Easy, buttery, and flaky! These homemade apple turnovers are ridiculously delicious and easy to make. Made with an apple filling baked in flaky puff pasty, these turnovers will make your mouth water!

Flaky, Buttery, and Full of Flavor!

If you couldn’t tell already, I can have a VERY big sweet tooth at times! From cakes to pies to cookies, I am kind of obsessed. But, this time around, I wanted a good homemade turnover. This fall, I’m sharing an easy turnover recipe that is sure to become of your household favorites!

My Easy Homemade Apple Turnovers will have your mouth watering just from looking at them. They are a great way to use up the leftover apples just sitting in your kitchen. From the flaky puff pastry to the warm apple pie filling, you’ll fall in love instantly! I know I did!

TIPS for making the best turnovers

Here a just a few baking tips and tricks that will make your turnovers even better!

• Use Store-Bought Puff Pastry. When it comes to using puff pastry, it’s always better to use store-bought or bakery-made products. Puff Pastry can be very difficult to make. Plus, it takes too long. I love a good shortcut, and this is one I highly suggest using.

• Allow the Puff Pastry to FULLY Defrost. To make your life easier, make sure that the puff pastry is fully defrosted. I suggest leaving it in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours or leaving it at room temp for 30 minutes until fully thawed. This will make your dough easy to work with.

• Refrigerate the Turnovers before Baking. You want to make sure that your dough is cold for optimum flakiness. Once the turnovers are fully formed, place them on sheet pans and refrigerate them for 15 - 20 minutes before baking.

• Do Not Overfill the Turnovers. Overfilling will cause the filling to leak out when baking. This will also cause the puff pastry to be slightly deflated.

Easy Apple Turnover Ingredients

The ingredients are pretty simple in this recipe; but, let’s still walk through them to understand them. Again, most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry and refrigerator. If not, they are very accessible in pretty much any grocery store.

• Puff Pastry: This is what’s going to make your turnovers stand out! Puff pastry is a laminated dough which means that it has been folded multiple times and flattened to create many layers when baked. 

• Butter: To saute the apples, I used butter instead of oil to add more flavor and fat to the filling. It helps to caramelize the apples as well.

• Apples: For this recipe, any apple will work. I chose to use Granny Smith Apples. They are tart with a firmer texture. They hold their shape better when cooked. Make sure that they are peeled, cored, and diced before cooking.

• Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar as the main sweetener in the filling. The extra molasses flavor pairs amazingly well with the tart apples. 

• Bourbon: If y’all want to add a little pop of flavor to your filling, add a splash of bourbon! Bourbon and apples are a match made in heaven. This is completely optional, but it's definitely worth trying!

• Lemon Juice & Salt: To help balance the sweetness of the filling, I added some lemon juice and kosher salt. A little bit of each goes a long way. So, make sure you don’t go crazy with these two. 

• Pure Vanilla Extract: A little pure vanilla extract adds some additional flavor to the filling. I used about 2 teaspoons in total. 

• Cornstarch: To help thicken the liquid in the filling, I added some cornstarch. This will help keep the filling less runny. 

• Spice Mixture: To mimic the taste of an apple pie, I added a few spices. I used ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. They all added some additional warmth to the turnovers. 

• All-Purpose Flour: Remember to have a little all-purpose flour on the side for dusting and rolling out your puff pastry dough. This will help your dough to not stick to your cutting board or countertop. 

• Egg Wash: To top off my turnovers and aid in browning, I made an easy egg wash. I used one egg and a splash of milk (or half & half). It makes such a difference in the final product.   

• Glaze: The turnovers are great on their own. But, presentation is everything to me. So, I made a glaze to top them off. I made it with a mixture of confectioner’s sugar, milk (you can also use half & half), and pure vanilla extract.

How to make Easy Apple Turnovers:

These turnovers have become one of my favorite fall treats! They’re ridiculously delicious! From the warm flavor of the apples to the flaky texture of the puff pastry, I couldn’t get enough. Plus, they are really easy to make!

The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview:

• STEP 1: Preheat Oven & Saute the Apples. Preheat Oven to 400˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cook, occasionally stirring just until soft (about 4 - 5 minutes)

• STEP 2: Finish the Filling & Cool Completely. Add the brown sugar, bourbon, lemon juice, pure vanilla extract, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix and simmer for 3 minutes until the apples are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. 

• STEP 3: Cut the Puff Pastry & Form the Turnovers. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the thawed puff pastry sheets into 10 - 11” squares. Cut each sheet into 4 equal-sized squares. Place cooled apple mixture over half of each square, leaving at least a 1/2" border. 

• STEP 4: Make the Egg Wash & Crimp the Edges of each Turnover. Make your egg wash by mixing together 1 egg with 1 tbsp of milk or half & half. Lightly brush the egg wash on the edges of the pastry. Fold the edges on top of one another to create small triangles. Take a fork and crimp the edges to seal. Repeat this process until all turnovers are complete.  

• STEP 5: Brush with Egg Wash & Bake the Turnovers. Transfer the turnovers to the baking sheets. With a paring knife, cut 2-3 small slits in the top of each turnover to release air while baking. Brush the tops of the turnovers with egg wash. For a little extra razzle dazzle sprinkle a little sugar on top of each turnover after brushing with egg wash. Bake for 20 -22 minutes or until golden and puffed.  

• STEP 6: Make the Glaze, Drizzle, and Serve! While turnovers are baking, stir together the confectioner’s sugar, milk or half & half, and pure vanilla extract in a small bowl. While warm, drizzle the glaze over the turnovers. Serve and enjoy!

CAN I MAKE THese turnovers AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes! You can definitely make this dessert ahead of time! However, I personally suggest that you make them no more than 1 day in advance.

You can easily make the filling and defrost the puff pastry the day before. The turnovers can be assembled and baked the next day.

You can also assemble the turnovers the day before and wrap them the day before on sheet pans. They can be baked the next day. You’ll only want to do this one day in advance. If not, the dough will get soggy.

HOW LONG WILL MY TURNOVERS LAST?

It’s nothing like eating a freshly baked turnover! But, for some reason, they don’t taste exactly the same the next day.

I highly suggest storing your turnovers in an air-tight container once they are fully cooled. They will stay fresh for up to 3 - 4 days.

To refresh your turnovers, throw them into a toaster oven or air-fryer for a few minutes (2 - 4 minutes) and they’ll be good as new!

I’d love to hear your feedback about these EASY Apple Turnovers! Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

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