danish with some untreated evergreen fronds and fresh cranberries.

Cream Cheese Tea Roll on a white plate garnished for Christmas.

Recipe Tips

I like to keep the juice of a lemon in a small container in the freezer. It’s perfect for those times you need a small amount of lemon juice. Plus, fresh always trumps bottled lemon juice.
To frost this tea bread, scrape the frosting from the bowl into a large Ziploc bag. Snip off a corner and drizzle back and forth.
To make this for a holiday brunch, you can press red and green glacé cherries into the frosting to garnish.
I’ve made this for Mardi Gras, using purple, green, and gold sugar to sprinkle in sections over the fresh frosting so it will stick.
The original recipe called for Rhode’s brand sweet dough. It appears this has been discontinued, so any frozen bread dough will work.
This is the perfect recipe to welcome someone to the neighborhood, bring to parents of a new baby, add to a holiday breakfast or brunch, or serve to weekend company.

Close up view of Cream Cheese Tea Roll on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Store a Cream Cheese Danish?

It’s best to cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. We leave it on the counter at room temperature, but to be extra cautious refrigerate it because of the cream cheese in the filling. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

How Long Does a Cheese Danish Last?

It’s at its prime for about 3-4 days, but we always keep it until it’s gone.

Can You Use Homemade Bread Dough to Make a Cream Cheese Danish Recipe?

Yes, homemade bread dough will work fine. Just use enough dough to make one standard loaf of bread. Look for a bread dough recipe that has a touch of sweetness whether from sugar or honey in the ingredients.