This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

This Easy Lemon Cream Danish is the perfect breakfast! These are done in minutes using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, perfect for on the go.

lemon cream danish on parchment paper

Last Saturday night we took Jordan to her first concert: Zendaya at the state fair. She was SO excited, because Shake it Up is her favorite show.

I must say, attending a tween concert at a state fair is very…interesting. You have all the girls and piercing screams, of course. That’s to be expected. So is the obligatory adult with each pack of girls. And then you have those adults. The ones that are a little too into a concert sung by a 16-year-old with band members mostly younger than her.

Really, if you’re over the age of 25 and have a pack of tween girls with you, then (1) you are too old to wear a tube top and daisy dukes, (2) you really should cut down on the beer you get at the beer garden beforehand and (3) standing on your chair is not appropriate.

Also, if you happen to be watching from the bar next to the grandstand, and I rush by you on my (third) trip to the potty with a tween, I will blog about you if you’re totally rocking out Madonna style, eyes closed, with your (I assume) 5th very full glass of red wine. I mean…I know it’s a state fair. But it’s a kids concert. The combination of so much alcohol and kids was strange for me.

{No judgement, though. I get it, really. I enjoyed my five glasses of wine…after I was home. I needed it, to clear the ringing in my ears. Or something.}

After a late night, we needed a yummy breakfast.

These Easy Lemon Cream Danishes are the perfect wow breakfast…but they are super easy to make. Perfect for when you can barely open your eyes because the kids woke up at 5:30…after going to bed at 11.

lemon cream danish on parchment paper

These danish are so easy to make because they are made using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I have a slight addiction to those tubes of crescents. I buy them way too much, and eat them way too often! They just make everything easier.

Let’s break down these danishes, shall we?

The base is the crescent roll. You unroll the rectangle and pinch together the seams, then cut 8 squares out of it.

The roll is topped with a creamy mixture of Greek Yogurt (vanilla nonfat is what I had, use what you like!) and a little sugar for sweetness.

Then I added some lemon curd on top…because they’re lemon danish.

lemon cream danish on parchment paper

Now, let’s talk lemon curd. You can use a jarred curd for this recipe, if you’d prefer. That would certainly be faster and more convenient. But if you have the time, and the lemons, you should totally try making it from scratch. It’s not that hard to do, and it’s really, really good.

I have a lemon curd recipe that I made last year, that’s a traditional curd recipe, using eggs. But I was running low on eggs last weekend, with lots of baking to do. So I made an eggless lemon curd instead. The recipe for the eggless curd is from my friend Keri at Shaken Together. It’s really good, not as smooth as an egg-based curd, but it’s butter and egg free. That means I can eat more!

{That’s a good thing – I can knock back 3 of these danishes without blinking.}

The lemon curd gets layered on top the cream layer, the crescent rolls get folded up around the filling, and then they get baked. The perfect lemon danish!

Oh, and one more thing: glaze. Danishes must have some sort of glaze! I was making muffins (recipe soon!) at the same time, with a white chocolate glaze. The glaze made a lot, so I used it for both recipes. It’s a white chocolate ganache drizzled over the top of the danishes.

Yes, I said white chocolate ganache. On a lemon danish. Oh, yeah! It’s the triple threat danish.

These are the perfect easy breakfast for those “I need a danish day.” Or the “My ears are still ringing” day. Or…any day!

lemon cream danish on parchment paper

Lemon Cream Danish

4.34 from 3 votes
These easy Lemon Cream Danish start with crescent rolls and an eggless lemon curd you can make in the microwave. Or, start wit jarred lemon curd to make them even easier! These are a great brunch recipe!
Yield 8 danish

Ingredients
 

For the Eggless Lemon Curd (you can also use jarred curd instead):

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

For the Danish:

  • 1 tube Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 8 rolls
  • 3/4 - 1 cup lemon curd jarred, or fresh using the eggless curd recipe
  • 1/3 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

For the Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Instructions

  • Make the Lemon Curd (optional - you can also use jarred): Mix sugar, water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk together until no lumps remain, then stir with a wooden spoon constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. After 4 minutes, add the lemon juice and zest. Continue stirring rapidly, it will thicken very quickly once the mixture boils again. Remove from heat and place in a heat safe jar. Let cool on the counter, cover and refrigerate once cool.
  • Make the Glaze: Heat the white chocolate chips and heavy cream together in a microwave safe bowl. Mine took about 30-45 seconds. Stir until smooth. Let cool while the danish bake.
  • Make the Danish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Unroll the Crescent Rolls into a large rectangle. Break the rectangle in half along the seam, so you have two rectangle made up of four crescent rolls each. Press the seams together, and then cut each rectangle into four squares, for eight total danishes.
  • Mix the Greek yogurt and sugar in a small bowl. Place about a tablespoon in the center of each square.
  • Top the yogurt with about a tablespoon of lemon curd. Fold up the edges, pinching to seal the corners as much as you can. Transfer carefully to prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake about 8 minutes, until the crescent rolls are golden brown on top. Drizzle with the glaze. Cool before eating.
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Click here to see the complete list of Lemon Recipes!

You might also like:

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodle Crescent Rolls

Lemon Crumb Muffins

Chocolate Cheese Danish

Sweets from friends:
Blueberry Cheesecake Danish by Inside BruCrew Life
Easy Cinnabon Doughnuts by Something Swanky
Macaroon Bars by The Domestic Rebel



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.34 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




83 Comments

  1. Did you know you can get the crescent roll dough that is NOT perforated? Yep, just sheets of yumminess. Anyhoo… Have you ever tried making these in muffin pans so none of the curd oozes out?

    1. I’ve never been able to find those sheets! I need to look harder. I haven’t made them in a muffin pan, but you totally could. Just press them in and fill!

      1. You would think in California they would be easy to find. ๐Ÿ™ Thanks for the thumbs up on the muffin pan! I will let you know how they turn out.

  2. One more question concerning the “Easy Lemon Cream Danish”. Where can I find a recipe for lemon curd that is not egg-less? Also, is there a recipe for orange curd?
    Thanks.

  3. Thank you for this recipe. It was nice to make lemon curd without using so much eggs too. My hubby says these tastes like lemon meringue pie. I was also adventurous and made my own blitz puff pastry for the recipe instead of the Pillsbury stuff – my husband signed me up for a class last year at King Arthur flour to learn how to make and well he has created a baking beast! Will make again and it’s a keeper in my book.

      1. It sounds scary but it really isn’t all that bad. In the class we learned the blitz version which is the fast one. And, if you go onto their website and type in puff pastry and they will give you a recipe for a turnover but in that recipe they also direct to their blog which shows you photographs of the step by step to make the pastry and if you should make a mistake they have a baker’s hotline and they can help you and guide you in the process of making it. They are very good at that and its always a great help. Trust me I am still learning and even if it is not all that great it still yields yummy results and I am still determined to keep making it.

  4. Oh wow. I too have an unhealthy love of the crescent roll. I never thought to make danish with them! I’m so doing this for my next writer’s group meeting. I’m seeing the lemon and maybe a cream cheese and cherry as well. Ooooo, and blueberry.

    I’m going to have SO much fun with this recipe.