Try this festive Christmas Breakfast Danish – cherry cheese pastry in the shape of a candy cane! This gorgeous candy cane danish is easy to assemble with crescent rolls, cherry pie filling and sweetened cream cheese. It’s a fun Christmas breakfast treat to make with kids!
Christmas Breakfast Danish
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! I love hearing how others celebrate and the traditions they’ve cultivated with their families. For myself, I have cherished memories of family traditions that – more often than not – revolve around food.
One of my favorites is a pre-Christmas ritual that involves making over half a dozen batches of different types of cookies with mom while listening to classic Christmas music. My favorite cookie changes from year to year, but I’m currently in love with Brown Sugar Shortbread.
Another favorite tradition involves the morning-of. As we wait for everyone to wake up before opening presents, we like to enjoy a slice of potica with a cup of coffee.
Potica is nut roll pastry from my Polish heritage. My father makes and delivers them as gifts on Christmas Eve to lucky recipients.
This year, I have a new pastry to add to the morning breakfast table – this Christmas Breakfast Danish. It’s really a cherry cheese Danish baked into the shape of a candy cane and it is so festive!
Plus, it’s made with refrigerated crescent dough, so it’s fast and easy to put together. You can use store bought cherry pie filling or homemade if you put some up.
The cream cheese filling can be flavored with vanilla or a blend of vanilla and almond extracts. The almond complements the cherries so well.
This recipe makes two candy cane pastries. If you wanted to make just one, you would need an extremely large baking sheet! For ease, I like to use parchment paper on my pans. It will keep the pastry from sticking to the pan and makes cleanup a breeze.
Align four crescent triangles in a straight line, slightly overlapping. With the fifth crescent, begin curving the head of the cane.
Top with cream cheese and cherries, then fold over the points of the triangles. After baking, frost with a simple white icing to complete the candy cane stripes.
Pin this to your breakfast board!
Christmas Breakfast Danish
Christmas Breakfast Danish: cherry cheese pastry in candy cane shape! Easy to make with crescent rolls, cherry pie filling and cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- (OR 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract, each)
- 2 tubes of crescent rolls
- 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the icing:
- While the pastries are baking, combine all the ingredients for glaze, mixing until smooth. Frost the danish while it is still warm, taking care to only frost the crescent stripes.
This Christmas Breakfast Danish first appeared on Amanda’s Cookin’ where I am a guest contributor.
Cheryl
Sunday 19th of December 2021
Does this make one or two of them ?? Can I use other filling besides cherry ?
Rebekah
Sunday 19th of December 2021
It makes 2 candy cane coffee cakes. You can use any filling you like.
Jeff @ Make It Like a Man!
Friday 30th of December 2016
That is just about THE cutest thing I've ever seen. And I lo-o-o-ve Danish. Thanks for the recipe!
Regina A
Saturday 17th of December 2016
So cute, I'll make it for Christmas this year.