Apple Strudel and Puff Pastry

Direct apple strudel with store-bought puff pastry! Filled with cinnamon apples and walnuts, this flaky German dessert is short, fuss-free, and impressive for holidays or cozy gatherings.

Our love affair with apple strudel began during a vacation to Bavaria, where we tasted our first classic German strudel. The flaky, golden pastry and tender apples left such an impression, but as a busy mom, we knew we couldn’t spend hours rolling out kitchen-made dough.

That’s why we 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 our site and one we make often for our family.

Honestly, it’s hard to say which we love more—this apple strudel or our deep dish apple pie, the classic American favorite that’s just as cozy and indulgent. If you’re looking for a direct apple dessert that captures the spirit of German strudel without all the fuss, this one’s for you.

Featured Review

“we just made our first batch of this strudel; and let us just say, this recipe is a keeper! The biggest problem is to stop eating this once you start!”

Dossy

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Notes on Key Ingredients

• Apple: We used Ginger Gold for this recipe because it has just the right amount of sweetness and aroma that we love. Other baking apples like Granny Smith, Golden Savory, 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 the dish comes together

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 Our Kitchen

We love to serve this apple strudel warm, dusted with powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream—our 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 direct apple desserts like this puff pastry apple strudel, you might also enjoy our apple brownie bars—a chewy, cake-like treat packed with apple flavor.

• Yield: 6 people
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

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

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
2. 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.
3. Meanwhile, combine nuts, brown sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoon of white sugar, and breadcrumbs in another small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream.

Notes

Freezing Tips: 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.