braided brown sugar chocolate chip cheesecake danish

This danish is perfect for holiday entertaining! It looks fancy and braided, but it’s secretly easy.

I decided to jazz up the filling by making it taste like chocolate chip cookie dough, because why not? But you could easily make it a plain cheese danish that would be just as wonderful.

Want another variation? How about pumpkin spice cheesecake?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Danish Braid
Adapted from Lauren’s Latest

• 1 tube crescent rolls
• 1 8-oz. package Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons agave
• splash of vanilla
• milk to thin it out

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugars, flour, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Set aside.

Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an ungreased baking sheet, lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. Dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan.

Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough.

Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get a braided pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until filling is set and crescent dough is golden in color. Cool before removing from baking sheet.

Once danish has cooled, remove to serving platter. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla and agave to create icing. You may need to add milk to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish.

Cut into pieces and serve.

*If you want a plain cheese danish, just use 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and omit the brown sugar and chocolate chips