Apple Turnovers from Puff Pastry

A delightful apple filling paired with flaky, buttery puff pastry. These apple turnovers from puff pastry will rival any bakery and are easier to make than you think!

I’m the first to say making homemade is always better, but sometimes you just don’t have the time or energy to make puff pastry from scratch. It is a real labor of love! However, the great news is that these apple turnovers are truly divine, even when made with store-bought puff pastry. In half the time, you can have crisp, buttery, and perfectly sweet homemade apple turnovers. 

If you have extra scraps or you bought extra puff pastry, you can make this classic apple tarte tatin or these super easy 5-ingredient cheese straws! For more easy apple desserts, try this apple dump cake or these apple pie bars. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Apples: When baking, I use a variety of apples! This creates a more complex flavor even in simple dishes. Choose apples that retain their flavor and texture when cooked, like Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn. 
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar adds to the flavor, but you can use light or dark brown sugar. 
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the thickener for the filling. It will become clear and tasteless as long as you allow it to boil for at least a minute. You can substitute it with tapioca flour.
• Ground Cinnamon: Substitute the cinnamon with my apple pie spice or speculoos spice mix recipe! 
• Puff Pastry: You can follow my recipe to make rough puff pastry, but if you’re short on time, this recipe is also delightful with store-bought puff pastry. You can most likely find it in the freezer aisle, but it is also sometimes near the pre-made refrigerated cinnamon rolls.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Change the fruit! You can make these turnovers using this cherry pie filling recipe, or try the fillings from my blueberry pie, blackberry pie, or mixed berry pie. Peaches would also be delightful!
• Add some additional flavors. Try adding in some chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts. Before folding over, you can add a chunk of dark chocolate or a caramel candy to make a decadent turnover! 
• Top with a glaze. Once baked and cooled, drizzle the turnovers with a cream cheese glaze similar to that used on these cinnamon scones. They would also be delicious with a spiced glaze or maple glaze! 
• Change the shape. You can also use cookie cutters or pastry rings to make these into apple hand pies. 

Professional Tips 

• Be aware of excess liquid in your filling. Sometimes the filling will be more liquid, depending on the type of apples used. Let’s all promise not to stress about this. If you find yourself with an excessive amount of liquid, this is not the recipe to use it in. Make sure to add some juice with the apples, so that the baked filling won’t be dry. However, if you add too much, the pastry won’t seal or bake properly, the filling could leak out, and you could end up with a soggy mess. Instead, take that extra juice and add a little maple syrup to top sourdough pancakes or use it to sweeten yogurt.  
• Bake on a room-temperature baking sheet. Transferring the cold turnovers onto a new baking sheet will ensure a crisp, flaky crust. They will not bake properly on a chilled baking sheet! 
• Keep your puff pastry cold! Just like with classic puff pastry, you need to keep your pastry cold. There are layers and layers of butter that you want to stay intact to get that rise in the oven. If it’s warm in your house, work in small intervals and chill your pastry for a longer period. 
• Don’t overfill your turnovers. To keep your turnovers from leaking or unfolding, be careful not to overfill. You don’t want to struggle to get them closed; they won’t seal properly, even if you crimp the sides. 

How to Make Apple Turnovers from Puff Pastry 

Use these instructions to make these easy and delicious apple turnovers! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Prepare the apple filling: 

Step 1: Combine apples and spices. Combine the peeled, cored, and diced apples with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a small saucepot (photo 1). Toss to coat evenly. 

You can also use my apple pie filling. I do recommend chopping it up if you’ve already prepared the filling rather than using the slices. You’ll be able to fit more in each pastry! 

Step 2: Taste and simmer. Taste and adjust the sugar, lemon juice, or cinnamon as desired. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the apples release some moisture. 

The apples will cook further with the puff pastry, so take them to a fork-tender consistency. You want them to have some crunch still. 

Step 3: Thicken with cornstarch. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Add the cornstarch to the apple mixture (photo 2) and stir until well incorporated. Increase the heat as needed and boil for 1 minute (photo 3). 

Step 4: Chill the filling. Pour the mixture onto a plate and refrigerate until it is chilled. You don’t want to put hot filling in cold puff pastry, or you’ll get no puff because the butter will melt and the layers will disappear!

Assemble the turnovers:

Step 5: Thaw puff pastry. If using frozen, store-bought puff pastry, you’ll want to thaw the puff pastry sheets in the refrigerator before unrolling. It will only take about 30 minutes. I recommend thawing in the fridge rather than at room temperature, because they could easily become too warm and then won’t puff up. 

If you are using my rough puff pastry recipe that you have previously prepared and thoroughly chilled, amazing! 

Step 6: Roll out pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cold puff pastry into a 12 x 24-inch rectangle. For optimal results, chill the dough for 20-30 minutes before cutting and assembling. 

Step 7: Cut into squares. Place either your homemade puff pastry or the 2 sheets of store-bought puff on your lightly floured surface. Cut each of the store-bought pieces into quarters, roughly in half in both directions, using a pie wheel or pizza cutter (photo 4). 

Cut the homemade puff pastry in half lengthwise (dividing it into 2 long strips), then cut each strip into four pieces by cutting it in half and then cutting each half in half again. Either way, you’ll end up with eight squares (or almost squares). Don’t stress about it. 

Step 8: Add filling. Brush approximately half of each square with egg wash, then place a large dollop of cooled apple filling in the center (photo 5). Be sure to leave about ½ inch from all the edges free from filling to ensure a good seal. 

Step 9:  Fold and crimp. Fold each square in half along the diagonal to form a triangle, press the edges gently to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork (photo 6) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with all turnovers. 

Step 10: Chill the shaped apple turnovers for at least 30 minutes, but ideally an hour. While the turnovers chill, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a new baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Bake the turnovers: 

Step 11: Arrange and egg wash. Place the chilled turnovers on the room-temperature baking tray about 2 inches apart. You can alternate them so they fit more on the sheet. Brush each lightly with egg wash and then cut 2-3 slits in the top of each turnover (photo 7). 

Step 12: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. The bake time is mainly about the puff pastry baking fully because we have already cooked the filling (photo 8). 

Puff pastry can be deceiving when baking, especially when an egg wash is added. You want the puff to be golden brown throughout the puff and between the layers. The puff touching the filling won’t brown as much due to the moisture, so ensure there is no undercooked pastry. 

Step 13: Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Recipe FAQs 

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this easy apple dessert recipe! Check out our other fall dessert recipes like this sweet potato pie or these easy pumpkin snickerdoodles!