Get ready to wow your taste buds! This Starbucks Turkey Sage Danish Copycat recipe brings all the savory goodness of the coffee shop classic right into your kitchen. With buttery puff pastry, a creamy sage béchamel sauce, and flavorful turkey filling, this recipe is your ticket to a cozy holiday treat without the Starbucks line.
💌 Want to Save This Recipe?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
The Turkey Sage Danish is a limited-edition treat from Starbucks' holiday menu-think warm, festive flavors that pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee.
This recipe uses my Cream Sauce Base to make the bechamel sauce for the filling. It's warm, creamy, and absolutely delicious!
Jump to:
If you want more copycat items on the holiday menu, check out my Dark Toffee Bunt, which also comes from the Starbucks menu!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Festive Flavors: Sage and roasted red peppers bring the holidays to every bite.
- Easy Elegance: Puff pastry makes it fancy, but it's super simple to assemble.
- Versatile: Perfect for brunch, a snack, or a light lunch.
- Kid-Friendly: A hit for picky eaters who love buttery pastry.
What is Starbucks Turkey Sage Danish
Starbucks introduced this savory Danish as part of their seasonal menu. It features flaky puff pastry filled with a rich sage-flavored béchamel and savory turkey sausage. While it's only available during the holidays, this copycat version lets you enjoy it any time of the year.
Key ingredients
These are the top three ingredients in this copycat recipe.
Sage: This herb is the star of the show, adding warm, earthy notes to the béchamel sauce.
Ground Turkey Sausage: Mild and juicy, turkey sausage brings a hearty, protein-packed filling.
Puff Pastry: The flaky, buttery base that makes this Danish irresistible and oh-so Starbucks-worthy.
Heather's helpful hints
- Don't skip the egg wash! It gives your pastry that beautiful golden glow.
- Make sure your puff pastry is fully thawed before unfolding it to avoid cracks.
- Don't overcook the béchamel sauce or it will become lumpy.
Step-by-step instructions
It's super easy to make this recipe! Here are the steps.
- Step 1: Make the béchamel cream sauce in a medium saucepan.
- Step 2: Combine the sausage, roasted red peppers, and béchamel sauce.
- Step 3: Sauté until cooked through.
- Step 4: Roll out the crescent dough, cut into four squares, and fill each with sausage mixture.
- Step 5: Gently fold the edges over the filling and brush the top with egg wash.
- Step 6: Sprinkle Italian seasoning over the top and bake until golden brown.
Variations
There are many different ways you can make this sage danish recipe, here are a couple of options.
- Cheesy Twist: The original Starbucks recipe does not have any cheese added. However, I think a sprinkle of parmesan cheese really elevates the taste. Several other reviews on TikTok have also mentioned the same thing!
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute turkey sausage with sautéed mushrooms or plant-based sausage.
Substitutions
Here are a couple of options for substitutions!
- Gluten-Free Puff Pastry: Swap regular puff pastry for a gluten-free version if needed.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use plant-based butter and milk for the béchamel.
Make ahead and storage
You can prepare the béchamel sauce and turkey filling a day in advance.
Store in the fridge and assemble the Danishes when ready to bake.
Once cooked, these keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheat in the oven to maintain crispiness.
Equipment
- Saucepan: For béchamel magic.
- Baking Sheet: To ensure even baking.
- Pastry Brush: Perfect for the egg wash application.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, they freeze beautifully for up to two months! Just reheat in the oven.
Absolutely. Use plant-based sausage or mushrooms instead of turkey.
Yes, it's key to the flaky, buttery layers that make this dish so special.
Related recipes
If you love this Starbucks Turkey Sage Danish Copycat recipe, don't miss these savory favorites:
Not sure what to try? Check out our complete recipe index to search for recipes, baking tips, and more!
Recipe
Starbucks Turkey Sage Danish
Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
Puff Pastry and Turkey Filling
- ½ cup ground turkey sausage
- ¼ cup roasted red bell peppers finely chopped
- 1 package puff pastry one sheet
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning for garnish
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes before baking your danish. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Béchamel Sage Sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once bubbling, stir in the flour and whisk until a golden-colored paste forms, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Whisking constantly over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. The sauce will begin to thicken at this point.
- Turn the heat down to low, and whisk continuously as the sauce simmers on low for about five minutes. While simmering, add the salt, pepper, and sage.
