This Cinnamon Apple Noodle Kugel is better than kugel from any Kosher deli. It's sweet, creamy, and sprinkled with the best crunchy corn flake topping. Enjoy this traditional Jewish dish year round for holidays, brunch, or family gatherings.
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📋 About the Recipe
- Not your grandma’s average noodle kugel. The middle is soft and creamy, but the top layer is perfectly caramelized and crunchy from the cinnamon sugar cereal topping. The combination of the unique textures and flavors make this apple kugel absolutely delicious.
- Perfect for any Jewish holidays. Enjoy apple kugel with your friends and family for Rosh Hashanah brunch, Yom Kippur breaking of the fast, Hanukkah dinner, Sukkot, or even Passover if using Kosher for Passover egg noodles.
- Can be made up to 2 days in advance. If you or your family prefer to enjoy your apple kugel cold or you like to prep ahead, this brunch favorite can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Egg noodles - These noodles are long, wide noodles typically found in the grocery store's pasta aisle. If you shop at a kosher store, they should always be stocked with the pastas and grains.
- Small curd cottage cheese - This cottage cheese variety is softer and creamier than traditional cream cheese and blends in to the kugel perfectly.
- Unsweetened corn flakes - It is important to purchase plain corn flakes to prevent the crunchy topping from being overly sweet. The only ingredients in the corn flakes should be milled corn.
- Diced apples - Finely diced honey crisp apple will fold into the apple kugel best. If you're a new cook, learn How to Cut an Apple the right way!
- Golden raisins - Adds natural sweetness without overpowering the kugel recipe.
- Ground cinnamon - Adds warmth and sweetness that compliments the apples.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- How to halve the recipe - This apple kugel can feed 12 to 16 as written. If you're sharing a holiday meal with a smaller crowd, feel free to halve this recipe and bake in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish instead.
- Golden raisins substitutes - I like to use golden raisins for this recipe because they are naturally plump and sweet, but feel free to use any kind of raisin or dried fruit that you like. If using larger dried fruits, chop them into small bite-sized pieces before mixing into your kugel.
- Apple substitutes - My family loves honey crisp apples because they're a good balance of sweet and tart, but feel free to use your favorite apples. Tart apples like granny smith will make the apple kugel less sweet tasting. Here are the 6 Best Apples for Baking!
- Corn flakes substitute - The unsweetened corn flakes in the topping help add a crunchy element to this otherwise soft noodle kugel. If you don’t have corn flakes, you can either leave the topping off (though not recommended!) or substitute a different unsweetened cereal.
📓 Instructions
- Prep and preheat. Preheat your own to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the egg noodles. Boil the egg noodles according to package instructions, minus 1 minute. Drain the noodles, then add them back to the pot while you prepare the remainder of the noodle kugel. Add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to prevent them from sticking together.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the melted butter, cream cheese and a ½ cup of sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients. Into the same bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, vanilla, raisins, diced apples, and cinnamon. Beat again to combine.
- Add the noodles. Finally, gently mix in the egg noodles until completely coated.
- Transfer to baking dish. Pour the apple kugel into a greased baking dish and spread until even.
- Sprinkle with corn flakes mixture. In a small bowl, mix the corn flakes, sugar, and cinnamon together. Using your hands, lightly crush the corn flakes and disperse them evenly in the mixture. Sprinkle overtop the apple kugel in the baking dish.
- Bake. Bake your sweet kugel for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve. Cut your apple kugel into 12 even pieces and serve!
❄️ How to Store
To store: Leftover apple kugel will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. It can also be refrigerated before baking, if desired.
To do so, follow the recipe through step 6, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Then, right before baking, allow the casserole to come to room temperature and sprinkle the topping over top. Bake as usual.
To freeze: This apple kugel can be frozen for up to 1 month. Allow to cool completely, then cover it tightly with a layer of plastic wrap, and then top with a layer of aluminum foil. Place in the freezer to freeze.
