Apple Strudel with Cinnamon Apples and Vanilla Sauce

Name: Apple Strudel With Cinnamon Apples and Vanilla Sauce
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 1 large strudel, serving 8
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 200 g all-purpose flour, plus 15 g for dusting the work surface and cloth; 110 ml water, warmed to 100°F (38°C); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola; 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) neutral oil, for coating the dough; 80 g unsalted butter, divided: 30 g for the crumbs, 25 g for the stretched dough, 15 g for the assembled strudel, and 10 g for brushing halfway through baking; 60 g fine, plain dry breadcrumbs; 60 g raisins; 60 ml warm water, for soaking the raisins; discard after soaking; 800 g apples, weighed after peeling and coring; use 400 g Granny Smith and 400 g Braeburn; 75 g granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 360 ml whole milk; 2 large egg yolks; 35 g granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon fine salt; 1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar

Imperial October 25, 2026October 25, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce pairs delicate, golden pastry with cinnamon-scented apples, plump raisins, and buttery toasted crumbs. A spoonful of warm vanilla sauce makes every slice feel special.

Yield: 1 large strudel, serving 8
Prep Time: 45 minutes active preparation
Cook Time: 55 minutes, including 50 minutes baking; make the sauce during baking
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes, including 45 minutes dough resting and 20 minutes cooling

Quick Ingredients

Dough: 200 g all-purpose flour, 110 ml warm water, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; plus 1 teaspoon oil for coating and 15 g flour for dusting.
Buttery crumbs and brushing: 80 g unsalted butter, divided, and 60 g fine, plain dry breadcrumbs.
Apple filling: 800 g peeled, cored apples, 60 g raisins, 60 ml warm water for soaking, 75 g granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Vanilla sauce: 360 ml whole milk, 2 large egg yolks, 35 g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt.
To finish: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.

Do This

1. Mix the dough ingredients, knead for 8 minutes, coat with oil, and rest covered for 45 minutes.
2. Toast the breadcrumbs in 30 g butter for 5 minutes. Soak the raisins for 15 minutes, drain, and dry. Thinly slice the apples and toss with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and raisins.
3. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 340°F (170°C) fan. Stretch the dough on a floured cloth into a translucent 16 × 24-inch (40 × 60 cm) rectangle.
4. Brush with 25 g melted butter, add the crumbs and filling, fold in the sides, and roll up using the cloth. Place seam-side down on a lined baking sheet and brush with 15 g butter.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, brushing with the remaining 10 g butter after 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the vanilla sauce gently to 180°F (82°C).
6. Cool the strudel for 20 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into 8 slices. Serve with the warm vanilla sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Beautifully crisp pastry: A simple homemade dough stretches into delicate layers without any special equipment.
A balanced apple filling: Tart apples, sweet raisins, and cinnamon give you plenty of flavor without overwhelming sweetness.
A clever buttery layer: Toasted breadcrumbs absorb apple juices and help keep the pastry from becoming soggy.
A lovely finishing touch: The silky vanilla sauce comes together on the stove while the strudel bakes.

Grocery List

Produce: Approximately 1 kg whole apples to yield 800 g peeled and cored; 1 lemon.
Dairy: 80 g unsalted butter and 360 ml whole milk.
Eggs: 2 large eggs, using the yolks only.
Pantry: All-purpose flour, neutral oil, fine salt, plain dry breadcrumbs, raisins, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.

Full Ingredients

For the Stretched Pastry

200 g all-purpose flour, plus 15 g for dusting the work surface and cloth
110 ml water, warmed to 100°F (38°C)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) neutral oil, for coating the dough

For the Buttery Crumbs and Pastry Brushing

80 g unsalted butter, divided: 30 g for the crumbs, 25 g for the stretched dough, 15 g for the assembled strudel, and 10 g for brushing halfway through baking
60 g fine, plain dry breadcrumbs

For the Apple and Raisin Filling

60 g raisins
60 ml warm water, for soaking the raisins; discard after soaking
800 g apples, weighed after peeling and coring; use 400 g Granny Smith and 400 g Braeburn
75 g granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

For the Vanilla Sauce

360 ml whole milk
2 large egg yolks
35 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine salt

For Serving

1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar

Apple Strudel with Cinnamon Apples and Vanilla Sauce – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make and rest the pastry dough

Combine the 200 g flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon oil, then stir until a rough dough forms. Turn onto a clean work surface and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth, soft, and elastic. Avoid adding flour unless the dough is genuinely sticking; a supple dough stretches much more easily than a stiff one.

Shape into a ball, rub all over with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and cover with an inverted bowl. Let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. This rest relaxes the dough so you can stretch it thinly without it springing back.

Step 2: Toast the crumbs and soak the raisins

Melt 30 g butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until evenly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Place the raisins in a small bowl with 60 ml warm water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Melt the remaining 50 g butter separately and keep it ready for brushing.

