Homemade Toaster Strudel is a base recipe that you should let your creativity out with. Maybe you think of classic cream cheese and jam as a toaster strudel, but it can be so much more than that! Typically I make this with brie cheese and red pepper jelly, and that's what is in the recipe card. You get all the goodness of baked brie in puff pastry, but you don't have to share or make your own bites. Perfect for standing around a party with a glass of wine, or a snack as you head out the door. Keep reading for other flavor suggestions and to see some of my other favorite variations. I love to think of my favorite flavor combos and vary it up in one batch for my homemade version!
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Looking for other dessert type recipes that would be great for a party? You might love Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites!
Equipment Required
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that it's so simple to throw together and doesn't require fancy kitchen equipment. If you ever bake you probably have all of this on hand!
- Rolling Pin - You will need to roll out the puff pastry into a larger, thinner piece. I like this thin French rolling pin, because it's smaller and takes up less space! If you don't have a rolling pin you can use a wine bottle, a drinking glass, or your Hydroflask!
- Pastry brush - A pastry brush will make your job of brushing on whisked egg much easier! While I've had a more traditional artist brush style pastry brush, I find it hard to clean. I prefer a silicone basting brush! Super easy to clean and you'll find yourself reaching for it over and over in the kitchen!
- Fork - This is so that you can crimp the two pieces of puff pastry together. If you do not have one of these already, then I'm just confused.
- Baking Sheet with Silicone Mat - I think I call for this in just about every recipe on here. So if you are reading this and you haven't made the jump, it is time! You can certainly use a foil sheet if don't have a baking mat.
Ingredients and Flavor Combinations
All About Frozen Puff Pastry
What makes homemade toaster strudel taste like the real thing is the flakey puff pastry. You can find Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets in the freezer isle of your grocery store near the desserts (where the whip cream and pie things are). I like to keep the puff pastry and brie on hand and frozen so that anytime I need a quick meal or snack it's easy to throw together!
My preference is for Trader Joe’s Frozen All-Butter Puff Pastry. It's made with real butter (which Pepperidge Farm's is not) which makes it a game changer. Plus you can keep it in the freezer for any of your puff pastry needs for the rest of the year. So if you're reading this in the fall or around holiday season, then go stock up!
Frozen store bought puff pastry is definitely an easier and foolproof way to get puff pastry. Plus at $5 a box (even less at Trader Joe's) it's not worth the effort to me to make it. But if you're feeling antsy at home, I would recommend checking out this recipe for puff pastry from scratch!
Flavor Combos
Now this is where it gets fun. Once I made a batch of homemade toaster strudel and used 4 different kinds of jelly (3 toaster strudels for each flavor) just to see what my preference is. You might want to make some for the grownups and some for the kids! A perfect treat for everyone. Your favorite combinations with cheese would go perfectly here.
My recommended variations are:
- Cream cheese and berry jam with icing drizzled over the top after cooling
- Brie sprinkled with herbs de provence
- Mozzarella with a bit of pizza sauce and a couple of pepperoni
- Cheddar with apple slices
- Cream cheese and cinnamon (or any frozen fruit, like blueberries)
- Brie and pears
- Nutella and raspberry jam
Recipe Top Tips and Notes
The first time I made homemade toaster strudels, I did not freeze the cheese and that was a huge mistake. When I went to take the pan out of the oven all of my cheese was all over the pan! It had literally completely melted out of the flakey pastry. It was still decent, but not at all what I had in mind. So trust me and freeze your cheese, whichever one you choose.
Another thing you'll want to consider is whether not you want to egg wash the top before baking. In the photo below, I did them 4 different ways. You can see that it's shiner and browned up more when an egg wash was used. The egg wash can also be handy if you want to add sugar or salt to the top before baking, which I did for the blueberry cream cheese and the red pepper jelly brie ones. Sugar will give it a sparkly sweet crunch which is delicious! Salt is perfect for your savory versions of homemade strudel and I like the texture it provides.
FAQ
You can find them in the freezer isle near the frozen pies and baked goods. Check out Trader Joe's during the holiday season for one made with butter!
Leave frozen puff pastry in the fridge for 4 hours to thaw. You can also leave it on the counter for 45 minutes, or in a pinch I've defrosted mine in the microwave in a paper towel in 15 second increments. Be careful not to unfold the dough before it's ready though or it will crack.
Totally up to you! I don't, but I kind of like the additional texture it gives. If you're looking for pure creamy goodness, then take it off ahead of time.
