Copycat Starbucks Sugar Plum Cheese Danish

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Don’t head to the coffee shop — make this sugar plum cheese danish at home! It’s easy with frozen puff pastry.

I know I’m not the only one who gets excited when the new season of Starbucks treats and drinks roll out.

Yes, I adore my local coffee shop, but grabbing a treat to enjoy after running errands is one of life’s simple pleasures.

Except, as it turns out, those treats really add up in the budget.

Fortunately, with some frozen puff pastry on hand, it’s easy to make the Starbucks sugar plum cheese danish at home.

Plus, you can make it any time you like! You don’t have to wait for the magic date when it shows up at the coffee shop — if it does at all.

Give this easy recipe a try!

What is a sugar plum?

When the holidays roll around we hear a lot about sugar plums, but it’s not actually a varietal of plum.

Sugar plums are candies, usually seeds or dried fruits and nuts, coated in hard sugar. Their roundish shape resembles a plum, and oftentimes are tinted purple with candy leaves to mimic them even more.

While the candy is not very popular anymore, the phrase has stuck with us, and the sugar plum cheese danish is a riff on that name.

Ingredients for sugar plum cheese danish

You’ll need:

Puff pastry – This recipe is a cinch with premade puff pastry. 

Cream cheese – Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before using. You will only need 4 ounces, or half a standard size block. 

If you like, you can swap in low-fat cream cheese (sometimes labeled as neufchâtel cheese).

Powdered sugar – Also labeled as confectioner’s sugar. This is used to sweeten the cream cheese.

You can use granulated sugar in its place, but I like how easily the powdered sugar blends into the cream cheese.

Plum jam – Any plum jam or even plum jelly will work.

Spices – To add some warm seasonal flavor, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are mixed into the plum jam. You can omit the spices if you prefer!

What if I don’t have plum jam?

Plum jam has become a bit harder to find in stores these days, thanks to the wide variety of other jam flavors.

You can make your own plum jam if you have the extra time. Marisa’s spiced plum jam is perfect for this pastry because it has the spices already mixed in.

Other jams can be swapped in as well! I use this base recipe for my red berry cheese danish, and it would also be great with cherry or blueberry preserves.

Want to skip the jam? Try my cream cheese danish recipe!

What kind of puff pastry should I buy?

For this recipe I use sheets of puff pastry, which are more readily available.

There are a few different brands, but you’ll usually find Pepperidge Farm puff pastry in the freezer aisle, near the frozen pies.

Make sure you do not purchase frozen phyllo dough! While it is great for other recipes, you want puff pastry.

Puff pastry is also sold as shells you can fill. I have not tried them for this recipe, but they would likely work well, especially if you enjoy lots of filling.

How to make this recipe

Thaw the puff pastry according to package directions. Some brands of pastry can be used directly from the refrigerator.

Make sure your cream cheese is softened too, or it won’t be easy to mix with the sugar and spread into the pastry.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Roll out the puff pastry into an even sheet just to soften slightly.

Use a paring knife or pizza cutter to cut the pastry into 9 equal squares.

Press each square into the well of a standard muffin tin. Leave the corners hanging out.

In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

Divide mixture between pastry squares, spreading evenly into the bottoms.

In another bowl, mix together plum jam, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Dollop the jam on top of the cream cheese (you might not use it all; save it for your toast!).

Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Let cool slightly, then remove from the pan and serve.

Storage tips

These danishes are best straight from the oven. I keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days to ensure the cream cheese is fresh, and rewarm in the oven or toaster oven to crisp up the pastry.

They can also be frozen before or after baking for longer storage.

To freeze before baking, assemble as directed, then place the pan in the freezer. Chill for about 2 hours, until frozen, then pop out of the pan and store in an airtight bag in the freezer until ready to bake.

They can be baked from frozen; simply place back in a muffin tin and add more time to ensure they are fully baked. 

To freeze after baking, remove from the pan and let cool completely. Place on a lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours, then transfer to an airtight bag.

Rebake in the oven until heated through.

The frozen danishes are best eaten within 3 months.

I love how quick and easy it is to make these sugar plum cheese danishes. Weekend or weekday, they’re a festive breakfast treat.