Light, sweet and delightfully flaky Apple Danishes are simply irresistible! They make for a scrumptious sweet breakfast with a hot cup of coffee and a perfect holiday treat!!
Apple is one of my favorite on-the go snack. It not just makes for a healthy snacking option but is also great for baking, especially desserts like Apple Pie or this Apple Danish. There is something about apples, butter and pastry baking together that fills the home with a warm and invigorating smell. The aroma is just divine!!
I learned this apple danish recipe from my teen who loves to bake. We love it so much that she would make it for us on all special occasions like Father's Day, Mother's Day, so on and so forth. But I never got down to making it on my own till now.
Truth be told, it's easier than you think to make these delicious little cuties. It just needs 5 basic ingredients and is quick to put together. Even if you are a baking novice, you will be at home making them. You can enjoy them as a sweet breakfast with a hot cuppa or serve at holiday brunches/parties and watch it disappear in no time!!
So if you're hard-pressed for time and looking for a quick and delish dessert or simply in the mood for a fun holiday baking project, this is for you!!
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry Sheets - One of my favorite things to experiment with, there is so much you can do with puff pastry like these Samosa Puffs or Spinach and Cheese Puffs and a plethora of pretty looking desserts like these apple danish. For this recipe I used Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheets. Feel free to use whatever you get your hands on. You can easily find them in the frozen food aisle in grocery stores.
- Apple - I used Gala apples here. Other good options are Fuji and Granny Smith. All work well.
- Butter - I have used unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Egg - Egg wash for that nice golden glaze.
- Sugar - to sweeten.
How to make Apple Danishes?
I love a good simple recipe that requires minimal ingredients and effort but look fancy enough for a party. These Apple Danishes check all those boxes. It just needs 15 minutes of prep work and 20 minutes of baking in the oven. Let's walk through the steps!!!
- Slice the apples.
- Thaw and prepare the puff pastry sheets.
- Top with sugar and apple slices.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in the oven.
- Serve and enjoy!!!
How to serve Apple Danishes?
You can simply enjoy the danishes as is or top them with these options -
- Dust danishes with powdered sugar or cinnamon.
- Top with whipped cream.
- Mix powdered sugar and heavy cream to make icing and drizzle over danishes when ready to serve.
- Simply customize as per your liking.
These Apple Danishes are:
- Light, flaky, buttery and melt in your mouth delicious.
- Quick and easy to put together.
- Made with just 5 everyday ingredients.
- Makes a great sweet breakfast with a cup of hot coffee or holiday treat!
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet (there are two sheets in a box) - makes about 9 danishes
- 1 apple, thinly sliced (using a mandolin slicer or knife)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature for 40 minutes or as per package instructions.
- On a lightly dusted surface, unfold the sheet and cut along the fold marks resulting in three equal sized strips. Cut each strip into three to form 9 equal squares.
- Roll each square a bit, maintaining the square shape.
- Using a knife, make a border around the middle of each puff pastry square, about ½" from the outer edge, making sure to not cut two diagonally opposite corners of the inner square, as can be seen in the image above.
- Poke each square a few times in the center with a fork.
- Brush it all over with melted butter.
- Spread equal amounts of sugar over each inner square.
- Top the center of each puff pastry square with about 4 slices of apples.
- Take the two diagonally opposite corners that are not joint at the corners and cross the two flaps over, creating a diamond like shape for the danish.
- Mix the egg and water together in a small bowl and brush the edges of each danish with the egg wash.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- Place the danishes at least one inch apart on a silicone mat or parchment lined baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes or till nicely golden.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Instead of egg wash, you can brush the pastry border with butter to get that golden crust.
- Feel free to double the quantity.
- Stays fresh overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Simply pop them in the oven at 350 °F for 5-7 minutes when ready to eat.