Looking for a sweet treat? Enjoy a delicious Sugar Plum Danish right at home with this Starbucks copycat recipe! You only need a few simple ingredients and about 30 minutes to make this flaky pastry! This recipe is easily made gluten-free with the use of gluten-free puff pastry!
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Recipe Testing Notes
I spent much more time testing this danish recipe than I had originally anticipated. I first made these gluten-free cheese danishes and thought this variation would be so easy to make! Well it is, but then again it wasn't.
Every time I made these, the sugar plum filling melted and slid right off the pastry. I knew I didn't want to add the jam after they baked, because then it's just a pastry topped with jam, rather than baked in— the jam is very much baked into the Starbucks plum danish.
Anyway, after a few fails I found it's best to let the danish bake about two thirds of the way through before adding the plum jam filling. This way the jam has time to bake into the pastry but not enough time to melt and completely run off.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry Sheet: Since I have celiac disease, I used gluten-free puff pastry. If you're not gluten-free, feel free to use regular sheets of puff pastry for this recipe. As far as gluten-free options, the only two brands I've seen in-store are Schar and Sweet Loren's. I much prefer the Sweet Loren's Puff Pastry; it rolls out nicely and doesn't have the cracking issues I've encountered with the Schar.
- Plum Filling: For the plum filling you'll need plum jam and cinnamon. I also added a pinch of nutmeg and cloves; a pinch or two of apple pie spice would add a similar flavor. If you don't have nutmeg or cloves, and don't want to purchase them for just a pinch, you can omit it.
- Cream Cheese Filling: I used regular, full-fat cream cheese. You'll also need sugar, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice.
- Egg Wash: One beaten egg for brushing on the pastry. This helps with browning.
- Coarse sugar: I used Turbinado sugar; this is an optional topping but adds a nice crunch to the pastry.
*Refer to the recipe card for full ingredient information.
What If I Can't Find Plum Jam?
Plum jam likely isn't a super popular product in your grocery store. The only option I was able to find at my local grocery store was Smucker's Red Plum Jam.
You can find a few plum jam options on Amazon, like this Gourmanity Victoria Plum Jam or Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Plum Jam.
If none of those options work for you, feel free to use a seedless raspberry jam. It has a very similar flavor to the plum jam and will work very nicely in these danishes. Strawberry or mixed berry jam would also be delicious, just use your favorite jam!
Equipment
You don't necessarily need any fancy pans to make this recipe. If you want them to have a round shape, similar to the Starbucks sugar plum cheese danishes, use this mini round cake pan from USA pan.
If you're not interested in purchasing that pan, a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper will also work well. You can simply make them into rectangles, which is arguably even easier to do.
How to Make Sugar Plum Danishes
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth. You can use a hand or stand mixer, but if the cream cheese is soft enough, a spoon or whisk is just fine.
- In another bowl, stir together the plum jam, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set these aside while you work with the pastry.
- Unroll the puff pastry.
- Fix any cracks if there are any.
- Cut into 6 equal rectangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- If using the suggested mini round cake pan; roll each puff pastry rectangle into more of a square shape with a rolling pin. Otherwise you can leave them as is. If you'd like a visual on how the rectangle version is assembled, check out my gluten-free cheese danish post.
- Place one square of pastry into each well of the baking pan. Poke holes with a fork in the bottoms of each one.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each.
- Scrunch down the corners a bit or fold them over on top of the pastry.
- Beat the egg and brush the pastry edges with egg wash. (Don't add the plum filling quite yet.)
- Pop the pan into the hot oven and bake the pastries for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add 1 teaspoon of plum filling to the top of the cream cheese and use a toothpick to gently swirl it into the cream cheese filling.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on them as your baking times may vary slightly.
- Once baked, remove them from the pan and allow them to cool a bit on a cooling rack before you dive in! That jam is like molten lava! That said, enjoy them freshly made, that's when they are best!
Storage
If you have any leftover plum danishes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can reheat in the microwave but the air fryer is even better. Heat just until warmed through.
What to Serve With Sugar Plum Danishes
Now that you've made some sugar plum danishes, why not round it out with another Starbucks copycat recipe! Here's a few of my favorites:
Top Recipe Tips
- Don't forget to poke the holes! If you don't poke the holes the pastry will puff up and your filling will run off the pastry.
- Keep the puff pastry cold. It is important to keep the puff pastry as cold as possible to ensure you get a good puff.
- Be sure your cream cheese is properly softened. If the cream cheese is not very soft, you'll have a lumpy batter. My microwave takes several softening cycles to properly soften cream cheese. If you do end up with some lumps, don't worry— the pastries will still turn out just fine.
- Use frozen puff pastry, not pie dough. Pie dough is not the same as puff pastry and will not work the same in this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
The sugar plum danish has a sweet and spiced flavor. The cream cheese filling is creamy and tangy, while the plum jam brings a fruity sweetness with subtle warm spice notes from the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The result is a balanced combination of tangy, sweet, fruity, and lightly spiced flavors.
Starbucks' sugar plum danish is not gluten-free. It is made with a wheat-based pastry. Check out my gluten-free Starbucks dining guide for more information about everything gluten-free at Starbucks!
Starbucks uses a neufchâtel cheese filling for their cheese Danish, which is a low-fat cream cheese. The sugar plum danish contains cream cheese. Each lends a smooth, slightly tangy flavor that complements the buttery puff pastry.
A Few More Easy Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes
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Recipe
Starbucks Sugar Plum Danish Copycat (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- 1 mini-round cake pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Plum Filling
- ½ cup plum jam
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg and cloves, optional
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry, gluten-free if needed
- 1 large egg, for egg wash
Instructions
Make the Fillings
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- In another bowl, stir together the plum jam, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Assemble the Pastry
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut into 6 equal rectangles— Slice in half, lengthwise. Then slice each half into thirds.
- If using the suggested mini round cake pan: Use a rolling pin to roll each puff pastry rectangle into more of a squared shape. Place one square into each well of the greased baking pan. Poke a few holes in the bottom of each pastry with a fork.If using a baking sheet: Place the pastry rectangles about 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Score a ½-inch border around each rectangle, being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Poke a few holes in the center of each rectangle with a fork.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each pastry. (Do not add the plum filling just yet.)
- Beat the egg and brush the edges of each pastry with the egg wash.
- Place the danishes into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add about 1 teaspoon of plum filling to the center of each pastry. Gently swirl into the cream cheese filling with a toothpick. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving, the jam is extremely hot.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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