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Apple Danish Recipe

Megan
Apple danish is a rich and buttery pastry made with light and flaky puff pastry dough braided around a layer of warm apple pie filling, topped with a cinnamon brown sugar crumble. Once baked until golden brown, top this apple pastry with a sweet and creamy vanilla glaze. It’s the perfect easy to make breakfast or dessert for fall.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Holiday
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 knife
  • 1 sauce pan
  • 1 large baking sheet
  • 1 parchment paper
  • 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

Apple Pie Filling

  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ½ inch slices
  • 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumble

  • ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter

Puff Pastry

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar for topping, optional

Vanilla Glaze

  • ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk

Instructions
 

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure to pull the puff pastry out of the freezer. Place the puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet to thaw at room temperature for about 30 - 45 minutes.
    Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C).
  • Peel, core and slice 2 large apples into ½ inch thick slices. In a medium pan, melt butter and sugar together over medium heat.
    Once the butter has melted, stir in the sliced apples, cornstarch and cinnamon. Make sure all the apples are fully coated. Cook the apples until they begin to soften and slightly caramelize. This takes about 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the apple filling to cool before using in the recipe.
    2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ½ inch slices, 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Make the crumble by whisking the flour together with the brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Stir in the melted butter with a fork, adding and mixing in a couple of teaspoons of the melted butter at a time until a crumble texture forms.
    Chill in the fridge until it’s time to assemble the danish. The crumble is optional, but delicious.
    ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons (25 g) light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon , 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter
  • Unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry to form a square. Gently press or roll out the puff pastry so it is completely flat and measures 10 x 16 inches. With your eye, roughly divide the dough into three sections. The middle section is for the apple filling.
    Spoon the apple filling into the center section, leaving about an inch of pastry dough at the top and bottom without filling. Top the filling with the crumble if using.
    1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • Cut a 1 inch slit from the top of the center rectangle down to the filling. Starting at the top corner of one side of the outer rectangle, working in towards the apple filling, cut the dough to meet the 1 inch slit just made at the top. Remove the excess dough.
    Now cut a 1 inch strip of dough diagonally in towards the filling from the outer edges of one side of the puff pastry. Repeat all the way down one side. There should be about 8 - 9 (1 inch) strips. Repeat for the other side. Once both sides are cut with strips, repeat the same 1 inch slit in the center with the bottom as with the top. These “tabs” will help seal in the filling.
  • It’s time to braid the puff pastry around the filling. Fold down the top “tab” in the center over the filling. Starting with the top left strip, fold the strip over the tab, then fold the top right strip over the left one. Repeat braiding a left strip of dough over the filling the previously braided strips, followed by a right strip of dough braided over the left until the pastry is almost fully braided.
    When one left and one right strip of dough is left, fold the bottom “tab” of dough up to cover the last braided strips. Then braid the last left strip, followed by the last right strip to fully seal in the apple filling.
  • Lightly brush the edges of the puff pastry with the lightly beaten egg. If the puff pastry has gotten a bit warm or sticky, transfer the baking sheet with the prepared danish into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. Chilling helps the puff pastry dough puff up really beautifully.
    1 large egg, 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar for topping, optional
  • Bake the apple puff pastry danish for 20 -24 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown. Cool the apple danish on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes.
    Top with powdered sugar or make the vanilla glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the vanilla extract and milk until well combined. Drizzle on the danish and enjoy.
    ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract , 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk

Notes

Store: Transfer any leftover apple tart pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days. This puff pastry apple tart is fine to enjoy at room temperature within 2  - 3 hours after baking.  
See the Variations section of the blog post for other ways to make apple danish using crescent rolls, as square danish bars, or how to make apple danishes with canned apple pie filling.
Keyword Apple Danish, Apple Danish Pastry, Apple Danish Recipe, Apple Puff Pastry Danish
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