This Apple Puff Pastry Braid recipe features all the sweet, warm flavors and crisp, flakey crust of traditional apple with a fraction of the work! Using storebought puff pastry, it’s quick, easy, and always delicious!
Before you begin, preheat your oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Then, add the chopped apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar, stirring to combine. Cook the mixture until the apples soften and are coated with the caramelized sugar. Stir in the vanilla, and remove the pan from the heat.
Unroll the pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface, shaping it into a rectangle.
Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the center third of the pastry, leaving a border of crust along the top and bottom. Then, spoon the apple mixture on top.
Next, cut diagonal strips on the left and right sides of the puff pastry sheet, leaving the center third with the filling untouched. Starting from the top, fold the border over the filling, and braid the dough strips.
Transfer the puff pastry to the prepared baking sheet, and bake until it is golden brown and puffed up.
Allow the baked apple puff pastry to cool on the pan slightly before slicing and serving.