Keto Cream Cheese Danish
Published August 12, 2022 • Updated March 11, 2026
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I make this cream cheese danish when I want a real pastry with my morning coffee. Light, airy meringue-based dough with a sweet cheesecake filling, and only 1 gram of net carb per serving.
I spent years testing pastry recipes before I landed on this one. Most low carb versions out there rely on fathead dough, which is mozzarella melted into almond flour, and I’ve never been happy with mozzarella in a sweet pastry. It tastes like pizza, not breakfast. So I built this keto cream cheese danish around a meringue-based dough instead. The texture is completely different. Light, puffy, with that thin crisp edge on the outside that cracks a little when you bite in. No chewiness, no stretchy cheese texture, just a real pastry.
The filling is essentially a no-bake cheesecake. Sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla, and an egg yolk for richness, all mixed until smooth and scooped right into the center before baking. That cheesecake center neutralizes any egginess from the meringue dough, which was one of my main goals when I developed this recipe. I drizzle a lemon icing over the top once they come out, and at that point you’re looking at something that belongs in a bakery case. One gram of net carb per danish.
I like setting up a full spread on weekend mornings. These danishes alongside a jelly danish, some bagels with everything seasoning, and a pot of strong coffee. My family doesn’t even register that any of it is keto. They just see breakfast. If you want something fruity to round it out, my lemon blueberry muffins pair well with the lemon icing on these.
A few readers have started stirring sugar-free jam into the filling before baking, and I’ve tried it myself. Strawberry and raspberry both work. I tested blueberry after a reader suggested it, and the lemon juice already in the filling makes the blueberry pop. That combination is good enough that I almost made a separate recipe for it, but you can just swirl a spoonful of any sugar-free preserve in and skip the extra recipe.
The meringue is what sets this apart from every other version. Whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks and folding gently (I count about 12-15 strokes and stop, even when it looks undermixed) gives you a dough that puffs up in the oven and actually holds. I use almond flour and a zero carb whey protein powder to replace the traditional flour. The protein powder is what makes it work. I’ve tested whey isolate against plant-based options, and whey isolate wins every time for this kind of baking. If you’ve never worked with meringue before, the tips below walk through exactly how I get it right.
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Keto Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients
1 egg yolk -
4 oz cream cheese, softened
-
3 tablespoons powdered sugar free sweetener
-
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
-
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Keto Pastry Dough Ingredients
-
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
-
2 tablespoons unflavored zero carb protein powder
-
2 tablespoons almond flour
-
2 oz cream cheese, softened
-
1 tablespoon sugar free sweetener
-
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Sugar Free Icing Ingredients
-
3 tablespoons powdered sugar free sweetener
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1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
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1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Make cream cheese filling
To a medium bowl, add one egg yolk, cream cheese, sugar free sweetener, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until creamy and smooth. Set aside.
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (sugar-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Separate the eggs
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and place each in a clean, dry small bowl.
- 3 eggs
Yolk mixture
To the bowl with the egg yolks, add in low-carb protein powder, almond flour, softened cream cheese and sugar-free sweetener. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons protein powder
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tablespoon sugar free sweetener
Make meringue
To the bowl with egg whites, mix with a clean and dry electric mixer at a low medium speed until the mixture turns frothy. Add in the cream of tartar and turn the speed of the mixer up to high, continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Fold together
Carefully fold the yolk mixture into the egg meringue until combined.
Scoop, form, fill and bake
Scoop about ¼ cup of batter on a parchment lined baking tray spacing about 1 ½ inches apart. Using the back of a spoon make a well in the center of each danish batter to make room for the filling. Scoop a few tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the center of the well. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
Drizzle icing
To make the icing, combine powdered sweetener, lemon juice and whipping cream. Adjust the amount of whipping cream to create a thin icing capable of drizzling. Drizzle over danishes.
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (sugar-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add fruit to the filling?
I've tested this with sugar-free strawberry and raspberry jam, and both work. Just stir about a tablespoon into the filling before scooping. My favorite so far is blueberry. The lemon juice already in the filling makes the berry flavor brighter, not sweeter. Don't use fresh fruit though. The moisture will make the pastry soggy.
Why did my danish deflate after cooling?
Some deflation is normal as they cool down. If yours went completely flat, the issue is almost always the fold. When I combine the yolk mixture into the meringue, I do about 12-15 slow strokes and stop, even when it still looks undermixed. Overfold and you lose the air that makes the pastry rise. The meringue should still look foamy when you stop.
Can I make these the night before?
