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    Home » Recipes » Sweets

    Easy Apple Strudel

    Published: Oct 22, 2021 Modified: Oct 22, 2021 by Candice

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE

    This winning dessert is my grandma's recipe for the perfect apple strudel! It's a delicious, tart pastry that makes a stellar dessert along with a huge dollop of vanilla date ice cream. And it's super easy to make – it uses pre-made phyllo dough and a small number of ingredients.

    Three small plates with apple strudel pastry on white table.
    TABLE OF CONTENTS hide
    1 Why this Recipe Works
    2 Ingredients & Substitutions
    3 How to Make Easy Apple Strudel
    4 Apple Strudel FAQs
    5 More Apple Season Recipes
    6 Easy Apple Strudel

    Why this Recipe Works

    Nothing beats the crisp and crackle of pastry with the perfectly baked apples inside. This pastry combines flaky layers of rich buttered pastry with sweet jam and apples coated with a cinnamon sugar topping.

    Simple ingredients come together to make a quick and easy pastry that will always be a hit. Cinnamon, sugar, and apples were meant to be together.

    This recipe is a winner is because it uses pre-made phyllo dough, which is easy to find and easy to work with to create a great pastry dessert. And it produces the perfect texture every time.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    Ingredients for apple strudel on white table.

    apples - you can easily make this a different kind of fruit strudel by subbing out apples for cherries or peaches. My grandma uses Granny-Smith apples only, but I've made this recipe with everything from honeycrisp to Asian pears with success.

    phyllo dough - thin sheets of pastry that you can find in the freezer section next to puff pastry. This recipe is delicious with puff pastry, too.

    egg - used as a wash on top of the pastry to get that wonderful golden brown color. You can leave it out and the pastry will still be delicious, but not golden. Similarly if you use butter instead of egg wash.

    How to Make Easy Apple Strudel

    The first step is to prepare your apples. Peel, core, and slice the apples into similar sized slices (photo 1). Next, toss the apple slices in a bowl with the juice of half a lemon until all the slices are lightly coated to prevent them from browning (photo 2).

    Slicing apples and mixing in a bowl with lemon.

    Next, melt the stick of butter, and set the oven to 350F.

    Note: Prepare your working surface by laying a clean towel over it. Cover your unused phyllo dough with a damp towel in between uses so it doesn't dry out.

    This post contains affiliate links where I might receive a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

    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.

    Note: I have tried making this recipe with more than 6 sheets on multiple occasion and it becomes too thick for it to cook all the way through evenly.

    Layering sheets of phyllo dough.

    Next, brush a quarter cup of apricot jam across the bottom four inches of your phyllo dough, (photo 3).

    After that, stack your apple slices neatly in rows across the bottom of the phyllo dough, on top of the jam layer (photo 4). Top the apple filling layer with three tablespoons of brown sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon (photo 5).

    Layering jam apples and cinnamon on pastry dough.

    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.

    Note: As you can see in the photo above, I added my filling to the shorter side of the rectangle. My preference is actually to add it to the longer side of the rectangle.

    Folding up pastry with apples and cinnamon.

    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. It browns better with egg wash, but butter is a great egg-free option. Mix one tablespoon of sugar with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture on top.

    Raw pastry on a baking sheet next to egg wash.

    Next, place the strudel in the oven and bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes until it is golden brown and flakey in texture.

    Apple pastry cut up on a white table.

    Cut as desired (I like to cut into ~3 inch pieces) and serve with a scoop of vanilla date ice cream or whipped cream. Warm pastry with the cold ice cream is to die for!

    Apple Strudel FAQs

    What is in a Strudel?

    A strudel is a traditional pastry of Viennese origin, often served for dessert. It features thin pastry sheets wrapped around a fruit filling like apple, cherry, apricot and many more.

    What is the Difference Between Strudel and Streusel?

    Easy to confuse due to the similar names, strudel and streusel are actually different types of dessert. An apple strudel has thin sheets of pastry wrapped around the filling, while streusel is a crumbly sweet topping of sugar, flour, and butter that is often layered over pies and cakes.

    What are the Best Apples for Strudel?

    The flavor of the apple really is the hero of this dessert. 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. It's what my grandma uses, and this is her recipe.

    How Long Can You Keep it in the Fridge?

    You can keep apple strudel in the fridge, but it doesn't last that 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 do refrigerate or freeze.

    Can You Freeze Apple Strudel?

    If you're making it in advance or in bulk, apple strudel can absolutely be frozen. It is best, however, to freeze the strudel pre-baking. 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.

    Can You Reheat Apple Strudel?

    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. You'll get a much better result than microwaving it. A toaster oven works great, too.

    Apple pastry on a small plate.

    More Apple Season Recipes

    Then you will love these other pastries and apple treats and sweets:

    • Apple Slab Olive Oil Cake
    • Apple Brie Crostini with Walnuts, Honey, & Thyme
    • Fried Apples with Cinnamon Sugar
    • Apple and Sausage Stuffing with Tarragon

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    Print Recipe
    5 from 18 votes

    Easy Apple Strudel

    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!
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: Viennese
    Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 262kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • Pastry Brush
    • Baking sheet
    • Silicone baking mat

    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. 

    Video

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.

    This post was originally published in October of 2017 but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, FAQs, and tips in January of 2020. It was updated with substitutions, a video, tips, and more FAQs in October 2021.

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    1. Jessica

      November 21, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      What can I use instead of apricot jam?

      Reply
      • Candice

        November 22, 2022 at 5:14 pm

        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).

        Reply
        • Jessica

          November 23, 2022 at 12:25 pm

          Does it have to be jam? Have you tried apple butter or something else?

          Reply
          • Candice

            November 26, 2022 at 7:50 am

            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!

            Reply
    2. Roni

      October 19, 2022 at 4:50 pm

      5 stars
      Hello can I make ahead, freeze it and then bake it a few days later or will this destroy the strudel?

      Reply
      • Candice

        October 20, 2022 at 7:48 am

        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!

        Reply
    3. Rowena Ferrer

      May 06, 2022 at 7:00 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Candice

        May 06, 2022 at 4:17 pm

        You just made my day, Rowena! I am off to tell my grandma right now... Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
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