Healthy Recipes Ingredients Healthy Fruit Recipes Healthy Apple Recipes Apple Pie Breakfast Pastry 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews This apple pie breakfast pastry is the perfect way to start your day. With a flaky crust made from puff pastry, it offers a bakery-quality experience at home, filled with a warm, spiced apple filling that captures the essence of classic apple pie. To achieve the flakiest, most tender crust, make sure to keep the puff pastry cold while you work. By Melissa Gray Melissa Gray A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Melissa Gray trained in traditional French-style cooking, restaurant and front-of-house management. Since transitioning to recipe development and food styling in 2015, Melissa has developed over 1,500 original recipes and styled in over 300 photo shoots. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 4, 2024 Tested by Renu Anshie Dhar Tested by Renu Anshie Dhar Renu Dhar has more than a decade of cumulative experience cooking as a personal chef and culinary instructor. As a personal chef, she developed over 1,000 personalized recipes and meal plans for her clients. Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 6 Nutrition Profile: Sesame-Free Nut-Free Vegetarian Jump to recipe Making your own Apple Pie Breakfast Pastry is a great way to give you more control over the ingredients you use and—bonus!— improves your cooking skills. Granny Smith apples are available year round and are the perfect varietal for a pastry because they are less sweet, more tart and can hold up to baking without losing that classic apple pie filling texture. Read on to learn why it’s so important to cut slits into the top of the pastry. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! Chilling the pastry in the freezer makes it much easier to cut slits into the top. The slits allow steam to escape while baking, helping the pastry rise evenly and become crisp.If you prefer, you could use fork tines instead of your fingers to seal the edges.You can use pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon instead of apple pie spice. Nutrition Notes Granny Smith apples are a classic variety for pastries because of their reliability in holding their shape after cooking. Apple flesh contains pectin, a soluble fiber that benefits the health of your gut microbiome. Reduced-fat cream cheese, often called Neufchâtel cheese, has a higher moisture content, which makes it easier to spread. It is also lower in total and saturated fat, and lowering your saturated fat intake is good for your heart. Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about 1 cup) 3 tablespoons water, divided 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon apple pie spice ¼ teaspoon salt, divided 1 (8.4-ounce) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed All-purpose flour, for work surface 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened ¼ cup confectioners' sugar plus 1 tablespoon, divided 1 large egg 2 teaspoons whole milk Directions Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine apple, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon each lemon zest and lemon juice, ½ teaspoon each cornstarch and apple pie spice and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apple is slightly softened and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside, uncovered, at room temperature to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Meanwhile, unfold puff pastry and roll out on a lightly floured work surface into a 13-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise; place the halves 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze, uncovered, until ready to use. Stir 4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in a separate small bowl for icing. Beat 1 egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Remove the puff pastry halves from the freezer; spread the remaining cream cheese mixture in a 2-inch-wide strip lengthwise down the middle of 1 of the pastry halves, leaving a ¾-inch border along the edges. Spoon the apple filling evenly over the cream cheese layer. Brush the pastry border with egg wash; place the remaining pastry piece over the apple filling, pressing the edges to seal. Brush the pastry with egg wash; discard any remaining egg mixture. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 20 minutes. Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Using a very sharp knife, cut 8 small (about ½-inch) evenly spaced slits in the top of the pastry. Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back halfway through, until golden brown and evenly puffed, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Add 2 teaspoons milk and the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar to the reserved cream cheese mixture; whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm pastry. Slice into 6 (2-by-5-inch) pieces; serve warm. Nutrition Information Serving Size: 1 (2-by-5-inch) pieceCalories 236, Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 18mg, Carbohydrates 24g, Total Sugars 10g, Added Sugars 7g, Protein 4g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 314mg, Potassium 38mg Frequently Asked Questions Can I prepare apple pie with puff pastry in advance? Sure. Follow Steps 1 through 5, let the pie cool completely, gently place the pastry in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready, proceed to Step 6 and make the sweet topping. Warm the pastry in a 350°F oven or toaster oven, then drizzle the topping over the pastry. What is the purpose of an egg wash? Egg wash serves as a binding agent to seal the pastry and gives it a shiny, golden brown finish. Do I have to use Granny Smith apples? We chose Granny Smith, but you can use whatever fresh apple you like best. Some good alternatives include Honeycrisp, Royal Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Jonagold and Jonathan. How should I store apple pie puff pastry to prevent it from becoming soggy? Keep the baked, frosted puff pastry at room temperature. If you plan to eat it within 24 hours, you can store it in a bag or box. Otherwise, use an airtight container where it will be good for a couple of days. EatingWell.com, October 2024 Rate It Print Additional reporting by Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS Sarah Pflugradt is a registered dietitian who holds a Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her extensive background in dietetics has made her a sought-after expert in family and youth sports nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications, such as Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, and has edited cookbooks for Dovetail Press and The Taste Curators. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines