These mini blueberry strudel are based on my great-Grandma's traditional recipe. But I made them simpler and quicker with store bought phyllo dough, while still tasting fruity & buttery.
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The Perfect Blueberry Sweet Treat
Listen, I love blueberries. Growing up in Germany, I remember turning my hands and tongue purple from eating so many in the summer! To bring out that natural berry flavor, I add lemon juice, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The blueberries soften as they bake, creating a delicious fruity filling that's not soggy, since we'll add bread crumbs to soak up excess moisture. And to create buttery, flaky layers in a matter of minutes, I love using frozen, thawed phyllo dough from the store.
I tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries, so you can make blueberry strudel any time of the year! Or if you have other fruit on hand, be sure to check out all my other German strudel recipes. And while this recipe makes a small batch of five strudels, you can easily double this recipe and bake it in the oven in two batches.
Got extra blueberries? I highly recommend baking my blueberry torte or my lemon blueberry streusel cookies next!
Ingredients and Notes
- Phyllo dough - Also called filo pastry; I find it the frozen section at most grocery stores. I let mine thaw in the fridge overnight, to ensure it's pliable.
- Blueberries
- Chopped nuts - Optional to add a crunchy texture; my Grandpa said his great-Grandma's Apfelstrudel always contained nuts, so that's what I'm sticking with!
- Lemon zest and Lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Bread crumbs - I prefer the thicker texture of Panko bread crumbs, but I've also used unseasoned bread crumbs & they work well too.
- Powdered sugar
Let's Bake Lemon Blueberry Strudel!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the blueberries, nuts, lemon zest & juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough & brush with melted butter.
3. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top & brush with melted butter.
5. Spread two tablespoons of bread crumbs evenly over the folded dough.
7. Fold the edges & sides of the phyllo dough over the filling. Place it seam-side-down on a baking sheet.
9. Bake until the strudels are golden and crispy.
4. Fold the phyllo dough in half widthwise & brush with melted butter.
6. Spoon some blueberry filling in a line down the center of the dough.
8. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough and blueberry filling. Brush the tops with melted butter.
10. Cool for 10 minutes & dust with powdered sugar.
Melted Butter Hack
I melt just half the butter at a time, so it doesn’t cool and harden before I finish assembling all my strudels.
Tips on Baking with Frozen Berries
Frozen berries release more moisture as they bake, which could make your strudel soggy. After testing several methods for this recipe, I recommend the following tips if you're going to make blueberry strudel with frozen berries.
- Rinse the blueberries in cold water. I found that this prevents them from staining the entire pastry purple.
- Thaw the blueberries in a strainer or colander. This allowed excess moisture to strain into the sink from my frozen berries.
- Pat the thawed blueberries dry. I always pat excess moisture off my blueberries before mixing them with the other filling ingredients.
- For more tips, check out my whole post on how to freeze berries.
Storage Tips
Blueberry strudel are best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. After a day, I find that the phyllo pastry becomes a little soft and soggy.
You can reheat leftover strudel in the oven or a toaster oven. Then sprinkle a little extra powdered sugar on top, since I usually notice it dissolving into the pastry when they're left out.
Blueberry Strudel with Phyllo Dough
Equipment
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 10 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (store bought; also called filo pastry)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, washed (6 ounces)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from one whole medium lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (from half a medium lemon)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs (or unseasoned bread crumbs)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries, chopped nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- Fill & Shape the Strudel: Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on the entire sheet of dough. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first one. Brush that sheet with melted butter.Fold the two sheets of phyllo dough in half widthwise (hold a shorter edge and bring it to meet the other short edge). Brush melted butter on the top of the folded dough.Spread two tablespoons of bread crumbs evenly over the folded dough. Spoon a couple spoonful's of the blueberry filling in a line down the center of the dough.Fold the edges and sides of the phyllo dough over the blueberry filling. Place it seam-side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough and blueberry filling.
- Bake: Brush the tops of each blueberry strudel with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the strudels are golden and crispy. Allow your strudels to cool for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Frozen Blueberries: If you're using frozen berries instead of fresh, rinse them in cold water, thaw them in a strainer or colander over the sink, and then pat them dry to prevent excess moisture from making your strudel soggy.
- Storing: Blueberry strudel are best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. You can store cooled blueberry strudels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. I don't recommend refrigerating or freezing blueberry strudel, since they lose their crispy texture.
- Serving: These lemon blueberry strudel taste great with coffee or tea for breakfast. Or serve them with vanilla ice cream for dessert!
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