Honey, apples, pears, jam, crackers, nuts, fun seasoning. You can't go too wrong! Try out an apple, honey, brie with a sprinkle of salt on the outside if you like salty sweet things.
Yes! Assemble them and freeze them on a sheet. Then once fully frozen you can put them into a plastic bag for up to 6 months and bake them on at a time. If you try out cooking them in an air fryer leave me a note! I don't have an air fryer right now and I would love to know how it went.
I would recommend storing them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Place parchment paper down in the air fryer. Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees until cooked through.
You will love this fool-proof, endlessly customizable recipe that can fulfill many of your breakfast, appetizer, snack, lunch on the go, wine night needs. I know everyone in your family will love them. If you run into any issues or have questions while making them, please leave me a note! I am here to help.
Recipe
Homemade Toaster Strudel
Equipment
- Roller
- Pastry Brush
- Fork
- Baking Sheet with Silicone Mat
Ingredients
- 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
- 1 6-8 oz wheel of brie cheese, cut into 12 pieces then frozen
- 4 tbsp jam of choice, I'm using red pepper jelly
- 1 whole egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each puff pastry sheet into a 12x9 rectangle. With a sharp knife of pizza cutter, cut sheet down the seams, into 3rds. Cut each long sheet of puff pasty into 4ths, so that you have 12 puff pastry rectangles.
- Take two puff pastry rectangles and roll them out so they're a bit larger and similar size/shape. In the center of one piece, place 1 tsp of jam, then place 1 cube of brie on top. Using your pastry brush, brush the edges with egg. Place the second square of puff pastry on top and use a fork to press edges together to seal. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pasty and brie.
- When all toaster strudel pockets have been formed, place baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes.
- *Optional: Before baking, cut shape into tops of pastry and brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt or sugar, depending on ingredients.
- Remove from freezer and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire cooling rack. If any cheese has escaped, use a spatula to push it back on top of the toaster strudel.
- Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold, good for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating in the microwave for 20 seconds.
NOTES
Nutrition
Video
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @thatzestlife in your photo! I would love to see what you made!
Dannii
I love the sound of these. Anything with brie is good with me.
Megan
Totally agree!
Jacqueline Debono
These puff pastry parcels are such a delicious snack idea. I love the sound of the brie and pears as well as the cheddar with apples! Thanks for the tip about freezing the cheese. Good to know!
Megan
I'm dying to try the cheddar with apples! If you do, let me know!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Oh yes please! I love all your other filling suggestions too! Yum!
Megan
Thank you!
Chef Mireille
I love all the variations of fillings you suggested. These are great to serve at parties in different flavors so there is something for everyone.
Megan
Can't wait to hear what you think!
Bintu
Sometimes you just can't beat a toaster strudel! These sound delicious and I love the list of flavour combos you've shared - tempted to try them all!
Megan
I hope you try some of your own too!
Jennifer
These were delicious and easy! My husband’s response was “Wow! These are fantastic!” I used a blueberry and cream cheese in one batch and Amarena cherries with cream cheese in the other. I topped them both with Swedish Pearl sugar. My next batch will be savory with at least green chili and cheddar. Thank you for sharing such a versatile recipe! Love it!!
Megan
Oh I love the idea of cherries, AND green chili and cheddar. I will have to try those versions out, they sound fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
Dionne
This is THE strudel! I love the texture and the filling.... oh my, it just can't get better than this!
Claudia Lamascolo
This is brilliant!!!! ! I cant wait to pick up everything at the store this is calling my name!
Michelle
This is bringing back a lot of childhood memories for me. I loved having these as a kid and can't wait to try making my own!
Tara
These look absolutely amazing, especially with that vibrant blueberry cream cheese filling! Love all the tips to help make them perfect. Yum!
Biana
These strudels look fantastic! Plain brie sounds heavenly in them, can't wait to make them.
Beth
These are such a great idea for a snack! My kids love having these for breakfast! So delicious and yummy! Definitely making these again!
Megan
Thank you! So glad you loved them.
veenaazmanov
Delicious combination of Cream Cheese and Jam. Kids would love it. Love the Freezer storing option too.
Dannii
These look delicious, and so easy too. Anything with brie is good with me.
Megan
Couldn’t agree more about Brie!
Anjali
Yum!! These were so easy to make and so much tastier than the store bought versions!! It's the perfect weekday breakfast for the kids too!
Adrianne
I love how you have experimented with different techniques for the egg wash. This is a great yummy recipe that I am going to try on the weekend! Thanks for sharing.