Easy Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
Easy apple strudel with store-bought puff pastry! Filled with cinnamon apples and walnuts, this flaky German dessert is quick, fuss-free, and impressive for holidays or cozy gatherings.
My love affair with apple strudel began during a vacation to Bavaria, where I tasted my very first authentic German strudel. The flaky, golden pastry and tender apples left such an impression, but as a busy mom, I knew I couldn’t spend hours rolling out homemade dough.
That’s why I created this fuss-free version using store-bought puff pastry—no compromise on flavor, just pure comfort in every bite. With a crisp, flaky crust and a soft, cinnamon-infused apple filling, it’s become one of the most popular desserts on my site and one I make often for my family.
Honestly, it’s hard to say which I love more—this apple strudel or my deep dish apple pie, the classic American favorite that’s just as cozy and indulgent. If you’re looking for an easy apple dessert that captures the spirit of German strudel without all the fuss, this one’s for you.
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Apple: I used Ginger Gold for this recipe because it has just the right amount of sweetness and aroma that I love. Other baking apples like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp, or Jonagold also work beautifully.
- Store-bought Frozen Puff Pastry: Allow 40–50 minutes for thawing at room temperature and watch out not to let it sit too long. Keep the puff pastry chilled until the moment you roll it out; cold dough puffs higher and bakes flakier.
- Breadcrumbs: Use plain breadcrumbs. they soak up the apple juices as the strudel bakes and help keep the pastry from getting soggy.
How to Make Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
Step 1: Apple Filling
Toss chopped apples with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Let them rest so the juices develop—this prevents a soggy strudel.
Step 2: Nut Mixture
Chop the walnuts and mix them with breadcrumbs and sugars.
Step 3: Assemble
Roll out the thawed puff pastry slightly. Spread the nut mixture in the center, layer the apple filling on top, and fold the pastry to seal. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined sheet, brush with egg wash, and create slits for steam to escape.
Step 4: Bake and Serve
Bake at 375°F until golden brown, about 40–45 minutes. Let cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
Serving Tips from My Kitchen
I love to serve this apple strudel warm, dusted with powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream—my kids say it’s the ultimate cozy treat!
It’s also great for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or on its own when you’re craving something sweet and flaky. If you want to take it up a notch, drizzle a glaze made from icing sugar and milk over the top.
If you love easy apple desserts like this puff pastry apple strudel, you might also enjoy my apple brownie bars—a chewy, cake-like treat packed with apple flavor—or my crustless apple pie, a lighter take on the classic without the fuss of a pastry shell.
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Easy Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 package (2 sheets, 1.1 lb or 490 g) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed in room temperature
- 2-3 baking apples, such as Granny Smith
- 4 tbsp white sugar, divided
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (65 g) walnuts, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 beaten egg with 1 tsp water, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the apple filling, peel, core, and chop apples into 1/2-inch cubes. You will need total 3 cups (720 ml) of chopped apples. Place them in a bowl and add 2 tablespoon of white sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss well and set aside for 15 minutes so the apple can release its juice.
- Meanwhile, combine nuts, brown sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoon of white sugar, and breadcrumbs in another small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- To assemble the strudel, roll out the thawed puff pastry with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface to stretch out a little, about 10×12-inch. Sprinkle half of nut mixture in the center of the pastry leaving 1-inch from both sides. Spoon half of apple mixture on top of nut mixture.
- Lift the front side of pastry and fold over the filling. Lift the opposite side of pastry and fold over. Pinch the sides down to seal. Carefully transfer the strudel to a prepared baking sheet, placing the seam-side down. Tuck both ends under. Repeat the same on the other pastry sheet.
- Brush the strudels with egg wash and make slits for the steam to escape. Bake the strudel in a preheated 375˚F oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Let the pastry cool for 10 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream.
Notes
Apple strudel freezes well. To freeze, assemble it up to the point of baking, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, brush the frozen strudel with egg wash and bake it directly in a preheated oven, adding 10 minutes or so to the baking time.
So easy and so delicious. Making it again for our Oktoberfest dinner at our clubhouse event.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Making it again for an Oktoberfest dinner sounds wonderful. What a fun idea for your clubhouse event! Hope it’s a big hit.
Apfelstrudel is a very Austrian dish! 😉 Bavarian recipes have a lot in common with ours…
Hi
I made this today although the taste was good, the apples turned grey?
Is it bc there is no lemon in the apples while preparing the rest of the ingredients?
