Walking past a bakery window in the morning always reminds me of how much I miss fresh fruit pastries.

Traditional danishes are usually packed with regular butter and cream cheese, which makes them off limits if you cannot eat dairy.

That is why I created this dairy free blueberry cream cheese danish using simple ingredients you can find at any local store.

You get a golden, flaky crust with a rich creamy center and a sweet burst of cooked blueberries in every bite.

It lets you enjoy a classic coffee shop treat at home without worrying about stomach aches or dairy sensitivities later.

Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

Bakery Quality at Home – You get the flaky, golden layers of a fancy pastry shop without any dairy butter.

Bursting Berry Flavor – The homemade blueberry compote brings a bright, fruity sweetness that tastes so much better than canned filling.

Rich and Creamy Center – Dairy free cream cheese whips up velvety smooth and tastes completely authentic with a touch of vanilla.

Bright Hint of Citrus – Fresh lemon juice and zest balance the sweet fruit and cut through the rich filling perfectly.

Here’s What You’ll Need

For the Blueberry Compote

1 cup Fresh Or Frozen Blueberries
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice

For the Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz Dairy Free Cream Cheese, Softened
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Lemon Zest

For the Pastry

1 package (17.3 oz) Dairy Free Puff Pastry, Thawed
1 Large Egg
1 tbsp Water

For the Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 to 2 tbsp Unsweetened Oat Milk

How to Make It

Step 1

Combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes until the berries burst and the mixture is thick and jammy, then let it cool completely.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon zest until completely smooth.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry sheets, cut each one into 4 squares and arrange them on the baking sheets.

Lightly score a 1/2-inch border around each square without cutting all the way through, then prick the centers several times with a fork.

Step 4

Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each square and top with about 1 tablespoon of the blueberry compote.

Whisk the egg and water together and brush it over the pastry borders. Chill the danishes for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden and the filling is set.

Step 6

Let the danishes cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Whisk the powdered sugar with enough oat milk to make a drizzly glaze, then drizzle over the warm danishes and serve.

Recipe Tips

Thaw the Pastry in the Fridge

You will get the best results if you thaw your puff pastry slowly in the refrigerator overnight rather than on your kitchen counter.

Dairy-free pastry dough relies on plant oils that soften much faster than butter. If the dough gets too warm, it turns sticky and will not rise into tall, flaky layers.

If the pastry sheets start to feel limp while you are cutting them, slide them back into the fridge for five minutes to firm up.

Cool the Compote Completely

From my experience, adding warm fruit onto the raw pastry will ruin the pastry layers before they ever bake.

The hot blueberries will melt the fats in both the cream cheese and the dough, which leads to a soggy, wet center.

I recommend cooking the blueberry mixture earlier in the day or even the night before so it has time to chill thoroughly.

Pick a Firm Cream Cheese

Dairy-free cream cheeses have different amounts of water depending on what they are made from. I’ve found that firm, block-style cream cheese works much better than soft spreads from a tub.

Cream cheese from a tub tends to liquefy quickly in a hot oven, which can cause your filling to spill over the borders.

The cornstarch helps hold everything in place, but starting with a sturdy cream cheese gives you that thick bakery texture.

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