The Delicious Cheesecake Pastry That You Can Make For Under $10

You don't need to go to French pastry school to craft an upscale dessert with all the bells and whistles of a world class bakery — from the comfort of your pants-optional kitchen. Bite into a buttery, flaky pastry crust bursting with gooey, cheesy filling, all while balling on a zero-flair budget. How do you do it? A can of strawberry pie filling, cream cheese, and store-bought puff pastry for ten bucks. (Nailing the fancy plaited look with zero braiding talent? Priceless.)

Just mix your pie filling and cream cheese together in a bowl, lay your pastry out on a flat surface, slice the outer edges into one-inch-wide fringe, and layer your filling over the solid center part of your pastry. Fold in the edge strips, overlapping them slice-by-slice; Then, a final brush with an egg wash keeps things glued together for an irresistibly shiny, golden crust straight out of the oven.

An easy stunner that serves as a special treat, according to TikTok and Instagram, this braided cheesecake pastry riffs on the traditional Danish wienerbrød (Keep that one in your back pocket), that comes filled with everything from custard and jam to marzipan or brown sugared apples. While the lusciously soft cream cheese add-on is a decidedly tangy diversion from the strictly sweet OG, we definitely recommend taking a page out of the Scandi living playbook and enjoying this one as part of a divinely delicious breakfast (You'll be hashtag hygge with a hot cup of coffee).

Once you've successfully baked the easiest braided cheesecake pastry ever invented, you can make it your own with a few upgrades, filling swaps, and — oh yes — toppings galore. Keep it simple by switching up the strawberry pie filling for canned cherry, caramel apple, blueberry, blackberry, or zesty lemon fillings. Philadelphia brand's no-bake cheesecake filling makes a creamy canvas for folding in yuzu or rhubarb curd, guava paste, caramelized pears, sugar plums, or pan-fried bananas.

If you want to go the fresh fruit route, think seasonal and local. Harvest-ready berries, apples, or peaches pack the most flavor to play off that cream-cheesy filling. As you prep your fruit, it's also key to take the natural moisture in the fresh-picked stuff down a notch — by gently simmering it with sugar for a jam or compote, or patting individual slices dry — so your pastry doesn't end up with one of those notorious "British Bake Off" soggy bottoms.

Of course, any proper star of the bakery case must serve a sense of occasion. Sprinkle your confection with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, sanding sugar, slivered almonds, or a drizzle of vanilla glaze, and you'll be the envy of everyone — including the entire scratch-made bakery selection at Costco. Not that we're comparing ourselves to the Kirkland Signature Cream Cheese Danish or anything, but ... also we kind of are. If you can whip up a braided cheesecake pastry for $10, you'll never get stuck waiting for your favorite goodie to be restocked, ever again.