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Puff pastry apple turnovers are the easy apple pastry we all need in our lives—because let’s face it, we don’t always have the time to fuss with pie crust. Flaky, buttery puff pastry is the perfect container for tender cinnamon-spiced apples!
There are some kitchen shortcuts that aren’t worth it. But buying puff pastry? YES, please!
Even the most ambitious home bakers are rarely up for the challenge of making puff pastry from scratch, and the store-bought version is buttery, flaky, and utterly delightful. Case in point? These puff pastry apple turnovers.
How to Make Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Follow the thawing time on the puffed pastry. Every brand is different, and you don’t want to be working with pastry that is frozen solid.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, and spices. Cook, stirring often, until the apples soften.
Stir in the vanilla extract; cook for another minute, then remove from heat.
Start preheating your oven to 400ºF. Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll the sheets to roughly 12×12 inches.
Cut the puff pastry sheets into quarters (I like to use a pizza cutter).
Whisk together the milk and egg to create an egg wash; lightly brush this on the edges of the squares.
Divide the apple filling onto the centers of each puff pastry square. Fold one corner to another to create a triangle and press the edges to seal.
And between you and me, this isn’t an exact science. Will your triangles look messy? Probably! Just call them “artisanal” and go out and live your best-puffed pastry life. And if anyone gives you crap for it, don’t let them eat your delicious turnovers.
Crimp the edges of the apple turnovers with a fork, then poke a few holes in the top for the steam to escape. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 20 to 30 minutes, if you have the time.
Bake for 10 minutes; brush the remaining egg wash over the tops and bake for 10 to 13 minutes more, or until the tops are golden.
Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm (but not hot!) turnovers.
Storage
Room temperature: Place the fully cooled puff pastry apple turnovers in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: Room temperature is your best bet for storage, but if you won’t be able to eat the turnovers that fast, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for about 5 days. I recommend letting them come to room temperature before enjoying.
Freeze: You can freeze unbaked apple turnovers for up to 3 months; bake them from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time. Baked turnovers can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Don’t overfill the puff pastry squares, or they’ll be difficult to seal. You should have the precise amount of filling you need, but if there’s any extra, you can pop it in the fridge and warm it up to spoon over ice cream. Alternatively, I also highly recommend shoveling it into your mouth with a spoon.
- If needed, you can add a splash of water to the pan if your apples don’t seem to be releasing much juice as they cook.
- For best results, let the apple filling cool a bit. This will make it easier to assemble your apple turnovers and it won’t make the puffed pastry too warm, which can lead to it being gummy.
- You can skip the glaze if you’d like; another option is to sprinkle coarse sugar (like Turbinado) over the egg wash, which adds some sweetness and crisp texture to the exterior.
other puff pastry recipes
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Follow thawing times on the puff pastry box (anywhere from 20-120 minutes depending on the brand).
2 sheets puff pastry
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Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or large skillet.
3 tbsp salted butter
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Add the sliced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring often until the apples have softened, ~8-10 minutes.
3 cups thinly sliced apples, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
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Add the vanilla extract, stir, and cook for another minute.
1 tsp vanilla extract
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Pro tip: If you have time, allow the apples to cool a bit so they don’t heat the puff pastry, making it hard to work with.
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Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
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On a lightly floured surface, carefully unfold each sheet of puff pastry.
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
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Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll out each sheet of pastry until it is about 12×12 inches.
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Cut the puff pastry into quarters. Pro tip: a pizza cutter makes this job easy.
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Whisk together the egg and milk and lightly brush on all edges of each of the pastry quarters.
1 egg, 1 tbsp whole milk
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Add 1/4-1/3 cup of cooked apples into the middle of each of the portion of the puffed pastry.
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Fold one side of the puffed pastry to form a triangle, gently sealing the edges by pressing with your fingers.
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Press the edges with the flat part of fork tines and gently poke a few holes in the top of each pocket with the fork.
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If possible, refrigerate or freeze for 20-30 minutes.
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Bake at 400˚F for 10 minutes and then carefully remove the pan from the oven. Brush leftover egg wash over the tops of the puff pastry pockets.
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Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
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Make the glaze while the apple turnovers cool (for ~10 minutes) by whisking together powdered sugar, milk/cream, and vanilla extract.
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted, 1 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Drizzle the glaze over the top of the warm turnovers.
- If the apples aren’t very juicy, you run the risk of them burning before they have softened in the pan. If you notice this, add water, 1 tbsp at a time to keep the apples from burning.
Serving: 1turnoverCalories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 197mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 194IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
