Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish

If you’ve got holiday leftovers, make these Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish, topped with orange flavored icing. This crowd-pleasing pastry uses a half cup of leftover cranberry sauce to make an incredible breakfast or dessert!

If there’s one food item every chef would tell you to buy at the store instead of make at home, it’s puff pastry! I’m serious – check out this Make or Buy Puff Pastry segment from The Kitchn. While the homemade version might taste one notch better, it’s also about ten notches more difficult.

All of this to say, using store-bought puff pastry can make you look very impressive with very little effort. And these Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish are a way to do just that, while getting creative with holiday leftovers at the same time.

So, don’t toss the sauce! All you need is a half cup of leftover cranberry sauce, or even a little less would still totally work. These gorgeous pastries look like they’re straight from the bakery and will surely impress all of your holiday guests. Don’t be shocked if they all disappear when you aren’t looking!

What are the ingredients in Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish?

Thanks to freezer aisle puff pastry, these cheese danish are so easy to make at home. The flavor is going to come from the leftover cranberry sauce and the orange. You might already have the rest of the ingredients on hand if you bake often, otherwise they can be found easily at the grocery store.

Here are all the ingredients I used in this recipe plus a little info for each one:

• puff pastry – In the dessert section of the freezer aisle, you’ll find the puff pastry near the premade frozen pies and cheesecakes. This handy little shortcut will save you so much time and effort, making this recipe totally doable while you’ve still got holiday company after Thanksgiving!
• egg – The egg white will be used for the egg wash, while the egg yolk is added to the cream cheese mixture to create an almost cheesecake like texture!
• cream cheese – This is the base of the ‘cheese’ part of the cheese danish. One batch of six uses half a brick of cream cheese, or a whole brick for a double batch!
• navel orange – You’ll need one medium to large sized navel orange. Be sure to wash it under some water since we’re using both the outside zest and the juice on the inside. You should be able to get 3-4 tablespoons of orange juice from one orange.
• granulated sugar – To sweeten the cream cheese, use a couple tablespoons of regular white granulated sugar, again like a cheesecake!
• vanilla extract – For flavor and essence, a touch of vanilla compliments the cranberry and orange flavors really well.
• salt – There’s so much sweetness going on in this recipe! A pinch of salt in the cream cheese mixture helps balance it out.
• cranberry sauce – While the recipe does call for 1/2 cup of leftover cranberry sauce, you can still make this recipe if you have a bit less. Just be sure to divide it evenly between each pastry!
• cornstarch – A little bit of cornstarch mixed into the cranberry sauce mixture helps thicken it up as it cooks in the oven.
• powdered sugar – To make the icing, all you need is some powdered sugar and a little bit of liquid. You can use water or milk, but in this case, I suggest using orange juice to create a delicious orange flavored icing.

How do you make these Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish?

If you’ve never used homemade puff pastry, this might look like a lot of steps. But I promise, it’s quite easy to work with, and the final result is super impressive. Store-bought puff pastry from the freezer aisle saves you 90% of the time and effort!

You know this isn’t a baking website, so if you want to make your own puff pastry at home, I’ll refer you to the best – Sally’s Handmade Puff Pastry (Rough Puff Method). Otherwise, stick with store-bought for the ultimate shortcut! I also love that since it’s stored in the freezer, there’s no rush to use it up.

First, make sure your puff pastry is thawed a bit. You can do this by taking it out of the box and leaving it on the counter for 30 minutes, or putting the box in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before using. At the same time, it’s okay if your pastry is still slightly frozen – the folds of the sheet are right where the cuts need to be, so it’s okay if it cracks there.

Get ready to work with the puff pastry by preheat the oven to 400F and lining a rimmed half sheet pan (affiliate link!) with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry and lay it on a clean flat surface like a cutting board or clean counter. No need to flour the surface! The puff pastry should already have a layer of flour and we won’t be doing any rolling.

Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the sheet into six even sized rectangles. Like I mentioned earlier, use the original fold lines as a guide to cut into thirds, then cut each third in half. Next, use a knife to very gently score (but not cut!) around the edge of each rectangle, making a border approximately 1/2 inch wide. This border acts a guide for fillings and helps the edges rise. Place the rectangles evenly spaced on the sheet pan.

Move the sheet pan aside and grab the egg. Separate the egg white and yolk if not done so already, and then set the yolk aside for use in the cream cheese mixture later.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon of the orange juice to make the egg wash. You can also use milk or water, but I like to take the opportunity to add orange flavor in another way! Use a pastry brush to apply egg wash to the border of each pastry rectangle. 

Once the puff pastry is prepared, it’s time to mix up the fillings. First, the cream cheese mixture: In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, 1/2 of the orange zest, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Mix until smooth – it’s okay if there are a few small lumps.

In another small mixing bowl, combine the leftover cranberry sauce with 1 tablespoon of orange juice, remaining orange zest, and cornstarch. If it’s cranberry sauce from a can, be sure to mix it extra well! Don’t forget to save the remaining orange juice for the icing.

After the toppings are mixed, bring the sheet pan of pastry back into reach. Use a spoon to divide the cream cheese mixture between the six pastry rectangles. Spread it out inside the center rectangle, keeping within the scored border lines created earlier. Use up the entire mixture and add extra to any that look low.

Next, do the same with the cranberry sauce. Use a spoon to divide the cranberry mixture between the six pastry rectangles by adding a scoop on top of the cream cheese. Spread it out a little bit but let the cream cheese peek out on the sides. 

Bake the danish in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown all around the edges to your liking. The cream cheese portion will deflate slightly as they cool, but that’s expected. Use a flat spatula to transfer the pastries to a cooling rack.

While the danish cool, make the orange flavored icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice a little at a time. Mix until a thin glaze icing forms. Add additional 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice as needed, mixing completely in between. The icing should drizzle off the spoon in a thin stream – test it out over the bowl!

Once the danish have cooled for at least 15 minutes, drizzle the icing on top of each one. Serve the danish while still they’re still slightly warm with any of the leftover frosting. Be prepared to impress everyone!

Best tips for making Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish:

Here are my best tips for making this recipe successfully at home:

• Don’t skip the parchment paper! Lining your baking sheet helps with cleanup and keeps the pastry from sticking to the pan.
• Wait to add the icing until the danish has cooled for at least 15 minutes. They are delicious warm, but if you add the icing too soon it will melt and disappear.
• Bake for the minimum time first, and then check the pastries. If they are still quite pale, give them another 2-3 minutes.

Can I use store-bought pie crust instead of puff pastry?

Okay, confession! I accidentally bought premade pie crust instead of puff pastry while I was testing these (I think I was really tired 🥴). I went ahead and made it anyway to test the flavors. It was *okay*, but the puff pastry version (as danish is intended to be made with) was about 100x better.

So my answer is no, don’t try to use pie crust instead! It will not be as flaky or buttery.

How long is open cranberry sauce good for in the fridge?

Once you’ve opened a can of cranberry sauce, it is good for at least 7 days when kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Due to the high sugar content, it lasts quite a while in the fridge. Plenty of time to use it for this cheese danish recipe!

How to store Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish:

Leftover danish can be stored covered on the counter for up to 2 days. 

How to reheat Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cheese Danish:

Reheat leftover danish in a toaster oven on Low for 3-5 minutes or until warm.