My Parents Fell in Love over a Slice of Apfelstrudel—Here’s How I Make It

Every family has a dish or dessert that holds a special meaning to them. For mine, apfelstrudel takes center stage at every celebration, big or small. It’s a traditional Austrian pastry filled with tart, juicy apples, plump raisins and toasted walnuts, and you can spot it in the window of many bakeries or coffee shops. 

Apfelstrudel is served by the slice, either warm out of the oven, at room temperature or it can even be enjoyed cold. You can order it drizzled with vanilla sauce, a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Every bite offers a heavenly combination of sweet baked fruit and buttery bites of flaky pastry that fall apart in your mouth. Whenever we visited Austria as a family, apfelstrudel was the first dessert my parents would order for us during the leisurely jause (snack hour), which occurs midafternoon and was always accompanied by a frothy melange (a coffee drink).

My mother, a native Austrian, grew up enjoying this dessert. Her grandmother, mother and aunts would take turns making it, using apples plucked straight from the family’s tree growing in the backyard. To this day, it is still my mother’s favorite dessert and one she requests on her birthday over cake. Meanwhile, my father, originally from Iran, was first introduced to the dish after moving to Austria for college. He was in search of a pick-me-up during study breaks, and decided to order it one day after routinely noticing others enjoying it. And it became the dish my parents shared on their first date at Café Schwarzenberg in downtown Vienna nearly 40 years ago.

When my parents immigrated to the United States, they no longer spotted their beloved pastry at local bakeries or coffee shops. Big muffins, cookies and layer cakes filled American bakery shop windows instead. Luckily for them, I developed a love of baking at a very young age. I would accompany my mother on her weekly trips to the grocery store, ensuring we made a pit stop in the baking aisle so I could try a new box of cake, muffin or cookie mix. 

As I outgrew baking mixes, my mother gifted me with my first cookbook. As I excitedly leafed through the pages of endless desserts, my eyes landed on my parents’ beloved apfelstrudel. To their delight, I quickly learned the recipe by heart and, over time, began trying out new variations of the dessert. 

My love for baking was constant, but as I grew older, I adapted a new passion: nutrition. Combining my nutrition knowledge with my baking passion, I began experimenting to create more nutritious versions of my favorite treats. I wanted to create a healthier apfelstrudel while still preserving the authentic flavor. 

The apple, golden raisin and walnut filling has remained the same. They’re all delicious, healthy ingredients that I could get behind as I studied to become a registered dietitian. Although many apfelstrudel recipes don’t specify the apple type, oftentimes a tart apple like Granny Smith is used. However, if you don’t have these green beauties on hand, you can always use whichever apples you have. Some apfelstrudel recipes call for slivered almonds instead of the traditional walnuts, but any nuts could work. Nuts like almonds and walnuts add a dose of healthy unsaturated fat, fiber and protein—another win in this dietitian’s book. 

One swap I made was to trade the refined-flour pastry dough for one made using whole-wheat flour, as whole-wheat provides slightly more fiber. I also lowered the amount of saturated fat the recipe calls for by replacing the butter with a heart-healthier option. I’ve found using canola or avocado oil works just as well.

Below, I’m honored to share with you my mother’s favorite apfelstrudel recipe, one that I’ve perfected over years of experimentation. It’s as close to the traditional one as possible, but with a healthier twist. I hope you savor this recipe as much as my family does and serve it up for your next celebration.