Danish Twists with Cream Cheese Filling

Danish Twists with Cream Cheese Filling are made with a tender, sweet yeast bread, a sweet cream cheese center plus a generous drizzle of a powdered sugar glaze!  

Way before the Internet, my mom learned of all the latest finds from her bridge club, church or university friends. One summer it was all about the Sara Lee outlet in the metropolis of Des Moines, 30 miles south of my hometown, and their Cream Cheese Danish. What the heck was cheese doing in a sweet roll, my sisters and I wondered???

Danish Twists 

I was not thinking of cream cheese but instead cheddar or Parmesan when picturing “cheese danish” for the first time. What in the world, thought my pre-teen self? Who would eat those?? I loved breakfast pastries, but these sounded a bit strange!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally tasted these cream cheese filled danish after my mom purchased a case for the freezer. I was smitten after that initial nibble! These danish twists with cream cheese filling are reminiscent of those pastries I first tasted in the 1970s!

Cream Cheese Danish Recipe Tips

From that moment on, I adored a cream cheese filling—whether in a Bundt Cake, Tea Roll or these cream cheese danishes, it pushes a recipe over the top! My tip for filling these rolls is to scrape it into Ziploc bag, snip off one corner, and pipe it into the centers. The result will be neater than if you use a spoon. You can use a fork to crisscross the drizzle over the finished cheese danishes, but you can also utilize another Ziploc bag and snip off a smaller corner to attractively ice these rolls.

Bill, AKA the picky hubby, eyed these after a long day at work. “Are these up for grabs?” he inquired. “Why yes, but let’s freeze most of them, to keep them fresh,” was my practical reply. Day after day, he started his day with one of these marvelous cheese danishes and loved every bite. I think you will, too!

More Breakfast Pastry Recipes You’ll Love:

• Chocolate Braid Recipe from Living Locurto
• Braided Cinnamon Danish from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Easy Raspberry Nutella Danish from Crazy for Crust
• Braided Raspberry Danish from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Ham & Cheese Breakfast Souffle from Saving Room for Dessert
• Plus more of the Best Breakfast Recipes from the blog
• And more Brunch Food inspiration

Used to Make these Danish Twists:

• Half Sheet Pan
• Parchment Sheets

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Danish Twists with Cream Cheese Filling

Sweet yeast bread twists with cream cheese filling!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Yield 12

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 cups bread flour
• 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup warm milk, about 120 degrees

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk (or enough to make a good drizzling consistency)

Instructions

In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, mix together 2 cups of the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the egg, butter, and milk. Continue mixing, then add in remaining cup flour.

Replace paddle attachment with dough hook and knead for 5 minutes, until dough is soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Turn the dough around in the bowl to apply a light coating of oil. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Make the filling while dough is proofing. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar, then mix in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

When dough has doubled, punch it down in the bowl, then place on a lightly floured work surface.. Roll out into an approximate 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Gently fold dough in half width wise to make a 12 x 5-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 12 1-inch wide strips. Twist each strip and shape twist into a spiral and place on the baking sheet. Press the dough down in the center to create a well for the filling.

Place twists on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes in a warm spot or until puffed. Use the tips of your fingers to make a center well for the filling in each twist.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the filling between the danishes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until twists are a golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Make glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and enough milk to make a drizzling consistence. Drizzle over twists when cool.

Notes

Dough adapted from A Kitchen Addiction.

Total time does not include proofing time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 Danish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 228mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 7g