Skip the bakery and make these easy cream cheese danishes with Rhodes dinner rolls! These cream cheese danishes are made with a soft, yeasted bread dough, creamy cheesecake filling, and finished with a generous dusting of powdered sugar!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
This is the easiest and simplest cheese Danish recipe! They’re pillowy soft, warm, and perfectly sweet. It doesn’t get much better than this!
The ease of using frozen dinner rolls is what makes me love this recipe so much! With no bread making involved, you can have bakery style danishes on the table in no time. All you need to do is let the dough thaw, rise, and bake!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Rhodes dinner rolls
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cream cheese
- Egg
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
These easy pastries are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! Rhodes rolls get brushed with melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar, then loaded up with a cheesecake-like filling that melts-in-your-mouth.
With the help of Rhodes Thaw, Rise & Bake fresh dinner roll dough, you can make these completely stress free, no dough mixing or kneading required! Since the rolls are already portioned to the perfect size, you just need to thaw the rolls, press down the center of each one, fill, and bake!
How to make the best cream cheese danishes:
- Prep the rolls: Start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Evenly space 6 frozen rolls onto each baking sheet (for a total of 12 rolls), then cover with clean dish towels and let them thaw and rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature OR in the fridge overnight (8 hours).
- Once the rolls are thawed and nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Create the danish shape: Take a shot glass and grease the bottom with a little butter. Press down into the center of each roll with the bottom of the shot glass, creating a divot in each one. Optionally go back in with your fingertips to define the divot.
- Prep the filling: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter, then add in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush the cinnamon butter to cover the exterior of each roll. In a medium mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, egg, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix to form a smooth, creamy mixture.
- Fill and bake: Spoon 1 tbsp of the cream cheese filling into the divot of each dough ball. Once they’re all filled, bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Finish them off: Let cool completely, then dust the tops with powdered sugar or drizzle on a glaze made from 1 ¼ cups of powdered sugar and 2-3 tbsp of milk.
My top tips:
- It’s important to completely thaw the rolls before adding the cream cheese filling. To do this, evenly space out the rolls on your baking sheet, then leave them at room temperature for 2-3 hours OR in the fridge overnight (or closer to 8 hours). This allows you to easily press a well in the center of each roll for filling.
- I find it’s easiest to make the well in the center of each dough ball by pressing down with a shot glass! Just be sure to grease the bottom of the shot glass so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Feel free to go back in with your fingertips to define the divot.
- Be sure to avoid overfilling the rolls with the cream cheese mixture. Each roll only needs about 1 tbsp of filling. If you overfill them, the filling will overflow and bake out of the danishes while in the oven.
- When making the cheesecake filling, be sure you start with softened cream cheese. This ensures the cream cheese combines into the egg, sugar, and vanilla extract smoothly without any lumps!
- Feel free to add other jams or pie fillings to the cream cheese filling before baking. Some of my favorites are strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and apricot! No matter what flavor you choose, you’ll have a crowd pleaser ready for serve up!
- I recommend letting the danishes cool completely before adding any finishing touches. I like dusting the tops with powdered sugar, but you can drizzle on an easy icing of powdered sugar and milk icing for more of a classic danish too!
Looking for more easy brunch recipes? Try these out!
- Cinnamon Sugar Cruffins
- Hawaiian Roll Sticky Buns
- Monkey Bread
- Olive Oil Ricotta Banana Bread
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Cream Cheese Danishes
Ingredients
- 12 Rhodes Thaw, Rise & Bake dinner rolls thawed and risen
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting on top
Instructions
- Start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Evenly space 6 frozen rolls onto each baking sheet (for a total of 12 rolls), then cover with clean dish towels and let them thaw and rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature OR in the fridge overnight (8 hours).
- Once the rolls are thawed and nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Take a shot glass and grease the bottom with a little butter.Press down into the center of each roll with the bottom of the shot glass, creating a divot in each one. Optionally go back in with your fingertips to define the divots.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter, then add in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush the cinnamon butter to cover the exterior of each roll.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, egg, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix to form a smooth, creamy mixture.
- Spoon 1 tbsp of the cream cheese filling into the divot of each dough ball. Once they’re all filled, bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Let cool completely, then dust the tops with powdered sugar or drizzle on a glaze made from 1 ¼ cups of powdered sugar and 2-3 tbsp of milk.
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