Easy Almond Puff Pastry Danish That Tastes Bakery-Worthy

Name: Almond Puff Pastry Danish
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Ingredients: 2 sheets puff pastry; 1 large eggs; 4 tablespoons honey (divided); 6 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature); ¼ cup almond (slivers)

This recipe takes advantage of a premade puff pastry base that's filled with a cream cheese honey mixture & topped with almonds.

Prep 5

Cook time 18

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Save to Recipe Box Click to add me as a Google Trusted Site

This easy Almond Puff Pastry Danish uses flaky puff pastry, a sweet cream cheese and honey filling, and crunchy sliced almonds. It looks bakery-worthy but takes just 5 minutes to prep and about 18 minutes to bake.

Pin this recipe

Almond Puff Pastry Danish

If you love Danish pastries but don’t want to spend hours making pastry dough, this recipe is for you. Store-bought puff pastry does the heavy lifting, while a simple cream cheese and honey filling gives these little pastries a creamy, lightly sweet center.

I especially like keeping the ingredients on hand during the holidays. You can have a warm pastry ready for breakfast, brunch, afternoon coffee, or unexpected guests without making a trip to the bakery.

A dessert graces the wooden board, its surface adorned with delicate sliced almonds, while a vibrant fabric backdrop adds a burst of color to the scene.

Why You’ll Love This Almond Puff Pastry Danish

There are plenty of reasons to keep this recipe in your back pocket for the holidays or any time you need a quick pastry.

Quick to make. The prep time is only about 5 minutes.
Uses puff pastry. There’s no need to make Danish dough from scratch.
Simple filling. Cream cheese, honey, and egg create a smooth filling with just the right amount of sweetness.
Great for breakfast or brunch. These pastries pair especially well with coffee.
Easy to customize. Add fruit, jam, preserves, or pie filling for different flavors.
Makes 12 pastries. They’re a nice size for serving a group.

Cut the puff pastry into individual rectangles, score the edges, and fill with the cream cheese mixture. The center stays flatter while the edges puff up around the filling, creating a pretty little pastry with crisp, flaky edges.

What Makes This Recipe So Easy?

Traditional Danish pastry can involve yeast, laminated dough, multiple rises, and plenty of time. This recipe takes a shortcut with prepared puff pastry.

That’s exactly why I make it.

You still get those flaky pastry layers, but you don’t have to spend the morning making dough. The cream cheese filling comes together quickly, and the almonds add a little crunch to every bite.

For this recipe, thaw the puff pastry and unfold it while it’s still cold. Working with cold puff pastry helps the layers puff properly in the oven.

How to Make Almond Puff Pastry Danish

Prepare the puff pastry
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheets. Cut into 12 rectangles. Place them on a large ungreased baking sheet.
Score the pastry
Use a knife to lightly score a border. Don’t cut completely through. Next, prick the center area several times with a fork.
Make the cream cheese filling
Beat the softened cream cheese, egg, and 2 tablespoons of honey.
Fill the pastries
Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the scored center of each pastry. Top with sliced almonds.
Bake
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is lightly browned and puffed.

A comparison chart of Almond Puff Pastry Danish and traditional danish pastry features, showing differences in ingredients, preparation, and meal suitability.

My Best Tip for Puff Pastry

Don’t let the puff pastry warm up and soften while you’re working with it.

Puff pastry is easiest to handle when it has thawed enough to unfold but is still cold. If it becomes sticky or difficult to work with, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes before continuing.

Also, don’t press down on the pastry edges when cutting or rolling. You want those layers to stay intact so they can rise in the oven.

Almond Puff Pastry Danish Variations

This recipe is easy to change depending on what you have available.

Add fruit. Fresh or frozen fruit can turn these into completely different pastries. Try this Easy Blueberry Danish or these flavors:

Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Thinly sliced apples
Pears

Add jam or preserves. Spread a small amount of jam over the cream cheese filling before adding the almonds. Try:

Strawberry preserves
Raspberry jam
Fig preserves
Apricot preserves
Blueberry preserves

Use pie filling. A spoonful of cherry, apple, blueberry, or strawberry pie filling makes a wonderful topping.

Change the cheese. You can substitute ricotta or mascarpone for the cream cheese if that’s what you have available.

Skip the almonds. If you don’t have almonds or don’t care for them, simply leave them off. You can also add a small amount of almond extract to the cream cheese mixture for almond flavor.

Can I Use Almond Extract Instead of Almonds?

Yes. The sliced almonds provide texture as well as flavor, so you can leave them off and add a small amount of almond extract to the cream cheese filling instead. Start with about ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste.

Can I Make These Ahead?

Yes. You can assemble the pastries ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to bake.

For the best texture, I recommend baking them close to serving time. Puff pastry is at its best when freshly baked and crisp.

How Should I Store Almond Danish?

Store leftover pastries in the refrigerator, covered.

The pastry will soften somewhat after refrigeration. To restore some crispness, reheat the pastries in a conventional oven or toaster oven until warmed through.

Can I Freeze Almond Puff Pastry Danish?

I recommend freezing the puff pastry itself rather than freezing the finished baked Danish.

Prepared puff pastry is designed to be kept frozen until you’re ready to use it. Once thawed, handle it while cold and bake according to the recipe.

What to Serve With Almond Danish

These are perfect with coffee or tea, but they also work well as part of a larger breakfast or brunch.

Serve them with:

Fresh fruit
Scrambled eggs
Bacon or sausage
Yogurt
Coffee
Hot tea
Orange juice

For a holiday breakfast, arrange the pastries on a platter and add fresh berries around them. It makes a simple breakfast look much more special.

