Julie Clark
Updated:
Apple Crumble Danishes
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If love apple crumble, you’ll love these apple crumble danishes! This easy apple recipe uses puff pastry as a base, making it perfect for a sweet breakfast or brunch.
Homemade danishes. Buttery crust with flaky layers, powdered sugar glaze…and sweet apple pie filling. Danishes have always been one of my downfalls, and these apple crumble danishes are no different.
I love that these easy danishes use store-bought puff pastry, making them semi-homemade pastries easy enough for any morning and the perfect fall treat.
What are the best apples for baking?
With over 7,500 varieties of apples grown across the world, you might think it would be difficult to determine what the best apples for baking are. In truth, 12 varieties have the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors, plus firm flesh that won’t break down during baking time. Those 12 varieties are:
- Braeburn
- Cortland
- Granny Smith
- Gala
- Golden Delicious
- Honeycrisp
- Jonathan and Jonagold
- Melrose
- Northern Spy
- Rome Beauty
- Winesap
You can choose any of those for this recipe, but we chose Granny Smith for these apple danishes…a classic baking apple!
What’s the best way to peel an apple?
The first step to this recipe is to peel and core the apples, which may seem like a chore. But there’s an easy and quick solution!
The easiest way to peel an apple is to use an apple peeler/slicer/corer. This kitchen utensil is my most-used kitchen tool this time of year! It makes making apple pies, cobblers and cakes a breeze.
How to Make Apple Crumble Danishes
To prepare, preheat oven to 400ºF. Have a large cookie sheet ready. Line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup, but the pan does not need grease.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced apples to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and the cinnamon.
- Stir the mixture into the cooked apples and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the apples are softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets and lay out on a flat surface. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal sized strips. Cut each strip in half to make a total of 12 rectangles.
- Arrange the puff pastry rectangles on a large, ungreased cookie sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space between each rectangle.
- With a paring knife, lightly score a border around the entire edge of each pastry rectangle, about ¾ inch away from the edge. Use a fork to poke a few holes into the center area of each pastry. This process allows the outside border to rise and puff up while the center stays shorter and holds the filling.
- Spoon the cooked apples onto each rectangle of pastry dough. Do not place the apple filling on the outside scored border of the pastry and do not add much of the liquid from the apples.
- In a small bowl, use a pastry cutter to combine butter, brown sugar and flour. Mix until combined and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the apple filling.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of the egg wash to the outside border of each pastry. Discard any leftover egg mixture.
- Bake the pastries for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and heavy cream; stir until smooth.
- Cool the danishes on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Drizzle the frosting over the cooled danishes.
Apple Crumble Danish Recipe Shortcut
Don’t have time to deal with the apples? Buy a can of apple pie filling and use that instead of frying apples on your own. Homemade is great, but this can be just as good since it is so easy for this apple crumble danish. Add the crumb topping as directed and bake.
Storage Instructions
Store the apple crumble danishes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These are fairly delicate pastries. I wouldn’t recommend freezing them.
Apple Crumble Danishes
If love apple crumble, you’ll love these apple crumble danishes! This easy apple recipe uses puff pastry as a base, making it perfect for breakfast or brunch.
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Apples:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 6 medium Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced thin)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Pastry:
- 17.3 ounces puff pastry (two sheets of pastry in the box, thawed according to package directions)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Crumble:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter cold
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced apples to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 1 tablespoon salted butter, 6 medium Granny Smith apples
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and the cinnamon. ⅓ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Stir the mixture into the cooked apples and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the apples are softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets and lay out on a flat surface. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal sized strips. Cut each strip in half to make a total of 12 rectangles. 17.3 ounces puff pastry
- Arrange the puff pastry rectangles on a large, ungreased cookie sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space between each rectangle.
- With a paring knife, lightly score a border around the entire edge of each pastry rectangle, about ¾ inch away from the edge. Use a fork to poke a few holes into the center area of each pastry. This process allows the outside border to rise and puff up while the center stays shorter and holds the filling.
- Spoon the cooked apples onto each rectangle of pastry dough. Do not place the apple filling on the outside scored border of the pastry and do not add much of the liquid from the apples.
- In a small bowl, use a pastry cutter to combine butter, brown sugar and flour. Mix until combined and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples. 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of the egg wash to the outside border of each pastry. Discard any leftover egg mixture. 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Bake the pastries for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and heavy cream; stir until smooth. ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Cool the danishes on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Drizzle the frosting over the cooled danishes.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 4.2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Quick! Just getting ready to make this. Was wondering if I can dice the apples instead of slicing? Thank you. I can’t wait to try
Hi! Just wondering why the puff pastry didn’t really “puff up?” I followed your instructions. They taste good!
Definitely tasted yummy but prep was longer than 20 min. Could be that I had a three year old helping me, but it took an hour.