Homemade apple turnovers are so easy to make, and there’s nothing quite like biting into a freshly baked turnover while it’s still slightly warm. Since I first developed this recipe, I heard from a few readers that they didn’t have quite enough filling to make the full batch of turnovers. I’m all in favor of a very stuffed turnover, so I retested this recipe to increase the filling amount. Plus, I added some new tips in the post and answered a common inquiry about why puff pastry always bakes at a higher oven temperature. With these tips and my updated recipe, you’ll never buy turnovers again!
A reader, Michael, says: “These are the best turnovers I’ve ever had! The apple filling is gooey but not mushy and perfectly spiced. I made the whole batch and baked four, then froze the others for later. They baked perfectly frozen, too!” ★★★★★
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make apple turnovers. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Apples — I recommend using firm apples for the filling. Since the apples are cooked first and then baked, a firmer variety won’t turn too soft by the end. I use Granny Smith apples for my homemade apple turnovers recipe, but you can also use Fuji, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp apples. If you prefer a softer filling, use Gala or McIntosh apples.
Brown sugar — you can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has richer and deeper caramel notes. Light brown sugar will let the apple flavor shine through a bit more. It’s totally up to you and your preference!
Cinnamon — make sure the cinnamon you have on hand is fresh for the best flavor.
Puff pastry — I have a delicious homemade puff pastry recipe if you want to use a homemade version that creates an extra flaky pastry. However, for convenience, you can use frozen puff pastry from the store, thawed according to the package instructions.
Powdered sugar — mixed with water, this simple glaze is the perfect finishing touch for the flaky turnovers. Forgot to buy powdered sugar? Not to worry! You can make your own by following my homemade powdered sugar recipe.
Tips For Assembling Turnovers
Assembling the turnovers is really easy! But, these are some of my essential tips to follow if you have ever had issues with your turnovers bursting at the seams or your puff pastry turning soft and sticky while assembling them.
- Use thawed but cold puff pastry. If it becomes too soft to work with after you roll and cut it, you can cover it and put it back in the fridge to firm it up a bit. 5 to 10 minutes should do!
- Dice the fresh apples as uniformly as possible. This not only ensures they cook evenly, but it also makes it easier to fold and close the turnovers. Avoid chopping the apples larger than ½ inch as they’ll be too large to keep the pastry from popping open in the oven, and they can poke through the dough when you seal the turnovers. (It might seem like a lot of apples at first in your skillet, but they will shrink as you continue to cook them!)
- Crimp the edges of the turnovers tightly. This keeps the apple filling from leaking out. Press the edges down firmly with the fork tines to ensure a good seal.
- Don’t skip cutting slits in the puff pastry! These are essential for ventilation— the filling will produce steam when it bakes, and the vents allow the steam to escape, helping to avoid the turnovers bursting at the seams in the oven. I use the tip of a sharp knife to make this task easy.
Flaky Turnovers Need A High Oven Temperature
A common question I get is, “Why does puff pastry always bake at a temperature above 400°F?” This is where my inner science teacher gets really happy! Puff pastry turns out flaky because the dough is laminated with butter. When that butter hits the hot oven (a temp of 400°F or above), it instantly starts to steam. That steam pushes the layers of dough apart and produces those beautiful, irresistible flakes.
My team tested this apple turnover recipe baked at 400°F (as written in the recipe) and at a lower temperature of 350°F to show you the difference. You can see in the image below that the turnover on the left was baked at 400°F. It is super flaky with a deeply golden exterior. (Side note: that golden color is caramelization, which is also flavor! So these will taste better, too.) The turnover on the right was baked at 350°F, is pale brown, and didn’t puff up with distinct flakes. At the lower temperature, the butter melted without producing much steam; therefore, it is much less flaky.
How To Make Ahead And Freeze Unbaked Turnovers
If you want to keep apple turnovers on hand to bake at a moment’s notice, freeze them unbaked! Once assembled (skip the egg wash on the top), place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, separating any stacked turnovers with a piece of parchment or wax paper, for up to 3 months.
To bake from frozen: Arrange the frozen turnovers on a lined baking sheet, brush each one with egg wash, and immediately sprinkle with sugar. Then bake as directed, increasing the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Apple Turnovers
Add some additional spice. After brushing the turnovers with egg wash, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar for added fall flavor. You can also add a dash of cinnamon to the glaze or replace the water with apple cider or spiced rum.
Glaze after cooling slightly. Make sure you give the apple turnovers enough time to cool before adding the glaze. You can glaze warm turnovers, but the glaze will melt off if the turnovers are piping hot. Fifteen minutes is enough time for them to cool and not melt the glaze, but they will still be warm when you eat them!
