Apple Cream Cheese Pastry Braid
October 1, 2026
: 8
: 10 min
: 30 min
: 40 min
: Easy
This flaky golden brown pastry is filled with a sweet cream cheese and a spiced apple filling. Serve warm as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoy with a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
Ingredients
- Apple Filling:
- 2 to 4 apples (choose apples you prefer - sweet, crisp, tart, soft)
- 3/4 cup apple cider (you may substitute with apple juice or water)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 table spoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 box puff pastry, 2 sheets, thawed to room temperature
- 1 egg plus one teaspoon water - whisked for egg wash
Directions
- Step 1 Set puff pastry and cream cheese aside to get to room temperature.
- Step 2 Wash, peel, and thinly sliced.
- Step 3 Over medium heat in a pan add cider, sugar, cornstarch and spices.
- Step 4 Mix together.
- Step 5 Add sliced apples. Make sure to coat all slices with mixture.
- Step 6 Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 7 Let cool.
- Step 8 While apples cool make cream cheese mixture.
- Step 9 Beat cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla together for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Step 10 Unroll puff pastry onto a floured surface.
- Step 11 Roll out dough to remove creases and to stretch it vertically and horizontally an inch or two.
- Step 12 With a knife, slice two slits at each end of the pastry about 1 inch long.
- Step 13 Add half of the cream cheese filling onto the pastry down the center. Gently spread.
- Step 14 Repeat to the other puff pastry.
- Step 15 Add the apple filling on top of the cream cheese filling.
- Step 16 Cut one inch angles of pastry – not too close to filling.
- Step 17 Fold top and bottom pastry over apple and cream cheese filling.
- Step 18 Start folding each piece over each over like a braid and secure.
- Step 19 Repeat to other puff pastry.
- Step 20 Mix egg and water together.
- Step 21 Brush egg wash over pastries.
- Step 22 Bake in a preheated 375 degree over for 25 minutes.
- Step 23 Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Step 24 Lightly dust with confectioner’s sugar.
- Step 25 Enjoy warm with ice cream for a dessert or for a breakfast treat with a cup of coffee.
