Easy Braided Puff Pastry with Cream Cheese and Berries

Flaky layers of puff pastry wrapped around a creamy filling and sweet berries, that’s all it takes to make this gorgeous braided puff pastry. It looks bakery-worthy but comes together in about 30 minutes. Whether you use fresh summer fruit or a bag of frozen, this berry puff pastry with cream cheese is the kind of recipe that works for brunch, holidays, or just when you want something special with your morning coffee.

Flaky Pastry, Sweet Berries, and the Easiest Cream Cheese Filling

Sometimes I just want something that looks fancy without being fussy. This braided puff pastry is exactly that. Puff pastry, a little cream cheese, and fresh berries, those three things turn into a flaky, bakery-style breakfast in about 30 minutes.

I’ve made it more times than I can count, testing and tweaking, and I still get a little thrill when I pull it out of the oven. It’s golden, it smells like butter, and it’s one of those “did I really just make this at home?” kind of recipes.

I lean on puff pastry a lot when I’m making breakfast for friends or family, it just adds a “wow” factor. Pair this braid with no Bisquick sausage balls or oven baked egg cups or add it to a brunch table and you’ve got a spread that feels thought-out without a lot of extra work.

And here’s the best part, you don’t have to wait for berry season. Sure, farmers market strawberries and blueberries are wonderful, but I’ve made this berry puff pastry plenty of times with frozen fruit and no one blinked an eye. The cream cheese filling and buttery pastry make up for less-than-perfect berries. I’ve even served it at Christmas with frozen raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.

One of my readers said it best:

I couldn’t agree more.

What’s the best way to serve a breakfast puff pastry

This is best served either warm or at room temperature. When reheated in the toaster oven, it was just as good as fresh out of the oven. You do have to let it cool when it comes out of the oven, which may be the hardest part.

The Essentials You Can’t Skip

Just a few key things to pull this cream cheese puff pastry together:

• Puff pastry (I like Dufour, but Pepperidge Farm works too)
  
• Cream cheese (softened)
  
• Berries (fresh or frozen)
  

That’s it for the essentials. Check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.

Braiding 101: The Easy Way

Step 1: Make the cream cheese layer

Step 2: Prepare the pastry

Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheet into a rectangle and spread the cream cheese mixture down the center leaving about 4 inches on each side. Cut each side into 1 inch strips. Top the cream cheese layer with berries.

Step 4: Assemble

Starting at one end, take a strip and fold it over at an angle, continue, alternating with each side.

Top with an egg wash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Place in the freezer for about five minutes to chill the pastry.

Bake until golden brown.

This braid tastes best warm or at room temperature. If you’ve got leftovers, a toaster oven brings it right back to life. I usually keep mine covered on the counter for a day, then slide any extras into the fridge or freezer.

This is the one I pull out when I’ve got overnight guests, it feels special without being over the top. A little coffee, maybe some bacon on the side, and suddenly breakfast feels like an occasion.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

Easy Braided Puff Pastry with Cream Cheese and Berries

Author: Barbara Curry

Flaky layers of puff pastry wrapped around a creamy filling and sweet berries, that’s all it takes to make this gorgeous braided puff pastry. It looks bakery-worthy but comes together in about 30 minutes. Whether you use fresh summer fruit or a bag of frozen, this berry puff pastry with cream cheese is the kind of recipe that works for brunch, holidays, or just when you want something special with your morning coffee.

4.93 from 14 votes

Print Pin

PREP: 20 minutes minutes

COOK: 30 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 sheet Puff Pastry
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 cup berries blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
• ▢ 1 egg white
• ▢ demerara sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375º.
• In a medium bowl add cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix with hand held mixer until smooth.
• Thaw puff pastry almost completely, it should be cold but not frozen. Roll out onto a piece of parchment paper into a 14 x 11 inch rectangle.
• Place cream cheese mixture down the center of the pastry lengthwise in a row about 2 inches wide. Add fruit to the top of the cream cheese mixture.
• With a sharp knife, cut the side of the pastry into 1 inch strips on both sides of the cream cheese layer. Beginning at the top of the dough, take one strip and pull it over the cream cheese at an angle. Do the same on the other side. Continue until the filling is covered.
• Mix egg white with a teaspoon of water and brush onto the braid. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Place onto a Jelly Roll pan to catch any juices and place in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool before eating.

Video

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

• You can use all of one berry or any combination of berries.
• Frozen berries will work.
• If the dough gets too soft, put the entire braid on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
• Roll the puff pastry onto parchment so that you can place it in the freezer for a few minutes before baking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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