Easy Apple Strudel Recipe

This easy apple strudel recipe can be made quickly because we're using pre-made frozen puff pastry! A crisp, golden crust filled with sweet cinnamon sugar, tart apples and optional sliced almonds and golden raisins. Delicious with a mug of mulled wine.

Maggie said: “Great recipe! I’ve made this so many times since first finding it and it is perfect every time. Your detailed instructions are key! Thank you! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

Is this a traditional Viennese apple strudel recipe?

I hate to disappoint you, but no – this isn't. Nor is it a traditional German apple strudel recipe.

There are several different ways to make strudel, and as far as I'm concerned you don't need to be overly worried about if you're making it the traditional Viennese way or not – we're going for an easy-to-make recipe, not a replica of the one your Austrian great grandmother used to make.

Don't get me wrong – a traditional, legit apple strudel is phenomenal. But, again, we're going for quicker and easier and we're taking some shortcuts.

Ingredients for apple strudel

• Puff pastry sheet: This is the shortcut we're using instead of making our strudel dough from scratch. You want it to be cold, but not frozen.
• Apples: The star of the show!
• Lemon juice: We toss the apples with lemon juice to prevent them from browning while we prep everything else. It also adds a nice bright flavor.
• Golden raisins: Optional, but I grew up always adding raisins to my apple strudel.
• Almonds: Optional, but adds a nice crunch.
• Granulated sugar: We toss the apples in sugar to add sweetness and help them caramelize as they bake.
• Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg: Spices for a heavenly aroma.
• All-purpose flour: To help thicken the mixture.
• Egg: We whisk an egg to brush on top of the strudel before it goes in the oven to give it that beautiful golden sheen. Can't have eggs? Brush a little melted butter on top instead.
• Raw sugar or sparking sugar: To sprinkle on top as garnish! Optional, but encouraged.

How to make puff pastry apple strudel

Tricks and tips for transferring freshly baked apple strudel to a wire rack

Unless you have a gargantuan-sized spatula, you might find yourself having a bit of a tough time moving the warm strudel from the baking sheet to a wire rack. There are a few options:

• If you used a nonstick silicon mat, use a spatula to loosen up the edges and bottom of the strudel, then pick up the mat itself, move it over to the wire rack, and gently slide the strudel onto the rack.
• If you used parchment paper, same approach as above!
• You can also use two spatulas on opposite sides, one at the top half and one at the bottom half, to lift it up and move it to the rack

What kind of apples are best for apple strudel?

The goal in picking your apples for strudel is to use an apple (or mix of apples) that can hold up to baking – because not all apples can!

I love using a mix of apples when I make apple strudel. Ideally, a mix of tart and sweet apples will give you a wonderful flavor profile with a little variety in each bite.

• Granny Smith apples are tart and hold up well to baking.
• Honeycrisp apples are always in my fridge! They're great for snacking because of their firm, crisp texture, but they're also great for baking because they hold up well and have a sweet flavor.
• Pink Lady apples are also a great snacking apple, are crisp, and have a good combination of sweet and tart flavors.
• Braeburn apples are usually easy to find, they're crisp, have a strong flavor and hold up well to baking without getting mushy.
• Gala and Golden Delicious apples are also usually pretty accessible, have more mild flavors and hold up well in the oven.

Why add lemon juice to the apple filling?

The cinnamon sugar filling that envelops the sliced apples is equal parts tart and sweet thanks to my secret ingredient – lemon juice. 

As you slice your apples, you coat them in freshly squeezed lemon juice and it prevents them from browning while you prepare everything else. It gives it the perfect little zing to complement the rest of the pastry.

Do you have to add almonds and raisins to the apple mixture?

Nope! I want to encourage you to make this repeatedly and try something new every time.

• If I don't have them, I omit the raisins
• Sometimes I use slivered almonds instead of sliced almonds
• Sometimes I add raisins that I've soaked in brandy (ohhhhhh yeah)
• Try swapping the almonds for crushed walnuts
• Omit the nuts all together, unless you're feeling a little nutty (GET IT?!)

Nuts give it a little extra crunch, and sometimes that's what I want. Other times I prefer to leave nuts out altogether, and really load up on the cinnamon sugar filling. Those are the days I've forgotten that I have any sort of health consciousness and accidentally eat the entire pastry myself.

This is why you slice things, people. If you leave it whole and on your counter, you might just sit down on your couch with it and eat it like a sugar-coated sub sandwich.

What pastry is apple strudel made from?

I'm going to be 100% honest here – we're not making this apple strudel in a 100% traditional manner.

A traditional apple strudel dough actually differs from puff pastry in that it is much more elastic than the frozen pre-made puff pastry I call for in this recipe.

The traditional apple strudel pastry dough recipe is made from flour that has a high gluten content, water, oil and salt. My whole intention with this recipe was to make apple strudel approachable, attainable, and easy even for a beginning baker.

So fear not – I'm giving you permission to use premade puff pastry for this to save yourself a little time and sanity. It will be delicious, and that's what matters in the end!

How to store apple strudel

Here's the thing about apple strudel… it doesn't last long. In the sense that you might demolish it the same day and there will be no leftovers, as well as in the sense that it doesn't hold up well over time.

• You can store it, covered with foil or plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for an additional 2-3 days. Try to keep it stored on the bottom shelf where it's the coldest – baked strudel gets soggy as time goes on.

Can I freeze apple strudel?

You sure can! But the key is to freeze it before you bake it.

You'll do everything right up to the point where you would typically do the egg wash, and instead you'll wrap it in a layer of parchment paper and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container and stick it in the freezer.

When you're ready to bake it, let it defrost in the fridge overnight or for 1 hour at room temperature – it may need even less time if your kitchen is particularly warm.

How do you reheat apple strudel?

Preheat your oven to 200°F, place the strudel on a baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes.

You can also reheat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, but the oven is going to give you a much better result!

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