Apple Strudel
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Skip the fuss of traditional strudel! This easy apple strudel, made with flaky phyllo pastry, is filled with apples, walnuts, and brandy-soaked raisins.
Apple strudel is a classic Viennese pastry filled with brandy-soaked raisins, apples, and chopped walnuts. Traditionally, the dough is made from scratch, rolled, and stretched until it’s paper-thin—a process as tedious as it sounds! For this easy apple strudel recipe, I use store-bought phyllo dough, a convenient shortcut often used in European and Middle Eastern pastries like baklava and spanakopita. With a few simple pointers, working with phyllo is easier than you think—and this strudel comes together in no time!
Perfect with coffee any time of day, this strudel is great served on its own, with a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Bonus: the recipe can be multiplied for a crowd, prepared ahead of time, or frozen to bake at a later date.
“I learned to make strudel dough with my Slovenian mom when I was a child. This is SO much easier!”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Strudel
- Baking apples: They hold their shape during baking and provide the sweet, juicy filling. Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, and Fuji are all great options; if possible, use a mix of different varietals for better flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the tartness of the apples.
- Cinnamon: A classic spice that adds warmth complements the apples.
- Apple brandy or regular brandy: Adds depth and enhances the flavor of the apples and raisins.
- Raisins: Sweet, chewy bites that give the filling a nice texture and added flavor. Regular or golden raisins may be used.
- Walnuts: Very finely chopped for a subtle crunch and nutty flavor.
- Phyllo dough: Thin, flaky pastry that gives the strudel its signature crisp crust. You can find it in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
- Unsalted butter: Brushed between the layers of phyllo for a rich, golden texture.
- Panko bread crumbs: Absorb the moisture from the filling and help keep the phyllo crisp.
- Confectioners’ sugar: For a light dusting on top, adding sweetness and a pretty finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large skillet, combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, brandy, raisins, and salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid from the apples dissolves and the apples are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir in the walnuts.
Wet and wring out a clean dishtowel. Keep melted butter and a brush nearby. Unroll the phyllo and cover it with plastic wrap or wax paper, topped with the damp towel to prevent drying. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean surface and brush with melted butter.
Layer with four additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with the melted butter.
Spread half of the panko in a 3 by 10-inch rectangle about 2 inches from the bottom of the phyllo sheets and about 2 inches from each side.
Spread half of the apple mixture on top of the panko.
Fold the sides of the phyllo over the filling.
Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo over filling and roll up jelly-roll style.
Carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet and brush the top of the strudels with the remaining butter.
With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in 2-in intervals through the top layers of the dough just to the filling.
Place in the oven and bake until the strudels are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and slice each one into thirds or quarters. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, then serve warm or room temperature.
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Apple Strudel
Skip the fuss of traditional strudel! This easy apple strudel, made with flaky phyllo pastry, is filled with apples, walnuts, and brandy-soaked raisins.
Ingredients
- 3 large (about 1½ lbs) baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced ⅛-in thick (see note)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons apple brandy or regular brandy
- ½ cup raisins
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup walnuts, very finely chopped
- 10 (9x14-in) sheets phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, brandy, raisins, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid from the apples dissolves and the apples are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wet and wring out a clean dishtowel. Have the melted butter nearby with a brush. Unroll the phyllo and cover it with the plastic wrap from the package (it's usually rolled in a sheet of plastic) or a sheet of wax paper, followed by the damp towel; keep it covered as you work so it doesn’t dry out. (Note: if you work quickly, you don’t need to be quite as careful about this.)
- Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean work surface with the long side facing you. Brush the sheet with melted butter. You may find it easier to drizzle a bit of butter on the dough with the brush and then spread it across the dough in gentle strokes. Layer with four additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with the melted butter. (You should have a stack of five buttery sheets.)
- Spread half of the panko followed by half of the apple mixture (on top of the panko) in a 3 by 10-inch rectangle about 2 inches from the bottom of the phyllo sheets and about 2 inches from each side. Fold the sides of the phyllo over the filling, then fold the bottom edge of the phyllo over the filling. Roll up jelly-roll style and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets and apple filling. Brush the top of the strudels with the remaining butter. With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in 2-in intervals through the top layers of the dough just to the filling.
