Yield: 10 blueberry cheesecake danishes // Total Time: 2 hr. 30 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
These blueberry cheesecake brioche danish pastries feature the softest, and fluffiest brioche dough. Topped with a vanilla cheesecake filling, fresh blueberries, and vanilla streusel. The perfect breakfast or afternoon treat!
blueberry cheesecake brioche danish
x
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
the dough will need to knead..for a while
Kneading this dough will take a longer time than you are probably used to. This dough is enriched with eggs and butter which makes it take longer for the proper amount of gluten to develop. Kneading in the mixer can take me anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Also, please make sure you are using a higher protein all purpose flour that has at least 11%, not 10% protein (I use King Arthur Flour, 11.7%.) The dough is ready to be used when it passes the windowpane test and has pulled away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. If you are weighing your ingredients, just trust the process! If you are using cup measurements and the dough just is not coming together after 15 minutes, try adding in 1 tbsp. of flour at a time.
room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. Take out the egg and butter at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. To bring an egg to room temperature quickly, you can place it under hot water for 1 minute. To bring butter to room temperature quickly, slice it, place it on a plate, and microwave it in 5 second intervals!
heating the milk
Heating the milk is important for bringing the yeast to an optimal temperature for rising. The milk should be heated to ~100°F / 38°C but it does not have to be exact. As long as the milk is between 95°F – 110°F, it is good to be used. If the temperature exceeds 110°F, wait for it to cool down before using so that you do not kill the yeast!
ingredients and substitutions
For the brioche dough:
All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness. Please be sure that you are using a high-quality flour that has a high protein %, such as King Arthur (11.7%) so that your gluten will develop. If you’re using a low protein flour, the gluten will not develop enough and you will have to add a lot more flour to the brioche, which will alter the dough!
Active dry yeast: for making the dough rise. You can easily substitute in instant yeast if that is what you have on hand. You will just skip the step of combining the warm milk, sugar, and yeast!
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the brioche. Salt also “controls” the yeast to make sure that it does not overly expand.
Granulated sugar: for sweetening the brioche and for helping the yeast with rising. We will use a little bit of sugar in the brioche, cheesecake filling, and in the streusel.
Egg: for binding and adding moisture.
Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the brioche rolls and giving them a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth feel. I would not recommend substituting in salted butter since salt is important to controlling yeast growth and the amount of salt in salted butter is quite variable.
Whole milk: for tenderizing and hydrating the dough. Whole milk will provide the softest rolls because the extra fat helps tenderize the dough. You can however swap in 1%, 2% or your favorite non dairy milk alternative! Just note that the dough may be a little less soft and fluffy due to the varying fat content.
For the blueberry cheesecake filling:
Cream cheese: I recommend using full fat cream cheese, but you can substitute in neufchâtel cheese!
Granulated sugar: just a little bit of sugar here to help sweeten up the cream cheese.
Egg: we’re going to take one egg, whisk it, and use 2 tbsp. of that whisked egg in the filling. The rest of the egg will be used for the egg wash so be sure to keep it!
Blueberries: for some freshness to compliment the brioche and cheesecake filling. I can confirm that these are delicious with fresh, frozen, and wild blueberries!
how to make blueberry cheesecake buns
Here are some pictures showing the process of putting together the danishes. The full recipe is at the end of the blog post!
how to tell your dough is done kneading: the windowpane test
The windowpane test is (in my opinion) the best way to tell that your dough has been properly kneaded. Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl, it is most likely ready. However, just to be sure that it’s good to go I check if it passes the windowpane test. To do that, take some of the dough in your hands and start to slowly stretch it out. If it can get thin enough to where light passes through it before tearing, then it’s good to go! If not, keep kneading until it does!
blueberry cheesecake danish q&a
how to store these blueberry cheesecake buns
Is there anything better than fresh brioche? These pastries are definitely at their best on the day that they are baked, but will stay fairly fresh for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
can I double this recipe?
Yes! I can’t emphasize using a kitchen scale enough for especially this recipe already, but if you are going to double or half the ingredients it is even more important that you weigh your ingredients. The dough is very hydrated and slight alterations can change the texture of the dough.
can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes of course! Instead of mixing the heated milk, sugar, and yeast together, just pop all of the dough ingredients into your mixing bowl to start kneading. I do highly recommend refrigerating the dough overnight to make it easier to work with and more flavorful. However, if you are making the recipe all in one day, and using instant yeast, simply let the dough rest for just 10 minutes as the first rise, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, and I highly recommend it! Brioche dough is a very enriched dough that can be hard to work with when warm. Simply knead the dough together, cover it, and leave it to rise in the fridge overnight. When ready to make the buns simply take it out of the fridge and proceed with the recipe.
my yeast mixture isn’t foaming, what should I do?
The mixture should start foaming around 5 minutes in. If it has not foamed after 10 minutes, the yeast is likely dead. You want to make sure that the milk temperature does not exceed 110°F / 43°C or it will kill the yeast. If you try it again and it still does not foam, the yeast you are using may be expired and you will want to purchase some more before proceeding.
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale
a note on oven temperature.
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and aren’t always at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you. I use this one.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here
did you make these blueberry cheesecake danish pastries?
If you made these blueberry cheesecake danish pastries / buns I would love to see it and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Blueberry Cheesecake Danish
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 80 g whole milk (⅓ c.)
- 1 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 160 g all purpose flour (1 ⅓ c.)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 42 g unsalted butter (3 tbsp.) room temperature
Cheesecake Filling
- 113 g cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tbsp. egg whisked, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 10 tbsp. frozen wild blueberries*
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat the milk to 100°F / 38°C. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar. Set aside until the mixture begins to foam. (~5 minutes)
- While waiting, add the flour, salt, egg, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. When the yeast mixture begins to foam, add it in to the rest of the ingredients.
- Knead the dough on low speed for 1 minute to allow the ingredients to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dough passes the windowpane test. (This will happen after the dough has cleaned the sides and bottom of the bowl)
- At this point I would recommend covering the bowl with plastic wrap and leaving it to rise overnight in the fridge. If making the buns in one day, cover the bowl with a towel and leave it to rise in a warm environment until doubled in size (~1 hr.)
- Once the dough has doubled in size (or after taking it out of the fridge after rising overnight), lightly punch it down to remove excess air.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, and roll each piece tightly into a ball.
- Roll each dough ball into a circle that is 3" (7.5 cm) in diameter.
- Transfer the pastries to a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them a little apart to allow room for spreading.
- Leave the dough to rise in a warm environment until they puff up a little, about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is smooth.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
- Add 2 tbsp. of the whisked egg to the cheesecake filling, along with the vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Make an egg wash with the remaining whisked egg by whisking in 1 tbsp. of milk. Set aside.
- Once the pastries have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- Once the dough has puffed up, lightly flour the bottom of a cup or bowl that is slightly smaller than your pastries. Press the cup down onto each of the pastries to form a divot for the cheesecake filling.
- Place ~1 tbsp. of cheesecake filling in each pastry divot, then, place 1 tbsp. of wild blueberries (1.5 tbsp. if using regular blueberries) on top of the cheesecake.
- Brush the sides of each of the pastries with the egg wash.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the pastries turn golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!