I'd make the filling ahead but bake them morning of. The pastry softens overnight in the fridge and the meringue doesn't hold its texture. I've tried it both ways, and fresh-baked wins by a wide margin. The filling keeps in the fridge for 2 days, so prep that whenever you have a spare minute. If you want something you can fully prep the night before, my french toast holds up overnight in the fridge.
What protein powder works best in this recipe?
I use Isopure Zero Carb unflavored whey protein powder. I've tested whey isolate against plant-based options in this dough, and whey isolate gives a better rise and cleaner texture every time. Plant-based left the pastry slightly dense. Whatever brand you pick, make sure it's unflavored and zero carb.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I haven't tested this specific recipe with coconut flour, but my general keto baking rule is that coconut flour absorbs way more liquid than almond flour. You'd need roughly a quarter of the amount (about 1.5 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons). I'd stick with almond flour here since the ratio is already dialed in.
How do I get the pastry off the parchment without tearing?
Let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before you try to peel them. They're fragile right out of the oven and will tear if you rush it. After 10 minutes, they firm up enough to lift cleanly. I use a thin spatula underneath to help release the edges first. Icing goes on when they're warm but not hot, around 15 minutes out of the oven.
What can I use instead of cream cheese?
Mascarpone is my go-to substitute. It has the same thick texture and rich flavor, just slightly less tang. I've used it when I ran out and the filling was just as smooth. Avoid flavored or sweetened varieties since they have added sugars that throw off the carb count.
Can I add extracts to the dough?
I haven't tried it in this specific recipe, but almond extract would be a natural fit with the almond flour already in the dough. Start with 1/4 teaspoon. Vanilla works too if you want a warmer, bakery-style flavor. I'd add either one to the yolk mixture, not the meringue.
I've tried probably four or five different keto danish recipes over the past year, and most of them nail the filling but the dough is always the problem. Either it collapses in the middle, goes rubbery, or just bakes into something that's clearly an egg situation masquerading as pastry. This one is genuinely different. The meringue base holds structure the way real danish dough does, which I wasn't expecting at all when I read through the method. The lemon in the cream cheese filling is a small thing, but it cuts through the sweetness enough that the whole thing doesn't taste like a keto workaround. I've made it three Saturdays in a row now. Nothing else I've found at 1 gram net carb per serving comes anywhere close on texture.
Three Saturdays in a row. The 'not an egg situation' part is exactly what I was working toward. Took more testing rounds than I'd like to admit.
I've been making these on Sunday as part of my weekly breakfast prep, and the meringue dough had me nervous because I figured it would deflate or go rubbery by day three. Stored them on parchment in an airtight container and they're still holding shape by day four. The filling actually tastes better cold, more like a proper cheesecake bite than when it's fresh out of the oven. One note: I use monk fruit and scaled back the sweetener slightly in the filling because of the cooling finish, which helped a lot.
Four days still holding is wild, I've never gotten past two. Parchment inside the container, that's the part I keep skipping. Monk fruit at full strength gets that bitter cooling thing when it's cold, so scaling back makes sense.
This was a hit with my fiancé who has recently decided to join me on the low carb side of the fence! He LOVED these. I did add a lot more sweetener to everything because that how we roll. But otherwise it was a beautiful and delicious sweet treat that could be served at any occasion! Next time I wanna try some keto jelly as others posted, and maybe experiment with the different types of icing that could be drizzled on top. But honestly very good as it is!
ALSO: I love this app! It's the first time I've ever made a recipe from it, but I guarantee you I'll be bookmarking it. Thank you for the easy step-by-step instructions, layout and pictures! A new favorite! Thank you!
Converting a non-keto partner is genuinely the best. The jelly goes right in the filling, just stir about a tablespoon into the cream cheese before scooping. Blueberry is my favorite in this one.
Was not convinced whipping egg whites into a meringue was going to give me anything resembling a danish, but the second these came out of the oven I got it. That filling, the lemon coming through just slightly, it tastes like something from a bakery case.
That lemon is only 1/2 teaspoon but pull it out and the filling is just sweet cream cheese. The meringue gets everyone.
Fourth time making these and the meringue dough still kind of blows my mind. Folding the yolk mixture in feels like it should wreck everything, but it just doesn't. You end up with something actually light, not dense-and-pretending-to-be-light, which is basically every other keto pastry I've ever made. That little hit of lemon in the filling is the detail that makes it taste like it came out of a real bakery case.
Still surprises me too. 12 slow folds and it holds. More than that and it starts to lose the lift.