- Bake until the strudels are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Transfer the strudels to a cutting board and slice each one into thirds or quarters. Dust with confectioners' sugar, then serve warm or room temperature.
- Note: Readily available baking apples include Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, and Honey Crisp. Use a mix of different varieties for best results.
- Note: Phyllo is more forgiving than you think. If it tears, just patch it back together with your fingers.
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can prepare the strudel rolls and refrigerate them for up to 2 hours before baking. You can also wrap the individual rolls in heavy-duty aluminum foil and freeze for a few months; just keep in mind that frozen strudel rolls will take a bit longer to cook. (Leftovers reheat well in a 300°F oven or toaster oven.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 8
- Calories: 294
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this and it was awesome! Thank you. I do have a question though. How do I store the rest of the strudel? The filo becomes soft after the first day. Any suggestions?
Thank you Jenn. I love your recipes.
So glad you like it, Lucy! Because phyllo is fairly thin and is filled with wet ingredients, I don’t think there’s a way to really avoid it becoming a little soft after the first day. That said, wrapping it in foil is probably the best way to store it. Hope that helps!
So easy and soooo good. The only change I made was to substitute toasted slivered almonds (hubby doesn’t like walnuts). This is very much like my German granny made without all the fuss of stretching the dough. An easy quick dessert served up warm with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe.
PS: working my way through the cookbook. It’s a keeper and beautifully illustrated.
I am going to try this recipe tomorrow. Just wondering what kind of raisins I should use. Sultanas? Golden?? The photo looks like you use the darker, sultana or thompson raisin. Thanks.
Hi Anne, I typically use Sun-Maid Raisins like this, but any raisins will work here. Hope you enjoy!
This strudel looks delicious! I would love to make them in advance, then bake them Christmas morning. How many days ahead can the rolls be put together without getting soggy? I have a lot to do for Christmas Eve dinner, so could they be put together and refrigerated on 12/22 and baked 12/25?
Unfortunately, that won’t work. These can be assembled up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated but that’s about it. You could assemble them and freeze. (See the make-ahead/freezing instructions at the bottom of the recipe.) Hope you enjoy!
Help! I don’t have any booze in this house and am not driving for 1/2 hour to get 2tablespoons of brandy to soak the raisins. What can I do please 🤔
Hi Karen, You can just replace the brandy with water. It will still be good – enjoy!
I have made this recipe as written many times and it is wonderful. I would like to know your feelings and/or suggestions on adapting it to use with Dark Morello Cherries in syrup. I know that I would drain them, sweeten and reduce the liquid, add some almond extract and possibly some dried cherries. But other than that, would the recipe remain the same? Do you have any suggestions? Thank-you so much for you advice. Also, do you have another cookbook in the works?
Hi Diana, I do that would work. And I’m unofficially working on a new project so stay tuned. Hope to have news sometime early next year. 🙂
Amazing! So quick and easy. I’ve made it twice in the last week. Need to slow down (-: Thanks, Jenn! You are the best.
Do you think I can use puff pastry instead of phylo? Would the time in the oven be the same? I’ve made several recipes from your site and they’ve all been delicious.
I haven’t tried this with puff pastry, but I think it would work. (And it should take about the same amount of time in the oven.) I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it this way!
Hi
I went to Trader Joe’s and they only had puff pastry. Have you tried making the strudel with the puff pastry?
Thank you.
Hi Debbie, I’ve never made this with puff pastry but I think it should work. Hope you enjoy!
I thought the apple filling was delicious. I used Cortland apples and cooked till soft, which took about 20 minutes. I do not like phyllo dough for the strudel, though, and I wish you had come up with your own dough for the pastry. I think it really needs a more substantial dough than phyllo or puff pastry.
OMG Jen, once again a great recipe! I did change one ingredient, I substituted golden raisins as they were the only ones that I had available at the time. I do have a question. Is it possible to compose and bake these, cool and freeze them for a later serving? Thanks again!
Glad you enjoyed this! While you can freeze them before baking, I don’t think they’d hold up well if frozen after baking — sorry!