This German cheese strudel is made with phyllo dough for buttery, crispy layers that envelope a sweet and tangy filling made with lemon zest, sugar, and quark or labneh.
And for more strudel recipes, try my mini blueberry strudel, mini strawberry strudel, authentic German apple strudel, braided cherry strudel, and mini apple strudel.
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Variations of cheese strudel can be found throughout Europe, from Romania and Poland to Austria and Germany. In German, it’s called “Topfenstrudel” which translates to “curd strudel”.
German cheese strudel is usually made with quark, but I’ve found that nearly impossible to find here in the U.S. Instead, I like using labneh which has a similar texture and flavor.
And the sweet cheese filling in quark strudel is flavored with lemon zest, just like traditional German cheesecake.
Labneh is common in Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisine. Which is perfectly fitting in my opinion, since there is a ton of delicious Turkish food in Germany, like döner kebabs!
I'm not kidding you, last time I visited Germany in 2023, I had a döner box or a döner sandwich nearly every single day.
This variation of sweet cheese strudel with labenh was inspired by my other labneh dessert recipe called knafeh. If you can't find labneh or quark, you can substitute softened cream cheese, like I use in my cherry torte and blueberry torte.
Ingredients and Notes
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract - You could substitute almond extract for a more nutty flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Salt - Use either fine sea salt or table salt, not kosher salt.
- Lemon zest - I prefer a milder flavor from half a lemon, but if you want a punch in the face of citrus, feel free to use the zest of a whole lemon.
- Labneh - You can substitute quark or softened cream cheese.
- All purpose flour - Helps to thicken the filling so it's easy to slice once it's baked.
- Phyllo dough - You can find it in the frozen section of most grocery stores; it's also called filo pastry.
- Unsalted butter
- Bread crumbs - Use either unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs to soak up moisture from the filling and prevent the phyllo pastry from getting soggy.
- Powdered sugar - Optional topping; you could leave your strudel plain or top it with fresh or canned berries instead.
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
2. Add the labneh and flour, and mix with a large spoon or spatula until it’s well combined. Set aside.
3. Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and place it on your prepared baking sheet. Brush it with melted butter.
5. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the phyllo dough.
7. Fold the short sides of the dough over the filling, then fold the longer sides so they overlap. Roll the strudel so it’s seam-side-down on your baking sheet.
4. Continue layering all ten sheets of phyllo dough with melted butter brushed in between each layer.
6. Spread the labneh mixture down the center of the dough
8. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the strudel is golden and crispy. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then dust it with the optional powdered sugar topping.
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
The filling will be pretty soft and loose when you pour it onto the phyllo dough, but it thickens and will hold it's shape once baked.
Make sure the edges of the phyllo dough overlap, and the seam of the dough is facing down on your baking sheet, so the filling doesn't ooze out.
Recipe Tips
- You can also mixed all the filling ingredients in a blender or food processor to ensure a smooth texture. Just be careful not to whip too much air into it.
- To melt the butter, I recommend cutting it in small pieces then microwaving it in a microwave-safe bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring it after each burst.
- To prevent the delicate phyllo dough from drying out and tearing, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. And allow it to thaw slowly, according to your package's instructions.
- To slice your baked cheese strudel, gently slice it in a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife.
- You can also make cheese strudel with puff pastry dough. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry, fold it over the labneh filling, and brush the top with egg wash.
Variations
- Fruit: Top with fresh or canned fruit like berries, cherries, or peaches.
- Dairy Free: To make this dairy free, use dairy free cream cheese. I like using the brand called Tofutti, which I use to make my creamy dairy free cheesecake.
- Strudelteig: Instead of phyllo dough, you can make your own strudel dough at home - just follow my recipe for it in my Apfelstrudel post.
- Raisins: Sometimes I’ve found German quark strudel made with rum-soaked raisins mixed into the filling. You can mix those in with the labneh to add pops of fruity sweetness.
Storage
Cheese strudel is best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. After a while, the phyllo pastry becomes soft and loses it's crispy texture on the sides and bottom.
- Room Temperature: Store cooled cheese strudels under a cake dome or in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Fridge: Store cooled cheese strudel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing leftover strudel, since it becomes really soggy as it defrosts.
- Reheat: You can warm slices of cheese strudel in the oven or a toaster oven, and sprinkle extra powdered sugar on top.
Related Recipes
Looking for more easy German pastry recipes like this? Try these:
Cheese Strudel
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from one whole medium lemon)
- 1½ cups labneh (about 12 oz)
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 10 sheets Phyllo dough, thawed overnight (store bought; also called filo pastry)
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the labneh and flour, and mix with a large spoon or spatula until it’s well combined. Set aside.
- Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and place it on your prepared baking sheet. 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. Continue layering all ten sheets of phyllo dough, with melted butter in between each layer. Reserve some remaining melted butter to brush on top.
- Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the phyllo dough.Spread the labneh mixture down the center of the phyllo dough length-wise.
- Fold the two short sides of phyllo dough over the labneh filling, then fold the longer sides over the filling so they overlap. Gently roll the strudel so it’s seam-side-down on your baking sheet.Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the strudel is golden and crispy on the outside.Allow your strudel to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then dust it with the optional powdered sugar. Enjoy!!
Notes
- You can also mixed all the filling ingredients in a blender or food processor to ensure a smooth texture. Just be careful not to whip too much air into it.
- To melt the butter, I recommend cutting it in small pieces then microwaving it in a microwave-safe bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring it after each burst.
- To prevent the delicate phyllo dough from drying out and tearing, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. And allow it to thaw slowly, according to your package's instructions.
- To slice your baked cheese strudel, gently slice it in a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife.
- Cheese strudel is best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. After a while, the phyllo pastry becomes soft and loses it's crispy texture on the sides and bottom.
Maria
Wow, this was delicious! I'm used to the Greek cheese pies with phyllo, which is similar, but I loved this German version! This was my first time using Labneh, and I loved the flavor. I will be making this again!
cait
I didn't know it was possible to make this at home, I was so excited to find this recipe! My new years brunch is about to get so much better!!
Rolf
I love cheese and I love strudel, both combined makes a masterpiece
Rolf
Cheese + pastry = heaven
Shkalen
Woah, never seen such recipe before, looks amazing
Carissa Erzen
Thank you, Shkalen!