Almond Puff Pastry Danish for Holidays

This is one of those recipes I like to keep in mind during the holiday season.

You can pull the puff pastry from the freezer, make the filling while the oven heats, and have a tray of warm pastries ready surprisingly quickly.

They’re especially useful for Christmas morning, Thanksgiving weekend, Mother’s Day brunch, Easter breakfast, or an afternoon gathering when you want something homemade without spending hours in the kitchen.

Expert Tips for the Best Almond Puff Pastry Danish

Keep the puff pastry cold. If it becomes soft, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.

Don’t skip the scoring. The scored border helps create a defined edge around the filling.

Dock the center. Poking the center with a fork keeps it from rising as much as the border.

Don’t overfill. A heaping tablespoon of filling is enough for each pastry.

Give them room. Leave at least 1 inch between pastries on the baking sheet so they have room to puff.

Watch the baking time. Ovens vary, so start checking around 16 minutes. You want the pastry lightly browned and puffed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an almond Danish made of?

This easy version uses puff pastry, cream cheese, honey, egg, and sliced almonds. The pastry provides the flaky layers while the cream cheese and honey create the sweet filling.

Is almond Danish the same as almond croissant?

No. An almond croissant traditionally starts with a croissant and usually has an almond-based filling. This recipe uses puff pastry and a cream cheese-honey filling.

Can I use puff pastry instead of Danish dough?

Yes. Puff pastry is a convenient shortcut for making individual Danish-style pastries. It gives you flaky layers without preparing a yeast-based Danish dough.

Why do you poke holes in puff pastry?

Poking the center with a fork lets steam escape and keeps that portion from puffing up as much. In this recipe, that helps create a flatter center for the cream cheese filling.

Why did my puff pastry not rise?

The pastry may have warmed up too much, been handled too much, or had its edges pressed down. Puff pastry works best when it is cold, and the layers remain intact.

Can I use ricotta instead of cream cheese?

Yes. You can substitute ricotta for cream cheese. Mascarpone is another good option.

What fruit goes well with almond Danish?

Apples, pears, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries all work well with the almond and cream cheese flavors.

Rectangular Almond Puff Pastry Danish topped with cream cheese, honey, and sliced almonds is shown on a cooling rack. Below, text highlights quick prep, crunchy almonds, and other dessert features on a cream and blue background.

More Puff Pastry Recipes to Try

If you like the convenience of puff pastry, try these next:

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

For more breakfast and brunch ideas, browse the Breakfast & Brunch section on Call Me PMc.

Final Thoughts

Almond Puff Pastry Danish is one of those recipes that makes homemade baking feel very manageable. Prepared puff pastry gives you flaky layers, while the cream cheese and honey filling takes only minutes to mix.

Keep puff pastry in the freezer and cream cheese in the refrigerator, and you’ll have an easy option for breakfast, brunch, holidays, or afternoon coffee whenever you need it.

If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a comment and rating. It helps other readers find the recipe and lets me know what you thought!

Almond Puff Pastry Danish

This recipe takes advantage of a premade puff pastry base that's filled with a cream cheese honey mixture & topped with almonds.

Author: Paula

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Save to your recipe collection

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 18

Servings: 12 servings

Items in blue & underlined below can be clicked for more detail or to purchase.

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry
1 large eggs
4 tablespoons honey divided
6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup almond slivers

Click to add me as a Google Trusted Site

Instructions

▢
Preheat oven to 375°F.
▢
Unfold and lay the thawed Puff Pastry sheets on lightly floured baking sheets. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal-sized pieces. Cut each strip in half to make a total of 12 rectangles.
▢
Arrange the puff pastry rectangles on a large, ungreased cookie sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat leaving at least 1-inch of space between each rectangle.
▢
With a knife, lightly score a border around the entire edge of each pastry rectangle, about ¾ inch away from the edge. Use a fork to poke a few holes into the center area of each pastry. (This allows the outside border to rise and puff up while the center doesn't rise as much and holds the filling.)
▢
In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, 2 tablespoons honey, and egg until smooth.
▢
Spread one heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each puff pastry piece and spread evenly in the inside scored rectangle. Top with a few slivered almonds.
▢
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove baked danishes from the oven and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey over the top.
▢
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Please take a moment to comment & consider giving it a 5 star rating. I enjoy hearing from you!

Do you have questions about saving recipes to your Recipe Box?Visit Recipe Box FAQ!

I updated this post from an earlier version dated November 7, 2020. I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.

While you’re here, enjoy these popular recipes too.

Call Me PMc is a popular food and lifestyle blog created in 2012 by Southern recipe developer Paula Jones. It features tested family-friendly meals, quick weeknight dinners, updated Southern classics, and indulgent desserts.

Key Features and Focus: Simple, Tested Recipes: Offers dishes that take under 30 minutes, use minimal ingredients, or offer shortcuts WITHOUT relying on artificial or unverified AI-generated text.

Encore Meals: Features a specialized “cook once, eat twice” concept to help busy families repurpose leftovers into new meals.

Southern & Comfort Fare: Known for traditional comfort foods, baked goods, cobblers, and rich desserts.

Pound Cakes: Highly rated heirloom cake recipes and reviews.

2 Comments

SHARYN says:

12.11.20 at 4:00 pm

can i use almond extract in the recipe instead of almonds

1. Paula says:
  
  12.13.20 at 5:06 pm
  
  Yes, you can mix it in the cream cheese. I added them more for a little texture than flavor so you can leave them off entirely if you prefer. You can also spoon a tablespoon of jam on them.