An easy way to decorate with glaze. You can add the glaze to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut to easily drizzle the glaze over the turnovers.
How To Make Apple Turnovers
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making these easy apple turnovers. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. When you prep the apples, be sure to cut them into even pieces. I like a small dice, about ¼-inch cubes, so the filling cooks well and more of the turnover can be packed inside the puff pastry!
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. (This will start to soften the apples.) Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the diced apples.
3. Stir to coat the apple pieces and continue cooking until the apples are softened but still crisp in the center and become syrupy. Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle in the cornstarch over the apples and immediately stir until the apple juices bubble and thicken. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool slightly. Chill in the fridge before assembling the turnovers so that the filling thickens and isn’t warm at all.
4. Roll each of the thawed puff pastry sheets out on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Place a few tablespoons of filling in each square. Brush the edges with egg wash. Fold one point of the puff pastry over the filling to the opposite point, creating a triangle. Crimp and seal in the filling by pressing the lines of a fork along both straight edges. (Dip your fork in flour if it sticks to the pastry at all.)
6. Brush the tops with more egg wash and cut a few small slits in the top. Sprinkle each pastry with more sugar, if desired. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
7. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and water in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the top of each warm turnover, and enjoy!
Apple Turnovers Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Large skillet
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Turnovers:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (3 to 4 medium Granny Smith apples)
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (110g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed (1, 17.3oz/490g package)
- Egg wash (1 large egg + 1 teaspoon water, beaten)
For the Glaze: (optional)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (180g)
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
For the Turnovers:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and cook for a few minutes while stirring frequently. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to coat the apple pieces. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the apples are softened and become syrupy. Reduce the heat to low.
- Sprinkle in the cornstarch and stir until the juices boil and thicken, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool for 15 minutes then refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- When the apples are chilled, roll each thawed puff pastry sheet out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares.
- Place a square of puff pastry on the baking sheet and brush the edges of each square with the egg wash. Place a few tablespoons of filling in each square. (You may have a little bit of filling left over depending on how small you diced the apples and how much they cooked down.) Fold one point of the puff pastry over the filling to the opposite point, creating a triangle. Crimp and seal in the filling by pressing the lines of a fork along both straight edges. Brush the top with more egg wash and cut a few small slits in the top. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
For the Glaze:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and water and whisk until smooth. You can add a bit more water if the consistency needs to be thinned out. Drizzle over the warm turnovers and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have any filling leftover, you can freeze it for later use. Use it in a yogurt parfait, spoon over vanilla ice cream, or stir it into overnight oats.
Nutrition
How to Serve
I love a flaky apple turnover with a cup of coffee in the morning! You can jazz them up with a drizzle of caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce instead of the powdered sugar glaze, too. To serve them as dessert, pair the apple turnovers with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Storing and Reheating Apple Turnovers
Baked and cooled apple turnovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
To reheat turnovers, you pop them in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes. Or, reheat them in the air fryer at 325°F for 5 minutes. If you plan on saving some for later, I recommend leaving the glaze off and glazing them after reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can if you’d like. I prefer the fresh apple flavor of a homemade filling, but a store-bought apple pie filling or canned apples can work in a pinch.
Yes! You can cook the filling, cool it, and store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days before using it. You can use the filling straight from the fridge when you’re ready to assemble the turnovers.
Other fruits similar to apples, like pears, swap in very nicely! If you’d like to use a juicier fruit like blueberries, cherries, or peaches, you can do so, but you may need to add more cornstarch to thicken the filling. Use the same amount (2 cups) of fruit and add an additional teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons of water as needed to thicken the filling.
More Apple Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more fall treats to bake this season, try one of my other popular apple recipes!
This is the perfect apple pie recipe! The filling is made with fresh apples, so you don’t have to cook it ahead of time, and the homemade pie dough makes each slice wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust.
A homemade applesauce is really hard to beat and is super easy to make! Simply simmer apples with sugar and spices until soft, then puree into the best applesauce you’ve ever tasted!
My quick apple bread recipe is made by stirring chunks of fresh apple with a fluffy batter. Top it off with a sprinkle of sugar for a loaf that bakes up with an irresistible crackly top.
This class apple strudel recipe is easy to make with frozen phyllo dough! Thin, delicate layers of dough are layered with fresh apples and baked until crisp, then showered with powdered sugar.
This stir-together apple cake is a go-to during peak apple season. The cake stays super moist thanks to all of the apples and a brown sugar glaze.
If you’ve tried this apple turnover recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Syeda Naila Binta Alam says
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