Our easy braided strawberry puff pastry recipe is filled with cream cheese and jam then topped with a sweet icing. It’s great for breakfast or dessert!

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One of my favorite snacks as a kid were strawberry toaster strudels. You remember those, right? Those little squares of layered pastry filled with strawberry jam.

There was a packet of sweet icing to drizzle over the top. Those were so good!

Now I make the adult version with my braided strawberry puff pastry recipe. It’s flaky, buttery, and filled with strawberry jam and sweetened cream cheese.

I even add an icing over the top. It works as breakfast or dessert, and honestly, it’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but takes almost no effort.

What You’ll Need

This danish recipe uses less than 10 ingredients and many of them are pantry staples.

Puff pastry: I use store-bought puff pastry. Just thaw it until it’s easy to roll out but still cold. You don’t want it sticky or tacky.
Cream cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is really soft so it mixes well with the other ingredients.
Strawberry jam or preserves: Seedless jam is my favorite but any variety of strawberry jam will work. If you’d prefer to use fresh strawberries, I’ve included some information below explaining how to do that.
Sugar, vanilla, lemon juice: These ingredients are added to the cream cheese for sweetness and extra flavor.
Egg and milk: These make up an egg wash that gives the strawberry puff pastry a pretty gloss instead of making it super brown like an egg wash made with egg and water.
Optional glaze: All you need for the glaze is powdered sugar, vanilla, and a bit of milk. It’s totally optional, but I never skip it.

Strawberry filling oozing out of a homemade danish.

Quick Tips Before You Start

Thaw the puff pastry just enough to unfold it without making it crack. If it gets too warm, chill it again for a few minutes.
Try to cut the same number of strips on each side so you have an even braid.
I love using a pizza cutter to make the strips. If you don’t have a pizza cutter handy, try a sharp knife.
Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. No matter how tightly I braid the puff pastry or how well I tuck the ends, some of the filling always leaks out.

How to Use Fresh Strawberries

Want to use fresh strawberries? You can, but cook them down first rather than just adding sliced berries.

Cut up about a cup of strawberries and simmer them with 1–2 teaspoons of sugar (or more depending on the sweetness of the berries) and a squeeze of lemon juice until thickened.

They should have the consistency of homemade jam. Let it cool before spreading it on the pastry.

How to Make the Braided Strawberry Puff Pastry

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside.

Sprinkle a little flour onto a work surface, and roll the puff pastry into a rectangle (about 10×12 inches). Try to keep the seams from where you unfolded the puff pastry visible. They make a great guide for spreading the filling and cutting even strips on the sides.

Cut diagonal strips on both sides of puff pastry, about ¼ -½ inch wide. Make sure to cut the same amount of strips on each side of the puff pastry.

Overhead view of slits cut in puff pastry dough.

Carefully spread the cream cheese filling over the center of the puff pastry. Add the strawberry jam over the top of the cream cheese.

Begin the braid by folding left strip over the filling, then right, alternating until it’s all wrapped. You can very gently press the strips together or use a tiny bit of water to seal them together. I don’t usually have any issues with them coming undone.

Strawberry puff pastry recipe half braided.

Whisk the egg and milk together, and use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash.

Egg wash applied to strawberry puff pastry.

Bake for 18–22 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Optional Glaze

Let the braided puff pastry cool for about 10 minutes before drizzling with icing. To make the icing whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.

Drizzle it over the top of the danish, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Overhead view of strawberry danish with puff pastry next to a spoon.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.
Reheating: Using an oven or toaster oven is best. Reheat at 300°F for 5–8 minutes or until warmed through. Microwaving works, but it softens the pastry.

Other Puff Pastry Recipes

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