Made with a delicious cream cheese filling this Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid will definitely impress your family and friends.
The flaky, buttery dough is wrapped around a sweet and tart filling of thinly-sliced apples and sweetened cream cheese, and then it's all braided into a beautiful and impressive danish. Not only does it look impressive, but it tastes even better!
The contrast of the crisp pastry with the soft apples is heavenly, and the sweetness of the sugar glaze takes it over the top. If you're looking for a showstopping dessert or breakfast recipe, this is it.
Check out all my other puff pastry recipes for even more deliciousness!
Recipe at a Glance
Prep: 10 min | Cook/Bake: 25–30 min | Difficulty: Easy
What it is: A flaky puff pastry braid filled with sweetened cream cheese and warm cinnamon-apple slices for a bakery-style treat that looks impressive but uses simple ingredients.
Why you’ll love it: Quick to assemble, perfect for holidays or brunch, and a great way to dress up store-bought puff pastry.
How to make it: Spread the cream cheese mixture down the center of the pastry, layer on the sautéed apples, then cut and crisscross the strips before baking until golden..
Looking for more easy dessert recipes featuring apples? Try my Apple Danish Recipe, Mason Jar Apple Pie or my recipe for Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Apples
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Why I LOVE Serving this Puff Pastry Braid
- How to Braid Puff Pastry?
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- My Essential Kitchen Tools
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Directions
- Expert Tip
- Baking Instructions
- Serving Tips
- Storing, Freezing, Thawing and Reheating Tips
- More Apple Recipes to Love
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Thanksgiving Printables Your Family Will Love
- 💬 Comments
Why I LOVE Serving this Puff Pastry Braid
The cream cheese and apple filling always tastes warm and comforting, and the braid design makes it look like I spent far more time on it than I actually did.
It’s one of those recipes that works for brunch, holidays, or a last-minute dessert and everyone thinks you went the extra mile.
And then once you master this recipe, try my other puff pastry desserts: Puff Pastry Christmas Cookies, Puff Pastry Valentine's Day Hearts and Puff Pastry Apple Tart.
How to Braid Puff Pastry?
This is the way I like to braid puff pastry:
- Lightly roll out the puff pastry to remove the fold lines. Place the filling down the center of the puff pastry.
- Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, begin slicing diagonal strips down both sides of the puff pastry being careful to leave a ½ inch border around the filling.
- You should get around 8 to 10 strips depending on the length of your puff pastry sheet.
- Now start folding the ends of the puff pastry at the top, crossing the strips over the apple and cream cheese filling making sure you overlap the strips to create a crisscross or braid.
- Make sure you tug both ends under the puff pastry danish so nothing will leak out during baking. But if you do have some of the filling leak out, it's okay! It only makes the recipe look homemade.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. For exact amounts and to easily shop for everything, click the Instacart button in the recipe card below to add the ingredients straight to your cart!
For Puff Pastry:
- Puff pastry; defrosted
- Caramel sauce
- Egg White
- Sugar for sprinkling
For Apple Filling:
- 2 large apples
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
For Cream Cheese Filling:
- Cream cheese; room temperature
- White sugar
- Vanilla extract
Substitutions and Variations
Swap the fruit: Use pears, peaches, or berries instead of apples for a seasonal twist.
Add sweetness or crunch: Drizzle honey or maple syrup over the fruit or sprinkle chopped nuts on top before baking.
Try a savory version: Spread herbed cream cheese on the pastry and add toppings like prosciutto, shredded cooked chicken, or smoked salmon.
Step-by-Step Directions
This section provides step-by-step photos and instructions to guide you through the recipe. For the complete printable version, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, toss thinly sliced apples with a mixture of ½ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
Step 2: To make the cream cheese filling, in another bowl, cream together softened cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla extract. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the puff pastry.
Step 3: Gently unfold the puff pastry sheet onto parchment paper. Roll out the pastry with a lightly floured rolling pin to remove creases and achieve a ¼ inch thickness.
Step 4: Carefully transfer the puff pastry (still on its parchment paper) to a baking sheet. Spread the cream cheese in a line down the center, then top with the apple slices.
Expert Tip
My favorite apple to use for baking is Golden Delicious. A good tip is to mix a few different apples in recipes to come up with the flavor you and your family like best.
Check out my post on How to Choose the Best Apples for Baking for more tips!
Step 5: Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, begin slicing diagonal strips down both sides of the puff pastry being careful to leave a ½ 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.
Step 6: Start placing each sliced section over the top of the apples and cream cheese to form the braid. Tuck in or fold over the top first and then start braiding. We're really just crisscrossing the puff pastry strips and forming a braid. Tuck the bottom end in and under as well.
Baking Instructions
Step 7: Brush with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle a little white granulated sugar on top right before baking. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serving Tips
Just before serving, drizzle the caramel sauce on top of the Apple Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid. The caramel sauce really was the finishing touch.
You could also serve Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or a dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream.
Here is a selection of caramel sauces you could use to drizzle on top of the braid right before serving:
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Storing, Freezing, Thawing and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Store the dessert airtight in the fridge, using parchment paper between layers if stacking. This keeps it fresh and prevents sticking.
Freezer: Once cooled, wrap the leftover puff pastry braid tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the wrapped braid in a labeled freezer-safe container or bag, ensuring it lays flat to keep its shape. Freeze for up to one month.
Thawing and Reheating: Serve chilled or at room temperature for 15-20 minutes for enhanced flavor. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
More Apple Recipes to Love
- Best Apple Pie Recipes for Thanksgiving - not just one apple pie recipe, but a whole collection!
- Try my easy, no fuss Apple Dump Cake recipe.
- You might also enjoy this Easy Italian Apple Cake recipe.
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📖 Recipe Card
Apple Caramel Puff Pastry Braid with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 1 sheet puff pastry defrosted
- Caramel sauce
- 1 egg white beaten to use on top of the pastry braid.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of the pastry braid before baking.
For the Apple Filling:
- 2 large apples peeled cored and thinly sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ½ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Add the thinly sliced apples and toss to coat. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, ½ cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside and prepare the puff pastry.
- 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 ¼ inch thick. Transfer the puff pastry with the parchment paper to a baking tray.
- Add the cream cheese mixture down the center of the puff pastry only.
- Arrange the apple slices on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, begin slicing diagonal strips down both sides of the puff pastry being careful to leave a ½ 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.
- Starting at one end, begin folding the strips over the apples, alternating sides to "braid" the dough.
- Continue to fold the dough strips until the apples are covered. Tuck the end strips under.
- Brush the pastry braid with the beaten egg white and sprinkle the top with 1 to 2 tablespoons white sugar.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly before drizzling caramel sauce on top.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
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Veena Azmanov says
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.
Arlene Mobley says
That looks so good. It is perfect for dessert or breakfast! I love puff pastry. It is so easy to work with.
Lois says
Thanks Arlene. I agree! Puff pastry is so easy to work with and delicious!!!
Denise says
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!
Jolina says
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.
Lois says
This is one of my favorite recipes and everyone is always so impressed with how pretty it looks. Thank you for visiting.
Gloria says
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.
Emily says
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!
Lois says
This made my day! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe.
Amanda says
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
Lois says
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?
Barrie says
What a great recipe- and so easy to make when company or kids stay over!
Lois says
Let me know if you ever do make it Barrie! Thanks for visiting!
Carole says
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
Joanne DiPalo says
Delicious Lois, puff pastry makes dessert special for any day and since the holidays are coming, this should be on everyone's menu.
Lois says
Thank you Joanne. This has become one of my favorite desserts to make because it is so pretty but more importantly EASY!