Apple-Cinnamon Flaky Turnovers are so much easier to make than you might think, and they taste miles better than anything you can buy. Store-bought puff pastry does the hard part, so a batch of eight takes about fifteen minutes of prep. I let the filling cool completely before it goes near the pastry, because that one step separates a turnover that puffs tall and flaky from one that steams itself soft.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Puff pastry does the work. You get the layered, bakery-style shell without laminating a single sheet of dough yourself.
- Eight individual portions. Two sheets of pastry make eight turnovers, so everyone gets their own instead of negotiating slices of one pie.
- Homemade apple turnovers let you steer the filling. Real diced apples with lemon and warm spice taste brighter and less cloying than canned pie filling.
- They freeze well before baking. Assemble a batch, freeze the raw turnovers, and bake them straight from the freezer when you want one.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A few of these ingredients are worth a note before you start; the printable recipe below has the full list with quantities.
- Frozen puff pastry: One 17.3-ounce package has two sheets, which is exactly enough for eight turnovers. Keep it thawed but still cold, and if you have a choice, pick a brand made with butter for better flavor.
- Apples: Two medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. Both hold their shape through cooking, so you end up with tender apple pieces rather than applesauce. Peel, core, and dice them small so the filling sits flat and the turnovers seal cleanly.
- Cornstarch and water: Stirred into a slurry, this is what thickens the apple juices into a filling that won’t leak. Don’t skip it.
- Lemon juice: A tablespoon keeps the apples from browning and cuts the sweetness so the filling tastes like fruit, not just sugar.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: The warm spice backbone. The nutmeg is a small amount on purpose, enough to round out the cinnamon without taking over.
- Coarse sanding sugar: Optional, for a sparkly, sugary crust. Leave it off if you’re glazing and want a smoother finish.
- Glaze: Powdered sugar, a splash of milk or cream, and vanilla. That’s the whole finish, whisked together into a thin sweet topping.
How to Make Apple Turnovers
The method breaks into four short stages. Here’s how to make it; the printable recipe below has the full step-by-step with quantities.
You can make the filling up to two or three days in advance and keep it chilled until you’re ready to assemble. You can also assemble the raw turnovers, freeze them on a sheet pan until solid, then bag them for up to two or three months. Bake them straight from frozen at the same 400°F (204°C), adding a few extra minutes, and hold the glaze until after they bake.
Cook the Apple Filling
Cook the diced apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla in a skillet over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook one minute more until the filling turns thick and glossy, then transfer it to a bowl and let it cool completely.
Assemble the Turnovers
Cut each thawed pastry sheet into four squares. Spoon about two tablespoons of the cooled filling onto each one, brush the edges with egg wash, fold into triangles, and press the edges shut with a fork. Cut two or three small slits in each top so steam can escape.
Bake until Deep Golden
Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash, add coarse sugar if you’re using it, and bake at 400°F (204°C) for 20 to 24 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown. Let the turnovers cool for 10 minutes.
Glaze and serve
Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla into a smooth glaze and drizzle it over the warm turnovers. The glaze sets as they finish cooling.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Cool the filling. Warm filling melts the butter layered into the pastry, so it steams instead of rising, and it softens the base before it ever hits the oven. This is the step that most often decides how the batch turns out.
- Keep the pastry cold. If it turns soft and sticky while you work, slide it back into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. Cold dough into a hot oven is what gives you the tall, flaky layers.
- Go easy on the filling. About two tablespoons per square is plenty. Overfill and the filling squeezes out the sides and stops the edges from sealing.
- Keep the sealing edge clean. A smear of apple on the border keeps the crimp from holding, so wipe or avoid the very edges when you spoon the filling in.
- Don’t skip the steam vents. Those slits on top give the steam somewhere to go, which is what keeps the seams from bursting open partway through baking.
Recipe Variations
- Add a handful of dried cranberries or cherries to the filling for a slightly different flavor, or try this recipe with ripe pears.
- Skip the glaze and finish with just the coarse sanding sugar for a less sweet, crunchier top.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I keep the baked turnovers refrigerated rather than out on the counter, since a cooked fruit filling with a dairy glaze holds better cold than at room temperature. To bring back the crisp, reheat them in a 325°F (163°C) oven or air fryer for a few minutes; the microwave works in a pinch but leaves the pastry soft. Baked turnovers freeze well too, ideally before glazing, for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
These are best warm, the day they’re baked, while the pastry is still crisp and the glaze has just set. For a morning version, a turnover next to a cup of coffee or a chai latte is about as close to a coffee-shop pastry as you’ll get at home, and it sits easily on a weekend brunch table. For a decadent dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel while the pastry is still warm.
FAQs
Almost always one of two things: too much filling, or filling smeared on the edge where the pastry is supposed to seal. Keep it to about two tablespoons per square, wipe the borders clean before you crimp, and cut steam vents in the tops so the pressure has somewhere to go instead of forcing the seams apart.
A soggy base almost always traces back to filling that went in too wet or too warm. Cook the apples until the cornstarch slurry has thickened them so there’s no loose juice left, and let the filling cool completely before it touches the pastry, since warm filling melts the butter layers and softens the base before it even bakes.
Peeling gives you a smoother filling that folds and seals more neatly. You can leave the skins on if you’d rather, but expect a slightly chewier texture in the finished filling.
Apple-Cinnamon Flaky Turnovers
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- 2 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and diced
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Turnovers:
- 1 package 17.3 ounces frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sanding sugar optional
Vanilla Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cook the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla in a skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften.2 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- Stir together the cornstarch and water, then add the slurry to the apples. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon water
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut each sheet into four equal squares.1 package
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled apple filling into the center of each square.
- Brush the edges with egg wash, fold the pastry diagonally into triangles, and press the edges together with a fork to seal.
- Cut two or three small slits in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape.
- Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.Coarse sanding sugar
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown.
- Cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, then drizzle over the warm turnovers.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk or cream
Video
Notes
- Cool the filling before stuffing. Warm filling melts the butter in the pastry, so it steams instead of rising, and it softens the base before it ever hits the oven.
- Keep the pastry cold. If it softens and gets sticky while you work, slide it back into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Go easy on the filling. About two tablespoons per square is plenty. Overfill and the filling squeezes out the sides and stops the edges from sealing.
- Keep the sealing edge clean. A smear of apple on the border keeps the crimp from holding, so wipe the edges or avoid them when you spoon in the filling.
- Don’t skip the steam vents. Those slits on top let steam escape.