This Puff Pastry Apple Strudel is SO simple to make! Store-bought puff pastry is filled with spiced apples and lightly sweetened cream cheese, then baked to golden perfection and drizzled with a 3-ingredient vanilla icing for an easy and delicious sweet treat.
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You’ll Be Shocked at How Quickly This Apple Strudel Comes Together
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with a box of Entenmann’s strudel every holiday morning. I love a good danish or strudel with my morning coffee while waiting to open presents.
While there’s no shame in the boxed danish game, this apple strudel made with store-bought puff pastry is too easy not make instead!
To make the strudel, we’re mixing up a simple cream cheese filling with a bit of sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Spread that onto the puff pastry and top with brown sugar apple before baking until golden brown. A vanilla glaze drizzled over top is the perfect finishing touch!
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Ingredient Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Puff pastry. Opt for high-quality all-butter puff pastry. My favorite is the all-butter puff pastry from Trader Joe’s.
- Cream cheese. You’ll want to use a brick of cream cheese here, not the spreadable whipped kind.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolks give the filling a cheesecake-like texture without feeling grainy.
- Egg. An egg whisked with a bit of water is brushed on top of the puff pastry so that it turns golden brown.
- Sugar. Classic granulated sugar is the play here. You’ll also need brown sugar for the apples.
- Vanilla. If you have it, vanilla bean paste is great, but vanilla extract works too.
- Apples. I like using Honey Crisp or Pink Lady, but any firm semi-tart apple will work.
- Vanilla glaze. The glaze is a simple mix of milk, powdered sugar, and a touch of vanilla extract.
How to Make Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
- Defrost the puff pastry. Do this the day before you plan on making the apple strudel. The puff pastry needs to be fully flexible so we can braid it.
- Sauté the apples. We have to cook the apples in a little butter, flour, and spices before filling the puff pastry. Apple strudel bakes in a fraction of the time an apple pie requires, and pre-cooking the filling ensures the apples will be soft and jammy after baking.
- Make the cream cheese filling. If you softened the cream cheese to room temperature as instructed, the filling should be a breeze to whisk together.
Jenny’s Tip: In my recipe testing, I discovered that piping the cream cheese filling from a bag with a corner snipped off was so much easier than trying to spread it over the puff pastry with a knife or spoon.
- Roll out the puff pastry and fill. Do your best to roll out one sheet of puff pastry into an 8×11-inch rectangle (I always dust my work surface with a little flour to prevent sticking). Then, pipe the cream cheese filling into the middle but leave 3 inches of bare puff pastry on either side. Add the apple filling, then repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry.
- Cut strips on both sides of the pastry. You can use a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or pizza cutter to do this.
- Fold the strudel. I’ve given detailed instructions in the recipe card below and also took photos of the process. Basically, you want to start at the very top and alternately fold the strips of pastry toward the middle of the strudel. The strips should overlap to make them look braided.
- Bake. Brush the tops of the strudels with the egg wash, sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and baked until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Drizzle with glaze before serving.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Properly thaw your puff pastry. The best way to do this is to defrost it in the fridge overnight. You want the puff pastry to be thawed, but still cold because it’s easier to work with.
Dust your work station with flour. Puff pastry is incredibly sticky to work with! To make it easier to roll out, dust both sides of the puff pastry, and your work area, with flour.
Cool your apples before adding them. It’s okay if they’re slightly warm, but you don’t want them to be piping hot. You can also make the apples up to 3 days in advance and simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Chill the assembled strudel before baking. The whole reason that puff pastry is able to puff is because the cold butter in the dough creates steam as it melts, causing the pastry to rise. While the oven preheats, I pop my strudel in the freezer to keep them cold before baking.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Fall Apple Recipes to Try
- Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Apple Pear Crisp
- Apple Cider Donut Cake
- Apple Crumb Cake
- Skillet Apple Pecan Crisp
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Puff Pastry Apple Strudel Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium firm apples, peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- pinch of salt
Strudel
- 8 oz full-fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
- turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Defrost the puff pastry. The day before you plan to make puff pastry apple strudel, transfer the puff pastry to the fridge so that it can defrost overnight.
- Saute the apples. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced apple, sugar, cinnamon, and flour and toss well. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or a sturdy ziplock bag.Â
- Prep the puff pastry. Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the fridge and dust a work surface with flour. Lightly roll it out into an 8×11-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you.
- Assemble the first strudel. Pipe half the cream cheese mixture into the center, leaving about 3 inches of bare puff pastry on either side of the cream cheese. Top the cream cheese with half the apples. Use a sharp knife, kitchen shears, or pizza cutter to cut strips on both sides of the pastry.
- Fold the strudel. Starting at the top, fold the strips over toward the middle, stretching gently to overlap pieces. Work your way down to the bottom, then tuck in bottom and top of pastry. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry. You'll use up the remaining cream cheese and apples when assembling the other strudel. Set the second strudel next to the first on the baking sheet and transfer the baking sheet to the freezer while the oven preheats.
- Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
- Bake. Brush the tops of the strudels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the strudel is puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. You want the glaze to be thick, but drizzle-able. Drizzle over the strudels
Storage Instructions
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container, for about 2 days. If you do not plan to eat it within 2 days, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator. Reheating: You can rewarm the entire strudel, or individual slices, in a 350°F oven until heated through. Individual slices will take about 5 minutes, while the whole danish will take longer to warm.
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