Skip to Content

Apple Turnover Recipe

Our Apple Turnover Recipe is made with flaky puff pastry and a sweet, spiced apple filling. They’re wonderful for breakfast or dessert.

There’s nothing better than a freshly baked pastry to start the day. My family loves both sweet and savory pastries, and this apple turnover recipe is one of our favorites! A few of our other favorite baked goods are these cheddar chive scones, pumpkin oatmeal muffins, and Parmesan cheese sourdough crackers.

Baked apple turnovers on top of each other.

Apple Turnover Recipe:

This apple turnover recipe is super easy! It only takes about 45 minutes to go from prep to having hot turnovers on the table. The best part is, there are no fancy ingredients. Just 2 sheets of puff pastry, some apples, and a few pantry staples.

Our apple turnover recipe is lightly sweetened, which makes it a great breakfast option. If you like a sweet turnover, make a quick caramel sauce or vanilla icing for dipping.

We love to use puff pastry for this recipe because it gives these turnovers a nice flaky crust unlike pie crust or biscuits. Not to mention, the puff pastry is easy to freeze which makes these apple turnovers great if you wanted to make a batch ahead of time, freeze them, and bake them later.

How to Make Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Peel, core, and cut 5 apples into small pieces.
  3. Add the apples to a large pan along with butter, brown sugar, apple pie seasoning, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the apples begin to cook, then reduce the temperature.
  4. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, make a cornstarch slurry by combining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water.
  5. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan of apples, and stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for several minutes.
  6. While the apple filling cools, make the egg wash. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
  7. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut each rectangle into 6 equal squares (12 squares total; 6 from each sheet).
  8. Carefully brush the outer edges of each puff pastry square with egg wash. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling into the center of one half of each square (see photo #4).
  9. Fold the square in half diagonally to match up the edges. Press the edges with a fork to crimp the edges shut, and brush the top with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with sanding sugar.
  10. Arrange the turnovers 6 to each baking sheet, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the apple turnovers to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Collage showing how to make apple turnovers.

Tips and Variations:

  • Puff Pastry: We used Wewalka brand puff pastry for this apple turnover recipe. You’ll need 2 (13.2 ounce) packages. It’s kept in the refrigerator, not the freezer. If you use Pepperidge Farm brand, you’ll need 1 box (2 sheets). Roll each sheet out slightly before using. The turnovers will be slightly larger (cut each sheet into 4 squares instead of 6), and you’ll need a tad more filling in each one. Pepperidge Farm brand is frozen, so follow the instructions for thawing before you begin.
  • Apples: Don’t cut the apples so small that they turn to mush, but cut them small enough that they cook soft. Usually 1/4-inch thick is good here. I will sometimes toss in a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, too, just to make sure the apples don’t turn brown while I’m prepping the other ingredients. It also brightens up the filling a bit.
  • Spices: If you don’t have apple pie spice handy, try some different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of cloves, or a tiny bit of allspice. Even a smidge of ginger would taste great!
  • Serving Options: Apple turnovers can be served with caramel sauce, vanilla icing, topping with sanding sugar, or eaten as is.
  • Sugar: If you don’t have brown sugar, swap it out with granulated sugar. Sanding sugar is a garnish for the top, so if you don’t have it handy it’s fine to omit it.

What type of apples should you use for turnovers?

Honeycrisp and Braeburn are my tops choices, but anything that holds up well to cooking will work. Granny Smith, Jonagold, Gala, and Fuji are other great options.

Do the apples need to be cooked?

The apples don’t have to do cooked, but this apple turnover recipe works better if they are cooked. Cooking the filling gives the flavors an opportunity to meld together and for the ingredients to thicken.

Adding the raw ingredients directly to the cool puff pastry may result in a liquidy mess if the filling doesn’t thicken properly. The apples won’t have time to soften as much either.

Fruit turnover torn in half.

Storage Recommendations:

Room Temperature: The turnovers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in an 250°F oven for 5 to 6 minutes to crisp.

Refrigerator: The turnovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat the same as storing at room temperature.

Freezer: Unbaked turnovers can be frozen if they’re filled and folded (before the egg wash is added). Lay them on baking sheets to freeze, then wrap them in parchment paper, and drop them in a Ziploc bag. The turnovers will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Bake them right out of the freezer by unwrapping the turnovers, and adding the egg wash, and sanding sugar. Be sure to add a few minutes to the bake time due to them being frozen.

Two turnovers next to apple slices.

Apple Turnovers

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings

I earn a commission from Amazon and Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 5 apples - peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup unsalted butter - cut into pieces
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water - cold, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 26.4 ounces puff pastry dough - We used two 13.2 ounce packages of Wewalka brand puff pastry cut into six squares each.
  • Sanding sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Add apple pieces, butter, brown sugar, apple pie spice, and salt to a large pot over medium heat.
    5 apples
    ½ cup unsalted butter
    ½ cup light brown sugar
    1 teaspoon apple pie spice
    ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Stir, and cook the apples until they begin to simmer, then reduce the heat to low-medium. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. While the apples cook make the cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of cold water.
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Add the slurry to the cooked apples, and stir until thickened. Remove from heat, and allow the apple filling to cool for several minutes. Make the egg wash while the filling cools.
  • Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
    1 large egg
  • Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator, and roll it out onto a flat workspace. Cut each sheet into 6 equal squares. Brush the egg wash around the edges of each square.
    26.4 ounces puff pastry dough
  • Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling into the center half of one of the squares (see photo #4 above). Fold the square in half diagonally to match up the edges. Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges, then apply egg wash to the tops of the turnovers. Sprinkle each with sanding sugar.
    Sanding sugar
  • Transfer the turnovers to the baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the turnovers to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
  • See post for storage options.

Notes

*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 turnover. Actual calories will vary.
 
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.
 
*The type of puff pastry used for the turnovers is Wewalka brand. You’ll need 2 (13.2 ounce) packages. It’s kept in the refrigerator, not the freezer. If you use Pepperidge Farm brand, you’ll need 1 box (2 sheets). Roll each sheet out slightly before using. The turnovers will be slightly larger (cut each sheet into 4 squares instead of 6), and you’ll need a tad more filling in each one. Pepperidge Farm brand is frozen, so follow the instructions for thawing before you begin.
*Photos courtesy of Karla Rae photography.

Nutrition

Serving: 1turnover | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe Rating