Valentina Ablaev
Enjoy the perfect fall flavors in this apple puff pastry braid. This easy recipe makes the perfect homemade fall pastry. A sweet apple filling in a crisp, buttery crust, baked to perfection. The final touch is an easy homemade lemon glaze.
Puff pastry can be used to make so many desserts! From a simple cream cheese danish to a delicate berry napoleon cake, you can’t go wrong with puff pastry!
This apple puff pastry braid, also known as an apple danish, is the perfect easy dessert. Pre made puff pastry makes this apple braid so easy to make and it’s sure to become a fall-favorite.
There’s something about the fall season and baking with apples! We love our homemade apple cake recipe and our simple apple nut bread but something about this apple braid just hits the spot! Not only is it so easy to make, it is absolutely stunning and so delicious.
Apples make the perfect dessert, and this apple puff pastry is one of our favorites next to our apple coffee cake recipe and our easy apple turnover recipe! You can even make a classic dutch apple pie and take your baking to the next level!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. Thanks to the premade puff pastry, this dessert is so easy to make!
- Perfect for a crowd. This apple danish braid is the perfect dessert to serve at any gathering.
- Simple ingredients. This recipe is so easy to recreate because it uses household ingredients you most likely already have.
Ingredients for Homemade Apple Braid
- Apple – peeled and diced into small pieces, apples make the perfect filling for this braid.
- Butter – not only does butter add a great flavor but it also gives the filling a richness.
- Cinnamon – adds a great flavor to the filling.
- Brown sugar – sweetens the filling and brown sugar gives it a depth of flavor that regular sugar wouldn’t.
- Lemon juice – balances all the sweetness of the filling.
- Flour – helps to thicken up the filling.
- Puff pastry – storebought puff pastry makes this danish super easy to make.
- Glaze – a mixture of powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice, makes the perfect light and refreshing glaze.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add nuts: A light crunch adds so much to this apple braid! Add walnuts or pecans to the filling for that perfect crunch and flavor.
- Fruit: Add a holiday twist to this apple braid by adding cranberries! Cranberries add a great juiciness which is why we love it in our classic cranberry bread.
How to Make Apple Puff Pastry Braid
- Make filling. To a warm saucepan, add all of the filling ingredients, stirring them to combine. Cook on medium heat, allowing the apple mixture to thicken. Once soft and thick, set aside to cool.
2. Puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to roll the thawed puff pastry sheet out to a 9×13 inch rectangle.
3. Make braid. Add the cooled apple filling to the center of the sheet. Cut slits on both sides of the apple braid using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.
4. Form braid. Use the puff pastry strips to create a “braid” by diagonally crossing the strips, alternating sides. Fold the top and the bottom onto the pastry and pinch tight to prevent the filling from leaking.
5. Bake. Add the braid to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the braid to cool.
6. Glaze. Top the cooled braid with the glaze and cut into thick slices.
Expert Tips:
- Use the right apples: We recommend tart apples for any sweet pastry. Granny smith apples, pink lady, gala, and fuji apples are great for this recipe.
- Fold the dough correctly: It’s important to pinch the corners tightly to prevent any filling from spilling out of the puff pastry.
Serving Suggestions
- Dessert: This apple braid makes the perfect dessert for a classic fall meal!
- Sweet breakfast: It’s not uncommon to enjoy a danish for breakfast and this apple braid makes the perfect sweet treat. Pair the apple braid with you morning cup of coffee.
- Ice cream: Top off the apple braid with vanilla ice cream for the best flavor combination.
Recipe FAQs
Puff pastry dough is really similar to a homemade pie crust and can also be made from scratch.
Puff pastry is usually frozen at the store, and you need to thaw it before using. Place frozen puff pastry on the counter top, the puff pastry will take about 1-2 hours to thaw.
Once the top is golden brown, the puff pastry braid is done. You can also check the bottom of the braid to check that it’s golden brown.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. You can keep the braid at room temperature for the day or you can keep leftovers wrapped tightly and in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. Keep the apple braid fresh longer by adding to a freezer-safe bag and storing in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw: To thaw the braid, place in the refrigerator overnight.
More Pastry Recipes
If you enjoyed this apple braid recipe, be sure to try our other popular pastry recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this apple braid Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Apple Puff Pastry Braid
Ingredients
apple filling:
- 3 large apples peeled and diced
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
glaze:
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan combine the apples with water, butter, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, and flour; stir to combine.
- Cook over low-medium heat until butter sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Roll a sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle about 13×9-inch in size.
- Add the apple filling in the center of the sheet.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut strips along both sides of the pastry. You’ll have 10 strips.
- Braid the pastry by crossing the strips diagonally over the filling overlapping each other.
- Fold both ends at the top and bottom over the filling, this will prevent the filling from coming out during baking.
- Bake until tops are golden and crispy, about 18-20 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven to cool before adding the glaze.
- Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar with lemon juice and milk.
- Once braid has cooled, drizzle glaze over the braid.
Notes
- Storage. Keep leftover apple danishes wrapped tightly and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. Keep the apple braid fresh longer by adding to a freezer-safe bag and storing in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw: To thaw the braid, place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Use the right apples: We recommend tart apples for any sweet pastry. Granny smith apples, pink lady, gala, and fuji apples are great for this recipe.
- Fold the dough correctly: It’s important to pinch the corners tightly to prevent any filling from spilling out of the puff pastry.
