Lemon Danish is a flaky Danish made with store-bought puff pastry, homemade lemon curd, and topped with lemon icing.
The Danish is made with store-bought puffed pastry which gives the pastries a flaky texture. The lemon curd is made with just four ingredients.
You will love how simple this recipe is to make. Make it for a weekend breakfast or brunch. They are best if you eat them while they are fresh.
Helpful Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the lemon curd for the best flavor.
- If you like you can use store-bought lemon pie filling for this recipe if you are in a hurry.
- The puff pastry needs to be completely thawed before making the Danish.
- If the puff pasty cracks when unfolding it, sprinkle it with water and press the edges together.
- Cool the Danish completely before topping with the icing.
- The Danish are best when fresh. But they can be frozen. Place in an airtight container to freeze
- To unthaw the Danish remove it from the freezer and set it on the counter.
Ingredients needed
For the lemon curd
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Sugar
- Butter
For the Danish
- Store-Bought Puff Pastry
- Butter
- Sugar
For the lemon icing
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Juice
Steps for making lemon Danish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper of a baking mat.
Step one
Make the lemon curd. Combine the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
Step two
Over medium cook the lemon mixture until it thickens. Add the butter and mix in. Set aside the lemon curd.
Step three
Prepare the pastries. Flour the working surface. Place the unfolded pastry sheet on the floured surface. Spread with half of the butter and sprinkle half of the sugar over the top of the dough.
Step four
Cut the puff pastry sheet lengthwise into 6 strips. Twist each strip and then coil into a spiral. Place the pastries on the baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Press down the centers with your fingers.
Step five
Place about 2 teaspoons of curd in the center of the pastry where it is pressed down. Bake in the oven for 16 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Step five
Once the pastries are baked, make the icing. Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl, gradually add the lemon mixture until it is the right consistency, and beat until the icing is smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled pastries.
More breakfast recipes
- English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Filled Crescent Rolls
- Pecan Crusted French Toast
If you make these lemon pastries, I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.
Lemon Danish
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Danish
- 17.3 ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Icing
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place parchment paper or a baking mat on a baking sheet.
Lemon curd
- Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a medium saucepan.
- Over medium-low heat, cook the ingredients until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
- Once the curd is thickened remove from heat and stir in the butter. Set aside.
Danish
- Sprinkle the working surface with flour. Unfold one pastry sheet
- Spread one of the tablespoons of butter over the top of the pastry sheet. Then sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar over the top of the butter.
- With the short side of the pastry sheet facing you cut the sheet lengthwise into six strips.
- Twist the pastry strips, then take the twisted strips and coil into a spiral.
- Place the Danish on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. With your fingertips press the center of the spiral down.
- Place about two teaspoons of the lemon curd in the center that has been pushed down. Repeat the steps with the other puff pastry sheet so there are 12 Danish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the Danish on the baking sheet on a cooling rack for a few minutes, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Icing
- Add the powdered sugar to a medium-small bowl, and gradually add the lemon juice beating after each addition. Beat until smooth. Drizzle over cooled Danish.
Notes
- The puff pastry sheets should be thawed before making the Danish.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the curd for best results.
- Make the lemon curb first. This will give it time to cool before adding to the Danish.
- The Danish can be frozen in an airtight container.
- To thaw the Danish after it has been frozen, set them on the counter until they are thawed.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on July 12, 2012. It has been updated with new content and pictures on January 18, 2024.
I really adore lemon curd, especially homemade. These danishes look fantastic – perfect for a leisurely weekend morning cup of coffee.
They look very flaky and delicious!
I decided to give this a try since lemon danish is hard to find. I also tried this with homemade apple filling and it was equally delicious.
The proportions were exact and I ate the first two without icing because I didn’t have confectioners sugar. Good, but better with the icing to cut the tartness of the lemon curd.
I did need the zest from 3 small lemons, not two.
Thank you!
I am happy that you enjoyed these danishes.