My grandma's recipe for the perfect apple strudel! It's a delicious, tart pastry that makes a stellar dessert along with a dollop of ice cream. And it's super easy to make!
By Candice Walker on October 22, 2021 (Last updated September 24, 2023) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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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.
🍴Strudel or streusel?
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.
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
Pre-made phyllo dough – This apple strudel is a winner because it uses pre-made phyllo dough, which is easy to find and even easier to work with. You can’t put a foot wrong! If you have pre-made puff pastry, try these Puff Pastry Flowers.
Homemade dessert in 1 hour – This dessert will impress your friends, family, or guests every time and is freshly prepared and baked in just one hour. You’ll also love this Persimmon Bread.
Simple ingredients – Simple ingredients come together to make a quick and easy apple strudel recipe that will always be a hit. Cinnamon, sugar, and apples were just meant to be together.
Perfect texture – Nothing beats the crisp and crackle of flaky layers of rich buttered pastry with sweet jam and apples coated with a cinnamon sugar topping!
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
Apples: I’ve made this recipe successfully with everything from Honeycrisp to Asian pears. 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.
Phyllo dough: These are very thin sheets of pastry that you will find in the freezer section next to puff pastry. It’s almost impossible to make from scratch at home, so store-bought is the way to go.
Eggs: Used as a wash on top of the pastry to get that wonderful golden brown color. You can use butter or ghee instead of egg wash and the pastry will still be delicious, but not golden.
Apricot Jam: The jam is added to the apple filling, giving a special sweetness to every bite. For another delicious jam option, try this cardamom quince jam.
Sugar: I use brown sugar as it melts to give an irresistible sticky caramel flavor to the apples. You could use white sugar or Turbinado sugar in a pinch, but brown sugar will yield a better result.
Unsalted butter: You layer melted unsalted butter in between the phyllo dough sheets to create a crispy texture when baked.
Cinnamon: This goes in the filling along with the sugar. Cinnamon, sugar, and apples are a flavor match in heaven!
Lemon: Tossing the apples in lemon juice helps keep them from browning and the lemon flavor adds a great balance in flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make Apple Strudel
Peel, core, and slice the apples into similar-sized slices before tossing apple slices in a bowl with the juice of half a lemon until all the slices are lightly coated.
Next, slowly melt the stick of butter. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
Prepare your working surface by laying a clean towel over it. Take one sheet of your phyllo dough, lay it out on the towel, and brush the dough evenly all over with the melted butter.
Place another sheet of phyllo dough over your buttered first sheet, and likewise brush melted butter over that sheet. Repeat this process six times so that you have a stack of six phyllo dough sheets, each layered with melted butter, including the top.
Next, brush a quarter cup of apricot jam across the bottom four inches of your layered phyllo dough.
✨ Pro Tip
Cover your unused phyllo dough with a damp towel between uses so it doesn’t dry out.
Stack your apple slices neatly in one row across the bottom of the phyllo strudel dough, on top of the jam layer.
Top the apple filling layer with three tablespoons of brown sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon.
Using the towel underneath the pastry, carefully roll from left to right to envelop the apple and cinnamon filling, and keep rolling until you have a closed parcel. Transfer the strudel parcel to your baking tray, seam side down.
With a sharp knife, cut slits across the top of the parcel about one inch apart. Brush the pastry with melted butter or an egg wash, whichever you prefer, to help brown in the oven. Mix one tablespoon of sugar with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture on top.
✨ 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.
Next, place the strudel in the oven and bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes until it is golden brown and flakey in texture. Cut as desired (I like to cut into ~3-inch pieces) and serve with a scoop of vanilla or vanilla date ice cream or whipped cream.
🥡 How to Store Apple Strudel
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.
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My grandma's recipe for the perfect apple strudel! It's a delicious, tart pastry that makes a stellar dessert along with a dollop of ice cream. And it's super easy to make!
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 1/4 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 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp 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 tbsp sugar with 1/4 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown and flakey.
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Notes
To reheat already baked strudel, place it on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven on a low heat for around ten minutes.Cover your unused phyllo dough with a damp towel between uses so it doesn’t dry out.The pastry browns better when brushed with egg wash, but butter is a great egg-free option. The pastry will not brown as much, but it will flake and crunch wonderfully.I have tried making this recipe with more than 6 sheets and it does not work well. It becomes too thick for it to cook all the way through evenly.My preference is to add the filling to the long side of the rectangle. However, it works both ways.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
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31 Comments
My dad LOVES any dessert with apples in it, so I made this as a treat for him. It didn’t last very long!
