German Apple Strudel Recipe

These traditional German apple strudel recipes make delicious strudels that you will be proud to serve to your family over the Holiday Season, or on special occasions the year-round. Choose from several below, and as a bonus, I've added a recipe for making an authentic Tiroler strudel with almonds.

The German word strudel means "whirlpool" which best described the thin layer of thin dough rolled around the apple filling when the baked strudel is sliced for serving. Homemade strudel has become one of the world's favorite desserts.

Traditional German Apple Strudel Recipe

The Hotel St Francis Cookbook (1919)

German Apple Strudel St Francis

Roll out some puff pastry about one-eighth-inch thick and eight inches wide with a rolling pin. On it spread some sliced Granny Smith apples mixed with sugar and powdered cinnamon as shown below in the step-by-step instructions.

Wet the edges and fold up both sides of pastry, forming a roll. Place on a baking sheet, wash the top with egg wash, and bake in a hot oven (425°F).

When done cut in slices about two inches wide, and serve your apfelstrudel hot, with hard and brandy sauces.

Traditional German Apple Strudel Recipe

Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes (1915)

Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Strudel

Aunt Sarah pared and quartered six medium-sized tart apples, placed in the bottom of an agate pudding dish, poured over them one cup of hot water and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. She allowed this to stand on the range and cook while she mixed the following homemade dough.

Into a large bowl, she sifted 1 pint of flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder, one teaspoonful of sugar, a little salt. Cut 1 tablespoonful of melted butter through the flour. Lightly mixed all together into a soft dough with about 3/4 cup sweet milk. Should she have a left-over yolk of egg that was added to the milk.

She rolled dough out lightly on the floured bread board, cut vents in the crust to allow steam to escape and spread it over the top of the dish containing the hot apples; placed in a hot oven (425°F) to bake until light brown on top. Serve with sugar and cream.

Traditional Tiroler Strudel Recipe

German Cookery for the English Kitchen (1906)

1/2 pound flour
1 gill milk (1/2 cupful)
4 ounces sugar
1 ounce yeast
3 ounces butter
8 yolks of eggs
4 whites of eggs
2 ounces grated sweet almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pint cream

Cream 2 ounces of the butter and add 4 yolks to it. Then stir in the flour and the yeast, dissolved in a gill (1/2 cup) of warm water. Mix thoroughly.

Place the dough on a floured surface, a board, well dredged with flour, and roll out to less than 1/4 inch in thickness with a rolling pin, and spread with the following mixture:

4 yolks, beaten with 4 ounces sugar, and then the 4 whites, whisked stiffly, stirred into them with 2 ounces gated almonds.

Roll together and then curl round on itself (in snail-like form) and place to rise in a pan thickly buttered with an ounce of butter. When well risen, bake in a hot oven (425°F).

After the first 10 minutes, pour over the Strudel 1/2 pint of cream and bake for a further 30 minutes until done.

Mom's Quick and Easy German Apple Strudel Recipe

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (c. 1920s)

Easy Apple Strudel

Place layers of apple slices into bottom of buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with enough sugar and cinnamon mixed. Dot with lumps of butter.

Sift 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 1 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into mixing bowl and into this, break 1 egg. Mix until batter is crumbly, then evenly pour over apple mixture.

Bake in 350°F oven until flaky crust appears golden brown. Serve warm with your choice of milk, whipped cream, homemade vanilla sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Bratapfel - Stuffed Baked Apple Dessert

Bratapfel is the perfect dessert to enjoy while warm and cozy in front of the fireplace after a busy day!

For the filling:

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons of raisins, soaked in rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)

First, carefully core 2 firm, tart apples, but don't core all the way through to the bottom. A small spoon will work if you don't have a corer. Leave the bottom 1/4 of the apple intact to prevent the filling from leaking out.

Mix the ingredients together, then stuff apples with this mixture. A little rum can be poured into the buttered baking dish, if desired. Bake in preheated oven until apples are soft or begin to split (30 to 45 minutes at 425°F).

Serve warm from the oven topped with a generous dollop of homemade raspberry jam with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.