Apple Strudel Recipe (2024)

This classic Apple Strudel is the ideal dessert for impressing guests or just enjoying with your morning coffee. Quick and easy, this recipe turns out perfect every time!

If you love desserts that use apples, you should try these delicious Apple Fritters and Homemade Apple Turnovers.

Apple Strudel Recipe Details

I love using classic recipes with a few tweaks to make them a bit easier for a busy mom to manage.This Apple Strudel is a delicious fall dessert that’s nice and simple.

• TASTE: This Apple Strudel is buttery and sweet, with a hint of rum raisin. The tart apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon are just what you’re craving this season.
• TEXTURE: With layers of flaky pastry wrapped around rich, juicy apples, every bite of this strudel is decadent.
• TIME: This recipe uses phyllo dough to save you time. This Apple Strudel will be ready to serve in one hour and 15 minutes.
• EASE: This dessert is easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time. It’s as convenient as it is scrumptious.

What You’ll Need

• Apple preparation- Honeycrisp apples and Lemon juice
• Wet ingredients- Butter, Rum, and Brown sugar
• Dry ingredients- Cinnamon, Salt, and Cornstarch
• Strudel filling- Golden raisins and Pecans
• Phyllo dough

How to Make Apple Strudel

• Prep the apples. Slice the apples into 1/4-inch slices and squeeze half a lemon over them to prevent browning.
• Cook the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the sliced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Soak the raisins and cook. Meanwhile, soak the golden raisins in the rum, then add them both to the tender apples. Cook for 2 minutes.

• Add cornstarch and pecans. As the apples begin to give off their juices, push them to the side of the skillet to create a small well of apple juice in the middle. Add the corn starch to that well and quickly stir until the corn starch has dissolved. Then stir the apples into it, and finally, the chopped pecans.
• Cook and cool. Cook the apples for another 3 minutes, or until the juice has thickened into a glaze. Set aside to cool.

• Layer the butter and phyllo dough. Melt the rest of the butter and then lay the first sheet of phyllo dough onto parchment paper. Sprinkle or brush a light layer of melted butter over the first sheet (about 2 tbsp.), and then repeat this for the rest of the dough sheets.
• Add the filling. Place 1/2 of the cooked sugar cinnamon apples onto the bottom third (lengthwise) of the last phyllo sheet. Roll the bottom of the sheets over the apples.
• Fold the apple strudel. Brush the sides with butter and fold in the edges. Then brush the folded sides with butter once again to prevent the dough from drying. Roll up the entire pastry and place it seam-side down.
• Brush with butter and repeat. Transfer the rolled pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then brush the entire pastry with butter once again. Repeat these steps to assemble the second strudel.
• Bake. Bake the apple strudels at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. Serve warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Pro Tip:Remember to brush the entire apple strudel with butter to help it brown and also to keep it moist. Being so thin, the phyllo dough sheets can dry out easily.

Recipe Tips

• Add lemon to the apple slices- This step slows oxidation and keeps the apples from turning brown. It doesn’t affect taste, but it does look better.
• Soak the raisins- Because raisins are dehydrated, they will absorb a lot of the rum and also plump up and become more tender. This makes them deliciously sweet little flavor bombs in your strudel.
• Create a cornstarch slurry- Add the starch to the apple juice first to get out any clumps before mixing in the solid apples. Otherwise, the starch won’t combine well and will leave dry lumps.
• Add butter between each layer of phyllo dough- This is a little labor intensive, but much easier than traditional dough. Don’t skip any layers because the butter adds flavor, and keeps it together and moist.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Add a glaze on top- Serve this with an icing glaze on top. Just mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and then spread it on top and allow to set.
• Substitute other fruits- Besides apples, you can also make this strudel with cherries, apricots, plums, or any other fruits or nuts you enjoy.
• Add caramel- Make this sweet treat even sweeter by adding caramel sauce to the filling.
• Substitute different dough – You can make a simple homemade dough for this recipe, or use puff pastry. You could also substitute a gluten-free dough for the phyllo sheets.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This Apple Strudel can be enjoyed after meals, with coffee, or as a sweet breakfast. Here are few ways to serve it.

• After Dinner: If you’re enjoying these strudels after dinner, then pair them with dishes like Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO) and Smoked Chicken Breast.
• For Breakfast: These sweet Apple Strudels go well with salty and savory dishes, like Crispy Air Fryer Bacon, Eggs Benedict, and Easy Poached Eggs with Caramelized Onions.
• With Coffee: Hot coffee is so good with this strudel. Or try a Pumpkin Spice Latte or Iced Caramel Macchiato.
• Topped with Ice Cream: Vanilla ice cream is a classic topping for this recipe.

Make This Apple Strudel in Advance

Make ahead: You can prepare these Apple Strudels ahead of time and then warm them in the oven or microwave when you’re ready to serve. Just keep them wrapped on the counter or in the fridge.

Storing: Store these strudels at room temperature forup to 2 days, or 3 days in the refrigerator. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap to prevent them from getting stale.

Freeze: Prepare the Apple Strudels, but before baking them, place them in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you are ready, allow them to thaw and then bake and serve.

More Tasty Pastries!

• Pear Tart
• Fried Nutella Wonton Recipe
• Easy Cheese Danish Pastry (VIDEO)
• Mini Fruit Tart Recipe
• Homemade Apple Turnovers Recipe

Full Recipe Instructions