Easy apple turnovers recipe with a cinnamon filling and flaky crust. A delicious breakfast or dessert that is ready in just 30-minutes!

When apples are in season, it’s time for apple crisp, apple crumble, and of course, apple pie!

Table of Contents

1. Apple selection
2. Prepare the apples
3. Make the apple filling
4. Precook the Apples
5. Puff pastry selection
6. How to make apple turnovers
7. Make a glaze (optional)
8. Serve this with
9. FAQ
10. Apple Turnovers Recipe

I’ll show you how to achieve bakery-style treats by transforming store-bought puff pastry, crisp apples, and warm spices into a lovely breakfast or dessert. These individual pastries are a delicious alternative if you fancy apple pie but don’t want to wait for a slice. It’s easy to make these hand pies on a whim.

To make the apple filling burst with caramel flavor, I find that taking a few minutes to saute the pieces with sugar, spice, and cornstarch has a significant impact on taste. The triangle-shaped pastries are dusted with cinnamon and sugar and baked until warm and crispy!

Apple selection

Using both Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples gives the apple filling a balanced sweet and tart flavor. They both hold their shape after baking. Honeycrisp apples are juicier, adding more moisture to create a delicious sauce that coats the fruit. If you prefer to use one type, go for it, but I like the depth of flavor that mixing adds.

Alternatively, you can use other types of baking apples. Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji (for Honeycrisp), or McIntosh are tasty swaps. Try your favorite variety to experiment.

Prepare the apples

Peel and cut the apples into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch dice. This size helps the fruit soften quickly when cooked on the stovetop and in the oven, plus it helps it retain its shape. I like little bursts of fruit in the baked turnovers, not a mushy apple sauce consistency.

You can add the apples to a bowl of cold water to prevent browning as you dice each apple. Just make sure to drain well.

Make the apple filling

I use a handful of everyday kitchen staples to create a filling with warm spice flavor coated in a syrupy glaze. Mix everything in a bowl before it gets cooked. Super easy!

• Sweetener: Dark brown sugar adds a molasses note, and granulated sugar gives a straightforward sweetness.
• Flour: A small amount of starch helps thicken the juice from the apple released during cooking. The flour helps the sauce cling to the apples.
• Spices: A mixture of ground cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the baked notes. Try cardamom or cloves for a spicier taste.
• Salt: Helps to enhance the taste of the sugar and lemon juice.
• Lemon juice: A small amount of citric acid balances the sugars in the apple filling. Add some lemon zest for a more robust citrus aroma.

Precook the Apples

We start with 4 1/2 cups of diced apples, which reduces by about half the volume after cooking. When mixed with sugar, the sweetener draws out the water from the cell walls of the cut apple. This could cause a watery filling. The apple filling is sauteed in melted butter over medium heat to concentrate the flavorful juices into a thicker sauce. This helps to soften the crisp texture, lightly caramelize the sugars, thicken the flour, and create a syrupy coating.

It only takes about 5 minutes. You do not want the apple mixture to break down and lose its structure. Don’t add hot apples to the puff pastry; they will melt the butter, making the pastry less puffy when baked. Cool it down in the freezer while preparing the puff pastry.

Puff pastry selection

For convenience, I use frozen sheets of puff pastry, which you can find in the freezer section at most major grocery stores. I use the Pepperidge Farm product. They come two per pack, about 1.1 pounds in weight, and 9-inches per sheet.

Other brands can be used, but make sure they are around the same dough weight and size. I’ve also seen gluten-free puff pastry. Defrost them in their package in the refrigerator the night before or for about 40 to 60 minutes at room temperature. I keep them in their wrapping because they dry out quickly.

How to make apple turnovers

The sweetened apple pastry gets its name from the action of folding or turning over the dough to enclose the filling inside. Once the filling is cooled, add a generous amount in the center of the puff pastry, about 3 tablespoons. For the characteristic triangle shape, brush the tops with egg wash, then fold over the dough, sealing the edges from corner to corner.

Crimp the edges with a fork, cut some small slits to vent, then brush with egg wash on the surface. Sprinkle on sugar for extra sweetness and crunch. I use coarse decorating sugar, just like bakeries. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until golden brown and crisp, about 20 to 22 minutes.

Make a glaze (optional)

I love to drizzle a vanilla glaze on top to add extra sweetness to the apple turnovers. I make mine by mixing powdered sugar, milk, and pure vanilla extract in a small bowl. You could also use vanilla bean paste if you like the little black speckles of the bean.

For a shinier glaze, check out my cookie icing recipe. It has corn syrup to prevent the sugar from becoming grainy and dries glossy. When added to the warm turnovers, the glaze dries within minutes.

Serve this with

FAQ