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Raspberry-Cream Cheese Holiday Crescent Danish

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By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Oct 7, 2024
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This adorable candy cane-shaped coffee cake will be the star of your holiday breakfast or brunch table, getting your family in a festive mood from the moment they open their eyes. This jolly morning treat may look like it is difficult to make, but really, it’s quite easy to make. The combination of textures and flavors in this sweet bread work as well together as a room full of elves.

Triangles of crescent roll dough form a candy cane shaped flaky pastry, without the work of having to make your own dough. Sweetened cream cheese is the base to hold the ruby-red filling; quickly made with just fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves. It plays peek-a-boo between the tender Danish strips. And a simple two-ingredient glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness and sass for a candy cane Santa will gleefully approve of. 

Is coffee cake made with coffee? Typically, no—but its sweet flavor pairs well with a cup of joe. Early coffee cakes have their roots in European countries. In Germany, sweet yeast breads, called “kaffee kuchen” were eaten, alongside a steaming cup of hot coffee. When European immigrants arrived in America, their coffee cake recipes began to evolve into elaborate pastries, with each baker adding their one-of-a-kind twist to their ancestral recipes.

Is it possible that having a coffee cake in the shape of a candy cane makes it even more delicious? It might as we eat with our eyes as much as we do with our mouths. Perfect for the magical holiday season, this captivating recipe certainly wins not only for its looks, but also, it’s amazing flavor. 

Ingredients for Candy Cane Crescent Danishes

Take a peek at what each ingredient brings to this top-rated candy cane coffee cake recipe:

Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls: Starting with fresh crescent dough means you don’t have to take the time to make a dough. Our famous crescent dough rises in the oven to create tender, flaky, pastry for this breakfast treat.

Cream Cheese: The tangy flavor of cream cheese compliments the sweet raspberry filling. It also serves to hold the filling in place, keeping your candy cane coffee cake looking its very holiday best.

Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to add a hint of sweetness to the cream cheese layer and a bit of sparkle to the top of the coffee cake. Powdered sugar is used to make the glaze that’s drizzled over the Danish, adding just the right about of sweetness to pull all the flavors together.

Raspberries: Fresh raspberries add a fruity freshness that gives this coffee cake that something extra. Raspberry preserves double down on the raspberry flavor while cleverly creating a filling that doesn’t require additional prep time cooking it first.

Butter: Adds a tiny back note of dairy flavor which contributes richness to the flavor of this sweet bread. It also helps to brown the pastry and acts as the “glue” to hold the sugar that is sprinkled on the pastry before baking.

Milk: Mixed with powdered sugar becomes the simple glaze for the coffee cake while adding another hint of dairy flavor.

How to Make Candy Cane Coffee Cake

You can put together this bakery-worthy breakfast bread in just 20 minutes. Pop it in the oven, and you have a freshly baked holiday treat just in time for breakfast. Follow along with these basic steps and refer to the recipe for all the needed details:

Prep the Pan and Arrange the Dough Pieces

Line a large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper and spray it generously with cooking spray. This ensures any filling that leaks out from the candy cane during baking won’t stick to the cookie sheet. It also makes it easy to remove the baked coffee cake from the pan. Cut the crescent triangles in half lengthwise. Then line up the triangles on the cookie sheet, with the wide edges overlapping slightly, all pointed in the same direction. Press together the overlapping parts to seal them together.

Layer the Fillings

Mix the softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of sugar and spread it in a 1/2”-wide strip down the dough at the widest part. Mix the raspberries and preserves and spoon it on top of the cream cheese layer.

Make a Cane Shaped Coffee Cake

Fold each tip of dough over the filling and pinch it to the opposite edge. Gently curve one end of the coffee cake to form the top of the cane. Brush the dough on the top of the coffee cake with the melted butter and sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the top.

Bake, Cool, and Add the Glaze

Bake the coffee cake until it’s golden brown. Allow it to cool on the cookie sheet 5 minutes, for it to become sturdier and easier to move. Using a pancake turner, carefully slide the Danish from the parchment onto a serving platter. Mix the glaze ingredients and drizzle it with a spoon over the top of the coffee cake. Serve the coffee cake when it’s warm, for the best flavor and texture.

How to Store Candy Cane Crescent Danish

Place any remaining crescent Danish on a plate. Cover it tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days. To reheat leftover Danish, place a serving on a microwavable plate. Cover it loosely and microwave on low (30%) 30 seconds to 1 minute or just until slightly warm. Do not overheat, or the filling will run out from the pastry.

Variations on Raspberry-Cream Cheese Danish

With just a change of an ingredient or two, you can have a new flavor for this Pillsbury raspberry cream cheese coffee cake, if you wish:

Swap the Fruit: Rather than use fresh raspberries, try 3/4 cup of fresh blueberries with blueberry preserves, fresh blackberries with blackberry preserves or chopped fresh strawberries with strawberry preserves. Or use a medley of any of these fruits with the berry-flavored preserves of your choice, for a mixed berry coffee cake.

