Lemon Curd Cheese Danishes (Brioche Style)

These lemon curd cream cheese danishes are soft, buttery brioche pastries filled with a sweet vanilla cream cheese center and my bright, tangy lemon curd. They bake up golden with tender layers and a bakery style finish, then get drizzled with a silky vanilla glaze for the perfect spring brunch treat.

They look fancy, but they’re surprisingly easy to make at home, and the flavor payoff is huge! The rich brioche dough balances the citrus perfectly, while the creamy filling melts into every bite.

Perfect for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, spring showers, weekend baking projects, or a special breakfast, these danishes taste like something straight from a pastry shop, but made right in your kitchen.

What ingredients do I need?

• Bread Flour: Higher protein flour gives brioche structure while staying tender.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps browning.
• Eggs: Add richness, color, and softness.
• Butter: The key to brioche flavor and fluffy texture.
• Whole Milk: Adds moisture and helps activate yeast.
• Active Dry Yeast: Leavens the dough.
• Cream Cheese: Tangy base for the filling.
• Powdered Sugar: Smooth sweetness without graininess.
• Lemon Curd: Bright citrus flavor that takes center stage.
• Vanilla Extract: Warm bakery flavor in filling and glaze.

Can I Substitute?

Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.

• Bread flour: Swap with all purpose flour (slightly softer structure)
• Whole milk: You can use 2% milk
• Lemon curd: Any other curd or jam, like orange curd, raspberry curd, strawberry jam
• Cream cheese: Use mascarpone

Dietary Substitutions

• Gluten free: Use a high-quality 1:1 gluten free bread flour blend with xanthan gum. The texture will differ however.
• Dairy free: Use dairy free butter, plant milk, and dairy free cream cheese.

Leftovers and Storage

• Can stay at room temperature for 1 day in airtight container
• Refrigerator: Can last up to 4 days in an airtight container
• Freezer: Can last up to 2 months wrapped individually.
  • Reheat at 300°F for 8–10 minutes or microwave briefly.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

Classic Flaky Croissants

Orange Vanilla Bean Scones

Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles

Lemon Curd Cheese Brioche Danishes

Soft, buttery brioche danishes filled with sweet cream cheese and bright lemon curd, then finished with a silky vanilla glaze. Perfect for spring brunch or holiday mornings.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast danish, brioche danish, brioche danish recipe, brioche recipe, lemon cream cheese danishes, lemon cream cheese pastry, lemon curd danishes, lemon pastry

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Rise Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 danishes

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

• ▢ 4 cups bread flour
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1¼ cups warm whole milk 105–110°F
• ▢ 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
• ▢ 1 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Filling

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch salt

Lemon Filling

• ▢ ¾ cup thick lemon curd

Egg Wash

• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 tbsp heavy cream

Vanilla Icing

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch salt
• ▢ 2 –3 tbsp milk adjust for consistency

Instructions

Activate the Yeast

• Warm the milk to 105–110°F. It should feel warm but not hot to the touch.
• Pour milk into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast over top.
• Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
• Using instant yeast: Skip this step and mix yeast directly into the flour.

Make the Brioche Dough

• In a stand mixer bowl with the dough hook attached, combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and salt.
• Add eggs and the activated yeast mixture. Mix on low until a rough dough forms.
• Continue kneading in the stand mixer for 6-8 minutes on medium-low. Until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

First Rise

• Lightly grease a bowl.
• Place dough inside and cover with plastic wrap or towel.
• Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.

Make Cream Cheese Filling

• Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
• Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until fluffy and lump free.

Divide and Shape

• Punch down risen dough gently and divide into 12 equal pieces (use a scale if possible).
• Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
• Place on parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about 2–3 inches apart.
• Cover loosely and let rise 45 minutes until puffy.

Form the Wells

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Press centers of each dough ball using a glass bottom or your fingers.
• Make a deep well but leave thick edges.
• Brush edges of the dough with egg wash.

Fill with Cream Cheese

• Spoon 1–1½ tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into each well. (Do not overfill or it may spill while baking.)

Bake the Danishes

• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove pan briefly and spoon 1–2 teaspoons lemon curd into center.
• Rotate the pan and return it to the oven.
• Bake for another 9–12 minutes until they are golden brown with puffed edges.

Cool

• Cool for 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Make the Vanilla Icing

• Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk until smooth.
• Add the milk slowly until desired drizzle consistency.
• Drizzle over the cooled danishes.

Serve

• Serve slightly warm or room temperature.

Notes

If your yeast does not foam, then it may be expired or the milk was too hot or cold.

Lemon Curd Danish Recipe | Brioche Danish Recipe | Cream Cheese Danish | Spring Brunch Pastries | Homemade Danish Recipe | Lemon Pastry Recipe | Easter Brunch Recipes | Brunch Pastry | Breakfast Pastries | Brioche Recipe | Bakery Style Danishes | Breakfast Recipes | Cream Cheese