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I polled my audience, and 94% prefer store-bought puff pastry for apple turnovers. I agree! I created an easy recipe that rivals bakery versions—perfect flaky layers and 6 turnovers per sheet. Here’s the delicious result!
Apple Turnover Recipe
I set out to make a recipe for easy apple turnovers that rivals any bakery or storebought turnovers, and I believe the mission was a success! When it comes to frozen puff pastry, it’s pretty hard to beat in terms of convenience, how well it puffs up, and those amazing flaky layers!
But just because we’re using a store-bought ingredient doesn’t mean I didn’t thoroughly test this recipe. Just like all of my other recipes, I wanted to be sure every single aspect was perfect before sharing it with you.
With that in mind, I worked on perfecting the consistency of the apple filling. I found that I preferred uniform apple pieces that were cut into ½ inch pieces. This allowed the apples to cook perfectly, not too hard or soft.
I also experimented with how many turnovers I could get from 2 sheets of puff pastry. By rolling the puff pastry into a larger 15×10 inch rectangle, you’re able to make 6 turnovers per sheet! A lot of turnover recipes yield 8, but rolling the dough a bit larger helps to maximize how many you can make!
Keep reading for all my best tips, storage directions, and more.
What is an Apple Turnover?
An apple turnover is a flaky pastry filled with sweet, spiced apple pie filling. To make it, apple filling is wrapped in a square of puff pastry and then baked until golden brown, then drizzled with sweet glaze. Apple turnovers are popular as a breakfast item, snack, or dessert.
Why You’ll Love Making Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry
Here are just a few of the reasons you’ll love this recipe:
- Uses storebought puff pastry dough for an incredibly easy recipe
- Get 6 turnovers per sheet of puff pastry – more to go around!
- Perfect for a breakfast treat, dessert or a snack
- Delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert
- Super easy, even for the most inexperienced home baker
Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers Ingredients
You don’t need fancy ingredients to make impressive apple turnovers. Keep reading for the full recipe with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below, plus all my best tips! Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
Apple Filling
- Apples: I recommend Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cornstarch
- Puff pastry
- Egg
- Water
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or water
How to Make Apple Turnovers
This easy apple turnover recipe uses puff pastry sheets and a perfectly spiced sweet apple filling. Once you realize how easy these are to make at home, you’ll never go back to storebought turnovers again! Keep reading for more tips and the full recipe below. Here are the simple steps:
Apple Filling
- Prep apples. Peel and finely dice the apples into ½ inch pieces.
- Make apple filling: Combine the diced apples, butter, brown sugar and all spices & cornstarch in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stove. Stir occasionally while mixture simmers, 5-7 minutes or until the apples are tender. Note: you can make the apple mixture up to 3 days ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Turnovers
- Prep pastry and oven. Allow the puff pastry to thaw to room temperature according to the package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Roll and divide pastry. Working with one sheet at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a 15 by 10 inch rectangle. Divide the pastry into 6 even squares that are about 5×5 inches.
- Apply egg wash. Combine the egg and water in a small dish to make the egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash along the outside of each square.
- Assemble turnovers. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of apple filling onto each square. Fold the puff pastry over, creating a triangle. Use a fork to firmly crimp the edges together. Brush each turnover with egg wash and add 2 vent slits with a knife.
- Bake. Transfer the turnovers to a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Cool. Allow the turnovers to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the glaze.
Glaze
- Make glaze. In a small mixing bowl combine the powdered sugar and milk. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1-2 teaspoons at a time, if the glaze is too thick add more liquid 1-2 teaspoons at a time. Drizzle over the turnovers.
Icing For Apple Turnovers
In this recipe, we make a sweet glaze to drizzle over the top of each turnover. It’s made with two simple ingredients: powdered sugar and milk (or water). It’s super quick and easy to make, and pairs perfectly with the flaky pastries.
The Trick to Making an Apple Turnover with Puff Pastry
The trick to making an apple turnover with puff pastry lies in keeping the pastry cold and working quickly. Colder puff pastry ensures that the layers stay flaky and rise properly during baking. After cutting the dough, chill it in the fridge if it starts to soften.
Another key tip is not overfilling the turnovers—too much filling can cause the pastry to burst open while baking. Adding 2 vent slits to the top with a sharp knife helps prevent bursting as well.
While testing this recipe, I also experimented with how many turnovers I could get from 2 sheets of puff pastry. By rolling the sheet of puff pastry into a larger 15×10 inch rectangle, you’re able to make 6 turnovers per sheet! A lot of turnover recipes yield 8, but rolling the dough a bit larger helps to maximize how many you can make!
Apple Turnovers Recipe Variations
These delicious apple turnovers are perfect as-is, but here are some ideas for variations:
- Add more texture: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, dried cranberries, or raisins.
- Add brie: If you like savory-sweet, try adding in little bits of brie.
- Make them more decadent: Add chunks of dark chocolate.
- Gluten-Free Apple Turnovers: Use gluten-free puff pastry or a homemade gluten-free dough.
- Use homemade puff pastry: If you want to use a homemade puff pastry, you can absolutely do so!
Storing Apple Turnovers
Store leftover turnovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze baked turnovers for 2-3 months. Freeze them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between layers. Thaw frozen turnovers overnight in the refrigerator.
More Apple Recipes
- Homemade Apple Crisp with Oatmeal
- Easy Apple Coffee Cake
- Moist Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Caramel Apple Fudge
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Apple Turnover With Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups peeled & finely diced apples, 3 large or 4 small apples, I recommend Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed, 17.3 oz package
- 1 large large egg
- 1 Tbsp water
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk or water
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Peel and finely dice the apples into ½ inch pieces.
- Combine the diced apples, butter, brown sugar and all spices & cornstarch in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stove. Stir occasionally while mixture simmers, 5-7 minutes or until the apples are tender. Note: you can make the apple filling up to 3 days ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Turnovers
- Allow the puff pastry to thaw to room temperature according to the package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Working with one sheet at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a 15 by 10 inch rectangle. Divide the pastry into 6 even squares that are about 5×5 inches.
- Combine the egg and water in a small dish to make the egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash along the outside of each square.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of apple filling onto each square. Fold the puff pastry over, creating a triangle. Use a fork to firmly crimp the edges together. Brush each turnover with egg wash and add 2 vent slits with a knife.
- Transfer the turnovers to a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Allow the turnovers to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the glaze.
Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl combine the powdered sugar and milk. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1-2 teaspoons at a time, if the glaze is too thick add more liquid 1-2 teaspoons at a time. Drizzle over the turnovers.
