Apple Crumb Danishes

Apple Crumb Danishes combine the sweet flavors of an apple crumb pie with the comforting goodness of a breakfast pastry. Topped with a drizzle of homemade cream frosting, and you have a perfect fall treat for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee, or for a fabulous holiday brunch.

Apple Crumb Danishes… A Perfect Fall Treat

What are your favorite flavors of fall? Pumpkin? Fresh picked apples? Warm cinnamon spices? A hearty slow simmered beef stew?

I’m a huge fan of all the fall things. Apples are at the top of the list! When we go apple picking every September/October, I immediately come home and make two things: a big batch of homemade apple sauce for the freezer, and a homemade apple crumb pie for my daughter (we do make her share!).

Do you call it Apple Crumb Pie or Dutch Apple Pie? I’m not sure if there is a difference. If there is, do explain in the comment section. Whatever you call it, a freshly baked homemade apple pie with crumbly topping is a fall must-have!

Apple Pie Inspired

As I was thinking up recipe ideas, I had a stroke of genius when I decided to fuse apple crumb pie and a breakfast danish. Can you say WINNER?!

Good heavens, these are delish.

I would serve Apple Crumb Danishes for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, as a part of a cozy fall brunch, or even just with a cup of hot tea on a crisp fall afternoon. Wrap yourself in a big, soft blanket and enjoy this sweet and satisfying treat!

I stored these danishes in a zip top bag in the refrigerator, then put them on a microwave safe plate and heat on high for 20 seconds. My daughter jumped out of bed a little faster on a school morning when I told her I saved one of the Apple Crumb Danishes for her breakfast!

Making Apple Crumb Danishes

While there are a dozen different steps to making these Apple Crumb Danishes, taking some help by using Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry certainly saves some time. That is the puff pastry I use and recommend.

You’ll also want to use a very firm and tart apple, such as Granny Smith. Peel, core, and slice the apples thin.

All of those lovely apples will be pan fried in a little butter with a mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar, and corn starch.

Side note: I use a Calphalon ceramic pan and I LOVE it! Click here for pricing and info (affiliate).

Lay the thawed puff pastry out onto a large, ungreased baking sheet and cut each sheet into six smaller rectangles for a total of twelve rectangles.

Use a knife to score a border around each rectangle of puff pastry, then use a fork to poke holes inside the border.

Mmmm… homemade apple pie filling is the best! I can never settle for canned pie filling.

After the apples are spooned onto the pastry, mix together butter, brown sugar, and flour to make the crumble topping and sprinkle it over the apples. Try to avoid getting apple filling and crumble topping on the outside border of the pastry, but if it happens, just brush it off with your fingers.

Before baking the Apple Crumb Danishes, whisk and egg together with a tablespoon of water and use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of the egg wash on the outside border of each pastry. This gives the pastry a beautiful golden brown shine as they bake.

Bake the pastries for 20 minutes then set aside to cool. While they cool, you can mix up the creamy frosting.

I used a spoon to drizzle the frosting over the pastries for a rustic look. But you could also use a piping bag for a thinner stream of frosting and more precision when drizzling.

Perfection!

Apple Crumb Danishes

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★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Carissa Shaw for Mom Needs Chocolate

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Description

Apple Crumb Danishes combine the sweet flavors of an apple crumb pie with the comforting goodness of a breakfast pastry. Topped with a drizzle of homemade cream frosting, and you have a perfect fall treat for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee, or for a fabulous holiday brunch.

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Ingredients

17.3 ounce box puff pastry (two sheets of pastry in the box), thawed according to package directions
6 medium Granny Smith apples; cored, peeled, and sliced thin
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced apples to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, the corn starch, and the cinnamon. Stir the mixture into the cooked apples in the pan and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the apples are softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Unfold the puff pastry sheets and lay out on a flat surface. Use a knife to cut along the fold marks to create three equal sized strips. Cut each strip in half to make a total of 12 rectangles.
5. Arrange the puff pastry rectangles on a large, ungreased cookie sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space between each rectangle.
6. With a paring knife, lightly score a border around the entire edge of each pastry rectangle, about ¾ inch away from the edge. Use a fork to poke a few holes into the center area of each pastry. This process allows the outside border to rise and puff up while the center stays shorter and holds the filling.
7. Spoon the cooked apples onto each rectangle of pastry dough. Do not place the apple filling on the outside scored border of the pastry and do not add much of the liquid from the apples.
8. In a small bowl, use a fork to combine 2 tablespoons of butter, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and ¼ cup of flour. Mix until completely combined and crumbly in texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples.
9. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of the egg wash to the outside border of each pastry. Discard any leftover egg mixture.
10. Bake the pastries at 400 for 20 minutes, until they are golden brown.
11. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and heavy cream; stir until smooth.
12. Cool the danishes on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Drizzle the frosting over the danishes.

Makes 12 servings.

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Carissa is the ultimate busy woman loving life! She works to find balance between the need to get things done, the purpose to love the people in her life, and the desire for a nap.