Golden, flaky, and loaded with a sweetly spiced filling, these apple turnovers are a delightful treat for any occasion.
I love the mix of tart Granny Smith apples with caramelly brown sugar and aromatic cinnamon. It gives you that perfect balance of flavors.
And since you’ll make the filling yourself, you can easily modify it to suit your tastes.
Trust me, your family and friends will be impressed when you serve up these beauties.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Turnovers
Perfect for Entertaining: They’re an impressive yet easy-to-make breakfast, brunch, or dessert that will wow guests at any gathering.
Deliciously Decadent: The combination of buttery puff pastry, sweet apple filling, and a smooth vanilla glaze creates a mouthwatering treat that is hard to resist.
Fun Baking Activity: Making these turnovers can be a delightful kitchen project to enjoy with family or friends, adding a touch of fun to your cooking routine.
Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples: Tart and crisp, these green apples hold their shape during cooking, making them perfect for turnovers.
- Lemon Juice: A splash of citrus helps prevent the apples from browning and adds a subtle tang to the filling.
- Butter: Rich and creamy, butter enhances the flavor of the apple filling and helps create a luscious sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Deeper in flavor than white sugar, brown sugar caramelizes beautifully and complements the apples with its molasses notes.
- Ground Cinnamon: Warm and aromatic, cinnamon is the quintessential spice for apple desserts, adding a cozy depth to the filling.
- Vanilla: Just a splash will enhance the sweetness of the filling.
- Cornstarch: This pantry staple thickens the apple filling, ensuring a luscious texture that won’t run out of the turnovers.
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets: Buttery and flaky, store-bought puff pastry makes quick work of these turnovers without sacrificing taste or texture.
- Egg: Brushed on top of the turnovers to create a golden-brown finish that’s both beautiful and delicious.
- Sweet Glaze: A quick mix of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
How to Make Apple Turnovers
What makes these apple turnovers truly special is their versatility and ease of preparation.
They’re perfect for sharing at family gatherings, holiday brunches, or simply as a homemade treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
And the delightful aroma that fills your kitchen while baking is just an added bonus!
Here’s how to make them:
1. COOK the apples with the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Add a slurry of water and cornstarch, and cook until thick. Stir in the vanilla, then cool in a bowl.
2. UNFOLD the pastry sheets and cut them into 4 squares each.
3. SPOON the cooled filling into the pastry squares, then brush the edges with egg wash and fold into triangles.
4. FREEZE turnovers on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes.
5. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a second baking sheet with parchment if needed.
6. BAKE the turnovers with egg wash brushed over the tops. Spread them over two baking sheets to give them room the puff up. Cool on the trays.
7. MIX the glaze ingredients until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled turnovers. Enjoy!
Tips For the Best Apple Turnovers
I’ve always been a fan of apple turnovers, but I usually grab them from the bakery.
This time, I decided to make them from scratch and let me tell you, it was so worth it!
The flaky, golden puff pastry cradling the sweet and tender apple filling is pure bliss.
And with these tips, yours will be just as scrumptious!
- Apple choice matters. Use apples that hold their shape well when cooked, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
- Mix tart & sweet. For the best flavor, use a mix of tart and sweet apple varieties in your filling.
- How much brown sugar? It depends on the type of apples you use. If they’re really tart (and you like things sweet), you’ll need about 1/2 cup. If you use a mix with sweet apples, you’ll probably only need 1/4 cup.
- Cool before filling. Let the cooked apple filling cool before spooning it onto the puff pastry squares to prevent the dough from getting too soft.
- Keep the pastry cold. Thaw it in the fridge and keep one sheet in there while you make the first batch.
- Seal well. Press the edges of the puff pastry together firmly to seal in the filling and prevent it from leaking during baking.
- Don’t skip the chill. The colder they are, the flakier they’ll be after baking.
- Glaze consistency. Adjust the amount of milk or sugar in the glaze to get the perfect drizzling consistency.
- Variations. Try adding chopped nuts, raisins, or a sprinkle of nutmeg to the filling for extra flavor and texture. You can also experiment with different shapes or use cookie cutters for decorative edges.
How to Store
If you’re craving a taste of fall comfort, give this apple turnover recipe a try. It’s super quick, and you can even make them ahead!
To Make Ahead: Make up the turnovers as instructed, then cover and refrigerate (before baking) for 24 hours. Or flash freeze them on a tray and transfer to a freezer bag for 2-3 months.
To Store: Place cold leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Bake: Bake chilled (baked) turnovers at 350°F 5-10 minutes until warmed. Bake raw chilled turnovers as instructed in the recipe card. Bake frozen turnovers right from the freezer with a few extra minutes of cooking time.
More Dreamy Breakfast Treats You’ll Love
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Cherry Turnovers
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Apple Turnovers
8
servings15
minutes30
minutes273
kcalEasy to make and utterly delicious, these flaky puff pastry apple turnovers are a wonderful treat for breakfast, dessert, or a special midday snack.
Ingredients
- Apple Filling
2 tablespoons butter
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar, to taste (see notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Turnovers and Glaze
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 large eggs + 1 tablespoon water
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the apple filling: In a large skillet, combine the butter, diced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook and stir until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved, and the apples are tender, about 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the apples).
- Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the apple filling and cook for 1-2 minutes until thick and glossy. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour the apples into a heatproof bowl to cool.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the turnovers: Unfold the puff pastry sheets and repair any cracks by gently pressing them together. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares, making 8 in total.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the cool apple filling onto the center of each puff pastry square, leaving a border around the edges. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold the pastry diagonally to form a triangle, pressing the edges to seal.
- Place the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment, if needed.
- Arrange the chilled turnovers on the baking sheets with 2 inches between them. Brush the egg wash over the top of each turnover.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the turnovers are puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more sugar or milk as needed.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled turnovers. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- How much brown sugar? Granny Smith apples are quite tart, but the glaze ensures these are plenty sweet. If you like super sweet treats, add 1/2 cup of sugar, otherwise, go with 1/4 cup.
- Avoid leaking. To prevent the turnovers from leaking in the oven, brush the edges with egg wash, then seal them with a fork.
- The perfect glaze. To achieve the perfect glaze consistency, you may need to add more milk (or sugar). It should be thick but easily pourable.
