Homemade Toaster Strudels

These (semi) homemade toaster strudels are SO easy to make with store-bought puff pastry, jam filling, and rich cream cheese icing. Your favorite childhood treat made even better than you remembered!

Growing up I was definitely more of a pop tart kid, but you would never catch me passing up a good ol' toaster strudel.

This homemade version is SUPER easy to make (because it's semi-homemade) and honestly way better than the ones you buy in-store! Plus you can put as much icing on these pastries as your heart desires 🙂

Made with frozen puff pastry dough, your favorite flavor jam, and cream cheese icing, these copy cat toaster strudels will be your new favorite breakfast treat!

Ingredients needed for homemade toaster strudels:

The ingredients in this recipe aren't crazy, but I'll make a few notes below.

• Frozen puff pastry sheets: I like using pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets, but any puff pastry sheets you can find in your grocery stores freezer section works!
• Raspberry jam: Seedless works best, but you can use jams with seeds if that is all you have/can find! You can also swap this for another flavor like strawberry!
• Cornstarch: this gives our filling a little thicker consistency
• Milk- I used whole milk for this recipe, it works better for the egg wash as well as the icing.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Thaw the pastry puff sheets (as directed on the box). In a small bowl, combine your jam and cornstarch until completely mixed together, set aside. In another bowl, whisk your egg and milk until smooth, set aside.

Step 2: Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet on either a floured surface or a large sheet of parchment paper and cut into 6 equal rectangles (see photos above). Spoon 1½-2 tablespoons of the jam over 3 of the rectangles and spread out, leaving about a ½ an inch rim all along the edges uncoated (see photos below). Lightly brush the edges with the egg/milk mixture (where the jam isn't touching). I use my finger but you could use a brush as well. Place the 3 other puff pastry rectangles over jam-coated puff pastry and press all the edges to seal with a fork (see photos below).

Transfer those 3 pastries to the baking sheet and put them in the fridge while doing the same thing with the second set. Repeat the process. Add the last 3 pastries to the tray in the fridge and chill for 10-15 minutes. 

Step 3: Brush the tops of each strudel lightly with the egg mixture. Bake for about 17-22 minutes or until golden brown on top. They get super puffy in the oven but don't worry, we will fix that! (Make the icing while they are in the oven- see next step). Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Wait a few minutes and then gently press down the pastries to deflate a bit. Let cool a few minutes and top with icing.

Step 4: Using an electric mixer, mix the room temperature cream cheese until it is smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and whole milk. Mix until everything is combined and smooth. If you have some clumps, continue to mix. If the icing seems too thick, add a little milk at a time to thin it out. Drizzle over your warm pastries and enjoy!

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Frequently asked questions:

Tips & Tricks:

• Crimp the edges really well- you want to really crimp together the top and bottom puff pastries so that none of the jam filling escapes out the sides.
• Bake these on parchment paper- Just in case anything does come out of the sides, parchment paper helps it to not stick to the baking sheet.
• Use an electric mixer to make the icing- I highly recommend using an electric mixer to make the icing, it will help you get a super creamy consistency. If you only have a fork to mix with, make sure your cream cheese is super soft and you're going to have to use a little extra arm power.
• Don't make these in a toaster- Ok, I know this one sounds silly, but normal toaster strudels are meant to be made in the toaster. These are not the case! These will ruin any toaster you try and make them in, so stick to using the oven for these guys.
• Wait to drizzle frosting on top until they cool- Give the toaster strudels a few minutes to cool off before you pour that delicious cream cheese icing over top. if they are too warm, the icing will melt right off your strudel!

Storing & freezing:

These pastries are best straight out of the oven, but if you have to bake them all at once and save some for later, place them in an airtight container for 1-2 days. I would suggest only putting the icing on the ones you are going to eat right out of the oven (save the icing for the others in the fridge). If you want to reheat them, you can place them in a 350-degree oven for a few minutes, or microwave them in 30-second increments until you reach the desired temperature.

To freeze these toaster strudels, assemble them entirely (without brushing with the egg wash). Place the strudels on a baking sheet and freeze. When they are completely frozen, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. You can grab one at a time and bake them (take them out to defrost for a few hours before/overnight)! They will stay good in the freezer for up to 4 months.

More recipes to try:

• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts
• Banana Blueberry Muffins
• Brioche French Toast
• Blueberry Buckle Cake