Ty
Some apple varieties, like McIntosh or Cortland, tend to oxidize more quickly than others. But adding a bit of acid, like lemon juice, can help prevent that from happening.
Super easy to make! They were a little on the sweet side but other than that, it was perfect. The walnuts surprised me but added a delicious flavor. Will make this again but with less sugar next time. Fabulous dessert!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the apple strudel. Yes, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar for your preference. Thank you!
If I want to leave out the walnuts do I still make two mixtures or can I mix everything with the apples?
I would still make the two separately and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the apples while assembling.
Made just like recipe, using Fuji and Granny smith apples. My first try with Puff Pastry. Amazing! 🍎🍏
I needed to cut the recipe in half. But still ended up using 3 apples as mine were probably on the small side. I used saltine crackers insted of bread crumbs and served it with ice cream. Both my European friends (who don’t like too much sugar) and my American friends LOVED It!!! So easy to make and delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
my pastry needed 425 oven temp. Cooked it for 20 min.Forgot to put the crumbs on under the apples but sprinkled them on top before folding over the dough sides..no harm, no foul. urne our fine. I used golden raisins to compliment the apples…good stuff.
Can I replace breadcrumbs with cookie crumbs?
Yes, you can use cookie crumbs instead of breadcrumbs. It’ll make the strudel a bit sweeter.
Made it and it came out delicious!!!
Thank You!
Great! so happy to hear that.
Can you peel, core and cut the apples the night before? I plan on making 4 for Thanksgiving and the apples will probably be my biggest time challenge. Thanks
Hi Denny
You can cut the apples in advance, mix them with sugar and spices, and store them in the fridge. However, the apples may oxidize over time, which is fine if you don’t mind. Just be sure to drain off any excess liquid before using. I hope you enjoy these apple strudels—they’re so delicious!
I don’t understand the recipe.
What do you do with the other half of the apples and nuts?
Does this make 2 strudel, if so, why don’t you mention another layer of puff pastry?
Yes, it makes 2 apple strudels. The recipe card mentions repeating the filling process on another pastry sheet. The post content focuses on the step-by-step process. Hope this clarifies. Thank you!
Thank you, you’re correct. I didn’t read the recipe properly. First time to use puff
pastry.
I made this strudel for a holiday dinner. The recipe was easy to follow and the strudel is fantastic. People LOVED it. I served it with ice cream and whipped cream.
Can this be served cold
You can, but it won’t be as flaky as when warm.
Too early to rate this recipe because I’m only halfway through. I’m 93 and fondly remember, “Tanta” Rosie’s Apple Strudel, my mother’s sister who made me Apple Strudel whenever I was able to get to her house as a child. So far today I made the filling, now I have to rest and watch golf. Tomorrow I will put it all together and bake it for me and my wife.. I was reading other comments which prompted me to send this premature message. My father came to this country from Austria in 1911 and he loved a good Strudel and coffee. Thanks for the recipe
I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. I made six of them! I did make a nut-free version for the last batch in case someone didn’t like or couldn’t eat nuts. My niece’s boyfriend said it was the best thing he ever ate! He was home with COVID, so he had it a day later. He gets extra points for that comment.
No more phyllo dough. This is so much easier to make and delicious.
Great recipe! I have made it a few times this holiday season. Instead of nuts I use 4 tablespoons of raisins that I have soaked in rum– tastes so good.
Absolutely delicious! It’s fairly easy and everyone will love it!
Great recipe! I love apple strudel and while I do cook a lot I don’t make many desserts. This recipe looked like something I could enjoy making it’s a winner! Super easy. It turned out fantastic too. Thanks so much!
Does it matter if the breadcrumbs are seasoned? That’s all I have!
I wouldn’t recommend using seasoned breadcrumbs, as they could change the flavor of the apple filling.
Holly, this was a delicious recipe. Your instructions were easy to follow and it came out perfect. Made two of them and gone within a few hours. Thank you for sharing. This is a keeper for sure and will be part of my holiday desserts.
So awesome to hear that! Hope you enjoy it again during holidays. Thanks!
Is this recipe for one pastry sheet or 2?
It’s for 2 sheets.
Can this be made a day ahead and can I also make one with cherry pie filling?
Hi Cheryl
You can prepare it a day in advance, but it may not have the same level of flakiness. For the best taste and texture, I recommend baking it on the day you plan to serve it. Cherry pie filling also works well, but it’s preferable to bake it on the same day you intend to serve it.
