These mini strawberry strudel made with phyllo dough are bursting with fruity flavor! Fresh strawberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice pack a one-two-punch of sweet & tart flavors. And phyllo dough makes it so easy to create buttery, crispy, flaky layers that practically melt in your mouth. Let's dig in!
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“Strudel” made with puff pastry is really more of a hand pie or Taschen. My great-grandma always made her Apfelstrudel with dough that was really thin and flaky, similar to phyllo dough.
This was inspired by my other strawberry dessert recipes including strawberry blueberry pie, pink lattice strawberry pie, cute strawberry crunch cupcakes, chocolate strawberry macarons, layered strawberry lemon cake, easy vanilla cake with strawberry filling, Swiss jam cookies, and strawberry pop tart macarons.
Growing up in Germany, strawberry season was the epitome of summer. We’d wait through the snowy winter and rainy spring to finally get to the hot days of summer, when ripe strawberries are bursting with juice.
These mini strawberry strudel capture the essence of summer with their fruity flavor. They taste great with coffee or tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Or serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert! 😀
And for more strudel recipes, be sure to try my authentic German Apfelstrudel, mini apple strudel, cherry strudel, cheese strudel, mini blueberry strudel, fresh peach strudel, and raspberry strudel.
Ingredients and Notes
- Phyllo dough - Buy frozen phyllo dough from the grocery store and allow it to that in the fridge overnight.
- Strawberries - I recommend using ripe, fresh strawberries for the best flavor and texture.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice - Adds a kick of citrus flavor that tastes great with fruity strawberries. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the filling; you could substitute any dry sweetener like brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Unsalted butter - Melt just half your butter in the microwave or on the stove at a time, so it doesn't cool and harden before you assemble all your strudels.
- Bread crumbs - Unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs soak up excess moisture from the strawberry filling, so the bottoms of your strudels stay crispy and don't become soggy.
- Powdered sugar - You can substitute confectioners' sugar which is really similar. Or leave it off and drizzle glaze onto your baked strawberry strudels.
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. Wash the strawberries, trim off the tops, and thinly slice them.
2. Mix the sliced strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar.
3. Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough. Brush a little melted butter on the dough.
5. Fold the two sheets of dough in half widthwise. Brush with melted butter.
7. Spoon the strawberry filling down the center of the dough.
9. Fold the sides over the strawberries. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
11. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the strudels are golden.
4. Place a second sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first one. Brush that sheet with melted butter.
6. Spread one tablespoon of the bread crumbs evenly over the folded dough.
8. Fold the long edges of phyllo dough over the strawberry filling.
10. Repeat shaping the strudels with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough and strawberry filling.
12. Allow your strudels to cool for 10 minutes, then sift the powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the strawberry filling from your mixing bowl. The strawberries will release juice as they sit in the sugar, and you don't want to add that juice to the strudel, or else it will make the phyllo dough soggy.
Recipe Tips
- Double: You can easily double this recipe and bake it in two batches.
- Melted Butter: Melt just half the stick of butter at a time so it doesn’t cool and harden before you finish assembling all your strawberry strudel.
- Phyllo Dough: Keep the sheets of phyllo dough that you’re not using covered with a sheet of plastic wrap and a damp towel. This will prevent them from drying out and tearing.
Variations
- Puff Pastry: You can also use store bought puff pastry to make one large strawberry strudel that you can slice into smaller pieces.
- Homemade Dough: Instead of store bought phyllo dough, you can make your own homemade phyllo dough called Strudelteig.
- Coarse Sugar: Sprinkle coarse sugar on the strudels just before they go in the oven to add an extra crunch on top.
- Glaze: Drizzle a simple glaze on top for that nostalgic look of Pillsbury strawberry toaster strudel.
- Cream Cheese: Whip up a block of cream cheese and dollop it onto the folded phyllo sheets before adding the strawberries to make strawberry cream cheese strudel!
Storage
Strawberry strudels are best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. They start to lose their crispy exterior after just a few hours.
- Room Temperature: Store cooled mini apple strudels under a cake dome or in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Fridge: Store cooled mini apple strudels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: You can warm leftover mini strudels in the oven or a toaster oven, and sprinkle the top with a little extra powdered sugar.
- Freezer: I don't recommend freezing mini apple strudel, since they become soft and soggy when they are defrosted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen strawberries?
While frozen strawberries are great in recipes like pie and smoothies, the excess moisture could turn your strudel soggy. Or it could seep out and burn on the pan, so I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries in place of fresh strawberries.
How do I prevent a soggy strudel?
The bread crumbs in my recipe help soak up excess moisture that’s released from the fruit as it bakes. And the melted butter makes phyllo dough become crispy and flaky (not soggy) in the oven.
Do I need to add egg wash on strawberry strudel?
Since these mini strawberry strudel are inspired by my great-grandma’s authentic Apfelstrudel, we use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. Therefore you just need to brush the strudel with melted butter before they go in the oven. No egg wash required!
What if my strawberries aren't ripe yet?
I wrote an entire post showing four easy ways to ripen strawberries, so be sure to check that out! You want to use ripe, sweet strawberries in your strudel. Otherwise it could taste bitter.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious summer recipes like this? Try these:
Strawberry Strudel with Phyllo Dough
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- Pastry Brush
- Baking Sheet
- sifter
Ingredients
- 12 sheets phyllo dough thawed in the fridge (store bought)
- 2 cups fresh strawberries (about 10 ounces)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest from a whole medium lemon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice from half a medium lemon
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- ⅔ cup unseasoned bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (or use confectioners' sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash the strawberries, trim off the green tops, and thinly slice them.
- In a large bowl, mix the sliced strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Separate one sheet of thawed phyllo dough. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on the dough.Place a second 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 one tablespoon of the bread crumbs evenly over the folded dough.Spoon a couple spoonful's of the strawberry filling in a line down the center of the dough widthwise.
- Fold the edges and sides of the phyllo dough over the strawberry filling. Place it seam-side-down on the prepared baking sheet.Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough and strawberry filling.
- Brush the top of your strawberry strudels 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 sift the powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Double Batch: You can easily double this recipe and bake it in two batches.
- Phyllo Dough Tip: Keep the sheets of phyllo dough that you’re not using covered with a sheet of plastic wrap and a damp towel. This will prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle.
- Puff Pastry: You can also use puff pastry to make one large strawberry strudel that you can slice into smaller pieces.
- Storage: Strawberry strudels are best eaten fresh, warm, and crispy from the oven. You can store cooled mini apple strudels under a cake dome or in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. But they will become soft and soggy after the first day.
flora
Very tasty, thanks for sharing!
Lina
Tried these, they are very tasty! Thank you!!
Carissa Erzen
These strudel are one of my faves! Thanks for stopping by & I'm so glad you enjoyed them!