Store-bought puff pastry, homemade apple filling, and a 2-ingredient icing. Making an apple Danish braid doesn't get any easier than this!
You might also like our quick homemade puff pastry recipe, our copycat Cracker Barrel fried apples, or our apple cinnamon pull-apart bread.
Watch our step-by-step video!
Puff Pastry Sheets
I have a weakness for pastries. Pie, turnovers, croissants---send them my way! I've made my own puff pastry dough many times, but I have to say that the store-bought puff pastry sheets, found in the freezer dessert section at the store, are pretty awesome. They bake up beautifully, are easy to work with, and are perfect when you want a delicious dessert in less than an hour. I made an apple cinnamon braid that is perfect for fall gatherings.
Apple Danish Braid
You can use any kind of apple that you'd like, but just remember that this is a sweet dessert so a mixture of sweet and tart apples, or sticking with tart apples is recommended. I used Granny Smith and Cosmic Crisp. The apples are cooked in a skillet with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for a flavorful filling.
Quick Apple Danish Braid Ingredients
puff pastry sheets: you can find a 17-ounce box in the freezer dessert section at the grocery store. The box comes with two pastry sheets. You'll only be using one for this recipe and can save the other sheet for another day. Thaw the sheet according to the instructions on the package.
apples: 2-3 apples (one pound) peeled, cored and sliced.
1 Tbsp. butter: a small amount for flavor and to prevent the apples from burning.
½ cup brown sugar: for sweetness and rich flavor.
½ teaspoon cinnamon: ground cinnamon for the flavors of fall. You can also add other spices like nutmeg or cloves. A little bit goes a long way.
1 Tbsp. cornstarch and water: this makes a slurry to slightly thicken the filling.
egg and 1 Tbsp. water: these are whisked together to create an egg wash to brush over the braid before placing it into the oven.
coarse sugar: I use these sprinkles to sprinkle over turnovers and puff pastry after brushing the pastry with the egg wash. It gives them a sweetness and crunch.
½ cup powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp. milk: mixed together they create a delicious glaze to drizzle over the baked braid.
How To Make An Apple Danish Braid
Apple Filling
Step 1: melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 2: add brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 3: mix cornstarch and water together and pour over apples. Stir. Raise the heat slightly and cook for 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
Pastry Braid
Step 1: Place the puff pastry sheet onto your work surface. With a rolling pin, roll it in one direction so that it measures 10" x 12". It comes as a square and we need it to be a rectangle. It should only take a few passes over the pastry with a rolling pin to achieve this.
Step 2: Using a slotted spoon, spoon apples down the center, leaving 1" at the top and the bottom. Make sure to use a slotted spoon to avoid having an excess of sauce dripping through the braid.
Step 3: Cut 1" slits down both sides of the pastry using a sharp knife. Fold the top of the pastry down then begin braiding from right to left, bringing the strips to the center and laying them on an angle.
Step 4: When you reach the bottom fold the bottom over before braiding the last 2 strips. Transfer the braid to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Note: you can prepare the braid ON a baking sheet instead of transferring it to a baking sheet if you want.
Step 5: brush the braid with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
Step 6: Bake the braid at 400 degrees for 22-25 minutes. The top should be golden.
Step 7: Let the apple braid cool until room temperature before drizzling the icing over the braid.
It's easiest to cut and enjoy the braid at room temperature.
Note: If you watch my video you might see that I used quite a few apple slices in my skillet. That is because I made 2 braids that day and doubled the recipe for the filling. Unless you have a double oven or a baking sheet large enough to cook two braids at once, I'd recommend only making one braid at a time. You want the braid to be perfectly golden on the top and the bottom, and cooking on one rack achieves this.
Quick Apple Danish Braid Recipe (Printable Version)
Quick Apple Danish Bread
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought puff pastry sheet (thawed)
- 1 lb. apples (2-3 apples peeled, cored and sliced)
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
- 1 Tbsp. water
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. water
- coarse sugar optional
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. milk
Instructions
- Thaw one pastry sheet according to the package instructions. Boxes typically come with two puff pastry sheets. You can double the recipe and make two braids if you'd like. Unless you have a double oven you'll need to fit them both onto one baking sheet.
- Melt butter in a skillet. Add sliced apples and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch and water together. Pour over apples. Raise heat slightly and cook for 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Remove the pan from heat and let the apples stand while you prepare the pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Place the puff pastry sheet onto your work surface. Roll it in one direction with a rolling pin until it measures about 10" x 12" (It comes as a square and we want a rectangle).
- Spoon apples along the center of the puff pastry sheet using a slotted spoon (this allows the excess sauce to drip off and not leak out of the braid). Leave 1" at the top and the bottom of the puff pastry sheet.
- Cut 1" strips along each side, leaving about ½" of space between the end of the strip and the apple filling.
- Fold down the top flap of dough and begin folding the side strips, alternating left to right on a diagonal angle.
- When you reach the bottom, fold up the bottom before folding the last two slits over. Transfer the braid to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Note: you can prepare the braid ON a baking sheet instead of transferring it to a baking sheet if you want.
- Mix the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush over braid.
- Sprinkle the danish braid with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake the braid for 22-25 minutes. The top should be golden.
- Allow the braid to cool to room temperature.
- Mix powdered sugar and water together then drizzle over the braid.
Notes
Nutrition
Brandy says
Hi everyone! Brandy here, I love semihomemade treats, and this is a good one. The store-bought puff pastry saves you so much time, and they turn out DELICIOUS. A win-win!