Today I want to offer you a light treat that surprised me because it turned out so well: mini apple-and-cinnamon strudels. The pastry is made with rice paper (also called rice pastry), which is now easy to find even in Italy, and this was my first experiment. Besides being light, they are vegan and gluten-free: they disappeared at home in no time!
Rice paper can be found in ethnic shops or well-stocked supermarkets and is made only from rice or tapioca flour and water. Once rehydrated it becomes pliable and is perfect for making parcels or rolls filled with sweet or savory fillings. Depending on the filling, the parcels can be cooked or even eaten raw.
Rice paper is typical of Vietnamese cuisine (original name: bánh tráng): you can use it for the famous spring rolls or the Vietnamese summer rolls with various fillings and mixed vegetables for a very light and tasty snack.
For these mini sweet strudels I used the classic filling of apple and cinnamon with little sugar and I cooked them in an air fryer, but you can also use the oven. They’re really delicious — gone in a flash: my boys devoured them! Let’s see how to make them…
Some similar fruit treats:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air fryer, Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 apple (large)
- 4 sheets rice paper
- 2 tsp coconut sugar (or unrefined cane sugar)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring teaspoon)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- 1 tsp powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
- Total points = 6 WW points
- Points for 1 mini strudel = 1.5 WW points
- Points for 2 mini strudels = 3 WW points
Tools
- Plates
- Small bowl
- Brush
- Air fryer
- Cooling rack
Steps
Peel the apple, remove the core and slice it. Mix with the coconut or cane sugar, the cinnamon and also the lemon juice to prevent the apple from browning too much and to add more flavor to our sweet filling. Set aside.
Pour some water into a shallow plate wider than the rice paper sheets — I used a ceramic baking dish. Immerse a rice paper sheet and leave it to soak for about 1 minute so it softens enough to fold without breaking.
Some people use hot water but I used cold tap water and it worked perfectly. Gently lift the sheet from the water letting the excess drip off and place it on the work surface.
Place some apple slices on the rice paper near the bottom, leaving space on the sides as shown in the photo. Fold the bottom flap up first, then fold the two sides toward the center and finally roll tightly.
If the rice paper tears a bit it’s not a problem — just overlap the torn edges and roll: the water will make them stick together.
Once rolled, leave the opening facing down. This is how the mini strudel will look before cooking: the rice paper is translucent and you can see the filling — impressive, right? Make the other 3 mini strudels in the same way.
Preheat the oven to 428°F for conventional (no fan) or 392°F for convection. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place the rolls on it. Lightly brush the surface with oil: one teaspoon of oil will be enough for 4 pieces. Bake for about 25–30 minutes in the center of the oven, turning the mini strudels a few times during baking.
If using an air fryer like mine, I recommend using the fryer tray that came with it, or any tray (even silicone) that fits into the basket. Lightly grease the tray, place the rolls on it and brush them gently with oil. Cook at about 356°F–392°F for roughly 20 minutes, turning them occasionally.
When they are nicely golden, remove the mini strudels from the tray and let them cool on a cooling rack.
And here are the mini apple-and-cinnamon sweet strudels ready. A dusting of powdered sugar and the snack is served… and what a lovely aroma in the house!
I can’t really describe the texture of these treats. The edges stay crisp while the rest of the wrapper — made from rice flour and not fried — is a bit chewy, but in a good way. In English there’s the perfect word: chewy. You won’t eat them in two bites but will need to chew them well, which for those of us on a diet is ideal!
At home I managed to eat half of one and my son and my Dutch friend fought over the rest and are waiting for me to make them again… What are you waiting for?
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can keep them up to 3 days at room temperature, but the texture will change — they will tend to soften, so I don’t recommend it.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
What can I use instead of rice paper?
If you don’t have issues with gluten you can certainly use phyllo pastry or a light puff pastry (make sure it’s vegan). In that case you will need to recalculate Weight Watchers points because they will be different.
What can I use instead of apple?
I’ve only made them with apple. If you want to use other fruit, I recommend fruit that doesn’t get too soft during cooking, for example banana. I haven’t tried it but I think mango could also work!
