This easy Apple Strudel Recipe uses store-bought puff pastry dough, fresh apples, golden raisins, and an easy four-ingredient cinnamon glaze. It is amazingly easy to make and perfect with that hot cup of coffee early in the morning.
This picture-perfect, tasty treat is ideal for brunches and lazy long weekend breakfasts. For my holiday brunches, I love to serve it with a hashbrown breakfast casserole and homemade biscuits and gravy.
Fall is my absolute favorite season. There is just so much to love about it. I adore the cool, crisp nights, the bright colored leaves and mums, the warm, cozy soups, stews, and chilis, and the apple desserts and pastries.
If your family is anything like mine, they can not get enough apple recipes. Have you tried any of my other apple recipes? Apple brown Betty, apple cookies, apple pie, and this strudel are just a few of our favorites.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Raisins: I think golden raisins taste better and look so much nicer mixed with apples, but you can use any raisins.
- Rum: If you don’t have rum and don’t want to purchase it, soak the raisins in a bowl full of warm water to plump them up.
- Apples: Use good baking apples like Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), and Granny Smith.
- Puff pastry dough: It is a frozen, ready-made pastry dough that is buttery, flaky, and light. It makes delicious strudel dough and is easy to work with. The butter is worked inside the dough, folded, and rolled out multiple times before freezing, creating light, delicious layers. It is available in the freezer section of most grocery stores in the United States.
How to Make Apple Strudel
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the raisins to a bowl with a little bit of rum. Place that bowl in a sink of hot water and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes. For an alcohol-free version, use water.
Meanwhile, peel, core, and finely dice your apples (see picture). Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Next, unfold the puff pastry dough and lay each on a piece of parchment paper big enough to fit a large cookie sheet. Now, use a rolling pin to gently roll it out. Cut the dough into strips using a pizza cutter, skipping the middle and carefully lining up the cut as close as possible on each side. Next, gently (using the parchment paper) move the cut puff pastry to baking sheets, keeping the paper on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle the center with breadcrumbs, and layer the apple filling down the center of the puff pastry on top of the breadcrumbs. Fold each strip across at a slight downward angle, starting with the left or the right. So you will go left, right, left, right, left, right.
Moisten the far outer bottom one inch of the strips that you fold over lightly with water. In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the tops and sides of the pastry. Bake, and after a few minutes of cooling, use the parchment paper to move the strudel to a wire rack to cool. Drizzle the vanilla sauce over the cooled strudels.
Preparation Tips
- Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter just until it is pliable enough to unfold without cracking.
- Drain as much rum as you can from the raisins before adding them to the apple mixture.
- If you dislike nutmeg, omit it or add a couple of pinches of ground cloves. As I always say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
- It is best to use a paper towel to clean up any oozing apple mess or egg wash around the pastry before placing it in the oven.
- For an over-the-top flavor treat, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Store and Reheat
You can store it in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days and in the fridge for an additional 2-3 days.
To reheat, place it on a baking sheet covered loosely with aluminum foil in a preheated 275-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but 8 hours is as long as I would go before working with it. Puff pastry must remain cold and be worked with shortly after it thaws. Don’t leave the puff pastry at room temperature for long, as the butter in the dough will start to melt, making it hard to work with. If the dough becomes too soft, place it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so and then work with it
When baking puff pastry, the optimum temperature is 400 degrees, as this gets the biggest rise out of the dough. If it browns too fast, quickly cover it with a loose piece of aluminum foil.
You can bake the apple strudel up to 2 days in advance and store it covered on the counter. Reheat it on a baking sheet covered loosely with aluminum foil in a preheated 275-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
I do not recommend prepping it in advance, as puff pastry is best baked as soon as possible, and you don’t want the juices from the apples to make the crust soggy.
More Apple Recipes
Apple Strudel Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Strudel
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 4 large apples peeled cored and finely diced (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 package 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Cinnamon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix raisins and rum in a small bowl. Place the bowl in a sink filled with a couple of inches of hot water; soak for 15-20 minutes. Drain any excess rum from the raisins.
- Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out two large pieces of parchment paper for working and baking on. Gently unfold the puff pastry and place one on each piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the folds and creases in the pastry to smooth the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs down the center of each sheet. Divide the apple mixture evenly between the two sheets, spooning on top of the breadcrumbs.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide, being careful to line up the cut as closely as possible on both sides of the apple mixture. Gently (using the parchment paper) move the cut puff pastry to baking sheets keeping the parchment paper on the baking sheets.
- Fold each strip across at a little bit of a downward angle, starting with either the left or the right. So you will go left, right, left, right. As you go along, moisten the far outer one inch of the strips that you fold over lightly with water so they adhere to the pastry. Using paper towels, soak up any excess juice around the edges of the strudel.
- In a small bowl, beat egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the tops and sides of the strudel. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, ground cinnamon, and vanilla. Drizzle over fully cooled apple pastry.
Notes
- Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter just until it is pliable enough to unfold without cracking.
- Drain as much rum as you can from the raisins before adding them to the apple mixture.
- If you dislike nutmeg, omit it or add a couple of pinches of ground cloves. As I always say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
- It is best to use a paper towel to clean up any oozing apple mess or egg wash around the pastry before placing it in the oven.
- For an over-the-top flavor treat, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Nutrition
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Sandy
Wow, this Apple Strudel Recipe looks simply amazing! I can almost smell the fresh apples and cinnamon glaze just by reading the description. It seems like the perfect treat to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee on a lazy weekend morning. The fact that it’s easy to make and can be served at holiday brunches makes it even more appealing. Thank you for sharing this mouthwatering recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sandy! I hope you enjoy the apple strudel as much as we do. It is so yummy!
Nancy
These look amazing! I’d love to try some of this strudel when my stomach clears up! Apple treats are among some of my favourite.
Beth Pierce
Feel better soon, Nancy so you can bake the apple strudel.
Becky
Great strudel! Loved it!
Ben
Aww, yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. My grandmother used to make a recipe very similar to this, so I had to make it. It is absolutely delicious.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ben! So glad that you liked it!
Colleen
Great strudel recipe! I love working with puffy pastry and your tips were spot on. I will make this again.
Jen Schreiner
DROOL…. Great recipe!!! Apple strudel is one of my favorite fall comfort foods. Can’t wait to make it again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jen So glad that you liked it!
Diane
Can I make this the night before and serve it in the morning?
Beth Pierce
This one needs to be baked after being prepped.
Dee
Great recipe, we love it and have made it several times. Can it be made the night before and d kept in fridge till next day?
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. I am trying to keep up with comments, but obviously, I am not doing as good of a job as I should. No, unfortunately, puff pastry needs to be baked fairly quickly.
Marsha
Can you use canned apple pie mix?
Beth Pierce
Yes you sure can! Happy baking!
Diane Manning
What an easy recipe. And this was delicious! I will be making this again. My first time ever making an apple strudel. So, so good. After drizzling the frosting I added chopped walnuts to it. It was the icing on the cake!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it Diane and what a great idea to add chopped walnuts!!
Theresa
Can you freeze one before baking for a later date? There are just two of us and I would like to save one for later.
Beth Pierce
I am sorry but puff pastry does not refreeze well. You could halve the recipe and leave one sheet of puff pastry frozen and use it at a later date.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love all the ingredients, can’t wait to try this! It looks so delicious and easy!
Toni
This is totally irresistible! My family enjoyed this for our brunch!
Gina
Thank you for this recipe – bakery quality!
Lima Ekram
Love the tip to soak raisins with rum – it made all the difference! Great recipe!
Irina
I am making a pause in baking to thank you for your recipe. Your recipe is amazing; the apple strudel is the best I have tried and made!
Tara
Yum! I love that braiding and how the strudel comes together with frozen puff pastry. Such amazing flavors!