Easy Apple Strudel

I love all things apple and have a love affair with my apple dumpling recipe but sometimes I want an apple treat that’s a little easier to make and that’s where this apple strudel comes in.

Apple strudel is a classic pastry that originated in Austria, Vienna, specifically, which is a city that knows its pastries. The traditional version has a cozy-spiced apple filling wrapped in a thinly stretched dough and baked until golden brown and fabulously flaky.

The traditional version is delicious, but making the dough from scratch and rolling it out paper-thin is kind of not my style.

So that’s where this easy apple strudel recipe comes in. It uses store-bought puff pastry, which eliminates the need for making the dough, and while you do roll it, it’s not rolled out so thin that it’s hard to handle. The filling is made with simple, readily available ingredients, so combine the two and you’ve got an epic fall recipe to serve up for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or anytime in between. 

Yes, you will definitely want to eat this all day long. If you have leftover puff pastry try these Apple Turnovers, too!

Ingredients for Easy Apple Strudel

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Apples – I use a Granny Smith apple and 2 honeycrisp apples but any variety of apple will work.
• Light Brown Sugar –  Brown Sugar add sweetness and moisture to the filling, along with a note of caramel. I love using light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
• Spices – Cinnamon and ground nutmeg are classic fall but you can use ground cardamom, allspice or your favorite warm spices.
• Kosher Salt – Salt balances out the sweetness and brightens the flavor of the filling.
• Lemon Juice – A little acidity helps keep the apples from browning and adds freshness to the filling.
• Raisins – Not a fan of raisins, you can leave these out.
• Flour – All-purpose flour thickens the filling to keep it from making the puff pastry soggy.
• Frozen Puff Pastry – Not to be confused with phyllo or crescent roll dough, puff pastry dough bakes up flakey and buttery. 
• Egg – Large egg is whisked to create a simple egg wash, this creates a nice golden sheen on the outside of the apple strudel.
• Turbinado Sugar – Or other coarse sugar. This adds crunch and sweetness to the exterior.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to Make Apple Strudel

1. Make the filling. Toss the apples with the brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, raisins and flour. 
2. Roll out the dough. Use a rolling pin and roll each sheet of puff pastry into 10×12 rectangle.
3. Add the filling. Divide the apples between the two sheets of dough.
4. Seal the strudels. Cut the dough into strips and fold them across the apple mixture to create a braided look. Brush water on the ends of the strips to get them to stick and create a seal.
5. Add the egg wash and sugar. Brush with a mixture of egg and water, then sprinkle the sugar on top.
6. Bake. Bake the apple strudels on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400ºF for 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Glaze it. Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla together and drizzle over the cooled strudel, if desired.

Tips for Making Apple Strudel

• Peel the apples. When you bake apples, the skins can be an unpleasant contrast to the tender apple flesh (that’s the worst word, isn’t it?), so I recommend peeling them.
• Don’t forget to thaw the puff pastry. Thaw puff pastry in the fridge overnight or according to package directions before using it. While you can thaw it faster at room temperature, I find that it doesn’t thaw evenly this way, thawing in the refrigerator is better.
• Don’t overstuff. It’s important not to put too much filling in the strudel or it will be difficult to seal up, and could potentially burst open during baking.
• Cool before glazing. Let the apple strudel cool completely before adding the glaze, otherwise it will seep in and/or drip off the pastry. 
• Freeze one for later. This recipe makes two apple strudels, so if you’re not going to eat both, you can wrap one in plastic and then foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Variations and Baking Tips

• Add pears. Keep the Granny Smith apple and swap a firm but sweet pear variety for the honeycrisps for a slightly different flavor.
• Make the raisins boozy. Soak them in spiced rum for a few hours before making the filling. YES!
• Add some nuts. Pecans or walnuts would be a nice crunchy addition to the filling.
• Change up the spices. Cardamom is always nice with apples, or swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for an equal amount of apple pie spice.

Serving Suggestions

• Ice cream. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is the perfect complement to the warm, spiced apple filling of the strudel.
• Whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream adds a light, airy texture and creamy flavor that pairs beautifully with the crisp, buttery pastry.
• Caramel sauce. Skip the glaze and drizzle a bit of caramel sauce over the top of the strudel once you plate it. Adding candied pecans would be delicious too!

More Apple Recipes

• Cinnamon Apple Bread
• Apple Galette
• Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
• Apple Dumpling Recipe
• Crock Pot Apple Crisp Recipe
• Caramel Apple Nachos
• Apple Cobbler
• Easy Candy Apple Recipe // Video

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