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Rolling out Danish pastry dough on a floured surface, with butter chunks visible.

Apple Danish Pastry Recipe

Flaky, buttery, and filled with a warm cinnamon-spiced apple filling, these homemade Apple Danish pastries bring bakery-quality flavor to your kitchen. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat with coffee!
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Dough Chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 9 pastries
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: Danish, European
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Danish Pastry Dough
  • 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour Provides structure
  • 3 tablespoon Granulated sugar Adds sweetness
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant yeast Helps dough rise
  • ½ teaspoon Salt Enhances flavor
  • ½ cup Unsalted butter Cold cut into slices
  • ½ cup Whole milk Cold adds richness
  • ¼ cup Cold water Helps form dough
  • 1 large Egg Binds ingredients
Apple Filling
  • 2 medium Apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp diced
  • 2 tablespoon Unsalted butter Adds richness
  • ¼ cup Brown sugar Sweetens and caramelizes
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon Classic apple pairing
  • ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg Adds depth
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice Prevents browning
  • 1 teaspoon Cornstarch Thickens the filling
Glaze
  • 1 cup Powdered sugar Creates a smooth glaze
  • 2 tablespoon Milk Adjusts glaze consistency
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract Adds depth of flavor
  • 1 pinch Salt Balances sweetness Balances sweetness

Equipment

  • 1 Pastry cutter To blend butter into the dough
  • 1 Rolling pin Essential for rolling out dough
  • 1 Mixing bowl For combining ingredients
  • 1 Saucepan To cook the apple filling
  • 1 Baking sheet For baking the pastries
  • 1 Parchment paper Prevents sticking
  • 1 Pastry brush For egg wash application
  • 1 Knife or Pizza Cutter To cut pastry squares

Method
 

  1. Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter until pea-sized.
  2. Whisk together cold milk, water, and egg. Mix into dry ingredients.
  3. Roll dough into a rectangle, fold like a letter. Repeat 3 times.
  4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.
  5. Cook diced apples with butter, brown sugar, and spices until softened. Thicken with cornstarch.
  6. Roll dough to 12x12 inches, cut into 9 squares.
  7. Add apple filling to the center of each square. Fold into desired shape.
  8. Let shaped pastries rise for 30-45 minutes.
  9. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 18-22 minutes.
  10. Drizzle with glaze while warm. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.