Apple turnovers are easy, handheld puff pastry pies made with a cinnamon apple filling. They are a nostalgic bake and one of the simplest desserts to make. This version is dairy free with gluten free and vegan options and are just perfect for a cosy winter dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
Apple turnovers are pretty simple. You have a flaky, golden pastry filled with a sweet, cinnamon spiced apple filling in a syrupy caramel sauce. This may just be one of the recipes that I have been making for the longest time, on par with my cinnamon tea cake at least!
They were simple enough to for me to make a child and used few ingredients, most of which we would have on hand, so became a go to for me over the years when I wanted a warming, delicious dessert that was simple and relatively quick.
I love apple turnovers because of how easy they are to make, which is why I always use ready-rolled sheets of frozen puff pastry. If you want to make your own pastry and just use the filling in this post – go for it! But my favourite thing about this recipe is that we’re able to pull together a delicious dessert without much time and energy.
When these are baking, there is also an incredible smell that fills your home, making these not only a great last minute dessert option on a lazy winter night in, but also a completely appropriate dinner party dessert.
Key Ingredients
This is a simple recipe that basically just requires you to have a couple of apples laying around and some puff pastry in the freezer!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Puff Pastry – I like to keep sheets of frozen puff pastry in the freezer as they are perfect for a range of quick meals. Most that you buy from the supermarket are dairy free and vegan but just check the ingredients to be sure.
- Apples – most apples will work well for this recipe, however for the best results you want to try and use a firm, crisp variety of apple. I am using granny smith but I often use pink lady which are slightly sweeter.
- Brown sugar – to give the apples sweetness and help create a delicious caramel sauce. You can adjust the amount of sugar based on how sweet your apples are.
- Cinnamon – a little ground cinnamon is the perfect partnership for the apples.
- Corn flour – (not pictured) also known as corn starch. I forgot this in the above photo but adding a little corn flour at the end of cooking will thicken the sauce and ensure that your apple mixture isn’t going to make the pastries soggy.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The reason I love this recipe so much is because it’s so simple to make meaning you can pull together this comforting winter dessert without much planning.
You’ll need a small saucepan for stewing the apples and a large baking tray for the pastries.
First, start by making the filling. Remove the core and chop up the apples into small, even sized pieces for quick cooking. You can peel them or leave the skin on – this is completely up to you!
Add the apples into a small pot on the stove with the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a little water and allow the apples to come to the boil before turning down to gently simmer for around 5-8 minutes or until the apples are just tender.
You want to take them off before they get too soft as they will cook further in the oven. From here it’s the hardest part – we have to let the apple mixture cool down before making the pastries.
In an effort to make this happen quicker, I have been known to put the pot in the fridge! But I am not necessarily recommending this…
Once the apples are cool, youre ready to assemble. Get your sheets of puff pastry out of the freezer and allow them to defrost on the kitchen bench. You don’t want to get them out too early as really soft puff pastry can be quit difficult to work with.
Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 squares and place a small scoop of the apples in the centre. Brush the edge of the square with dairy-free milk or beaten egg and fold it over, sealing the edges with fork. Repeat until you’ve used all of the filling.
Brush the tops with more egg wash or dairy-free milk and cut a small slit in the tops to allow the air to escape. Place them in a preheated oven to bake until the tops are golden brown.
Serve the apple turnovers in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream (I highly recommend my homemade vegan vanilla ice cream) and a generous drizzle of vegan salted caramel sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as you use dairy-free milk to brush the tops of the pastry to help them go golden brown rather than egg, this recipe is suitable for vegan diets.
Yes, the filling itself is gluten-free therefore the only change needed is to use a gluten-free puff pastry.
While these are actually delicious enjoyed cold, you can reheat them by placing them in the oven or air fryer on a moderate temperature and heating until the pastry is crispy.
Yes they can! You can do so either before or after baking. If before, flash freeze them on a baking tray first until firm before adding to a air tight container. To cook, you wont need to defrost, just cook a little longer from frozen.
To heat up already baked and frozen pastries, I find it best to allow them to defrost first and then heat in the oven or air fryer on a moderate temperature and heating until the pastry is crispy.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More apple recipes:
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Vegan Apple Crumble
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Caramel Apple Galette
Easy Apple Turnovers
Equipment
Ingredients
For the apple cinnamon filling:
- 2 cups chopped and peeled apples granny smith or pink lady
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons corn flour
To assemble:
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg beaten, or 3 tablespoons dairy free milk
To Serve (optional):
Instructions
- Prepare the filling. Place the chopped apples into a small pot on the stove. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 2-4 tablespoons of water.
- Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to gently simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until the apples are just tender. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the apple mixture to cool completely.
- When the apples are nearly cooled, take the puff pastry sheets out of the freezer and let them defrost on the kitchen bench. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Assemble the turnovers. Cut each defrosted pastry sheet into 4 squares and place a small scoop of the cooled apple mixture in the centre of each square. Brush the edges of each square with dairy-free milk or beaten egg and fold the squares over to form triangles and seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Repeat until all the filling is used.
- Place the turnovers on a lined baking tray and brush the tops with more dairy-free milk or beaten egg. Cut a small slit in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape.
- Place the turnovers on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven until the tops are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve the apple turnovers warm in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream and a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This post was originally published on the 19th November 2018 and has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.
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