To reheat: To reheat apple kugel, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. If choosing to eat it warm, place it in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through.
To prevent it from drying out, add a splash of water around the perimeter of the baking dish to keep the inside moist and creamy and the top crunchy.
🔍 Recipe FAQs
This noodle casserole can be enjoyed warm, room temperature, or cold. It is best to allow the kugel to cool slightly before slicing and serving to allow it to set.
If your noodle kugel is not setting, even after cooling, it was likely made with too much liquid. Make sure to measure the ingredients well. The consistency should be similar to bread pudding, but not soupy.
Yes, this apple kugel can be served for Passover but it must be prepared with Kosher for Passover egg noodles.
💭 One More Tip
Use true-to-form cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and cottage cheese, meaning NO low fat alternatives. The low fat counterparts typically contain added chemicals to make up for the altered texture when the fat is removed. They also often include additional stabilizers and increased amounts of carbohydrates to make up for the lack of fat in both texture and flavor.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
Cinnamon Apple Noodle Kugel
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Kugel:
- 16 ounces wide egg noodles (1 bag)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese (½ a brick), softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 16 ounces small curd cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 small honey crisp apple (or half a large apple), peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Topping:
- 1 cup unsweetened corn flakes
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Boil the egg noodles 1 minute less than instructed on the package. When the noodles are done, drain the water and add the noodles back to the pot. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the noodles and stir to coat them in the melting butter to prevent them from sticking.
- Melt the other 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, cream cheese, and ½ cup sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, vanilla extract, golden raisins, apple, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Beat again to combine.
- Add the noodles. Gently mix everything together to completely coat the noodles in the liquid mixture.
- Pour the noodle mixture into the greased baking dish.
- For the topping: Add corn flakes, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon to a small bowl. Using your hands, lightly crush the corn flakes to combine them with the cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle corn flake topping evenly over the noodles in the baking dish.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cut kugel into 12 to 16 even pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you'd like to halve this recipe, use an 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish instead.
- Egg noodles can be found in your grocery store’s pasta aisle. Sometimes, they can also be found in the Kosher foods aisle.
- I like to use golden raisins for this recipe because they’re usually more plump and sweet. However, you can use any kind of raisin or dried fruit that you like.
- Kugel can be served hot or cold. If serving cold, wait for it to cool off before covering it and placing it in your refrigerator. You can make this kugel up to 2 days before serving by storing it in the fridge either before or after it's cooked. You can also freeze kugel up to 1 month by covering it tightly and placing it in your freezer.
Nutrition
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Jackie says
I think you should only use half of the noodles a whole pound is too much. And I think you should put the cottage cheese in a blender so there’s no curds and it would be a lot smoother. Other than that, the taste is good. But just not enough liquid to do 16 ounces of noodles.
Alana Lieberman says
Hi Jackie, I've made this recipe many times for our family holidays and never had an issue with the liquid to noodle measurements. I've had friends and relatives make it as well with no issue. As can be seen in the photo of step #5, all noodles are well coated in the liquid mixture. I'm wondering if you had the right measurements for the eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream? Likewise, you're welcome to blend the cottage cheese if you wish! However, those that have tried this have never mentioned an issue with it to me and I wouldn't want to include an unnecessary added step. In traditional noodle kugel, the cottage cheese isn't blended. Hope this helps!
Marni says
This was amazing!!! A wonderful fall meal that makes the home smell great. I highly recommending it. An added bonus- it freezes well too.
Alana Lieberman says
So happy you liked it!
Lauren says
LOVED this kugel recipe!! I grew up on my moms kugel recipe, which was sweet - filled with apples, pineapples and raisins while my husband grew up on more savory kugel with cottage cheese and sour cream. This recipe is the perfect blend of savory and sweet and made both of us very happy. Can’t wait to make this again!!
Alana Lieberman says
Thanks Lauren! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