I used 2 Dufour puff pastry and increased to 5 apples, and increased the other ingredients to accommodate the apples.
Absolutely the best puff pastry, apple-strudel ever
I’m so thrilled to hear that. Thanks for the idea!
Hi, what is the point of the breadcrumbs? Also, I don’t like nuts in desserts. Would this change any bake time or measurements if I omit them? Thank you.
Hi Liv
Breadcrumbs absorb the moisture coming out of apples so it keep the pastry from getting soggy on the bottom. You can omit the nuts if you don’t like, and it won’t affect the bake time. However you will get thinner pastries. You can add some raisins to maintain the same volume of filling. Hope this helps.
Thank you!!
Could this be frozen?
Certainly! I suggest freezing the strudel before baking. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, and it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When it’s time to bake, brush the frozen strudel with an egg wash and put it directly into a preheated oven. Be aware that the baking time might need an extension of about 10 minutes or more.
Loved this! We put extra minced walnuts on the top and used honeycrisp apples that were starting to bruise. Definitely a keeper!
Hi Karin
Honeycrisp apple is great for this recipe. I am glad that you liked my recipe. Thank you so much!
Can this be assembled and frozen to cook laterÉ
Hi Barbara
Yes, you can prepare ahead of time and freeze. As you see in my post FAQ, assemble the strudel pastry except the egg wash part. Apply egg wash right before you bake. You will need to bake longer if frozen. Hope this helps.
I made 2 last week, easy and delicious, both were gone the same day.
Thank you
Hi Arlene
Glad that you liked my apple strudel recipe. They are still one of my favorite apple desserts and I make them often in the fall. Thanks for visiting my site.
I’m confused about the amount of cinnamon
In the ingredients it says 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon but
In the instructions it says 2 Tablespoons,
Before I do this, will you please clarify?
Thank you
The ingredient says 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to apple filling. The 2 tablespoon is for the white sugar only.
Hope this helps. Thanks.
Thank you for this recipe and inspiration. I made this with Honeycrisp Apples, pumpkin pie spice instead of plain cinnamon, and added a pinch of salt. Loved it best while still fresh and warm, with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Will make this again for Christmas morning.
Finally made the Apple strudel after lusting after it forever. So impressed with the results! Made as written with Ohio apples. Will make it again, and again, and again….. thank you! Want to try with apples and canned sour cherries like a pie I make.
Really great recipe, so flavourful and easy to make even for me who is ko baker at all! Love it and family did too. Thank you 😊
how many of those thin sheets of dough do you use
Hi Marlene
There are two puff pastry sheets in a package and I used them both for this recipe.
Thanks.
This was my first time making apple strudel. I read the recipe, watched the video and gave it a try. It turned out beautiful and delicious. I like that it’s not too sweet. Will use this recipe again.
So happy to hear that your apple strudel turned out well. I hope you can make it again. Thanks for leaving me a comment.
I just made my first batch of this strudel; and let me just say, this recipe is a keeper! It involves a little bit of prep work, but all is easy. I did add some raisins to the apple mix because that’s a rule in my household. The biggest problem is to stop eating this once you start!
Hi Dossy
Your comment makes me happy. So glad to know that you loved my recipe. Yes, raisin is a great addition to the strudel. Thanks so much!
Such an easy recipe and so yummy! Will definitely make this again!
Excellent recipe. I made it half-sized, using 1 sheet of pastry, 350grams of Jona Gold apples and halving all other ingredients except the cinnamon and walnuts. Came out perfectly.
I love everything apple, but I love everything easy even more 🙂 So this strudel looks and sounds fantastic for me!
I totally agree with you, Ben. Thanks!
I was able to bake the frozen strudel straight from the freezer. I probably added about 10 minutes bake time – done when the juice bubbles clear. Saved me a lot of effort at the last minute!!
Sounds delicious! I need to make 15-20 for a church dinner, and I would like to assemble them, freeze them, and then bake the day of the event. Have you frozen an unbaked strudel, and then baked from frozen and had a good result? All suggestions welcome!
I have not tried from the frozen pre-assembled strudel, but I think it will work.
I would increase the baking time or let the strudel to thaw a little before you bake.
Hope you succeed. Let me know how it turns out if you try.
