You are going to really impress your family and friends this holiday season with this Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid with delicious cream cheese filling.
Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid
Every now and then you find a dessert that is so delicious you can’t believe just how easy it is as well. That’s the case with today’s recipe for Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid. It sure is a long title for a recipe, right? But I had to get everything that’s in the recipe into the title. It’s just that delicious.
I made this recipe a few times recently. The first time was when our son was home from college a few weeks ago and we had family over for dinner. I made the recipe in the morning and couldn’t help myself but had to cut a little piece off the end to try it. It was amazing.
But like every time when I make a recipe for company, I never get to take photos that are “worthy of the blog.” So I had to make the recipe again and pay attention to all the steps to get the proper photos. I think they turned out great, but you’ll never know how delicious this is until you make the recipe yourself.
Best Apples to use for Baking
My favorite apple to use for baking is Golden Delicious, but Baldwin, Cortland, Northern Spy and Idareds all hold their shape well during cooking and taste delicious in different recipes. A good tip is to mix a few different apples in recipes to come up with the flavor you and your family like best.
For more info on the best apples to use for baking and eating, check out my article I wrote on Apples a few years ago.
I encourage you to buy some puff pastry this weekend and make this recipe! I’m going to make it for Thanksgiving again…yes, along with the apple pie, we will have this Apple Cream Cheese Caramel Braid.
How to Make Apple Cream Cheese Caramel Braid
How to Create the Braid
How to Bake the Braid
- 1 sheet puff pastry; defrosted
- Caramel sauce
- 1 egg white beaten to use on top of the pastry braid.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white sugar to sprinkle on top of the pastry braid before baking.
- 2 large apples; peeled cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 ounces cream cheese; softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the thinly sliced apples and toss to coat. Set aside.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside and prepare the puff pastry.
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Carefully unfold the sheet of puff pastry. Place on top of a sheet of parchment paper and roll lightly with a floured rolling pin until it is 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the puff pastry with the parchment paper to a baking tray.
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Add the cream cheese mixture down the center of the puff pastry only.
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Arrange the apple slices on top of the cream cheese mixture.
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Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, begin slicing diagonal strips down both sides of the puff pastry being careful to leave a 1/2 inch border around the cream cheese and apple slices. You should get around 8 to 10 strips depending on the length of your pastry braid.
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Starting at one end, begin folding the strips over the apples, alternating sides to "braid" the dough.
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Continue to fold the dough strips until the apples are covered. Tuck the end strips under.
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Brush the pastry braid with the beaten egg white and sprinkle the top with 1 to 2 tablespoons white sugar.
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Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
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Allow to cool slightly before drizzling caramel sauce on top.
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Slice and serve.
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Delicious Lois, puff pastry makes dessert special for any day and since the holidays are coming, this should be on everyone's menu.
Thank you Joanne. This has become one of my favorite desserts to make because it is so pretty but more importantly EASY!
Hi Lois, this would fit perfectly in Food on Friday: November under the American Favorite or Desserts theme. Hope you bring it on over to share with everybody. Cheers from Carole's Chatter
What a great recipe- and so easy to make when company or kids stay over!
Let me know if you ever do make it Barrie! Thanks for visiting!
I’ve been so scared by braiding pastry but you make it look so easy I have to try it now! And apple and cream cheese is such a good combo I have to have it 🙂 xo
That’s a really nice compliment. Thank you Amanda. I hope you do try to make this recipe as it really is so easy and delicious. You will impress your family and friends too! Let me know, okay?
Just made this recipe: I am gluten free so I substituted with GF puff pastry. Couple things I’d do different to better use the pastry, but this is amazing. Great turn out! It looks so pretty and the directions were awesome. Thank you!
This made my day! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe.
This looks delicious. I would serve it for dessert or as a great addition to the weekend brunch menu. Looks like fun to make too.
I love making puff pastry braid 🙂 I always end up with wayyy to much filling though. I love how you show your step-by-step photos, now I have an idea of what the correct amount of filling looks like! Yummm.
This is one of my favorite recipes and everyone is always so impressed with how pretty it looks. Thank you for visiting.
This is so pretty! I see so many people making beautiful things with puff pastry yet when I make them they look like crap. LOL You make it look doable though so maybe I’ll give this a try some weekend soon. Looks delicious!
That looks so good. It is perfect for dessert or breakfast! I love puff pastry. It is so easy to work with.
Thanks Arlene. I agree! Puff pastry is so easy to work with and delicious!!!
I love such quick desserts with puff pastry. I think it’s the best way to make a quick dessert for guests or lazy weekends. This sounds so delicious.
A great recipe that would be fantastic as a breakfast sweet or dessert. For dessert I’d add some sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. You give some really good tips with the apples. Lots of people don’t know the good kinds of apples to use when baking. I’ll make this cream cheese puff next Saturday — my daughter is coming over for brunch.