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–+ servings
Easy caramel apple Danish made with refrigerated crescent sheet dough, cream cheese filling, cinnamon apples, icing, and caramel drizzle.

Caramel Apple Danish Recipe

These easy Caramel Apple Danish pastries are made with crescent sheet dough, homemade cinnamon apples, cream cheese filling, icing, and caramel drizzle for a cozy bakery-style breakfast treat.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Large baking sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Heavy bottom pan or sauce pan
  • (2) Medium mixing bowls
  • Knife and cutting board
  • whisk or hand held mixer
  • Spoon or cookie scoop for filling
  • Cooling rack (optional, but helpful for icing)

Ingredients
  

For the Danish

  • 4 oz Cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 Can crescent sheet dough or 2 cans crescent rolls
  • Cooked apple filling (Provided below.)

For the Apple Filling

  • 1 Large or 2 small Granny Smith apples peeled and diced
  • 3-4 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp Apple pie spice
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

For the Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-2 tsp milk

Optional

  • Caramel sauce for drizzle

Instructions
 

Prep for Baking

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the Apple Filling

  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, and apple pie spice. Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
    Diced apples cooking in a saucepan with brown sugar, butter, and apple pie spice for homemade caramel apple Danish filling.
  • Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the slurry and vanilla into the apples.
    Cornstarch slurry being poured into simmering cinnamon apples in a saucepan to thicken caramel apple Danish filling.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3–4 minutes, or until the filling thickens slightly. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
    Homemade apple filling simmering in a saucepan with cinnamon, brown sugar, and diced apples for caramel apple Danish pastries.

Assemble the Danish

  • In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  • Roll out crescent sheet dough. If using crescent rolls, pinch the seams together. Slice dough into rectangles.
    Crescent sheet dough sliced into rectangles on a wooden cutting board beside a bowl of cream cheese filling for homemade caramel apple Danish pastries.
  • Spread cream cheese mixture onto each rectangle.
  • Starting from the long side, gently roll and twist the dough into a rope about 10 inches long.
  • Loosely spiral each rope and tuck the seam underneath. Place on prepared baking sheet.
    Twisted crescent dough Danish pastries being assembled on a wooden cutting board with cream cheese filling, apple filling, icing, and caramel sauce nearby.
  • Use the back of a spoon to press a small well into the center of each Danish.
  • Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of apple filling into the center of each Danish.
    Unbaked caramel apple Danish pastries with homemade apple filling arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Prep Icing & Garnish

  • Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
  • Cool danish for 10–15 minutes, then drizzle with icing and caramel sauce before serving.
    Freshly baked caramel apple Danish pastries drizzled with vanilla icing and caramel sauce on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Notes

  • Crescent sheet dough makes this recipe much easier for beginner bakers.
  • Don’t overfill the centers or the filling may spill during baking.
  • Let the apple filling cool slightly before assembling the Danish.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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