My grandma's recipe for perfect phyllo apple strudel is a sure winner! It's a delicious, tart pastry that makes a stellar dessert with a huge dollop of vanilla date ice cream. Plus, it's super easy to make with pre-made phyllo dough and a few simple ingredients.
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🍎 What is Strudel?
A strudel is a traditional Viennese pastry, often served for dessert. It features thin pastry sheets wrapped around a fruit filling like apple, cherry, or apricot. it makes for a delicious and easy phyllo dough dessert recipe.
🍴What's the difference between strudel and streusel?
While easy to confuse due to their similar names, strudel and streusel are different desserts. A strudel has thin sheets of pastry wrapped around the filling, while streusel is a crumbly sweet topping of sugar, flour, and butter that is layered over pies and cakes.
🌟 Why Phyllo Apple Strudel Works So Well
🧾 Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make Apple Strudel
✨ Pro Tip
Cover your unused phyllo dough with a damp towel between uses so it doesn’t dry out.
✨ Pro Tip
The phyllo pastry browns better when brushed with egg wash, but butter is a great egg-free option. The phyllo pastry will not brown as much, but it will flake and crunch wonderfully.
🍏 Phyllo Apple Strudel FAQs
For the best tart taste, I like to use Granny Smith apples or Braeburn apples. Their flavor marries really well with the sweet, flaky pastry and the cinnamon.
You can keep apple strudel in the fridge, but it doesn't last as long or stay as tasty as when it's freshly made. I prefer to keep apple strudel covered on the counter overnight if you are eating it the next day. If you plan to keep it longer than that, then refrigerate or freeze it.
If you're making it in advance or in bulk, apple strudel can absolutely be frozen. It is best to freeze the strudel before you bake it. Assemble as you would normally, then cover and freeze the strudel before the final baking step. Wrap it in parchment paper and freeze it in an airtight container or bag. You can then bake when ready by defrosting overnight in the refrigerator or 45 minutes at room temperature and it'll taste as if it's been freshly made.
To reheat already baked strudel, place it on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven on low heat for around ten minutes. You'll get a much better result than microwaving it. A toaster oven works great, too.
Easy Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 2 apples tart apples like Braeburns or Granny Smith
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 stick butter
- 6 sheets phyllo dough
- ¼ cup apricot jam
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon separated into 1 teaspoon & ¼ tsp
- 1 egg optional
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss in a bowl with the juice of half a lemon.
- Melt the stick of butter.
- Preheat to 350F.
- Prepare your surface with a clean towel. Take one sheet of phyllo dough, place it on the towel, and brush with melted butter. Cover the unused phyllo with a damp towel between use.
- Top with another sheet of phyllo dough, and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 6 sheets stacked.
- Add ¼ cup of apricot jam to the bottom 4-inches of the phyllo dough. Stack the apple slices across the bottom of the phyllo dough on top of the jam.
- Top with 3 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Using the towel, roll the phyllo until you have a closed parcel. Transfer to your baking tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat seam side down.
- Cut slits across the top ~1 inch apart. Brush with egg wash. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown and flakey.
Ruthie
My dad LOVES any dessert with apples in it, so I made this as a treat for him. It didn't last very long!
Jamie
We just got a ton of apples from my father-in-law who grows them in Oregon and I just tried your Apple Strudel recipe, and it was a huge hit with my family and was truly easy.
The use of pre-made phyllo dough and simple ingredients really made the process a breeze. Thanks for sharing such a fantastic dessert!
Candice
Thank you for taking the time to share, Jamie... I'm so glad to hear you all loved it and you found it as easy as I do. Lucky you to have a FIL who grows apples in Oregon... Enjoy!
Samira
This recipe has become a family favorite in our household. It's so easy to make, my kids like to help out with rolling and stacking the phyllo dough. Definitely makes this sometimes tricky ingredient feel approachable and the end result is like a fancier apple pie!
Candice
So glad you like, it Samira! My grandma gets happy anytime anyone ever mentions how much they like it or how it was easier than they thought... so thank you for taking the time to share!
Jennifer
This was super flakey and I could not believe how easy it was to make! I'm going to make again for Mother's Day this weekend.
Candice
That makes me so happy to hear, Jennifer... I'm so glad you liked it, and thank you for taking the time to share!
Jessica
What can I use instead of apricot jam?
Candice
You can use any jam you'd like, but my preference is the flavor of the apricot jam. Other jams like raspberry, for example, have too strong of a flavor in this recipe (in my opinion).
Jessica
Does it have to be jam? Have you tried apple butter or something else?
Candice
I haven't, but I would be surprised if it didn't work... I'd love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
Roni
Hello can I make ahead, freeze it and then bake it a few days later or will this destroy the strudel?
Candice
Should be OK, though not as good as fresh. Make sure it defrosts completely before baking or the center of the pastry will be raw. And if you can, come back and let us know how it went!