Homemade Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudels
Childhood nostalgia at its best! Puff pastry envelops a warm apple cinnamon filling and is topped with a hearty vanilla cream cheese drizzle for a homemade toaster strudel. Next time, make a full apple strudel.
Growing up I would always have a box of frozen fruit pastries in my freezer, ready to be popped in the toaster at any point and time. I would always put them in for two cycles in the toaster to get them dark golden brown, and then slather them with cream cheese icing.
Obviously, this wasn't something I was allowed to eat all the time, but it was a wonderful treat when I did. I always, always, always wanted the apple flavor. ALWAYS. I'm fairly sure I've never had any of the other flavors.
My love affair with apple-everything is long standing.
Much like ice cream, I make (and subsequently, inhale) all things apple year round. I don't wait until fall, and it doesn't end when snow falls on the ground. Just because the orchards in Massachusetts are closed for the season doesn't mean they are everywhere else!
Enter Autumn Glory apples from Domex Superfresh Growers®.
I was recently lucky enough to attend this glorious pot luck thrown by Lauren of Hunger Thirst Play where we all cooked up our own concoctions using Autumn Glory apples – some sweet, some savory, all delicious.
The apples have this intoxicating aroma – when I opened the box they were delivered in, I probably spent a good five minutes just sitting there smelling them. They smell amazing.
It's like inhaling a container of freshly made applesauce with a hint of cinnamon and caramel. I only needed to use two apples for the recipe I made for the potluck, and two for this recipe, so the rest went straight into my snack pile. I've always been a big fan of snacking on apples, but I almost always need to pair them with some peanut butter or Nutella.
These? No pairing needed. They're completely sufficient on their own. The flavors and the crunch are absolute perfection.
It was at that pot luck that I got to really experience how the flavors of Autumn Glory apples work in savory and sweet dishes. Spoiler alert: they're incredible in both. They're natural sweetness lends itself well to savory dishes like savory baked apples, rosemary/apple/gruyere flatbread, and lamb chops with mint chutney.
And because they have a natural sweetness about them, it allows for a lower amount of sweetener in sweet dishes like hand pies and apple pumpkin bars. AND they're amazing in an apple cinnamon whiskey smash.
Now we can add apple cinnamon toaster strudels to the mix! But remember – they wouldn't be complete with a healthy dose of cream cheese icing.
I mean, they're perfectly delicious without it, but you're not going to get the full childhood nostalgia experience without it.
Drizzle it on in a nice little squiggle. Or just smear it on, I don't judge.
I always put one on a plate, planning to share the rest, because that's the decent and socially appropriate thing to do.
Another spoiler alert for you: They all end up on my plate.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do, and I really hope you'll consider checking out Autumn Glory apples.
Who wants to take a road trip to Washington with me?
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Homemade Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudel
Equipment
Ingredients
Strudel
- 2 Autumn Glory Apple, peeled and cored
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- Pinch salt
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 small egg, lightly beaten
Cream cheese icing
- 2 ounces cream cheese (block, not spread)
- 1/3-1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), to taste
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grate apples against the large holes on a box grater (watch your fingers!). Don't worry if you don't use the entire apple, it gets too tricky when you get to the end.2 Autumn Glory Apple
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add grated apples and stir to combine.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add brown sugar, cornstarch or flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until the mixture is completely combined and has thickened (10 minutes or so). Remove from heat to cool.1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar1/2 tablespoon (½ tablespoon) cornstarch or all-purpose flourJuice of 1/2 a lemon1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon1/8 teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) gingerPinch salt
- Roll out your pastry sheet to be around 11×15″. Cut each sheet into 8 equally-sized rectangles.1 sheet puff pastry
- On a baking sheet prepped with a non-stick silicon mat or parchment paper, place 4 of the pastry rectangles with some space between each.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon (or 2, as long as you're evenly distributing the filling you prepared) of filling into the center of each rectangle. Leave yourself about 1/2″ space around the edges.
- Brush each of the remaining 4 pastry rectangles with your egg wash, and place each wash-side down on top of the filled rectangles.1 small egg
- Use a fork to seal the edges, all the way around, and then prick them all over the top with the fork.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While they cool, prep your icing! In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until completely combined.2 ounces (56 ⅔ g) cream cheese (block, not spread)1/3-1/2 cup (40 g) confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- Spoon into a piping bag or plastic bag with a small corner cut off, and pipe onto each pastry. Serve immediately and enjoy the nostalgia!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
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This post is sponsored by Autumn Glory Apples, but – as always – all opinions are my own!
‘…and place each wash-side down on top of the filled rectangles.’ Does this mean the egg wash side should be on the inside or outside?
The egg wash side will be facing down (so it’s touching the filling) – it helps to seal in the moisture :) But you can also add egg wash to the top of the pastry after it’s assembled for extra golden sheen!
So good! I used what I had in my kitchen, philsbury crescent rolls, vegan butter, and omitted the egg. Still came out so good! A great option for vegans who haven’t had a toaster strudel in years. And perfect for the season. Thanks!!
So happy to hear this – thanks so much for coming back to leave a rating and comment, I really appreciate it!
I haven’t made this yet but I want to add this to the list of recipes for my kids to make. I do have a question about freezing though. How long can these be in the freezer? I would like to make a big batch of them.
Hi Jordan! These are best consumed the same day and I haven’t personally tried freezing them, but in theory you could freeze them before you bake them and you’d do everything right up to the point where you would typically do the egg wash, and instead you’ll wrap each in a layer of parchment paper and/or plastic wrap, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer in the freezer, and once frozen place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and stick it in the freezer.
I’d suggest that when you’re ready to bake them, let them defrost in the fridge overnight or for 30 minutes at room temperature and then bake according to the recipe instructions.
Good luck, and let me know how it turns out if you do freeze them!