Easy Apple Danish Recipe (2024)

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This Apple Danish Recipe is fast, delicious and made with crescent roll dough, fresh apples for the apple pie filling and a simple glaze! It’s seriously so simple to throw together and tastes amazing right out of the oven. A perfect Fall treat or weekend brunch! Want more Fall apple breakfasts/desserts? Try my Apple Turnover and Buttery Apple Crisp.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

These Apple Danishes are the perfect semi-fancy-semi-easy recipe for Fall. With apple season upon us, you might be in need of several ways to use up your harvest! This is a fabulous breakfast, brunch or sweet treat that you must try. It’s soft, sweet, slightly chewy, slightly tangy, sweet, spicy, and all-around satisfying. Delish! The main reason why this recipe is so quick and easy is that I use a can of store-bought crescent roll dough. If that isn’t your thing, you can totally make homemade crescent dough instead.

More Danish Pastries to try and love!Cheese Danish Recipe,Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish,Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish, and Easy Blackberry Cheese Danish.

Aren’t Danishes Typically Made with Puff Pastry?

Yes, yes they are. Puff Pastry dough is made with flour, water and butter. It’s then rolled out and folded several times creating layers. When it’s baked, it creates air pockets within the layers which makes the light and flaky pastry. Crescent roll dough is made with similar ingredients plus sugar making it a bit sweeter, but still has that light and flaky texture that we all love in a danish or other pastries. I used crescent roll dough for this recipe because honestly it’s what I had on hand. I found that it was a bit easier to work with and it turned out great too!

How to Make an Apple Danish

This Apple Cream Cheese Danish recipe uses simple ingredients and is quick to throw together. So if you’re in a pinch and need a perfect autumn dessert or breakfast, this is your recipe. For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements needed, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this easy danish recipe:

Preheat Oven + Prep

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Set aside a cookie sheet.

Cook the Apples

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add in diced apples, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

While the sweet apples are cooking, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Set aside.

Lay Out Crescent Dough on a Baking Sheet

Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an un-greased cookie sheet, lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. The dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan. Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough.

Spread Cream Cheese Filling Down the Center of the Dough

Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough to be about 2-3 inches wide.

Next, Top with cooked apples.

Fold Dough Slits Over the Filling in a Braided Pattern

Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get that classic danish braid pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can.

Bake + Cool

Bake for 20 minutes or until cream cheese and apple filling is set and the crescent dough is golden brown in color. Cool at least 20 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Once danish has cooled, move to a serving platter.

Make the Icing

In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. You may need to add more heavy cream to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish.

Slice into Pieces + Serve Warm

Slice into equal pieces and serve! You can eat this warm or at room temperature…if you want to wait. But, I won’t blame you if you snarf it right out of the oven. Be careful not to burn yourself! 😉

Apple Danish Storing Directions

Any leftovers can be placed in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 7 days.Because this apple danish also has cream cheese in it, you can’t let it sit out on the counter. Bacteria could grow and make you sick!

Make-Ahead Directions

Thankfully this danish recipe is super easy to make ahead. This is great to save you even more time! Whether you are making this the night ahead for breakfast in the morning or for dessert the next day you can follow these easy steps.

FAQ’s + Baking Tips for This Apple Danish Recipe

What kind of apple is the best to use in a danish pastry?

You can use any type of apple you have on hand. Granny Smith is a good traditional choice. I used a fuji apple for this particular recipe.

Can I freeze an apple danish?

Unfortunately, this apple danish does not freeze well. This is because the cream cheese filling will change textures when frozen then thawed again. It becomes less of a creamy filling and more of a crumbly grainy texture.
But if you want to make this danish recipe without the cream cheese filling you can freeze it (baked or unbaked).
Unbaked. Prepare recipe completely up to the point of baking. Place the unbaked danish on the parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until frozen. Once frozen, remove from the baking sheet and place it into an airtight container. Return to the freezer for up to two months!
You can bake the danish straight from the freezer. Give it an extra 15-20 minutes to bake and watch closely!
Baked. Cool the danish completely then place in an airtight container. It can last for up to two weeks in the freezer. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight. To heat the danish up place in the oven until heated through. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

What can I use instead of a can of crescent rolls?

You could use a pre-made puff pastry sheet sold in grocery stores or make homemade crescent roll dough from scratch. I have a detailed recipe post that would be a good place to turn to.

More Easy Apple Recipes to Try!

Buttery Apple Crisp Recipe
Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Buttery Apple Pie Recipe
Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Recipe
Apple Streusel Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Apple Turnover Recipe with Caramel Sauce

Be sure to print/share/save/bookmark/pin this recipe because it’s a delicious apple recipe to have in your back pocket this fall and winter…or any time of year really. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you wouldgive it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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4 from 16 votes

Apple Danish

Use crescent roll dough to make a fast and delicious cinnamon Apple Danish. It’s seriously so simple to throw together and tastes amazing fresh out of the oven!

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 tablespoon butter
▢ 1 large fuji apple peeled and diced
▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
▢ 1 tube crescent rolls
▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened (1 package)
▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

for the glaze –

▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
▢ 4 tablespoons heavy cream plus more if needed
▢ splash vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a medium nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add in apples, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes.
While apples are cooking, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Set aside.
Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an ungreased baking sheet, lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. The dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan. Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough to be about 2-3 inches wide. Top with cooked apples.
Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get a braided pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can.
Bake for 20 minutes or until filling is set and the crescent dough is golden in color. Cool at least 20 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Once danish has cooled, remove to a serving platter. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream to create icing. You may need to add more cream to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish.
Cut into pieces and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Danish, Apple Danish Recipe, Cream Cheese Danish