This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Made using store-bought puff pastry, this easy apple strudel recipe is packed with tart apples, sweet brown sugar, and plenty of warm spices. Puff pastry apple strudel is sure to become a fall favorite!
I can’t believe there was a time when I was intimidated by the idea of working with puff pastry.
I think it was because desserts made with puff pastry look so fancy, so they have to be hard to make, right? Wrong!
A package of store-bought puff pastry can be a super great shortcut for making some really delicious, easy recipes. Puff pastry cinnamon rolls, puff pastry danishes, and cherry turnovers are some of my favorite recipes to make with the stuff.
Right now I am really into this puff pastry apple strudel. It’s already become one of my new favorite fall brunch recipes, and I have a feeling it’ll make it onto my Thanksgiving breakfast menu, too.
Why you’ll love this easy apple strudel recipe
Strudel is a popular European pastry made of a sweet filling wrapped in a super thin dough.
Homemade strudel dough is delicious, but isn’t something that I have the time or energy to make most of the time. But luckily, we can make a delicious shortcut apple strudel with sheets of puff pastry.
Puff pastry and strudel dough are definitely different, so your puff pastry apple strudel is going to be different than a traditional Austrian or German apple strudel. But it’s a great option for days when you want a delicious brunch or dessert in a fraction of the time.
This recipe is also great for holidays because it can be assembled ahead of time, frozen, and baked when you’re ready to enjoy it. You know we love a good make-ahead recipe around here!
Serve this puff pastry apple strudel as part of a fall brunch spread or top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple but beautiful dessert. There’s no wrong time to enjoy a slice!
How to make puff pastry apple strudel
Ingredients you’ll need
If you’ve made many of my other apple recipes, you probably already have a lot of the ingredients needed for this puff pastry apple strudel.
For the strudel itself, you will need:
- 3 large Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced)
- ¾ cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste pure vanilla extract
- 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to package directions)
I like using Granny Smith apples for the strudel filling. The tartness of the apples keeps the strudel from becoming too sweet, and they are super crisp so they hold up well to baking.
Other apples that would work well are honeycrisp apples, golden delicious, jonagold, or pink lady apples.
Using a 3-in-1 peeler/corer/slicer makes it really quick and easy to prepare the apples, but you can do that by hand, too.
I love the flavor that brown sugar adds to the filling. If you are out of brown sugar, you can use a brown sugar substitute.
Apple pie spice has all of the warm spices that we need to complement the flavor of the apples. If you don’t have apple pie spice, you can use pumpkin pie spice or just cinnamon instead.
Make sure the puff pastry sheets are thawed but still cold. Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to work with them.
You will also need an egg and 1 tablespoon of milk for an egg wash.
I like to finish the apple strudel with a vanilla glaze. For this, I use:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons milk
Making this recipe
Prepare the apple filling by tossing the apple slices gently with the brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, salt, and vanilla. Set this aside.
Unfold one sheet of the puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a rectangle about 10×12 inches. It’s ok if it’s not exact! Just try to get it close.
At this point, I like to move the pastry onto a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. This will make it easier to move the strudel once it’s assembled.
Place half of the filling lengthwise down the middle third of the pastry. Leave a 1-inch border at the top and bottom edges.
Now you’ll make the pastry strips that will fold over the filling.
Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or dough blade and make cuts on the edges of the pastry every 1 to 1 1/2 inches at a slight angle perpendicular to the filling.
The top and bottom corners won’t form a full strip—you can discard these corners.
Fold the top and bottom edges of the pastry over the filling, then fold the strips over from the top down, alternating sides so that the strips slightly overlap in the center. This will create a “braided” effect.
If you haven’t already, use the parchment paper to move the assembled strudel to a rimmed baking sheet.
Repeat this process with the second sheet of puff pastry and the rest of the filling.
Before baking, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush this over the tops of both strudels. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Some of the juice from the apples will seep out of the sides during baking; that’s totally normal!
Let the apple strudels cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Let them cool another 5 minutes while you make the glaze.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk so that you can drizzle the glaze over the pastries. Top the strudels with the glaze and let it set for a few minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Make-ahead instructions
This recipe uses two sheets of puff pastry so you will get two apple strudels. This means you can share one with a friend, feed a crowd, or freeze one of the strudels for later!
If you want to assemble the strudels ahead of time and freeze to bake later, follow the assembly instructions as listed, stopping just before you add the egg wash.
Instead of egg washing and baking, place the sheet pan with the assembled strudel in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until solid.
Once frozen, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready to bake, unwrap the frozen strudel, place on a lined rimmed baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and bake according to the recipe instructions. You may need to an extra 5 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
I use this same technique for freezing apple turnovers, too!
Storing puff pastry apple strudel
Store leftovers of your puff pastry apple strudel in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The pastry won’t be as crisp as it was when freshly baked, but it’ll still be delicious.
You can reheat slices of the strudel in a toaster oven or for 15-30 seconds in the microwave if you’d like.
Puff Pastry Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- ¾ cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed according to package directions (1 (17.3-ounce) package)
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ to 3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper, each large enough to cover the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently toss the apple slices with the brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, salt, and vanilla until the apples are well coated. Set aside.3 large Granny Smith apples, ¾ cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons apple pie spice, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Unfold one sheet of the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, leaving the second sheet in the refrigerator until you are ready to work with it. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry to a rectangle approximately 10×12 inches in size. Transfer the pastry onto one of the parchment paper sheets.2 sheets puff pastry
- Place half of the apple filling lengthwise down the center third of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Starting at the top, use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or dough blade to make cuts on both sides of the pastry every 1 to 1 ½ inches at a slight downward angle perpendicular to the filling. Discard the top and bottom corners of the pastry that don’t form a full strip.
- Fold the top and bottom edges of the pastry over the filling, then fold the strips over from the top down, alternating sides so that the strips slightly overlap in the center.
- Use the parchment paper to carefully transfer the strudel to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat the process with the second sheet of pastry and the remaining filling.
- Whisk the egg and milk together to create an egg wash. Brush this over the tops of both of the strudels.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon milk
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Some of the juice from the filling will likely seep out during baking; this is normal.
- Allow strudels to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool an additional 5 minutes before preparing the optional glaze.
- To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. The consistency should allow you to drizzle the glaze over the strudel. If it is too thick add a bit more milk about ½ teaspoon at a time to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the strudels and allow to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, 2 ½ to 3 teaspoons milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
