Easy Apple Strudel Recipe (Melania's einfacher Apfelstrudel)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

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Easy apple Strudel? Really? YES! Here's an easy recipe that really, really is easy. Slightly cake-like, its flavor really shines through. It's a make-your-hubby-happy kind of cake.

This recipe was given to me (and made for me) by my dear friend, Melania Orasch. It is Austrian in origin, and is slightly different the 'flaky-type' strudels, but is so wonderfully yummy!

Melania says she fills hers with apples, cheese, walnuts, or dried fruits, (the regular strudel fillings). The recipe below is the apple one. THIS IS WUNDERBAR!

• Strudel, similar to baklava, came to Austria through Turkish and Hungarian influences
• The German word, "Strudel"  means "whirlpool" or "eddy" and describes the flaky layers of pastry surrounding the filling
• The traditional strudel dough is rolled and pulled until it is so thin that a newspaper can be read through it
• The most popular type is the apple strudel, but there are many other fillings, including sweet and savory ones. Spinach, sauerkraut, and cabbage strudels are common as are meat ones

Above, Melania served her easy apple strudel when I went to visit last time. We enjoyed sitting in the living room with the orchids and her newly chalk-painted table.

So Many Strudels ...

Melania's strudel is different. The texture is more cake-like, but the method of rolling out thinly, covering with the filling, and rolling it up (think whirlpool) is very similar.

Popular strudels in Germany include the apple strudel (of course), a Topfenstrudel filled with sweet quark cheese, sour cherry, sweet cherry, nut, apricot, poppy seed, and raisin strudels. 

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Another Easy Strudel ...

"Strudel" is an old German word that means "whirlpool" and that is pictured in the rolled up structure of the cake. Usually a 'strudel' dough is made that is very elastic and can be stretched extremely thinly. Or a puff pastry or phyllo is used. 

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Looking for the 'flaky pastry type' strudel? Here's my recipe using butter puff pastry. SO EASY!

Ready to make this easy Apple Strudel?

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Melania's Easy Apple Strudel Recipe

Easy apple Strudel? Really? YES! Here's an easy recipe for an Austrian version that's slightly cake-like and different than the 'flaky-type' strudels, but is so wonderfully yummy! Make enough dough for three strudels, then make one apple strudel right away and save the rest of the dough for another time.

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Bake Time:

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Servings:

1 strudel + enough dough for 2 more strudels

Ingredients:

For The Dough:

• 1 cup (227 grams) lard
• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (12 grams) salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup (180 milliliters) ginger ale

For The Filling:

• 1 pound (454 grams) apples, peeled and diced
• small handful of raisins
• 2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar
• cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the flour and salt together. Cut in the lard. Add the beaten eggs and ginger ale. Gather together and knead slightly. Form into a ball. Divide into three parts. Wrap two parts with plastic wrap and refrigerate or put in the freezer for longer storage.
3. On a lightly floured counter, roll out the remaining part as thinly as possible into a rectangle, around 12 x 16 inches.
4. Spread the apples on the dough, keeping 2 inches from the long edge and 1 inch from the short ends. Sprinkle the raisins and sugar over the apples and dust with cinnamon. Fold the edges over and roll up the strudel lengthwise. Slash the top diagonally about 3 times.
5. Place the strudel seam side down on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Let cool before sprinkling with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes/Hints:

• Wrap the refrigerated dough securely and keep refrigerated for a day or two. Or, freeze for longer term storage.
  
• Or give this puff pastry apple strudel a try as well and see which is your favorite.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Updated on December 2, 2025

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.