This Easy Apple Strudel recipe is made with pre-made puff pastry, making it a quick and impressive dessert that never fails to deliver. You will love the delicious flavor of thinly sliced apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar wrapped in buttery, flaky pastry. What I love about this recipe is how quickly it comes together without the fuss of making pastry dough from scratch!
When it comes to pre-made bakery shortcuts, store-bought puff pastry is my absolute favorite! Who can resist those rich, flaky layers? Don't get me wrong, I love baking from scratch, but sometimes you don't have time for the extensive lamination required for homemade dough. That is where ready-to-use puff pastry from the refrigerator or freezer section comes in handy.
Table of contents
Whether you prefer a decorative braided top or a classic rustic fold, this impressive treat comes together effortlessly with a simple strudel icing drizzle. If you love easy apple treats for breakfast or dessert, be sure to check out my Easy Apple Danishes, Apple Muffins, or Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls next!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No Stovetop Cooking: Macerating the thinly sliced apples drains off excess moisture naturally so you don't have to cook them beforehand or make a cornstarch slurry.
- 2 Folding Techniques: Choose between a gorgeous braided wrap or a classic bakery envelope fold!
- Crispy, Flaky Pastry: Store-bought puff pastry gives you multi-layer bakery quality with zero hassle.
- Simple Strudel Glaze: Includes a simple vanilla icing drizzle that elevates every bite.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pink Lady Apples: Pink Lady apples are my absolute favorite for this strudel! They hold their shape beautifully when baked and have the perfect balance of sweet and slightly tart flavor. If you don't have Pink Lady apples on hand, any firm baking apple like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Granny Smith will work great.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note to the filling while drawing out the apple's natural juices. You can easily substitute an equal amount of granulated white sugar if that's what you have in your pantry.
- Warm Spices: A blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg gives this filling that warm, classic bakery spice. Shortcut Tip: You can swap all three spices for 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice!
- Puff Pastry: 1 package, with 2 sheets, of pre-made puff pastry, thawed according to package directions.
- Egg Wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water to give the pastry its shiny, deep golden crust.
- Strudel Icing: A quick blend of powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon for drizzling over the top.
How To Make Easy Apple Strudel
Here is a quick visual step-by-step overview before you begin! You can choose between two easy shaping methods for your strudel.
Step 1: Prep the Filling & Pastry
Thinly slice the apples and toss with lemon juice and half of the brown sugar. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain off all excess liquid to keep your crust crispy. Stir in the remaining brown sugar, warm spices, and vanilla extract. Lightly roll your thawed puff pastry out to roughly 10x12-inch rectangles.
Method A: The Braided Fold
Place spiced apples down the center third. Trim away the top corner squares and cut diagonal strips along the sides. Fold the top edge down, then alternate crossing left and right strips over the center. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling before crossing the final strips over it to lock everything inside. Brush gently with egg wash before baking.
Method B: The Simple Fold & Crimp
Mound spiced apples on one half of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the top half straight over to cover. Crimp edges tightly with a fork, cut 3 small steam slits across the top, and brush with egg wash.
Step 3: Bake & Glaze
Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden brown and flaky. Let cool completely, then drizzle generously with the simple strudel glaze!
How To Make Easy Strudel Icing (Glaze)
A simple vanilla glaze is the ultimate finishing touch that transforms this puff pastry apple strudel from a home-baked treat into a total bakery-style showstopper!
To make the icing, simply whisk powdered sugar with a splash of milk, vanilla extract, and a tiny dash of cinnamon until it reaches a smooth, drizzly consistency. If your glaze feels a little too thick to pour, add milk a teaspoon at a time until it thins out. If it turns out too runny, just whisk in a bit more powdered sugar!
💡 Pro Tip for Drizzles: Make sure your baked strudel has cooled completely before adding the icing. If the pastry is still warm out of the oven, the glaze will melt right into the crust instead of holding those pretty drizzle lines! For clean, professional-looking zigzags, spoon the glaze into a piping bag or small zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner off, and pipe it right across the top.
Pairing Suggestion-If you're serving this warm apple strudel as a cozy fall dessert, it pairs wonderfully after a hearty, comforting dinner! Try serving it following a bowl of our rich, creamy Loaded Potato Soup for the ultimate autumn meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sogginess happens when excess liquid from the apples gets trapped in the bottom layers of puff pastry. Macerating the sliced apples with lemon juice and brown sugar draws out that natural moisture. Straining off that liquid before adding the remaining sugar, spices, and vanilla is the secret to a crisp, flaky bottom crust!
Nope! Because Pink Lady apples are sliced thinly, they bake up perfectly tender inside the puff pastry during its 25 to 30 minutes in a 400°F oven. Skipping the stove step saves time and keeps the apple slices from turning into mush.
You can prep the filling and thaw your pastry ahead of time, but for the best flaky texture, assemble and bake the strudel right before serving. Baked puff pastry is always at its crispest on day one!
Storage & Reheating Tips
- Refrigerator: Store baked strudel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- How to Reheat: To get that freshly baked crunch back, reheat individual slices in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as it will make the puff pastry soft and chewy rather than flaky!
- Freezing: You can freeze baked, un-glazed strudel slices in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven before drizzling with fresh glaze!
I hope you love this Easy Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry! Which folding technique are you trying first, the braid or the simple crimp? Let me know in the comments below!
-Sky🩷
If you tried this Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comment section below!
FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay connected!
📖 Recipe
Easy Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry 2 sheets
- 3 large apples peeled & thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus a little water for egg wash
Strudel Icing
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 dash cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss the thinly sliced apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and half of the brown sugar (1 tablespoon). Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Pour the apples into a colander or strain off all excess liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the bowl. Return the apples to the bowl and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Unroll your thawed puff pastry sheets onto the prepared baking sheets. Lightly roll each sheet out to roughly a 10x12-inch rectangle. Keep refrigerated until ready to fill.
- Assemble (Choose Method A or Method B)Method A: The Braided Fold: Arrange half of the drained apple filling down the center third of one pastry sheet. Cut out and remove the top two outer dough corner squares. Cut diagonal strips (about ¾-inch wide) along both outer sides of the pastry. (See pictures above for reference.) Fold the top edge down over the filling, then alternate crossing a left strip and a right strip over the center to form a braid. When you near the bottom, fold the bottom rectangle flap straight up over the bottom of the apples, then cross the remaining braided strips right over that bottom flap to lock and seal the filling inside completely.
- Method B: The Simple Fold & Crimp: Pile half of the drained apple filling onto one half of the pastry sheet, leaving a clear 1-inch border along the edges. Brush with eggwash. Fold the empty half of the pastry straight over the apples to align the edges. Press the edges together firmly and crimp with the tines of a fork to seal tight. Cut 3 small diagonal slits across the top for steam vents.
- Egg Wash: In a small dish, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Gently brush the egg wash evenly over the tops of both strudels.Bake: Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed, flaky, and deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon until smooth. Drizzle generously over the cooled strudels before slicing and serving!
Comments
No Comments