I am going to make the German strudel but I do have a in the recipe it cause for 2 tablespoons of whit sugar and on down the list it call for 2 tablespoon white sugar so do I put in sugar twice please let mary9day@ gmail.com
Hi Mary
You will need total 4 tbsp of white sugar. Half goes in with apples, and the other half goes with nut mixture. Hope that’s what you did. I revised the directions so that it will be more clear. Thanks for letting me know.
I am making your Strudel recipe for a church event but need to bake it the night before. Will that work or will it lose its crunchy pastry?
It will loose the crisp texture outside if left too long. You can prepare everything on the night before and keep them in the fridge. Then Bake just before you take to church.
I saw that the recipe makes two logs of apple strudel, yum!! But just in case we can’t eat it fast enough, have you tried to freeze it and re-heat it with any luck?
No, I have not tried freezing them. But I think you can. Just reheat in the oven to get the flaky crust back.
Ohmygoodness!!!!! I made 2 boxes worth of German Apple Strudel, so 4 logs of it, for my German-side Family Reunion today. Not many things I try actually turn out, but THIS???? It was easy, looked Fabulous, tasted Delicious, and was a very special nod to my Grandma’s German heritage, even though she died 4 Summers ago. I got sooo many compliments on it, from extended family members that I didn’t even know!!! THANK YOU for a Wonderful strudel recipe!!! I look forward to making this again and again – for home, to share with my family, to share with my coworkers, to bring to church…to rely on WHENEVER I need a Delicious dessert!!!! The Puff Pastry was really buttery and flaky and DELICIOUS!!!!! What a great recipe!!! Thank you for posting it. ❤
Another pin win!! Delicious and super easy
I made this (with only very slight alterations to suite my tastes) and it came out looking so perfect and professional. I real show-case pastry. Thank you for such detailed photographs. To accommodate my daughter’s tree nut allergy I sprinkled an apple crisp crumble topping (flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, butter) inside mine in place of the walnut mixture. It worked out perfectly! I know the nuts are traditional and really give it that authentic German taste, but this is a good alternative for those with allergies to enjoy it too. Thank you!
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find
It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to
give something back and aid others like you helped me.
Just scrolling through Pinterest and found your strudel recipe. I made it this evening and it was wonderful!! I never made strudel before because I thought it was way to difficult, your recipe made this dessert not only an all time favorite but so easy to master. It also filled my home with the most delicious aromas!!! Autumn is here and so is apple season, thanks to you apple strudel will be on my dessert menu often.
Thak you for a great recipe!
Am a Korean-American who also loves Germany and Austria and the apple strudel in both countries so was elated to come across this recipe and the photos. What a great idea to use the puff pastry sheets. I used raisins instead of walnuts and sliced the apples on a mandolin to get very thin slices. All in all, your recipe was a huge hit!
Thank you Rachel. Hope your boyfriend enjoys it.
Your strudel looks wonderful! My boyfriend is from Austria and this is his favorite. I'll be making your recipe today, and I'll let you know how it turns out.
Hi 🙂
I'm so sorry I didn't reply sooner…
Thank you SO much for the information about the rice cakes 😀 I will definitely try to make some myself!
I think the sauce of the Zigeunerschnitzel is quite similar to the one used in Hungarian Goulash… Just lots and lots of paprika. 🙂
Lena
Hi
I am so happy to hear from someone in Germany. I am glad that you found my blog as well.
I love Germany.
Some day I will challenge myself to make the strudel in authentic way. Is the "Zigeunerschnitzel" you mentioned closed to Hungarian Goulash? Sounds delish!
I think I have tried the Bratapfel but I didn't know the actual name. It was baked apples with brown sugar and cinnamon in the center. Thanks for letting me know the name. Such a great comfort food in the winter.
For the rice cakes, I found a Korean grocery store in the Kauserslautern near Ramstein U.S military base (I think there are quite many Korean population there). They had frozen rice cakes on sale. Of course you can make at home if you can get sweet rice flour. Just mix with water until it becomes a dough (Bread dough consistency). Roll out to be a long skinny sticks and cut. Steam them until they are all cooked. Coat with some oil on the surface so they don't stick to each other.
I would love to go back especially to Bavaria. Just stunningly beautiful! Please feel free to contact me if you have any question regarding any recipes.
Holly
This makes me happy. 😀
I'm a 19 year old girl from Germany and I found your blog, because I love spicy food and always wanted to try spicy rice cakes. However, I havent found a place to get them yet and therefore decided to try making my own.
