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.
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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.
Holly I’m having a dinner party and serving your strudel When should I make the strudel for being ready to eat after dinner. Can it sit out at room temp while dinner is being server? What is you best suggestion for having dessert ready after dinner?
You can assemble the strudel earlier in the day, keep it covered in the fridge, then brush with egg wash right before baking. Bake it while dinner is being served, let it cool for 10–15 minutes, then slice and serve warm.
Freshly baked puff pastry always has the best flaky texture, so your guests will love it.
Excellent! Thank you Holly!
very nice and easy to make. thanks Brent
my type of food + it tastes
I have made this 3 times in 3 weeks to use up my windfall apples. I love this recipe. It’s easy and tastes amazing. Shared with my neighbor who said best apple pie she had ever eaten. I think the rum soaked raisins had a bit to with that. Tried without, with walnuts and all versions are autumn heaven on a plate.
That made me smile. Three times in 3 weeks is the best kind of review! 😊 I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying it and putting those apples to good use.
If I use a premade apple pie filling that was canned, should I reduce the amount of sugar that’s in the walnut breadcrumb component (since there’s already sugar in the apple filling)? Also, would
I bake it for less time? Thanks!
Yes, that’s a good idea. Canned apple pie filling is already quite sweet, so I would reduce or even skip the sugar in the walnut breadcrumb mixture.
The baking time should stay about the same since the puff pastry still needs time to turn golden and crisp. Just bake until the pastry is nicely browned.
Hi! Can frozen apples slices be used?
Yes, you can use frozen apple slices. Just thaw them first and drain any excess liquid so the filling doesn’t get too wet. Enjoy!
Came out great. Did not have breadcrumbs
Being of German decent I’m very picky about my apple strudel and this has become my go to recipe. The puffed pastry makes it so easy and is consistently good every time I bake it.
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much.
Made this a few times. Son has nut allergy so used raisins as replacements. Made it again after not making it awhile on work night, forgot about the subusition but still did bread crumbs little less white sugar & made mini apple strudels for rest of week lunches. It isn’t too hard at all work week once you get going, just need energy do cut apples and comes together easy. A lot better than packaged junk at shops even though I wouldn’t say it’s a healthy treat.
Love that you made it nut-free with raisins. And mini strudels for the week is genius Thanks for sharing your tips and for baking it again!
Made as directed except for adding rum-soaked raisins to the apples. Excellent! Question: Can Panko bread crumbs be used? I am out of the regular crumbs now. Would I need to use a less amount of Panko crumbs? Thanks! Oh, yes: I sprinkled Fruit Fresh over the cut apples. No browning of the apples, remained firm.
So glad you enjoyed it. Yes, you can use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs. Just use a little less (about 25–30% less) since panko is lighter and absorbs more moisture
I just made this today and it turned out amazingly. I left out the nuts because of my allergies and it was still delicious and had a perfect texture inside and out. I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad to hear that! Great call on skipping the nuts, it’s wonderful to know it still turned out perfectly. Thanks for sharing your results, and I’m thrilled you’ll be making it again!
What serving size are you using to get those nutrition facts? That would be very helpful for people that are tracking calories and/or other nutrients.
The recipe makes 6 servings, and the nutrition facts are calculated based on that serving size. But if you prefer more generous portions, it will make about 4 servings (just keep in mind that the calories will be higher). The listed values reflect the strudel only; if you add ice cream or other toppings, that will increase the calories as well.
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…