Creamy Cheese Strudel Recipe with Flaky Golden Pastry

Top seller when I owned my bakery was this Cheese Strudel!

Flaky puff pastry filled with sweetened cream cheese — this strudel sold out every Sunday! I like to serve it warm from the oven with a tart cranberry compote, though any berry compote works beautifully.

Of course you can serve it just as is with a cup of coffee in the morning!

A simple recipe with minimal ingredients and a package of puff pastry is all you need!

Notes for Success:

Vegan adjustments and tips

Vegan cream cheese behaves differently in baking, so a few adjustments improve results. In my area vegan cream cheese choices are limited, and in my experience Tofutti has been most reliable in baked recipes — other brands sometimes break down and become oily when baked.

Cornstarch can be tricky when measured by volume. I list spoon measures for convenience, but weighing the cornstarch in grams with a scale gives far more consistent results. Too much cornstarch (from heavy spoon measurements) can make the filling rubbery.

A bakery trick I use is to include about ½ cup of toasted, dried cake crumbs (or plain breadcrumbs) under the filling. These absorb excess moisture and help the strudel slice cleanly.

Cheese Strudel

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is accidentally vegan. One package contains two sheets; this recipe uses one sheet (you will use half the package).

Prep Time
1 hr

Cook Time
40 mins

Total Time
1 hr 40 mins

Servings
10

Ingredients

1/2 Package vegan puff pastry

For the Cheese Filling:

12 ounces Tofutti cream cheese 336 g
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 60 g
3 Tbsp cornstarch 24 g
2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted 28 g
1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml
1/2 cup toasted cake crumbs (see notes)
1 Tbsp vegan “egg” wash
2 tsp granulated sugar

For the Berry Compote (optional)

1½ cup fresh or frozen berries
4 Tbsp granulated sugar 50 g
4 Tbsp water 60 ml

Instructions

Thaw the puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the cheese filling by gently combining the vegan cream cheese with the sifted confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
Add the melted vegan butter and vanilla, folding until smooth.
Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap and spoon the cheese filling into it.
Freeze the filled pan for about 1 to 2 hours. You want the filling firm enough to handle, not completely rock solid. (See video for guidance.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you have convection, use it. An air fryer also works well for this recipe.
On parchment, roll the puff pastry slightly to increase its size by about ½” in both directions. Using the frozen creases as guides, cut six diagonal strips on each side of the center section.
Spoon the ½ cup of toasted cake crumbs into the center of the dough.
Place the semi-frozen cheese filling on top of the crumbs, then fold the cut dough strips across the filling in a criss-cross pattern.
Brush the top of the dough with your vegan “egg” wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and bake immediately at 400°F for about 40 minutes.
Monitor the top so it doesn’t over-brown. If needed, tent loosely with foil to prevent burning.
The filling may jiggle slightly when finished; it will set as it cools.
Cool before slicing. Serve with the optional berry compote.
To make the compote, combine berries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until it boils and the berries start to burst. Remove from heat — the mixture will thicken as it cools.

Video

Notes

Storage: The Cheese Strudel can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days if tightly wrapped and stored in a very cool spot. For longer storage refrigerate for up to 5 days and reheat before serving.

Tried this recipe?
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