Brought these to a spring brunch last weekend and said nothing about them being keto. Someone picked one up and asked if I'd stopped at a bakery on the way over. The meringue dough has this puffed, glossy look that just reads "pastry case." When I finally admitted they were homemade and one gram of carbs each, she looked at me like I'd pulled off a trick.
The glossy top does all the convincing before anyone takes a bite. Then the one gram thing hits and you get that look.
My daughter asked if she could take these to her spring fundraiser breakfast. Coming from the kid who sniffs out every keto swap I make, that's the review I needed. The cream cheese filling is rich and that tiny bit of lemon makes it taste like actual danish, not a recreation.
The sniff-test kid wanting to bring them to a fundraiser. That's a better endorsement than anything I could say.
Added a splash of vanilla to the meringue itself (not just the filling) and it tasted like an actual bakery danish.
Hadn't tried vanilla in the meringue itself, I always kept it just in the filling. But if that's what pushes it into actual bakery territory I'm doing that next batch.
One thing I figured out on batch three: cream cheese needs to be genuinely at room temp before you start the filling, not just 'sat out for ten minutes' room temp. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy. When it hits the meringue you end up with chunks you can't fold out without deflating everything. I microwave mine 10 seconds, stir, 10 more if needed. It pipes right into the wells without a fight and the layers stay distinct after baking.
Microwave works. 10 seconds, stir, see where it's at. I do the same when I forget to pull it out ahead of time (which is most times).
That little bit of lemon in the filling is what got me (it's exactly how the danish from the bakery near my parents' house tasted) and I thought I'd given that up for good.
That lemon was almost cut from the final recipe. Glad I left it in.
One thing I wish someone had told me: pull the cream cheese out at least 30 minutes before you start. My first attempt had tiny lumps in the filling because I tried to shortcut it, and the second batch was completely smooth. I also started adding an extra squeeze of lemon to the filling (basically doubled what the recipe calls for) and it makes the cheesecake layer taste brighter, less one-note sweet. For the meringue, make sure your bowl and beaters are bone dry or the whites just won't cooperate. These are my Sunday morning thing now, especially since they come in at 1 gram of net carbs and still feel like an actual breakfast pastry.
Cold cream cheese is exactly why people tell me they got lumps. The dry bowl thing for meringue is real too - one drop of water and you're starting over.
Stirred a spoonful of sugar-free raspberry jam into the filling. With the lemon juice already in there, it works surprisingly well. Didn't mess with the texture either.
Raspberry is one of my go-tos for this. The lemon does exactly what you said, it just lifts the berry flavor. A spoonful is the right amount too, more and it starts to get a little watery in the filling.
I've never separated eggs before and was fully prepared to mess this up, but the meringue came together better than I expected (hand mixer on the lowest setting, took maybe 3 minutes to get stiff peaks). Watched it puff up in the oven and kept checking through the glass like I was waiting for test results. The cream cheese filling set up perfectly and the whole thing actually looked like what I thought it was going to look like, which felt like a real win for a first attempt. One question: mine deflated a bit after cooling, is that normal or did I fold too aggressively when combining the yolk mixture in?
Little bit of deflation is normal, they always come down some as they cool. If yours went pretty flat though, probably the fold. I do maybe 12-15 slow strokes and stop even when it looks like it needs more.
I don't usually bake keto stuff because recipes always seem more complicated than they look, but 1g net carb stopped me mid-scroll. The meringue step had me nervous (I've never separated eggs without accidentally breaking a yolk into the whites), but it came together faster than I expected and actually held. The filling tasted like actual cheesecake filling. Genuinely surprised. Can these be made the night before, or does the pastry texture suffer in the fridge?
Make the filling ahead, bake them morning of. The pastry softens overnight in the fridge, meringue doesn't hold up great. Ten minutes of actual work and they're fresh.
Ok so I stirred a small spoonful of strawberry jam into the cream cheese filling before piping and now I cannot go back. It marbled through the cheesecake center and looked like something you'd pull out of a bakery case, which felt absurd on a random Tuesday snow day. The egg white meringue situation had me nervous before I started (I've collapsed meringue-based things before) but the shell puffed up beautifully and the outside got this thin crisp layer while the inside stayed soft. My husband came into the kitchen and asked what I ordered. We went through the whole batch before noon. I'm going to try blueberry jam next time and honestly I think this is going to be a standing snow day tradition.
Ha, the husband asking what you ordered is the real five stars. Blueberry next, yes. The lemon in the filling plays better with blueberry anyway.