Caramel Apple Cheese Danish is the perfect compliment to your cup of coffee in the morning. This easy to make breakfast recipe brings the flavors of salted caramel and apples to your morning meal. A delicious and warming fall recipe!
I love to serve this Caramel Apple Cheese Danish for breakfast, brunch, or with a hot cup of coffee for an afternoon warm up! This easy to make apple recipe uses my Mom's Homemade Apple Pie in a Jar along with a simple cheesecake filling, and crescent roll dough!
Why You'll Love Caramel Apple Cheese Danish
Easy recipe: easy to make with premade crescent roll dough and apple pie filling!
Fall Dessert Favorite: with caramel and apples, it’s the ultimate dessert to capture the cozy flavors of fall.
Easy & Impressive: it’s simple to make, yet looks bakery-worthy, making it perfect for entertaining or a sweet treat at home
Ingredients
It takes just a few ingredients to whip together the filling for this caramel apple cheese danish! It is so very easy to make. Just grab a tube of ready made crescent dough and the filling ingredients listed below!
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Light brown sugar
- Caramel flavored creamer
- 1Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Large egg
- Apple Pie filling
- Refrigerated crescent roll
- Powdered sugar
See recipe card below for complete ingredient list and instructions.
How To Make Braided Caramel Apple Danish
Have you ever wondered how the braided danish was made and how difficult it would be to do it? I always wondered this. And, when I realized just how easy it was to do I almost felt guilty when someone told me how elegant it looked!
Step 1
Place your crescent dough on the baking tray you will be baking your braid on. Flatten it out to fit the pan. Cut about 10 even 1" strips along each side of the dough.
Step 2
Place the cheese filling on top of the dough down the center, followed by the apple filling.
Step 3
Bring the top portion from one side of the danish to the opposite side and "crisscross" the dough strips to the bottom.
Before you bring your last strips across, bring the bottom part of the danish up and cover your bottom layer of filling. Finish crossing over your last few strip to completely enclose the braid.
Step 4
Using a silicone pastry brush, coat danish braid with creamer.
Step 5
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
Step 6
Drizzle with caramel flavored icing while danish is still warm. Enjoy!
Use your hands or a mini rolling pin to roll out the dough. The cheesecake filling will go along the center of the danish. Then, the apple pie filling goes on top of the cheesecake filling. Be sure to leave a good amount of room around the bottom edges and sides. You need room to fold up and enclose the filling.
Once you have the filling centered, you need to cut about 10 even strips (about 1" for each strip) on each side of the danish filling. Be careful to not cut too close to the filling as you will have leaks on the side from folding. Bring the top portion from one side of the danish to the opposite side and "crisscross" the dough strips to the bottom.
Before you bring your last strips across, bring the bottom part of the danish up and cover your bottom layer of filling. Finish crossing over your last few strip to completely enclose the braid.
Substitutions
Creamer substitutes: use heavy cream or half and half in place of the caramel flavored creamer.
Lower fat danish: substitute with reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat crescent roll.
Dough substitution: use thawed frozen pastry dough in place of the refrigerated crescent roll dough.
Variations
Extra caramel flavor: sprinkle 1 cups of caramel bits (affiliate link) over top of the apple filling.
Cherry Cheese Danish: use cherry pie filling in place of the apple pie filling and drizzle the danish with melted chocolate.
Nutty Apple Cheese Danish: sprinkle 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans over top of the apple filling.
Hint: if you love fall recipes, try my Pumpkin Danish recipe!
Top Tip
- Use a ruler to help gauge the width of the strips of dough if you are unsure. They should be at least 1 inch thick.
- For a fun and festive fall look, once the danish has been glazed, decorate with some fall colored sugars or sprinkles.
Storage
Store leftover danish in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Related Recipes
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Cheese Danish
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Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Caramel Macchiato Creamer (or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup Mom's Apple Pie in a Jar (or store bought apple pie filling)
For the danish dough:
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tube crescent roll dough (sheet form)
- 1 tablespoon Caramel Macchiato Creamer (or heavy cream)
For the icing drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Caramel Macchiato Creamer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, creamer, egg, brown sugar, salt, and flour together until creamy and there are no cheese lumps.
- Place your crescent dough on the baking tray you will be baking your braid on.
- Next, Put the cheesecake filling in the center of your crescent dough leaving room on each side of the filling for cutting the strips to braid. Top with some of the apple pie filling.
- Once you have the filling centered, cut about 10 even strips (about 1" for each strip) on each side of the danish filling.
- Bring the top portion from one side of the danish to the opposite side and "crisscross" the dough strips to the bottom.
- Before you bring your last strips across, bring the bottom part of the danish up and cover your bottom layer of filling. Finish crossing over your last few strip to completely enclose the braid.
- Bake the danish for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- While danish is cooling, mix together the powdered sugar and creamer.
- Once danish has cooled about 10 minutes, drizzle with icing and top with sprinkles.
Carolyn West
Definitely something my whole family will devour. #client
Liz
I love any baked apple treat and this is one spectacular way to start the day!!!