Description
This classic Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry features tender, cinnamon-spiced apples wrapped in flaky, buttery puff pastry, topped with a sweet cinnamon-sugar crust and crunchy pecans. Perfect as a comforting dessert or special treat that combines the crispness of apples with rich caramel and nutty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Filling
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- ¼ cup caramel topping
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pastry & Topping
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Heat oven to 425ºF. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and let it stand on the counter for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- Cook Apples: In a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, cook the sliced apples with caramel topping and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, stirring occasionally until the apples become tender and caramelized.
- Assemble Strudel: Place the puff pastry sheet onto the prepared pan. Spoon the warm apple mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry, spreading it evenly but leaving a ½ inch border on all sides. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the apples.
- Roll and Seal: Starting from the short side, roll the pastry tightly over the apple filling, then firmly pinch the edges to seal the strudel to prevent filling leakage during baking.
- Add Topping: In a small bowl, combine sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Brush the surface of the strudel with beaten egg, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cut slits about 2 inches apart on the top of the dough to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake: Bake the strudel at 425ºF for 10 minutes or until the pastry starts to puff up. Then immediately reduce oven temperature to 375ºF and continue baking until the strudel is a deep golden brown and fully cooked through, about 10-15 more minutes.
Notes
- Use puff pastry made without oil for best flavor; butter-based puff pastry yields the flakiest crust.
- This recipe makes approximately 8 servings, but it tends to disappear quickly—perfect for sharing!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of strudel)
- Calories: 503
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 217mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0.01g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 41mg