- In a separate skillet, remove the sausage from the casing and saute until fully cooked. Add the roasted red pepper and bechamel sauce from the saucepan. Stir everything together in the skillet and simmer on low for 2-3 minutes.
Assembling the Danishes
- Unthaw the puff pastry using the instructions on the box. Unfold the puff pastry and cut it into four squares (about 4 x 4 inches). Place the pastry squares on the baking sheet.
- Spoon about two to three tablespoons of the sage béchamel sauce into the center of each pastry square. Fold two opposite edges together, and pinch to keep them closed.
- Beat the egg and water in a small bowl and brush it onto the top of the pastry for a golden finish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake at 400 degrees until pastry is puffed and edges are golden brown, about 14-16 minutes.
Notes and Tips
- Optional: the original Starbucks recipe does not have any cheese added. However, I think a sprinkle of parmesan cheese really elevates the taste. Several other reviews on TikTok have also mentioned the same thing!
- This menu item was added as a part of the 2024 Starbucks holiday lineup.
- The bechamel sauce in this recipe, is the same as my cream sauce base!
Kim says
I had to giggle because your instructions say to unthaw. I used to say that until my husband pointed out that it meant to freeze! Thaw is the correct term. ❤️
Heather says
I had to chuckle when I read this, Kim! I even shared it with my husband, haha! You are absolutely correct… I feel like I’ve been saying this incorrectly for YEARS?! Thanks for pointing this out with humor and empathy :)
Caroline T. says
These are AMAZING!! Can you freeze these and microwave later? What’s the best way to store them and reheat? Thanks!
Heather says
Hi Caroline! I'm so glad that you enjoy them! I absolutely have frozen mine! I've frozen them and wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I found that defrosting in the refrigerator overnight and then placing them in the oven to re-crisp gave me a similar texture. I did 350 for 5-10 minutes. BUT... I also have just popped it in the microwave after defrosting too! I think in the microwave it gets a little soggier, but honestly I didn't really mind. I think you'd be safe either way!
Kat says
This recipe is so spot on imo. I ended up just using Jimmy Dean Turkey sausge crumbles because I had them, and making the béchamel sauce together with it. It saved me some steps. But overall this recipe is perfection. I will never buy them again. For my $15 in ingredients to make this (I didn’t get anything but the puff pastry on sale) I was able to make 8 really big danishes and if I made them slightly smaller could have made 12 total. At Starbucks price of $5.25 I saved a ton of money. Recipe is super fast and was in the oven in under ten min. Really could not be happier with this recipe. So grateful to you for sharing it!
Heather says
Hi Kat, thanks so much for your review! And great thinking on the JD turkey crumbles! I hope you have a fantastic New Year!
Ericka says
This recipe is 10s across the board! I scoured the internet relentlessly and took notes from other recipes on IG and TikTok, but none of them were quite right, from my perspective. Just when I was going to try to develop my own through my notes, I came across your blog and couldn’t be happier! This recipe is perfect AND includes the red bell peppers that most seem to miss. I doubled the recipe, froze them, and they came out nicely reheated in the oven. Excited to be able to have Starbucks Turkey Sage Danishes all year ‘round now :) Thank you so much!
Heather says
Hi Ericka! I'm so glad you loved this recipe! Great idea doubling the recipe and freezing them! Thanks so much for commenting, and Happy New Year!
Mary says
Hi heather! Do I make the filling and wait to assemble if I’m making ahead and storing in fridge for a few hours? Or can I assemble completely, store for 2 hours then bake?
Heather says
Hi Mary, I would make the filling and wait to assemble right before baking. This will also give your filling time to cool down. It all comes together really quickly once you're ready to assemble!
Steph says
How well would these freeze? Any tips?
Heather says
Hi Steph, you definitely can freeze them but this type of laminated pastry is never quite as tasty when reheated. Here's what I would do... bake them, fully cool, and then double wrap in plastic wrap. To reheat, I'd leave them in the fridge overnight to come to room temperature. Then reheat in the oven to get the crispy outside (as opposed to soggy from the microwave). It won't take long in the oven to reheat, so I'd start check at 5 minutes.
Phyllis says
I love that you got this recipe out for the 2024 holiday menu! Thanks so much!
Heather says
Absolutely! This is hands down one of my favorites!