Apricot Strudel

5 from 1 vote

This apricot strudel recipe is made with a delicious homemade apricot filling in buttery crispy phyllo dough. It's a special but surprisingly easy dessert that's perfect for late summer and fall.

Prep Time30

Cook Time34

Total Time1 4

Course: brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter browned or melted, divided
⅓ cup dried apricots diced
½ cup orange juice
1 pound fresh apricots pitted and quartered or thinly sliced
⅓ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
1¼ teaspoon cinnamon plus more for dusting, optional
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated on microplane or box grater
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 sheets phyllo dough thaw according to package instructions
½ cup nuts toasted, optional (see recipe)
powdered sugar for dusting, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Thaw the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight or according to package instructions. Take phyllo dough out of the fridge about 45 minutes before you plan to use it.
Dice the dried apricots. Set them in a bowl with the orange juice for 20 minutes to soak. After 20 minutes, discard the orange juice and set dried apricots aside.
Toast and/or chop the nuts. Toasting is optional, but recommended for flavor. Toast nuts in the oven or on the stovetop. To toast in the oven, preheat oven to 300 F. Spread whole nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for 9-11 minutes, until nuts are fragrant. To toast nuts on the stove top: Add whole nuts to a dry medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Stir as you toast them until they are fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Once nuts are cool to the touch, chop them and set aside.
Preheat oven temperature to 375 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and pit the fresh apricots. If they're small, cut them into quarters. For larger apricots, thinly slice them. Either way works.
Melt or brown the butter. Add butter to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the butter melts. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking the butter, stirring frequently. The butter will get foamy and bubbly then it will get quiet and turn an amber color and will have a nutty aroma. You'll also see brown bits start to form on the bottom. This browning will take around 4-6 minutes once the butter has melted. When the butter reaches this stage, remove it from the heat. Pour the brown butter into a small bowl.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the brown butter back into the skillet. Add the fresh apricots, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, vanilla and salt. Stir occasionally and cook 6-7 minutes, until apricots begin to soften. Stir in toasted chopped nuts and dried apricots. Remove from heat and set aside to cool briefly.
Take out a pastry brush, clean kitchen towel and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Open the box of phyllo dough. Spread phyllo out on the table and cover it with the kitchen towel. Set your baking sheet in front of you horizontally.
Place one sheet of phyllo on your parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the sheet of phyllo dough evenly with the melted or brown butter. Keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered with a clean kitchen towel while you brush each individual sheet with melted butter.
Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top. Brush with brown butter. Repeat this process with the remaining sheets of phyllo. If you run out of brown butter or are running low, melt more butter or just add a little olive oil to the bowl of brown butter.
With your baking sheet in front of you horizontally, spoon the filling in the middle of the sheets. Spread the mixture with the back of a spoon to leave a 2 inch border of phyllo on all 4 sides. Fold the 2 short ends over to cover 2 inches of the apricot mixture.
Begin at the long end closest to you. Carefully fold the phyllo over the filling, rolling towards the other end. Roll it like you'd roll a jelly roll but try not to roll it too tight. Make sure the seam is on the bottom.
Brush the outside allover with butter. Bake in your preheated 375 F oven for 27-34 minutes, until strudel is nicely golden brown allover.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.
Dust with powdered sugar or a mixture of powdered sugar and ground cinnamon just before serving.

Notes

Nuts: Use almonds, use pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or pistachios. Toasting is optional, but recommended.

Fresh apricots: Instead of apricots, use plums, peaches, apples or pears!

Nut allergy: If you have a nut allergy, you can omit the nuts.

*Ginger: Use 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Assembly: Assemble the strudel right on the sheet pan that you plan to bake the strudel on. This way, you don't risk breaking the strudel when transferring it.

Thawing phyllo dough: Follow thawing directions on the package of phyllo. Plan ahead to thaw the phyllo dough overnight in the fridge. Take the package out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before use.

Working with phyllo dough: Phyllo dough can dry out, so make sure to work quickly. It's best to keep the phyllo dough covered with a clean kitchen towel as you work.

Storage: The filling can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. This apricot strudel is best served the same day they it's made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will help the pastry crisp up again somewhat.

Nutrition