Add Some Crunch: Before wrapping the dough around the filling, sprinkle 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

Swap the Glaze: Make a chocolate glaze by mixing 1/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons each unsweetened baking cocoa and melted butter. Stir in a drop or two of milk until it’s drizzling consistency. Use this glaze instead of the white glaze called for in the recipe.

Love the candy cane shape of this Danish? Try one of our other holiday recipes:

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Crescent Danishes makes four breakfast pastries, so everyone can have a candy cane all to themselves.

Spinach-Artichoke Crescent Candy Cane is a festive, party-ready appetizer to bring to your next holiday party.

Pizza Crescent Candy Cane is a ho, ho, holiday-themed way to enjoy pepperoni pizza, any night of the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make This the Night Before?

While we love a great breakfast recipe you can make the night before, a delicate pastry such as this one, isn’t a great candidate. The fillings soften the dough, creating a pastry that isn’t as light and flaky as when baked up fresh. This recipe takes only 20 minutes to get into the oven, but if you need a jump start on the prep, there are some things you can do to make it easier on you when it's breakfast time:

Prep Your Ingredients: You can mix the sweetened cream cheese ingredients and raspberry filling ingredients as directed in step 2. Cover and refrigerate them overnight. In the morning, take them out of the fridge and uncover them to stand at room temperature while you heat the oven. Make the glaze while the coffee cake is cooling 5 minutes (in step 4).

Make But Don’t Bake the Coffee Cake: You can prepare the Danish through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate it no longer than 2 hours before baking. When you’re ready to bake, uncover it and bake as directed in step 4.

What Can I Serve with this Crescent Danish?

To make a complete meal, all you need to serve with this sweet bread is eggs and fruit or juice. Our scrambled eggs recipe is super-simple and let’s the coffee cake take center stage. Or try Tex-Mex breakfast casserole, which can be made in the slow cooker, so you don’t have to stand at a hot stove or figure out how to juggle baking the Danish and the eggs at the same time.

For the fruit, you can make some frosted grapes ahead of time, so they are ready to serve at breakfast, when the coffee cake is ready. Mix a tablespoon or two of light corn syrup with half a teaspoon of water in a custard cup. Dip the grapes into the syrup mixture and then roll them in granulated sugar on a plate. Place them in a pan with sides and let them dry uncovered in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up overnight before serving. Or skip the fruit, opting for the festive look of cranberry juice, instead!

What Other Recipes are Great for Holiday Breakfasts?

When it comes to the holidays, nothing brings the family together like starting the day off with a festive breakfast.

Gingerbread Pancakes served with sweetened whipped cream, will raise them from their slumber with sweet aroma of gingerbread in the air.

Pumpkin Pie Bubble-Up is a mash-up of pumpkin pie with a bread pudding, baked into a delicious, sweet breakfast casserole.   

Overnight-Cheesy-Bacon-and-Broccoli-Egg-Bake for a savory holiday breakfast that can be prepped the night before.

Everything-Bagel-Biscuit-Bombs can be made ahead and frozen, during those times things aren’t so rushed. Then when you need them, simply reheat them in the microwave.

Raspberry-Cream Cheese Holiday Crescent Danish

  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total 45 min
  • Ingredients 8
  • Servings 6
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Ingredients

Coffee Cake

Glaze

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon milk

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; spray generously with cooking spray. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise. On cookie sheet, place crescent triangles lengthwise in long row, pointing same direction, with edges overlapping slightly on cookie sheet. Press overlapping edges together to help seal, but leave triangle points free.
  • Step 
    2
    In small bowl, beat cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar with spoon until well blended. Spread cream cheese mixture in 2 1/2-inch wide strip lengthwise on widest part of dough, leaving 1/2-inch edge. In small bowl, toss raspberries and preserves; place on top of cream cheese layer.
  • Step 
    3
    Fold over tips of dough to enclose filling; pinch ends of dough on edge to attach. Gently picking up top end of dough, curve one end of strip to form top of cane. Brush dough with melted butter; sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon granulated sugar over top.
  • Step 
    4
    Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Use spatula to carefully help slide Danish from parchment to serving platter, loosening edges with spatula first, if needed. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the milk until well blended. If too thick to drizzle, add additional drops of milk. Drizzle with spoon over top. Serve warm.

Nutrition

290 Calories
15g Total Fat
4g Protein
33g Total Carbohydrate
18g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
290
Calories from Fat
140
Total Fat
15g
23%
Saturated Fat
8g
39%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
25mg
8%
Sodium
360mg
15%
Potassium
55mg
2%
Total Carbohydrate
33g
11%
Dietary Fiber
1g
4%
Sugars
18g
Protein
4g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
6%
6%
Vitamin C
4%
4%
Calcium
2%
2%
Iron
4%
4%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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