Did someone say Christmas morning breakfast?! Start Christmas morning on a sweet note with maple cream cheese spiced cranberry pastries! These pastries are a super easy Christmas brunch recipe that can totally be made ahead or the night before! These flaky pastries are topped with a creamy maple cream cheese filling, spiced cranberry jam and topped with a vanilla glaze. Perfect for morning coffee and hot cocoa while you open presents.
I like to be totally transparent with you guys and these pastries were 100% inspired by Starbucks ‘Sugar Plum Danish’ on their holiday menu. I’m such a sucker for the holiday menu!
I took one bite of this delicious pastry and new I had to try and make it. Starbucks I’m speaking to you when I say this ‘PLUMS ARE OUT OF SEASON!’ Yeah! I said it!
Plums are totally not a winter fruit but I appreciate their nod to the nut cracker. They also tasted heavenly, so theres that. I picked the next best thing I could find in the winter fruit selection, fresh cranberries. Honestly, they tasted just as delicious and I ate way too many of them. I promise if you make these for Christmas morning brunch you won’t regret it. Also, puff pastry is so stinking simple to work with. You’re going to love this easy recipe, I promise!
For these easy little danishes I just cut out small rectangles of refrigerated puff pastry and topped them off with a simple maple cream cheese and spiked cranberry jelly/compote situation. Baked them for 15 minutes and drizzled them with vanilla icing. You can never have too much icing around the holidays, am I right?!
You’ll have a perfect, melt in your mouth pastry in less than a half an hour. Perfect for being half asleep on Christmas morning watching your kids (or your boyfriend) open their presents. Jared, if you’re reading this I can’t wait for Christmas morning, it’s my fav!
Grab the recipe below!
Maple Cream Cheese & Spiced Cranberry Pastries
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 15-20
- Total Time: 1hr-1hr20
- Yield: 7-9 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: desserts
Ingredients
2 Large, puff pastry sheets
16 Oz of fresh cranberries
1 Cup of sugar
2 Teaspoons of cinnamon
2 Teaspoon of nutmeg
Pinch of cardamom
8 Oz of cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup
1/2 Cup of turbinado sugar
1 Cup of powdered sugar
2–4 Tablespoons of half and half
1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a small sauce pan add fresh cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of cardamom. Heat on medium heat until cranberries have started to bubble, burst and the mixture begins to resemble jam. About 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium sized bowl mix together softened cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth and creamy.
Cut puffy pastry sheets into rectangles. Score the edges with a pairing knife (this will prevent the middle from puffing up!) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of maple cream cheese filling and top with 1-2 tablespoons of spiced cranberry mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are puffy and golden brown.
In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of half and half at a time. More half and half will create a thinner frosting and less will create a thicker frosting. Transfer to a plastic ziplock bag and trim the tip. Drizzle icing over pastries in a diagonal pattern.
Can’t wait to make these!
★★★★★