Apple & Walnut Strudel

Make this apple & walnut strudel for a super quick & easy dessert! The filo pastry is seriously flaky & it’s full of spiced apples, walnuts & rum soaked raisins.

If you’re after an incredibly quick & easy dessert to make, this is the recipe for you! In less than an hour, you could be eating a super flaky apple strudel that’s full of lightly spiced apples, boozy, rum soaked raisins & chunky pieces of walnut. Serve this with a generous amount of double cream, custard or ice cream & you’re in for a treat!

This recipe uses filo pastry instead of the classic homemade strudel dough, just because it’s a lot quicker & easier. You’ll still get that incredibly flaky texture that strudel is known for but in a fraction of the time. That being said, you can totally swap out the pastry for homemade strudel dough if you’d prefer!

For more easy to follow dessert recipes, take a look at our dessert recipe collection! There’s something for everyone here, including homemade ice creams, chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding, panna cottas & lots more.

What Is Apple Strudel?

Apple strudel is an Austrian dessert that consists of a spiced apple & raisin filling that is encased in several layers of extremely thin pastry. The strudel dough is incredibly crisp & flaky once baked & is traditionally made from scratch & stretched by hand.

Using Filo Pastry

To cut down on prep time in this recipe, we’re not going to be making strudel dough but instead we’ll be using filo pastry. Although this isn’t the traditional way to make strudel, using filo is a lot quicker & easier than making pastry from scratch and still provides the flakiness that this dessert is known for.

When working with filo pastry, it can dry out quickly when left uncovered. To prevent this, make sure to keep any unused pastry covered with a damp tea towel whilst you assemble the strudels. Once your strudels are assembled, it’s best to bake them straight away, to avoid the filling making it soggy.

The Best Apples For Strudel

The apples that we use in our strudel need to be able to hold their shape once cooked. For desserts like this one, you’ll need to use a baking apple. My go to apple is almost always Braeburn, as they also have a decent level of sweetness.

The type of apple that you use can be changed to suit your personal preference! Other good apple choices would be Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Gala or a mix.

Ingredients Used

• Filo Pastry – Filo is incredibly thin & super flaky once baked. This pastry is available in most supermarkets & for this recipe, you’ll need 10 sheets. This will make 2 strudels.
• Apples – For this homemade strudel, you’ll need to use an apple that hold its’ shape once cooked. I like to use Braeburns but you could also use Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Gala or a mix of apples instead.
• Walnuts – The slight bitterness from the walnuts cuts through the sweetness of the fruit nicely. If you’d prefer to use a different type of nut then feel free! Pecans or hazelnuts would make a good alternative.
• Raisins – Either raisins or sultanas will work for this recipe. We’re soaking them in rum first for extra flavour but feel free to skip this step, use a different alcohol or soak in apple juice, if you’d prefer.
• Light Brown Sugar – Using light brown sugar adds a caramelised flavour to our filling. Caster sugar can be used instead though.
• Butter – For this recipe, we’re using butter in our filling & it is also brushed in between the layers & on top of the pastry. Make sure to use unsalted, which gives us more control on how much salt goes into the recipe.
• Lemon Juice – Mixing the apple pieces with lemon juice stops them going brown. If you’d like, you could mix some zest through the apples as well.
• Vanilla – We’re adding a small amount of vanilla paste into the strudel filling which adds another level of flavour. A good quality paste works best & you’ll only need to use a small amount.
• Cinnamon & Ginger – A small amount of each ground spice is used in the filling which adds a subtle amount of spice that complements the fruit well.
• Salt – Adding a small amount of salt helps bring out the flavour of the apples. Table salt or a fine sea salt will work here.
• Ground Almonds – In some strudel recipes, you would add breadcrumbs to the filling which absorbs moisture, preventing the pastry from going soggy. I’ve opted to sit the filling on a light layer of ground almonds which absorbs moisture & adds a subtle nutty flavour.
• Demerara Sugar – A good sprinkling of demerara sugar on top of each strudel before baking makes it even crispier!

How To Make Apple & Walnut Strudel

A really good homemade apple strudel is hard to beat and fortunately, it’s super easy to make! To break it down, it’s rolled filo pastry with a spiced apple, rum soaked raisin & walnut filling…

Step 1 – Make The Filling

First, we place raisins into a bowl the pour over rum & leave to soak whilst you cook the apples (for 15 minutes or so).

Next, we peel, quarter & core the apples then mix in a bowl with the juice of a lemon, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger & a pinch of salt. This mix gets cooked in a large saucepan with butter until the apples are tender & the juices from the fruit are reduced. This will take around 10 minutes over a medium heat.

Once cooked, we transfer the apples to a bowl, leave to cool then mix in chopped walnuts, vanilla paste & the soaked raisins (make sure to strain any liquid from the raisins before adding to the apples).

Step 2 – Layer The Pastry

Now to assemble. First, we take a sheet of filo pastry & lay it onto a clean work surface. Then we brush the pastry all over with melted butter then lay another sheet of filo on top. Repeat this until you have five layers of pastry but leave the top sheet unbuttered.

Step 3 – Add Filling & Roll

Next, we sprinkle half a tablespoon of ground almonds along one of the long edges of pastry, leaving a 4-5cm border then top with half of the apple mix. The almonds prevent the pastry from going soggy as it bakes.

To assemble, we fold the two short edges of filo over the apple then starting at the long end with the filling on, roll into a tight sausage. We place the strudel, seam side down onto a lined baking tray then repeat the assembly process with the remaining filling & pastry, to make 2 large strudels.

Step 4 – Top With Butter & Sugar

Brush the top & sides of each strudel with melted butter then sprinkle over a generous amount of demerara sugar. This gives the pastry a crunchy, well caramelised finish.

Step 5 – Bake

We bake the strudels at 180°c/356°f for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp & golden brown all over. To ensure that the bottom of the strudels are crisp, make sure to preheat your oven thoroughly.

Step 6 – Portion & Serve

We let the apple strudels cool for 5 minutes or so then cut each into 3 portions. Dust with icing sugar then serve. A sharp, serrated knife works best for cutting through the pastry! Letting the strudel stand briefly lets the filling & pastry firm up slightly, meaning that you’ll get neater portions.

What To Serve With Strudel

Traditionally apple strudel would be served with a spoonful of whipped cream but it would also work well with custard, vanilla ice cream, a dollop of crème fraiche or a drizzle of pouring cream. A dusting of icing sugar is also a must! It’s best to serve homemade apple strudel warm, fresh from the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Dessert Recipes To Try!

• Amaretto Tiramisu
• Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta
• Raspberry Ripple Stracciatella
• Lemon Drizzle Bakewell Tart
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Profiteroles With Chocolate Sauce

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