Step 3: Prepare the apples and baking sheet

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 340°F (170°C) fan, with a rack in the center. Line an 18 × 13-inch (46 × 33 cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Quarter the peeled, cored apples and slice them crosswise into pieces approximately 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Toss with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and drained raisins just before filling the pastry. If any juice collects in the bottom of the bowl, leave that liquid behind when transferring the filling.

Step 4: Stretch the pastry until translucent

Spread a large, clean, smooth-weave cotton cloth over a table and dust it evenly with the reserved 15 g flour. Set the rested dough in the center, flatten it, and roll it into a rectangle about 12 × 16 inches (30 × 40 cm).

Slip your hands beneath the dough with your palms facing down. Gently stretch it over the backs of your hands, working from the center toward the edges and moving around the dough. Aim for a rectangle about 16 × 24 inches (40 × 60 cm), thin enough to see the cloth through it. Keep jewelry and sharp fingernails away from the pastry. Trim away any noticeably thick outer edges.

Position the dough with a 16-inch (40 cm) short edge nearest you. A small tear is nothing to worry about: overlap its edges gently, or patch it with a thin piece of trimmed dough.

Step 5: Fill and roll the strudel

Gently brush the stretched dough with 25 g melted butter. Scatter the cooled breadcrumbs over the third of the dough closest to you, leaving a 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) border at each side.

Arrange the apple mixture over the crumbs in an even band, leaving approximately 2 inches (5 cm) of empty pastry along the edge nearest you. Fold that near edge over the filling, then fold the long side edges inward by 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) to enclose the ends.

Lift the cloth slowly to roll the strudel away from you, letting the cloth do the work rather than pulling on the pastry. Roll snugly enough to hold the filling, but do not squeeze it tightly. Use the cloth to help transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Brush the top and sides with 15 g melted butter.

Step 6: Bake until golden and crisp

Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully brush the top with the remaining 10 g melted butter, then bake for another 25 minutes, for 50 minutes total. The pastry should be deeply golden and crisp, and a thin skewer inserted into the center should pass easily through the apples.

If the top is already deeply browned at the halfway point, tent it loosely with foil for the remaining baking time. Do not wrap the strudel tightly, as trapped steam will soften the pastry.

Step 7: Cook the vanilla sauce

While the strudel bakes, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling.

Slowly whisk half the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula and scraping the bottom and corners. Cook until the sauce reaches 180°F (82°C) and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes after returning it to the pan. Do not let it boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour into a small jug, passing it through a fine-mesh sieve if needed. The finished sauce should be pourable, not as thick as pudding. It makes approximately 400 ml, enough for about 50 ml per serving.

Step 8: Rest, slice, and serve

Let the baked strudel cool on its baking sheet for 20 minutes. This gives the filling time to settle and makes the slices easier to lift neatly.

Dust with the powdered sugar, then use a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut the strudel into 8 slices. Serve warm with a generous spoonful of vanilla sauce beside each slice. Add the sauce just before serving to keep the pastry crisp.

Pro Tips

Give the dough its full rest: If it resists stretching, cover it and pause for 5 minutes rather than forcing it.
Use a smooth cloth: A flour-dusted cotton tea towel or tablecloth supports the fragile pastry and makes rolling much easier. Avoid terry cloth, which can catch the dough.
Keep the filling relatively dry: Drain the raisins well and leave accumulated apple juice in the mixing bowl. The crumbs can absorb moisture, but they should not be soaked before baking.
Slice the apples evenly: Thin, consistent slices soften within the baking time without needing to precook the filling.
Weigh the flour: Too much flour makes the dough harder to stretch. A kitchen scale is especially helpful for this pastry.

Variations

Rum-raisin strudel: Replace the 60 ml soaking water with 30 ml dark rum and 30 ml warm water. Soak for 15 minutes, then drain and dry as directed.
Walnut apple strudel: Add 40 g finely chopped walnuts to the cooled breadcrumb mixture for a lightly nutty filling.
Raisin-free strudel: Omit the raisins and increase the prepared apples to 860 g. Keep the remaining filling ingredients unchanged.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store leftovers: Refrigerate the strudel and vanilla sauce separately in covered containers within 2 hours of cooking. Keep the strudel for up to 3 days and the sauce for up to 2 days. The pastry will soften in the refrigerator.

Reheat: Place refrigerated strudel slices on a baking sheet and warm uncovered at 320°F (160°C) for 15 minutes, or until hot in the center and crisp on the outside. Reheat the sauce gently over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 165°F (74°C); do not boil.

Prepare ahead: Make the dough up to 24 hours ahead, coat it with the measured oil, and refrigerate in an airtight container. Let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before stretching. The toasted crumbs and vanilla sauce can also be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately. For the best texture, slice the apples and assemble the strudel shortly before baking rather than refrigerating it unbaked.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated for one-eighth of the strudel with one-eighth of the vanilla sauce and powdered sugar; actual values vary by ingredients and the amount of dusting flour used.