Classic Apple Turnovers

These Classic Apple Turnovers are made with frozen puff pastry and the most delicious cinnamon apple filling. The puff pastry dough creates a crispy, light outer shell that goes great with the sweet caramel-flavored filling. They are the classic fall treat that can be enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast pastry and you can serve them either warm or at room temperature.

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Two baked golden brown apple turnovers on a white serving dish.

I can’t believe it has been over ten years since I published my favorite Apple Pie recipe! It has an incredible apple pie filling with the most amazing cinnamon caramel sauce. This is the reason why I love these delicious apple turnovers: because their filling is very similar to that wonderful apple pie. 

Ingredients For Making Classic Apple Turnovers

Scroll down to the recipe card to see the complete list of ingredients.

  • Puff pastry. You can make your own or simply buy the frozen puff pastry sheets that are available at most grocery stores.
  • Apples. Use apples that are best for baking like Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Fuji (my favorite!), or even Gala. In my experience, I find that Red Delicious apples tend to get mushy too quickly, so they are best when making sauces or apple butter.
  • Butter. We’ll use it to cook the diced apples until they soften. 
  • Sugar. Using brown sugar will give us that delicious caramel texture.
  • Cinnamon. It adds lots of fall flavor.
  • Cornstarch. It will help thicken the sauce.
  • Egg. For the egg wash that will help seal the turnovers and give them a beautiful sheen.
  • Glaze. To glaze or not to glaze. It’s always a personal choice. I prefer to sprinkle my turnovers with coarse turbinado sugar, which gives them a nice crunch. But you can always make a sugar glaze by mixing powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla.
Ingredients for making apple turnovers, Fuji apples, frozen puff pastry, brown sugar, butter, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and egg.

How To Make Classic Apple Turnovers

Scroll down to the recipe card to see detailed step-by-step instructions.

Making any kind of turnover is always so much easier when using frozen puff pastry, and these are no exception!

  1. Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to the directions on the package. I usually just let it sit on the kitchen counter for about 10 minutes before rolling it out.
  2. Melt the butter in a pot and cook the diced apples until soft.
  3. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and simmer until caramelized. Let the filling cool.
  1. Roll out the puff pastry until you seal the seams and it stretches out to about 11” – 12” (4-5 cm). Cut it into 4 equal squares.
  2. Fill each square with about 1-1½ tbsp of filling leaving room around the borders.
  1. Beat the egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush it around the borders of each square. Fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle and then seal the borders with a fork. Cut 3 slits on top of the dough to let the steam out during baking.
  2. Place the unbaked turnovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. This will help prevent the filling from leaking. Then brush the tops with more egg wash and sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon, if using.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes or until they puff up and turn golden brown. Let them rest before serving.
A pot with caramelized diced apples to use as filling for apple turnovers.

Apple Turnovers Video

How can I store Apple Turnovers?

Store apple turnovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 day.

You can also refrigerate them in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 3 days. You can then reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up.

Can I freeze Apple Turnovers before baking?

You can and it’s actually pretty easy to do! After you assemble the turnovers, let them freeze flat on the baking sheet until firm, and then transfer them to a resealable bag. You can freeze them for up to 3-4 months. When ready to bake, brush them with a little bit of egg wash and bake them frozen for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

How to make a glaze to drizzle over Apple Turnovers?

I always sprinkle coarse turbinado sugar over any sweet turnover I make to add a little bit of a crunch. But this is how you make a basic vanilla glaze: Mix about ½ cup (62.5 gr) of powdered sugar with 1-2 tbsp of milk and ¼ tsp of vanilla extract.

Unbaked apple turnovers on a baking sheet.

The Tools I Use To Make Classic Apple Turnovers

An baked and golden brown apple turnover cut in half showing a delicious caramel apple filling.

More Delicious Apple Recipes

A baked and golden brown apple turnover cut in half showing a delicious caramel apple filling.
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A baked and golden brown apple turnover cut in half showing a delicious caramel apple filling.

Classic Apple Turnovers

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  • Author: Diana Lopez
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 50 min
  • Yield: 8 turnovers 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Classic Apple Turnovers are made with frozen puff pastry and the most delicious cinnamon apple filling. The puff pastry dough creates a crispy, light outer shell that goes great with the sweet caramel-flavored filling. They are the classic fall treat that can be enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast pastry and you can serve them either warm or at room temperature.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb homemade or frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 medium sized baking apples (Granny Smith, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Gala), peeled, cored, and diced.
  • ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • Turbinado sugar to taste for dusting (Optional)

Glaze (Optional)

  • ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
  • 12 tbsp milk
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Thaw out the frozen puff pastry on the kitchen counter while making the apple filling.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
  3. Lower the heat then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and salt, and simmer until the sauce caramelizes. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool.
  4. Roll out the thawed puff pastry with a rolling pin on a floured surface until it measures about 11” – 12” (4-5 cm). Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized squares with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Place about 1-1½ tbsp of filling on one side of each square, leaving room around the borders.
  5. Beat the egg with 1 tbsp of water to make an egg wash and brush it around the edges of the dough. Fold one corner of each square over the filling to make a triangle and seal the borders with a fork. Make 3 slits on top of each turnover to let the steam escape during baking.
  6. Place the turnovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes. This prevents the filling from leaking out during baking.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  8. Brush the tops of the turnovers with more egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes or until they puff up and turn golden brown. Let them cool slightly before serving.

If serving with the glaze:

  1. Mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the glaze and drizzle over the warm baked turnovers before serving.

Notes

  • Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for about 1 day. In the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just reheat them in the microwave for a few minutes to warm them up.
  • You can also freeze them flat on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, bake them frozen at 400°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes.
  • Serving them with the glaze is optional. You can also sprinkle them with turbinado sugar before baking or dust them with powdered sugar once you take them out of the oven!

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