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!
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!
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).
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!
I’ve made many, (I mean MANY), phyllo apple Strudels and by far, hands down, this is the best one.
I added crushed walnuts and used plum butter instead of apricots. With the fruit and plum combination, I only used 1 Tbl of sugar with a little more cinnamon, (1/2 Tbl). I don’t like desserts that are too sweet, so I tend to keep sugar low.
Thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe. Awesome!
I have only ever bought apple strudels, I have never even thought of making these. Just made it and was much easier than I thought! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
This apple strudel is out of this world delicious, Candice! I adore that this is your grandmother’s recipe and I totally agree that Granny Smith apples make the best choice for a sweet bake like this. I love this recipe because it works perfectly for dessert or a sweet and fancy brunch dish!
I had some granny smith apples that needed to be used and I am so glad I found your Easy Apple Strudel . It was so easy and delicious! We served our tonight with some homemade whipped cream but I am sure it is equally as good with ice cream . Thanks for a yummy recipe!!
I can’t wait to make this Apple strudel recipe again with my wife. She is absolutely in love with Apple strudels and cinnamon an d these are really nice and easy to make!
I love that you use phyllo sheets and that it’s your grandmother’s recipe! I once made apple strudel dough, and boy, so laborious to get right. Love this idea of using phyllo. It is so easy, so inviting and perfect for an afternoon cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing! Will be making it again.
My dad LOVES any dessert with apples in it, so I made this as a treat for him. It didn’t last very long!
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!
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!
What can I use instead of apricot jam?
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).
Does it have to be jam? Have you tried apple butter or something else?
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!
Hello can I make ahead, freeze it and then bake it a few days later or will this destroy the strudel?
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!
I’ve made many, (I mean MANY), phyllo apple Strudels and by far, hands down, this is the best one.
I added crushed walnuts and used plum butter instead of apricots. With the fruit and plum combination, I only used 1 Tbl of sugar with a little more cinnamon, (1/2 Tbl). I don’t like desserts that are too sweet, so I tend to keep sugar low.
Thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe. Awesome!
You just made my day, Rowena! I am off to tell my grandma right now… Thank you so much for sharing!
I don’t buy apricot jam, and would like to use what I have on hand. Which do you think would be better, lemon curd or raspberry jam?
Raspberry jam would work great. I am worried that the cure will run.
I have only ever bought apple strudels, I have never even thought of making these. Just made it and was much easier than I thought! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I am so happy to hear it, Cathleen…Thanks for sharing!
This apple strudel is out of this world delicious, Candice! I adore that this is your grandmother’s recipe and I totally agree that Granny Smith apples make the best choice for a sweet bake like this. I love this recipe because it works perfectly for dessert or a sweet and fancy brunch dish!
That makes me so happy to hear, Jenni!! Thank you!
I had some granny smith apples that needed to be used and I am so glad I found your Easy Apple Strudel . It was so easy and delicious! We served our tonight with some homemade whipped cream but I am sure it is equally as good with ice cream . Thanks for a yummy recipe!!
I am so happy to hear it, Debbie. Glad it was easy for you and sounds delicious with some whipped cream!
I can’t wait to make this Apple strudel recipe again with my wife. She is absolutely in love with Apple strudels and cinnamon an d these are really nice and easy to make!
I’m so happy to hear it, Femi.. Thank you for sharing!
I havent had a bite of strudel in too long before this! This recipe is perfect, flakey and delicious.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kita!
I love that you use phyllo sheets and that it’s your grandmother’s recipe! I once made apple strudel dough, and boy, so laborious to get right. Love this idea of using phyllo. It is so easy, so inviting and perfect for an afternoon cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing! Will be making it again.
I’m am so happy to hear it, Paula… thanks for sharing!
GET IN MY BELLY! This recipe is so good, and I love that it’s not a huge commitment in the kitchen to make. Winner.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Ben.
This strudel made my entire house smell like heaven! A must have recipe.
That makes me so happy, Salima… thanks for sharing!