So I'm spending some time here, reading a few of your recipes and suddenly I stumble across this one. 🙂
The shop for christmas decoration you talked about… I have been there too, because I live in another small town just across the Rhine River. And I'm glad you liked Germany 🙂
My Grandma lives in Bavaria in a small town quite near to the border to Austria so she is the master of apple strudel 🙂 And a thing she also is great at cooking: Zigeunerschnitzel (Zigeuner means gypsy). I don't know if you have tried it, but it's really really good. It's schnitzel with a sauce with lots of paprika and some other vegetables in it. Its really nice, especially with home made french fries. Oh, and it actually tastes a lot better if you dont coat the meat with breadcrumbs, i think it just gets soggy because of the sauce.
And do you know Bratapfel? Uuh, how to translate this… It basically means baked/roasted apple, I think. I dont even know if they have this in other countries. Its an old recipe and I think its origin is in Bavaria… You eat this in winter when its really cold, especially around christmas. You just take out the apple core and fill the apple with a mixture of nuts, raisins, cinnamon, sugar and so on and then you put it in the oven.
Greets from Germany!
delicious favourite
lovely addition of breadcrumbs
I just made this today…phenomenal!!! I'm just so glad it makes two!
I LOVE your blog. I have already bookmarked about…10 recipes.
Maybe you can do a blog post about korean hot pot soon!? It's getting cold in New York. 🙂
@Anonymous
Thanks for the information on the apple strudel show. I will check it out when I visit Vienna someday. Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you visit again.
I was in Germany a few years ago and loved the apple strudel. This looks amazing and I can't wait to make it!
Mmmmm, looks so good! Simple but delicious, I love it!
First of all thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe. And the pictures are gorgeous. I better plan my trip for next year. I love Europe.
Hi Pat!!! Wonderful to see you here!!! Isn't this space such pure delight? This talented korean chef is wonderful!
I wanted to say almost the same, as my fellow German commentator already did. Ohh well, there is a German saying : "Doppelt genaeht haelt besser." which can be roughly translated as "Doubly stitched make things stronger".
Once in my lifetime – in fact it was in the middle of last century (in 1959) – while attending a cooking school, I made "Strudel" from scratch, since then I am using either puff pastry or fillo dough. Both work very well.
Anna in N.
Lovely post, and your strudel looks fabulous!!
Love ur blog!
I've never had the pleasure of visiting Germany. But thanks for taking me along for the ride with your wonderful photos. The struedel looks like the perfect souvenir, too.
I am from Germany and most people here either buy strudel or cheat just the way you did 😉 Making the real dough is just too much work at home. If you ever go to Vienna you can watch an "apple strudel show" in Schönbrunn. You will love it!
Just found this blog via Tastespotting and now it's bookmarked, I'm looking forward to more nice recipes and beautiful pictures 🙂
@MPapery
Thanks for your compliment. My husband says all the time that I am funny but I've always thought I am boring person. I wonder my boring-ness can be funny?
My German grandmother used to make delicious apple strudel – I miss that! 😀
Your photos are beautiful and the strudel looks delicious!
What a delicious looking desert! I have 3 apple trees with loads more apples than I know what to do with, thanks for the idea 🙂
*kisses* HH
I'm so glad to hear your sweet happy experience on my second land – adopted by heart and because of the sweetheart as well!
Deutschland is my new homeland…
Very soon I'll end my business trip here in the southern sky and my wings will guide me home, a tiny little island in the cold precious North Sea. Who knows, maybe you can visit me and I take you for a Kaffe und Kuchen!
Wonderful recipe, darling!
Beautiful photos!
Hugs!
What a great-looking fall treat! I always make apple turnover around this time of year!
Very nice! I made my first strudel the other day, too — turned out wonderfully. *Heather*
I just found your blog. And I must say that in the midst of thousands of food blogs online, I love yours! You are so funny! I have now added you to my favorites bar. Will be returning soon! 🙂
@Noshings
Thanks for visiting. German countryside is absolutely gorgeous. Every house has flowers box on their window and their door steps. People are very orderly and well mannered. Just lovely!
your photos of Germany almost made me homesick…and Ive never been there!
such beautiful countryside *sigh*
great recipe, Im adding it to my recipe file!
thanks =)
Thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe! I found it on foodgawker, and it immediately caught my eye. My husband and I just returned from Germany, and I am craving everything Deutsch — especially the pastries! I am definitely going to make this one.
Can leftovers be frozen?