Kosher Cheese Danish Recipe — Flaky Dairy Jewish Bakery Pastry

The cheese danish is the undisputed king of the Jewish bakery pastry case. Walk into any Jewish bakery in New York — Zaro’s, Moishe’s, Oneg — and there it is: a golden, flaky pastry shell cradling a pillow of sweet, tangy cream cheese filling, sometimes topped with a ribbon of fruit preserves or a shower of streusel crumbs. It is the pastry that launched a thousand Sunday morning rituals.

Jewish bakery cheese danish are different from the laminated Danish pastries of Scandinavian tradition. The Jewish version uses a rich, yeasted dough (not laminated puff pastry), which is softer, more bread-like, and easier to make at home. The filling is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest — tangy, sweet, and impossibly smooth.

These are not the shrink-wrapped, mass-produced danish from a supermarket shelf. These are the real thing: freshly baked, with a golden, slightly crisp exterior and a warm, creamy center that oozes slightly when you take the first bite.

For another Jewish bakery dairy classic, try our Burekas. For the chocolate side of Jewish pastry, see our Kokosh Cake.

What Makes These Cheese Danish Special

• Yeasted dough, not puff pastry — softer, more tender, and more forgiving than laminated dough.
• Real cream cheese filling — tangy, smooth, sweet, with vanilla and lemon zest.
• Optional fruit topping — a spoonful of raspberry, apricot, or blueberry preserves on top.
• Jewish bakery authentic — these are the danish you remember from Sunday morning.

Kosher Observance & Halachic Notes

Ingredients

Dough

Cream Cheese Filling

225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened • 50 g (¼ cup) sugar • 1 egg yolk • 5 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract • 1 tsp lemon zest

Topping

1 egg beaten (egg wash) • Fruit preserves (optional) • Powdered sugar (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Warm the Milk and Activate the Yeast

Warm the milk to 40°C (105°F) — comfortably warm on the inside of your wrist, not hot. Combine with instant yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. A creamy foam should appear. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead — start again with fresh yeast.

Step 2: Make the Dough

In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), whisk together the eggs, remaining sugar, and salt. Pour in the warm yeast mixture. Add all the flour at once. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.

Add the softened butter in three additions, mixing until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough will be sticky at first — resist the urge to add flour. After the butter is in, the dough should feel smooth and tacky.

Step 3: Knead

By hand: Turn onto an un-floured surface and knead for 10–12 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without tearing.

Stand mixer: Knead on medium (speed 4) for 7–8 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway through.

Step 4: First Rise

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature (24–26°C / 75–79°F) until doubled, 1½–2 hours. The dough is ready when a floured finger poked in 2 cm (1 inch) leaves an indentation that springs back slowly but does not fill completely.

Step 5: Make the Cream Cheese Filling

While the dough rises, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth — no lumps. Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat until combined. Do not over-mix. The filling should be thick enough to mound on a spoon. If it seems runny, refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Shape the Danish

Gently deflate the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 3–4 mm (about ⅛ inch) thickness. Cut into 12 squares, approximately 10×10 cm (4×4 inches). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 5 cm (2 inches) apart.

Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press a shallow well in the centre of each square — stop 1 cm from the edges. This prevents the filling from spilling during baking. Spoon 1½ tablespoons of cream cheese filling into each well.

Optional folds:

• Open-face: Leave the dough flat. The filling shows and caramelises slightly on top. This is the most common Jewish bakery style.
• Envelope: Fold two opposite corners to the centre over the filling and pinch to seal. Creates a sealed parcel.
• Pinwheel: Cut a small diagonal slit from each corner toward the centre (not all the way through), then fold every other point to the centre, pressing down to seal.

Step 7: Proof

Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a light towel. Let proof at room temperature for 20–30 minutes until the dough feels puffy and light. Do not over-proof — the filling will run.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) with a rack in the middle position.

Step 8: Egg Wash, Fruit Topping, Bake

Brush the exposed dough edges with egg wash (beaten egg thinned with 1 teaspoon water), avoiding the filling. If using fruit preserves, place a teaspoon in the centre of the cream cheese. Bake for 18–22 minutes until the edges are deep golden brown and the filling has set (it will still wobble very slightly — it sets as it cools).

Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar when fully cool, or drizzle with a simple icing (60 g icing sugar + 1 Tbsp milk).

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Day of: Best eaten the day of baking, within 4 hours. The dough softens as the filling moisture migrates.
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 175°C (350°F) for 5–7 minutes to refresh the crust.
• Freezer (unbaked): Shape and fill the danish, freeze solid on a sheet pan, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 190°C (375°F) for 24–26 minutes.
• Freezer (baked): Cool completely, wrap individually, freeze up to 1 month. Reheat at 175°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.

Troubleshooting Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use farmer cheese instead of cream cheese?

Yes — farmer cheese (dry pot cheese) is actually more traditional in Eastern European Jewish baking. It produces a drier, less tangy filling. Mix 225 g farmer cheese with 50 g sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla as you would cream cheese. Many Jewish bakeries use a 50/50 blend of cream cheese and farmer cheese for the best of both textures.

What fruit preserves work best on cheese danish?

Classic choices: raspberry (most popular), apricot, blueberry, or cherry. Use a thick, high-quality preserve — thin jam will run into the filling and make it wet. For homemade-style results, reduce store-bought jam in a small saucepan until it thickens and coats a spoon before using.

Can I make kosher cheese danish pareve?

Not with a traditional cream cheese filling — the dairy component is essential to the recipe. However, you can substitute pareve cream cheese (available in kosher stores as a dairy-free alternative) and use non-dairy milk and pareve butter. The result will be close but the flavour is milder. Suitable for a pareve Shabbat dessert table.

Is the bracha on a cheese danish mezonot?

Yes — the bracha on cheese danish is Borei Minei Mezonot, and the after-bracha is Al HaMichya. Even though the base is a yeasted dough, the danish is eaten as a pastry, not as the bread of a meal. If you eat a substantial quantity as a meal (unusual for danish), the bracha would shift to hamotzi after washing hands.

Can I refrigerate the dough overnight?

Yes. After the first rise, punch down the dough, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (up to 18 hours). Remove from the fridge, let it warm for 20 minutes, then shape as directed. Cold dough is easier to roll and shape, and the overnight fermentation improves flavour.

Sunday Morning, Perfected

Golden pastry, tangy cream cheese, a ribbon of fruit — the Jewish bakery cheese danish is the reason Sunday mornings exist.

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