Perfectly cooked apples are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then wrapped up in homemade or store-bought puff pastry and baked, resulting in golden, crisp Apple Turnovers with a cinnamon cider glaze.

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Similar to a hand pie but a bit lighter and flakier, these Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers feature a homemade "quick" puff pastry and a sweet and juicy spiced apple filling. Or, use store-bought puff pastry if that is what you prefer. The apple filling is made quickly on the stovetop and is all about the apple flavor, with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. After the turnovers are baked, a quick cinnamon and apple cider glaze is whisked together and drizzled over the top. It's the perfect finishing touch.

Apple turnovers stacked on top of each other and cut open.

Best Apples to Use for Turnovers

The best baking apples can hold their shape and have a nuanced flavor and a slight tartness to balance the sweetness of added and natural sugar. Using a combination of apples is helpful because it introduces a few different types of flavors and textures to the pie.

For this recipe, the combination of Gala and Granny Smith is ideal because they have a good texture after the double cook (on the stove and in the oven), they have a sweet and tart flavor to them, and they are readily available in nearly every grocery store. If you stray from this combination, here are some other suggestions:

Cortland
Yellow Delicious
Braeburn
Pink Lady
Ginger Gold
Jonagold

About the Puff Pastry

This apple turnover recipe calls for homemade rough puff pastry, but if you wanted to make the classic puff pastry, you certainly could! The recipe makes six turnovers and uses only half the rough puff batch. Save the other half for another pastry, different flavors of turnovers, or double the batch and make 12 apple turnovers.

Can you buy puff pastry at the store? YES. However, the turnovers will be a little smaller than those you can make with homemade rough puff. And, depending on the type of puff pastry you buy, the instructions for cutting the pastry squares might differ slightly.

Purchased puff pastry typically comes in one folded 14-ounce sheet or two folded 8-ounce sheets, or possibly some other combination. The measurements listed in this recipe correspond to my homemade rough puff recipe. If you have purchased puff pastry with 1 sheet, try to roll it out slightly thinner to an 8"x12 rectangle and cut out 4" squares. If you are using puff pastry with two sheets, I suggest rolling each sheet a little thinner and cutting it into 4 squares, which will give you 8 turnovers.

How to Make Them

Puff pastry turnovers bake relatively quickly, so there wouldn't be enough time for the apple filling inside to cook by the time the puff pastry finishes cooking. For this reason, the filling must be precooked on the stove top. Luckily, the filling is a very simple recipe.

Here is a visual overview of the recipe, with the complete detailed recipe at the end of this tutorial.

Cooked apples for apple turnover filling.

Step 1: Prepare the apple filling and let cool completely.

Squares of dough being cut out for turnovers.

Step 2: Prepare the homemade rough puff pastry (or purchase it). Cut out 4.5" (or similar) squares.

Apple pie filling scooped on a square of puff pastry.

Step 3: Brush a bit of water on the edges of two sides of the pastry. Place about 2 tablespoons of chilled apple filling in the center.

Folding over a square of raw puff pastry around apple pie filling.

Step 4: Fold one corner of the pastry over the filling to make a triangle.

Step 5: Press down on the edges to seal the two pieces together. Use a fork to press and seal the edges further and for a decorative touch.

Cutting with a knife a a raw puff pastry filled turnover

Step 6: Using a sharp knife to cut off just the very edges of the pastry.

Prepared but unbaked homemade apple turnovers on a sheet pan.

Step 7: Add the turnovers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill them in a freezer for 20 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Step 8: Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the turnovers are lightly golden all over and puff up.

Kelli's Best Tips

Let me just start by sharing the golden rule for working with puff pastry: if it gets too warm, simply refrigerate or freeze it to chill.

Here are a few more tips I've picked up for successfully filling turnovers:

Make sure your pastry and filling are well chilled. They should also be chilled before baking to ensure they bake up flaky!
Filling the turnovers is a delicate balance between not overfilling and not underfilling. If you are having trouble closing the turnovers without the filling leaking out everywhere, then use less filling.
Puff pastry is delicate and can be sticky. Use a small piece of parchment to help move around the pastry, so you don't have to handle it. Shape the turnover on the parchment, then transfer the filled turnover to the sheet tray on the parchment so you don't have to hold it with your own hands. This prevents the pastry from tearing which can compromise the seal on the filling.
Use these three methods of sealing the turnovers: first press together the corners that firm the triangle, then seal it with a flour-dusted fork, and finally cut off the very edge of the sealed pieces with a sharp knife. That final cut helps the puff pastry bake up properly, as well as helps it stay sealed.
Bake the turnovers in the middle of the oven to ensure the puff pastry bakes throughout, but doesn't brown too much on the bottom. The apple turnovers are done when they have puffed up, are golden brown all over, and the filling has started to peek out on some of them. If baking the turnovers from a very cold or frozen state, you may need to bake them for slightly longer than the instructions call for.

