Hungarian Sour Cherry Strudel – Meggyes Rétes

Hungarian Sour Cherry Strudel, known as Meggyes Rétes, is a beloved Hungarian pastry made with delicate layers of flaky dough and a sweet-tart sour cherry filling. It is one of the classic variations of rétes, Hungary’s traditional strudel.

The pastries in the photo have a beautiful rustic homemade appearance, with golden pastry, juicy red cherry filling, and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

🇭🇺 What Is Meggyes Rétes?

Meggyes Rétes means sour cherry strudel in Hungarian.

The combination of crisp pastry and tart cherries is especially popular because the fruit provides a bright contrast to the rich buttery dough.

Traditional Hungarian versions may use fresh, frozen, or preserved meggy (sour cherries), often combined with sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon, or a little lemon zest.

🍒 Ingredients

For the Filling

• 4 cups (600 g) pitted sour cherries
• ½–¾ cup granulated sugar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup fine breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, if needed

For the Strudel

• 8–10 sheets strudel or filo pastry
• ½ cup (115 g) melted butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

To Finish

• Powdered sugar