Description
Flaky puff pastry filled with creamy pumpkin spice cheesecake — an effortless autumn pastry that looks bakery-worthy and tastes deliciously festive.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Optional Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the danishes to a perfect golden crisp.
- Prepare Filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy, forming the flavorful pumpkin spice cheesecake filling.
- Cut Pastry: On a clean surface, cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into 4 equal squares. These will serve as the base for each individual danish.
- Assemble Danishes: Spoon a generous amount of the pumpkin cream cheese filling into the center of each puff pastry square. Then fold each corner of the pastry toward the center over the filling, creating a pinwheel shape.
- Apply Egg Wash: Lightly beat one egg and brush it over the folded corners and edges of the pastry squares. This will give the danishes a beautiful golden shine when baked.
- Bake: Place the assembled danishes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.
- Cool and Glaze: Allow the danishes to cool slightly. If desired, mix powdered sugar and milk to create the optional glaze and drizzle it over the cooled danishes for added sweetness and a lovely finish.
Notes
- You can substitute crescent dough for puff pastry if needed, though the texture will differ.
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for a crunchy, sparkly finish.
- Ensure the cream cheese is fully softened for a smooth filling without lumps.
- Keep an eye on baking time to avoid overbrowning, as ovens vary.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
