Perfect for fall weekends.
This Apple Danish turns a sheet of puff pastry into an easy bakery style treat filled with warm cinnamon apples. Serve it slightly warm for breakfast, brunch, or an easy fall dessert.
Ingredients
A homemade apple filling is wrapped in twisted strips of flaky puff pastry, baked until golden, and finished with a simple vanilla icing.
- apples – I use one Granny Smith and one Honeycrisp in this recipe
- butter – unsalted
- light brown sugar
- ground cinnamon – serves as a binder
- kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal in all my recipes
- lemon juice – use fresh or look for pure lemon juice that’s bottled
- cornstarch – to thicken the apple filling
- vanilla extract
- puff pastry – typically sold frozen, but I’ve been seeing some refrigerated options lately!
- egg – for the egg wash
- powdered sugar – to make the glaze
- whole milk
- coarse sugar – optional for texture and crunch
How to Make Apple Danish
Make the Apple Filling: Cook the diced apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, water, and lemon juice until tender and syrupy.
Thicken and Cool: Stir in the cornstarch slurry, finish with vanilla, and allow the filling to cool completely.
Prepare the Pastry: Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle and spoon the cooled apple filling down the center.
Create the Twisted Braid: Cut diagonal strips along both sides, twist each strip, and alternate them over the apple filling.
Bake: Brush with egg wash, add coarse sugar if desired, and bake until puffed and deeply golden.
Finish with Icing: Let the danish cool slightly before drizzling generously with vanilla icing.
When to Serve Apple Danish
This Apple Danish is especially good throughout fall and apple season. It also works well for Thanksgiving morning, Christmas brunch, weekend breakfasts, showers, or casual holiday entertaining!
If you need more apple ideas, you’ll love this Caramel Apple Butter Cake or Apple Butter Pull Apart Loaf!
How to Make Apple Danish Ahead of Time
The apple filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Let it come closer to room temperature before assembling.
For the best puff pastry texture, assemble and bake the danish the day you plan to serve it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, reheat individual slices for a few minutes in a 325°F oven or toaster oven.
Equipment I Use to Make Apple Danish
- Pizza Cutter – helpful for cutting the pastry
- Baking Sheet – I like a baking sheet like this that doesn’t have edges for this recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cook the apples before adding them to the puff pastry?
Yes. Cooking the apples first gives you a flavorful, concentrated filling and removes excess moisture that would make the puff pastry soggy.
Does the apple filling need to cool before assembling the Danish?
Yes. Let the filling cool completely before placing it on the puff pastry. Warm filling can soften the butter in the pastry and keep it from puffing as well in the oven.
What are the best apples for an apple danish?
I like using one Granny Smith and one Honeycrisp. Granny Smith adds tartness while Honeycrisp brings sweetness and good apple flavor. Gala or Golden Delicious can also work.
Apple Danish
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (I use 1 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Danish
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional
For the Vanilla Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the finely diced apples, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the juices are syrupy.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the apples and cook for 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the filling is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unfold 1 thawed sheet of puff pastry onto the parchment paper. Gently roll the pastry into approximately a 10×12 inch rectangle, keeping the pastry as even as possible.
- Visually divide the puff pastry lengthwise into thirds. Spoon the cooled apple filling evenly down the center third, leaving about 1 inch of pastry exposed at the top and bottom.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the outer thirds of the pastry into approximately 1 inch wide diagonal strips, stopping before you reach the apple filling and making the same number of strips on each side.
- Fold the top and bottom edges of the pastry slightly over the apple filling. Starting at the top, gently twist one strip of pastry one full turn, then bring it diagonally over the apple filling. Twist a strip from the opposite side one full turn and cross it over the first strip. Continue twisting and alternating the strips from side to side to create a twisted braid over the filling. Tuck the final strips underneath the Danish to secure.
- Whisk together 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the exposed puff pastry with the egg wash and lightly sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake for 23-27 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden brown. Let the danish cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon whole milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt until smooth and thick but drizzleable.
- Drizzle the vanilla icing generously over the danish. Slice and serve!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sweet Tooth
- Method: Oven
Everything Bagel Puff Pastry Twists
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