Baked Sour Cherry Strudel with Crisp Phyllo Layers

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Baked sour cherry strudel is a rolled phyllo pastry filled with tart cherries, sugar, and lemon, brushed with butter and baked at 190 C / 375 F for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden. It comes together in about 30 minutes of hands-on work, plus a 20-minute cool before slicing.

The Hungarian and Austrian versions start with dough stretched paper-thin by hand. I use store-bought phyllo, eight sheets, and get a shattering crust without a stretched-dough afternoon.

Toasted breadcrumbs go under the cherries and soak up juice as it releases. Skip them, or skip draining the cherries, and the filling pushes through the seam while the bottom layers turn damp. That’s the one step I won’t shortcut. The strudel is crispest the day it’s baked.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Comes together in about 30 minutes of hands-on work
• Store-bought phyllo skips the stretched dough entirely
• A breadcrumb layer keeps the bottom crisp, not damp
• One sheet pan, no mixer, and easy cleanup

Ingredient Notes

• sour cherries: Jarred Morello cherries or frozen sour cherries, thawed, both work. Weigh them after draining, since jar weights include liquid. Canned pie filling is too sweet and gloppy, so if you use it, lift the cherries out of the gel and skip the sugar and cornstarch.
• phyllo sheets: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Phyllo that’s been thawed on the counter or refrozen sticks together and cracks when you unroll it.
• plain dry breadcrumbs: Swap in 50 g finely ground almonds or crushed plain butter cookies for a nuttier or sweeter base. Either one still absorbs the cherry juice.
• cornstarch: Potato starch works at the same amount. Flour is a weaker thickener and can leave the filling pasty.
• unsalted butter: Neutral oil or melted vegan butter works for a dairy-free strudel. The pastry browns a little less and tastes less rich.

Baked Sour Cherry Strudel with Crisp Phyllo Layers

Sour cherries, sugar, and lemon rolled in eight buttered phyllo sheets over toasted breadcrumbs, then baked until deep golden. It slices into 8 pieces.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Eastern European

Calories: 244

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Filling

• 700 g pitted sour cherries / 1.5 lb; jarred or frozen and thawed, weighed after draining
• 100 g granulated sugar / 1/2 cup
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

Pastry

• 8 phyllo sheets sheets; about 30 x 40 cm / 12 x 16 inch, thawed
• 100 g unsalted butter / 7 tbsp; melted, divided: 30 g for the crumbs, 70 g for brushing
• 50 g plain dry breadcrumbs / 1/2 cup
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F and have a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan ready. Tip the cherries into a colander, drain for 10 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels. Melt the butter.
2. Warm 30 g of the melted butter in a 20 cm / 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant, then tip them onto a plate. Leave the remaining 70 g butter in its bowl for brushing.
3. Stir the drained cherries gently with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Do this just before assembling so the sugar doesn't draw out extra juice.
4. Lay a 50 cm / 20-inch sheet of parchment on the counter with a long edge facing you. Place one phyllo sheet on it, brush lightly with butter, and repeat with the remaining 7 sheets, keeping the unused sheets under a damp kitchen towel.
5. Scatter the toasted crumbs in a strip 10 cm / 4 inches wide along the long edge nearest you, starting 5 cm / 2 inches in from the edge and leaving 4 cm / 1.5 inches clear at each end. Spoon the cherries over the crumbs. Fold the clear ends over the filling, then roll the strudel away from you, lifting with the parchment, until the seam sits underneath.
6. Lift the log, still on its parchment, onto the sheet pan and trim any overhang. Brush the top and sides with the remaining butter and cut 4 shallow slits across the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp when tapped.
7. Cool the strudel on the pan for 20 minutes so the filling sets. Dust with powdered sugar and slice into 8 pieces with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Serve warm.

Notes

• Thaw phyllo in the refrigerator overnight, then unroll it only when the filling is ready.
• Drain cherries for 10 minutes and pat dry before mixing the filling.
• Leave a 4 cm border at each end of the filling so the folded ends seal.
• Cool the strudel 20 minutes before slicing so the filling sets.

Tips for Success

• Drain the cherries in a colander for 10 minutes, then pat them with paper towels. Wet fruit is what makes a strudel leak at the seam.
• Keep unused phyllo under a damp, not wet, kitchen towel while you work. Exposed sheets dry out and crack quickly.
• Stir the sugar into the cherries right before filling. Sugar pulls out juice, and sitting time only adds liquid to the pastry.
• Roll the log snug but not tight, and place it seam-side down. A tight roll splits as the filling steams.
• Cool the baked strudel for 20 minutes, then cut with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion so the layers don’t crush.

Variations

• Stir 60 g finely ground walnuts into the toasted breadcrumbs for a nuttier base layer closer to the Hungarian style.
• Replace 150 g of the cherries with thinly sliced apple and add a pinch of nutmeg for a softer, less tart filling.
• Swap the butter for neutral oil or vegan butter, and check that your phyllo is egg-free, to make a dairy-free strudel.

Storage and Reheating

Baked sour cherry strudel keeps at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for up to 1 day. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. The pastry softens in the fridge but the flavor holds.

Reheat slices on a sheet pan in a 160 C / 325 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pastry is crisp again and warm in the center. Skip the microwave, which turns phyllo chewy.

Freeze cooled slices, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 160 C / 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve sour cherry strudel warm, dusted with powdered sugar, with a spoon of lightly whipped cream or plain Greek yogurt to soften the tartness. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melts into the warm layers, so add it at the table.

For an afternoon coffee spread, cut thinner 3 cm slices. Black coffee, black tea, or a glass of off-dry Riesling all suit the fruit.

FAQ

Why is my sour cherry strudel soggy on the bottom?

Excess juice is the usual cause. Drain jarred or thawed cherries for 10 minutes, pat them dry, and scatter toasted breadcrumbs under the fruit so they soak up liquid as it bakes. Mix the sugar in right before rolling, because sugar draws out more juice the longer it sits.

How do I know when sour cherry strudel is done baking?

It’s done after 35 to 40 minutes at 190 C / 375 F, when the pastry is deep golden brown and sounds crisp when you tap it. Dark juice may bubble at the vent slits, which is normal. Pale pastry needs another 5 minutes.

Can I use canned cherry pie filling instead of sour cherries in strudel?

You can, but lift the cherries out of the gel and skip the sugar and cornstarch, since pie filling is already sweet and thickened. Expect a sweeter, softer filling with less cherry tang. Jarred Morello cherries or frozen sour cherries, drained, give the better flavor.

Can I freeze baked sour cherry strudel, and how do I crisp it again?

Yes, freeze the cooled strudel in slices, wrapped well, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat slices at 160 C / 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes until the phyllo is crisp again. I don’t freeze it unbaked, since sugared cherries release juice as they thaw.

What goes well with sour cherry strudel besides ice cream?

Lightly whipped cream, plain Greek yogurt, or vanilla custard all work because they soften the tartness without hiding it. For a drink, black coffee or off-dry Riesling suits the fruit. Serve them on the side so the pastry stays crisp. I’d skip chocolate sauce, which overwhelms the cherries.

What’s the difference between sour cherry strudel and Hungarian meggyes rétes?

Meggyes rétes is the Hungarian name for sour cherry strudel, and the traditional version uses hand-stretched dough rather than phyllo. The filling is nearly the same: tart cherries with sugar and buttered breadcrumbs. Phyllo gives a more shattering, less chewy crust than stretched dough.

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