Blueberry Danish
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These blueberry danishes are the perfect shortcut to a bakery-worthy treat! These danishes are light, flaky, and filled with lemon cream cheese filling, fresh blueberries, and a buttery almond-oat crumble. And finished with a lemon glaze. Using store-bought puff pastry makes an easy brunch treat to serve guests.
Hosting brunch around the holidays is one of my favorite things — the smell of fresh coffee, everyone gathered in cozy sweaters, and a table full of baked treats. But as a busy mom, I don’t always have time to make everything from scratch.
That’s why I love recipes using puff pastry for a quick short cut, like my puff pastry apple turnovers, pear turnovers, cherry turnovers, or blueberry turnovers – and now these Blueberry Lemon Puff Pastry Danishes. They look like something from a bakery window, but they’re made with store-bought puff pastry and come together in under an hour.
The combination of buttery layers, creamy lemon filling, juicy blueberries, and a crunchy almond-oat streusel makes them absolutely irresistible — and they’re the kind of pastry that impresses everyone without taking your whole morning.
Ingredients
- Frozen puff pastry – Use store-bought or homemade; thaw in the fridge until pliable but still cold.
- Cream cheese – Softened to room temperature for easy mixing. I recommend block style cream cheese that is full fat for best texture. Here is my tutorial on how to soften cream cheese.
- Powdered sugar – If you don’t have any, you can make your own homemade powdered sugar.
- Egg yolk – Read how to separate eggs here.
- Lemon juice – Fresh is best for that bright, tangy flavor.
- Lemon zest – Read here on how to zest a lemon.
- Fresh blueberries – Stick with fresh; frozen ones release too much liquid. You can use different berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries.
- Egg – For the egg wash. You can read here on what is an egg wash and egg wash substitutes.
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter – Keep it cold; cold butter creates the best crumbly texture.
- Light brown sugar
- Sliced almonds – Can omit these.
- Quick oats – Or old fashioned oats.
How To Make Blueberry Danish
1. Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. I like to use an electric mixer for this. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer!
This filling should be thick enough to hold its shape when scooped — if it’s too soft, it may spread during baking.
2. Prepare the Almond-Oat Crumble
In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
I like to rub it between my fingers to break down any larger pieces or you can use a pastry cutter. Stir in the sliced almonds and oats. You can add a pinch of cinnamon here if you like a warm, spiced flavor.
3. Roll and Cut the Puff Pastry
Unfold the thawed puff pastry and gently roll it into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into six equal squares (about 4×4 inches each). Don’t worry if your pastry brand is slightly different in size — just aim for roughly square shapes so when you fold the corners in, they meet in the center.
Gently roll the sheet into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle down the middle and into thirds so you have 6 squares that measure 4 by 4 inches. If the sheet measures 10 by 15 inches, you can either cut it down to 8 by 12 or leave it as is and have a little larger Danish. The goal is to have a square shape so when the corners are folded in, they meet in the center.
If at at any point the dough becomes too warm and soft, pop it back into the fridge for 15–30 minutes. Cold dough is key to getting that signature puff.
A Note On The Puff Pastry
Different brands of puff pastry come in different dimensions which can be super annoying! The goal is to have a square shape so when the corners are folded in, they meet in the center.
Depending on the size of your puff pastry it might be easier to skip folding squares of puff pastry and keep them as rectangles.
If you’re using Pepperidge Farm, which measured 9 inches by 9 inches I rolled it to 12 inches on one side then trimmed off a little bit on the other side.
4. Fill and Assemble
Fold each corner of your pastry squares toward the center and press lightly to seal.
Spoon about a tablespoon and a half of cream cheese filling into the center, then top with five blueberries.
Brush the pastry edges with your egg wash — this gives them that gorgeous golden finish — and sprinkle a generous pinch of crumble topping over the top.
5. Bake to Perfection
Bake for 16–20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Your kitchen will smell incredible! As soon as you pull them from the oven, top each Danish with a few fresh blueberries. The warmth helps them stick right to the filling.
Let the pastries cool before glazing. (Trust me on this — if you drizzle too soon, the glaze will melt off!)