How to Store Them

Apple turnovers keep for 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Like all pastry, they’re best reheated before serving to crisp up the layers. If you plan to reheat them, wait to add the cider glaze until just before serving.

Apple turnovers can be frozen before baking, for up to 3 months. Assemble them and freeze flat on a sheet tray until firm, then transfer to a bag and remove as much air as possible. The turnovers can also be baked from frozen. Bake them as directed, plus an extra 10 additional minutes or so.

More Apple Recipes:

More Puff Pastry Recipes

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I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make these Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers with a Cinnamon Cider Glaze, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe outside of what is covered in the article, please comment below and I'll respond as soon as I'm able.

Full Recipe

Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

Baked and glazed apple turnovers on a sheet tray.

Print Recipe

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These Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers use a briefly cooked filling to control moisture and concentrate flavor before baking. Simmering the apples with apple cider and warm spices softens them just enough, while a cornstarch slurry helps the filling set neatly inside the pastry. Whether made with homemade rough puff pastry or store bought puff pastry, chilling the shaped turnovers before baking encourages even puffing and crisp, flaky layers.

Author: Kelli Avila
Prep Time: 00:40
Cook Time: 00:25
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 turnovers
Category: Pastry
Method: Bake

Ingredients

For Filling and Pastry:

1½ pounds (3 to 4 large) baking apples, peeled, cored and diced into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Big pinch coarse kosher salt
Pinch grated nutmeg
⅓ cup (80 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) fresh apple cider juice, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (10 grams) cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rough Puff Pastry, prepared, or (1) 14-ounce package puff pastry (see notes for guidance)
All-purpose flour, for work surface

For Cider Glaze:

½ cup (70 grams) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (30 grams) fresh apple cider juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Instructions

In a heavy-bottomed pot, stir together the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ⅓ cup of the apple cider and lemon juice.
Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened but still hold their shape and there is visible liquid in the pot, about 6 minutes. If the liquid cooks off too quickly, add a small splash of additional apple cider to prevent scorching.
In a small bowl, create a slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of apple cider.
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the apples and stir together until melted and combined. Continue cooking until the apple mixture is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let the apple mixture cool completely, preferably overnight. (If cooling overnight, transfer to the refrigerator.)
When ready to shape, fill a small container with cool water and set aside.
Line a 12x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface (remember, you are only using half of the batch if you've made this rough puff recipe) to about ⅛-inch thickness, or about a 10x15-inch rectangle. Cut out six 4.5-inch squares. (See note about using store-bought puff pastry)
Use a pastry brush (or use your finger) to brush a small amount of water on two sides of each dough square. This helps it stick (if your dough is already super sticky, skip this step). Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of chilled apple filling in the center of each square.
Fold one corner of the pastry over the filling to make a triangle. Press down on the edges to seal the pastry together. Use a fork to press and seal the edges further, adding a decorative touch.
Using a sharp knife, cut off just the very edges of the pastry to give it a clean, straight edge. This helps ensure the puff pastry bakes up properly.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 1 hour to help them hold their shape during baking.
Bake the chilled turnovers until evenly puffed and lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
To make the glaze: in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, apple cider, and cinnamon until smooth. Drizzle over the slightly cooled turnovers. Let the glaze set before serving, about 10 minutes.

Notes

This recipe yields 6 apple turnovers and was developed using half a batch of homemade rough puff pastry, which is roughly equivalent to one store-bought box of puff pastry. It was tested with both homemade and store-bought puff pastry with consistent results. Store-bought puff pastry is typically sold either as one folded 14-ounce sheet or as two folded 8-ounce sheets. The measurements and cutting instructions in this recipe align most closely with homemade rough puff, so the dimensions may vary slightly depending on the format and brand you use. If using puff pastry sold as one sheet, roll it out to about 8 by 12 inches and cut into 4 inch squares to yield 6 turnovers. If using puff pastry sold as two sheets, roll each sheet slightly thinner and cut each sheet into four squares for a total of 8 turnovers. When making smaller turnovers, use a little less filling to avoid leakage.

The apple filling must be completely cooled before filling the turnovers. Steaming hot filling in butter pastry always equals a disaster. So be sure to plan ahead. You likely will have some leftover filling. You can enjoy any leftovers over ice cream or yogurt. It also freezes well. Or you can make additional turnovers!

Making a glaze can sometimes be a bit of trial and error, unless you are using a scale to measure your ingredients. If your glaze is too thin, simply add in a tablespoon more powdered sugar at a time. If it’s too thick, add in more cider.

These apple turnovers can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Assemble the turnovers fully, then freeze them flat on a parchment lined baking sheet for 24 hours. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer safe bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding additional baking time as needed, until puffed and golden.

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