Easy Apple Turnovers are a classic fall treat with a warm, sweet filling baked inside golden, flaky pastry. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Pies & Pastries are popular desserts during the summer and fall! Try making my delicious Berry Turnovers or my Cherry Turnovers and let me know which one is your favorite in the comments!
Sabrina’s Apple Turnovers Recipe
Unlike an apple pie, you don’t need a lot of apples to make these tasty, warm turnovers. Not only do they come together quickly with just a couple medium apples, but you can also make a big batch of turnovers and freeze them for later. Whether you bake them first or freeze unbaked Apple Turnovers, you just pop them in the oven and in no time you’ll have warm flaky pastries full of delicious apple flavor.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry , thawed
- 2 cups apples , cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup coarse sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine the apples, sugar and water in a saucepan, then stir in the cornstarch.
- Cook the apples over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove the apples from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Remove the apple mixture to a medium bowl, then let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry dough and cut each sheet into 4 even squares.
- Evenly distribute the apple mixture in the center of each of the 8 pastry squares, then fold one corner of each square of dough over to the opposite corner.
- Place the turnovers on a greased baking sheet.
Topping:
- Beat the egg yolk with water in a small cup.
- Brush onto the top of the puff pastry and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition
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Notes from Sabrina
To keep your turnovers from leaking, make sure you cook the apple filling until the juices have turned into a thick syrup. Also, you want to fully seal the edges, not just fold the dough over the filling. If you have trouble with leaky turnovers, try chilling them before baking (or even freezing them) to help them hold their shape.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
My easy Apple Pie Turnovers have a delicious simple apple filling made with apple pieces cooked with sugar, water, and warm baking spices. The sweet apple filling is wrapped in sheets of puff pastry from the store to make them even easier. You can have them in the oven in less than 15 minutes for a quick dessert whenever you are craving apple pie!
What is a Turnover?
Turnovers are little pastry pockets, usually triangle shaped, with a sweet or savory filling all wrapped up in a layer of pastry dough. The dough is folded around the filling creating the signature pocket “turnover” shape. The filling is cooked beforehand so that the turnovers only have to be baked long enough to cook the pastry.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets of Puff Pastry: The flaky, buttery layers of the puff pastry shell are a perfect contrast to the soft, sweet apple filling. The convenience of store-bought puff pastry saves time, so these turnovers come together super quickly. However, if you are feeling adventurous, there is a recipe for homemade rough puff pastry included below.
- 2 cups of Apples: Just like most other baked apple recipes, you want to use firm tart apples that won’t break down too much and stay flavorful. Varieties like green apples, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Braeburn are all great apples for these turnovers.
- ½ cup of Sugar: The sugar not only adds sweetness, but it also helps draw out the natural sugar in the apples. The juice from the tart apples mixes with the sugar. Plus, cornstarch and water, to make a sweet glaze full of delicious apple flavor.
- Spices: Warm and aromatic spices like cinnamon and nutmeg add a comforting, cozy fall flavor to the sweet apple filling. You can feel free to add other favorite apple pie spices like cardamom, allspice, or ginger.
- Topping: A little egg wash and coarse sanding sugar make a crunchy, crispy sweet topping over the puff pastry plus the egg also helps it turn perfectly golden brown.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, Apple Turnovers can absolutely be prepared ahead of time. Follow the recipe until the point of assembling the turnovers. Instead of baking them immediately, freeze the unbaked turnovers on a baking sheet until firm. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply bake them directly from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to cooking time.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Puff pastry may become soggy if there is too much moisture during baking or if it is not fully cooked. To prevent sogginess, don’t overfill the pastry, make sure your oven is at the right temperature, and the pastry bakes until it becomes golden and crisp.
Pairing Suggestions
- Toppings: Just like other apple desserts, Apple Turnovers taste even better with some Vanilla Ice Cream and a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce.
- Drinks: Serve these warm turnovers with a mug of Hot Apple Cider for a cozy dessert on a chilly fall night! Start your day with a sweet turnover and a cup of Cold Brew Coffee.
How to Store
- Store: Let your turnovers cool completely before storing in an airtight container so they don’t release moisture. They will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator for about a week.
- Reheat: To keep the pastry flaky, reheat in the oven or air fryer on low heat (350-375) for a couple of minutes, until they are hot and crispy again.
- Freeze: You can freeze Apple Turnovers before baking (see Make Ahead section above) or after baking. Cool the baked turnovers then wrap each one individually with plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 350 degrees.
Air Fryer Method
Simply follow the same assembly steps as the traditional recipe, then preheat your fryer to 375 degrees. Once hot, air-fry the turnovers for about 10-12 minutes, turning them halfway through for even cooking.
Variations
- Caramel Apple: Add chopped Soft Caramels or caramel baking chips to the filling before sealing. Serve the Caramel Apple Turnovers with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce, or serve it on the side for dipping.
- Cheddar-Apple: Unless you are from the Midwest (or Wisconsin), adding cheese to apple pie might sound crazy but the sweet-savory-salty combo tastes amazing! Add some white cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese to your apple filling to try this well-loved pairing!
- Nuts: Give your Apple Turnovers a nutty, fall crunch with pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Toast the chopped nuts until fragrant in a skillet then add to the filling. Finely chop the nuts and sprinkle on the outside with the sugar.
- Fruit: You can replace half of the apples with your favorite berries, such as raspberries or blueberries, or just skip the apples all together for a sweet berry filling. You could also use other fruits like peaches, pears, or plums.
Rough Puff Pastry Recipe
- Ingredients: 2 ½ cups flour, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 cups butter (frozen and diced), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ cup water (ice cold)
- Pulse the flour and salt to in a food processor to mix.
- Add in the butter pieces and pulse until it just makes small pea sized chunks and crumbs.
- Begin adding the lemon juice and water through the chute in a very thin stream until the dough just comes together in a ball.
- Pat the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour, then freeze for 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a large 12×18 inch rectangle, then cut into 6 even squares.
Related Recipes
More Sweet and Easy Baked Apple Desserts
These photos were in a previous version of this post
These are officially my new favorite breakfast treat! I followed your advice and froze a batch unbaked. It was so nice to just pop one in the oven on a busy morning and have a fresh, flaky pastry in no time.