If you love the flavor of strawberry cheesecake and the buttery crispness of a bakery danish, Strawberry Cheesecake Danish Hearts are the perfect match. These pastries look fancy, but they’re surprisingly easy because they start with store-bought puff pastry. In the oven, puff pastry rises into flaky layers, giving you that golden, airy texture—while a sweet strawberry cream cheese filling bakes into a soft, creamy center.
These heart-shaped danishes are ideal for Valentine’s Day, brunch with friends, Mother’s Day, or any morning when you want something special without making a complicated dough. They’re also a great recipe when you want a “wow” result with minimal effort: cut, score, fill, bake, and finish with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
What These Danish Hearts Taste Like
Think of them as a light strawberry cheesecake in pastry form: crispy edges, creamy middle, and fresh strawberry brightness on top. The cream cheese brings richness, strawberry jam adds sweetness and flavor, and the fruit gives a fresh, juicy finish. They’re not overly sweet, which makes them perfect for breakfast—but you can easily make them more dessert-like with a drizzle or extra sugar.
Ingredients
For the pastries
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed but still cool)
- 4 oz (about 115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3–4 tablespoons strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
- 1 cup strawberries, diced small (fresh is best)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon water or milk (to mix with the egg)
Optional (but pretty!)
- 1–2 drops red or pink food coloring (for a pink filling)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Equipment You’ll Need
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter (or a small knife to cut hearts)
- Fork (for mixing filling)
- Small spoon (for filling)
- Pastry brush (or use a spoon)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1) Prep your oven and pan
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Keeping the pastry on parchment helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easy.
2) Make the strawberry cream cheese filling
In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and strawberry jam until smooth and creamy. If you want a stronger pink color, add 1–2 drops of food coloring and mix again.
Tip: If your kitchen is warm and the filling becomes too soft, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes so it firms up slightly and stays neatly inside the pastry.
3) Cut the puff pastry into hearts
Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Use a heart cookie cutter to cut hearts. Place the hearts on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between them.
No heart cutter? You can cut hearts with a knife, or make rectangles/squares for a classic danish shape.
4) Score a smaller heart inside each pastry
Using a small knife, lightly score a heart shape inside each pastry, about 1/3 inch (1 cm) from the edge.
Important: Don’t cut all the way through. Scoring creates a border that puffs up, while the center stays lower to hold the filling.
5) Add the filling
Spoon a small amount of the strawberry cream cheese mixture into the center (inside the scored heart). Spread gently without pushing it over the border.
6) Add strawberries on top
Sprinkle diced strawberries over the cream cheese filling. Keep the pieces small so they bake nicely and don’t slide off.
7) Brush with egg wash
Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water or milk. Brush the exposed border (outside the scored heart) lightly with egg wash. This helps the edges bake up shiny and golden.
8) Bake
Bake for 14–18 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and deeply golden around the edges.
9) Cool and finish
Let the pastries cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving for a bakery-style look.
Tips for the Best Results
Keep the pastry cold: Puff pastry rises best when it goes into the oven cool. If it becomes soft while you work, place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
Use fresh strawberries: Fresh berries give the best texture. Frozen strawberries release a lot of liquid and can make the centers watery.
Don’t overfill: A little filling goes a long way. Too much can overflow and burn on the pan.
Make it extra “cheesecake”: Add 1–2 teaspoons sugar to the filling and a tiny splash of vanilla for a richer dessert vibe.
Serving Ideas
Serve these warm with coffee or tea, or add them to a brunch table with yogurt, fruit, and eggs. They also look gorgeous on a plate for a surprise breakfast. If you want a more dessert-style finish, you can drizzle a simple icing made from powdered sugar + a tiny bit of milk.
Storage and Make-Ahead
These pastries are best the day they’re baked because puff pastry is crispiest fresh from the oven. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes to bring back the flakiness (microwave will soften the pastry).