6. Finish with the Lemon Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled Danishes with a spoon or fork for that bakery-style finish.
Make-Ahead and Freezing
If you’re serving for brunch, you can make these the day before and reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. They crisp right back up — no microwave, though, or you’ll lose the flakiness.
These Danishes are best the day they’re made, but they store beautifully. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze them (baked or unbaked) for up to three months. I like to wrap them individually before freezing so I can grab one whenever the craving hits.
These Blueberry Lemon Puff Pastry Danishes are the perfect balance of easy and elegant. They’re light yet indulgent, simple yet stunning. I’ve made them for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, and even weekday mornings when I just need a little pick-me-up. The best part? You don’t need a mixer full of dough or hours of proofing — just a few pantry staples and some puff pastry magic.
So the next time you’re craving something sweet, flaky, and full of bright, fresh flavor, whip up a batch of these Danishes. Your kitchen (and everyone in it) will thank you.
Blueberry Danish
Ingredients
For the danishes:
- 1 package (2 sheets) Frozen Puff Pastry thawed
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- 1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon flour for the egg wash
Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup (21 g) sliced almonds
- ¼ cup (25 g) oats Quick or old fashioned
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (113 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
Instructions
- Position a rack in the cetner of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined and smooth with an electric mixer on medium speed. 8 ounces cream cheese ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons lemon juice Zest from 1 lemon
- For the crumble topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. I rub the butter into the flour/sugar mixture between my fingers, breaking it down into smaller pieces. Once combined and crumbly, stir in the almonds and oats. ¼ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar ¼ cup (21 g) sliced almonds ¼ cup (25 g) oats
- Carefully unfold the thawed, but chilled, puff pastry. Different brands of puff pastry come in different dimensions. Gently roll the sheet into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle down the middle and into thirds so you have 6 squares that measure 4 by 4 inches. If the sheet measures 10 by 15 inches, you can either cut it down to 8 by 12 or leave it as is and have a little larger Danish. The goal is to have a square shape so when the corners are folded in, they meet in the center. I also tested this with Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets which measured 9 inches by 9 inches – so in this case you can roll out the pastry to 9 inches to 13 inches – or you can also cut into 6 rectangles and skip the folding. 1 package (2 sheets) Frozen Puff Pastry
- Fold in each corner towards the center and press down in the middle.
- Spoon about 1 ½ T of cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry. Top with 5 blueberries. At this point if your pastry has warmed up a bit, you can always chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before egg washing and baking. 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- For the egg wash, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
- Using a pastry brush, brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle the crumble topping over the top. 1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon flour
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until light golden in color. Remove from the oven and top with a few fresh blueberries as soon as the pan comes out of the oven. Let the Danishes cool while you make the glaze.
- For the lemon glaze, place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in lemon juice and stir until smooth. With a spoon, drizzle glaze over Danishes and enjoy! 1 cup (113 g) Powdered Sugar 1-2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
Notes
- Substitutions: You can use different berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. I would stick to fresh fruit for this recipe. Frozen fruit has more liquid and could result in a soggy pastry.
- Storage Instructions: Keep Danishes in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap Danishes individually and place them in an airtight container. These would freeze well before baking as well. Danishes are best on the first day, but can be either reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or in the toaster oven to crisp them back up. I would not recommend reheating in the microwave because it will make the Danishes soft.
- Thawing puff pastry: It is best to thaw puff pastry dough in the fridge. You want the dough to still be chilled. Don’t heat to thaw, it will melt the butter layers in the dough, which makes it puff up when baked. If the pastry becomes too warm and soft/sticky while working with it, return it to the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Different brands of puff pastry: Different brands of puff pastry come in different dimensions. Gently roll the sheet into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. If the sheet measures 10 by 15 inches, you can either cut it down to 8 by 12 or leave it as is and have a little larger Danish. The goal is to have a square shape so when the corners are folded in, they meet in the center. I also tested this with Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets which measured 9 inches by 9 inches – so in this case you can roll out the pastry to 9 inches to 13 inches – or you can also cut into 6 rectangles and skip the folding.
