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.
Set out puff pastry sheet to thaw - you want it to still be cold, but no longer frozen.
1 sheet puff pastry
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a large bowl, squeeze the juice of one lemon (making sure to remove any seeds).
Juice of 1 lemon
Peel and thinly slice your apples (or dice the apples), placing them in the bowl of lemon juice and coating thoroughly as you add them to the bowl.
2 cups apple
In a small bowl, whisk to combine almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (and golden raisins, if adding).
1/3 cup golden raisins, 1/4 cup almonds, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of ground nutmeg
Add dry mixture to bowl of apple filling and gently toss (and/or stir) to coat. Add flour and stir to coat. If you feel that your filling is too liquidy, drain a bit of the liquid.
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Roll out pastry onto a large sheet of parchment paper or a large pastry mat in a rectangle (up to 11"x17"). Using a paring knife, lightly score the pastry into three columns (I usually eyeball it - as you can tell from my pictures it's not 100% even, but it doesn't affect the taste!). You want the middle to be wider than the outer thirds. Cut even slits on each outer column - as many as you want. The more you have, the longer it's going to take you to wrap.
Pour your strudel filling down the center of the pastry and fold the center section of the pastry over at the top and bottom. Now start wrapping the center by pulling alternating slits of pastry from each side and pressing the ends into the pastry on the opposite side, pressing gently on the ends to connect to the base of the dough. Make sure you're not leaving big holes across the top!
Carefully transfer the pastry to your prepared baking sheet.
Brush the top of the folded pastry with an egg wash* and then sprinkle raw sugar (or sparkling sugar) on top. You could also add some delicately placed almond slices on top if you wanted.
1 egg, Raw sugar or sparking sugar
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
Remove from oven, let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing into it.
Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Vanilla ice cream
Video
Notes
Egg wash: Can't have eggs? Brush a little melted butter on top instead.
Storage: 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.
Reheating: 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!
Freezing: 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.