Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers are a fall dream! Spiced apple filling is wrapped in a blanket of flaky puff pastry (store-bought for ease!) and topped with salted caramel sauce. These apple turnovers shine in any situation – whether it’s a casual afternoon baking session, or a holiday celebration!
This recipe was originally published in October 2017, updated October 2020, and now updated September 2023 with new photo & more baking tips, but the same delicious recipe.
This is one of those desserts that’s just SO easy. A little store-bought puff pastry (because who has time to make that?!), a quick apple filling, and a 10-minute caramel sauce situation bring these easy apple turnovers to life.
Why you’ll love Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers:
- Tender, Caramelized Apples – Our apples are diced and cooked with brown sugar and spices for a few minutes to help them get a little tender, and a little bit caramelized. The flavor in this apple dessert is incredible!
- Salted Caramel Sauce – Homemade salted caramel sauce is a breeze to make and adds the perfect finishing touch to these turnovers.
- Flaky Crust – Store bought puff pastry also keeps this recipe super easy and do-able for a celebration or a weekday. You’ll swoon over these flaky pastries!
Ingredient Overview:
- Puff Pastry – You can find this in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Be sure to thaw it on the counter according to package directions, or overnight in the fridge before using.
- Salted Caramel Sauce – My homemade salted caramel sauce takes just 10 minutes to make and amps up the fall flavor of this recipe so much!
- Apples – I used honeycrisp, but any baking apple will work in this sweet filling.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Apples – Like I said, feel free to use whatever baking apple you like best – honeycrisp, gala apples, golden delicious, pink lady, and granny smith apples are all great options. Or, use a mix!
- Cinnamon – I’ve heard that some people aren’t crazy about cinnamon, so feel free to reduce the amount of spices in the apple filling to your taste, or try cardamom instead.
How to Make this Puff Pastry Apple Turnover Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Salted Caramel Sauce. Make your caramel sauce first, by cooking sugar until it’s melted, then whisking in butter and heavy cream. Let this cool until it’s thick enough to drizzle. This can be made up to 1 week ahead.
Step 2: Cook your Apple Pie Filling. Peel and dice your fresh apples into small pieces, and cook them in a pot over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, with butter, brown sugar, and spices. Use a cornstarch slurry to gently thicken the filling. Set aside.
Step 3: Assemble your Turnovers. Roll each thawed puff pastry sheet out to about 12 inches x 12 inches. Cut each sheet into 4 squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Brush the edges of each square with egg wash, then add about 2 tbsp of apple filling to each. Fold them over to form a triangle, and seal the edges with your fingertips. Chill the turnovers in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking, to ensure the pastry is nice and cold.
Step 4: Bake. Crimp the edges of the assembled turnovers with a fork, and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle on some turbinado sugar or cinnamon sugar, and bake as directed in the recipe card below. Bake until golden brown. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce, and dig in while they’re nice and warm from the oven!
The pastry is flaky, the filling is spiced and tender, and the salted caramel pulls the whole dessert together. Serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a true homemade apple pie experience! Or, dust with a little powdered sugar.
Expert Success Tips:
- Cold Puff Pastry – Make sure your puff pasty is cold going into the oven so it bakes to crisp, flaky perfection.
- Apples – Avoid McIntosh, Fuji, or Red Delicious apples as they are too soft to bake with and can turn mushy.
- Storing Leftovers – Store leftovers in the fridge, as pastry like this will get soggy faster at room temperature.
FAQs:
Yes, to a point. The caramel sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the fridge. The turnovers can be fully assembled, without egg wash on the outside, and frozen in an even layer in an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding a few more minutes of bake time as needed.
Yes. Use homemade pie dough (here’s my fool proof pie crust recipe!) if you prefer that to puff pastry, or purchase ready made pie dough. Using pie dough technically makes these into apple hand pies, but they’re fabulous either way!
Recipe Variations:
- Pears – Try this recipe with pears! Use pears that are *just* ripe as to avoid a mushy filling, and follow the recipe in the same way as if you used apples.
- Savory Filling – If you prefer a savory turnover, omit the sugar and spices and use thyme (to taste) to flavor your apples. You could even add a sprinkle of cheese over the filling.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
These are best warm from the oven, and will be a little less crisp with each day that passes. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the oven to retain the crisp factor.
Special Tools:
- Pastry Brush – Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash on your turnovers.
- Rolling Pin – You’ll need a rolling pin to roll out the dough.
- Cookie Sheet – These are my favorite cookie sheets, I’ve used them almost every day for 6 years and they’re still in great shape.
- Silicone Baking Mat – I love silicone baking mats because they’re reusable and dishwasher safe.
More Apple Recipes to Love:
- Apple Cider Slushies
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Homemade Apple Fritters
- Honeycrisp Apple & Kale Fall Salad
- Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktails
- The Best Recipes to Make During Apple Season
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
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Caramel Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 4 medium apples 5 and 1/2 cups, diced. I used a mix of honeycrisp and golden delicious
- 1/4 cup salted butter (4 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp water
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 package should have 2 sheets – you'll need both
- 1 large egg, for egg wash
- raw sugar, for topping
- 1 batch salted caramel sauce recipe linked below
Instructions
- Prep: Make sure you thaw the puff pastry, according package directions. Let it thaw while you prep the filing and caramel sauce. Make the caramel sauce using my Simplest Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe – it takes only 10 minutes! This can be made up to a week ahead.
- Make the Filling: Rinse and peel your apples. Dice into bite size chunks. Add all the apple filling ingredients except the corn starch and water to a medium pan over medium high heat. Cook for 12 minutes, stirring lazily the whole time. Add the corn starch and water to a small bowl, and stir until the corn starch is dissolved. Pour this into the apple filling, and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. This will thicken the sauce. Turn off the heat and set the filling aside while you prep the puff pastry.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry Squares: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Beat the egg in a small bowl for your egg wash. Once the sheets of puff pastry have thawed (it should still feel fairly cold to the touch), roll out the first sheet, to about 12" x 12" on a lightly floured work surface. Cut the sheet into 4 equal squares and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the edges of each square with egg wash. Add about 3 tablespoons of the apple mixture to one half of each puff pastry square, then fold the tops over to make a triangle, pinching the edges together with your fingertip. Cut a small slit in the top of each turnover. Pop the pan in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes or in the fridge for 10, then crimp the edges with a fork. Cut small slits on top of each turnovers with a sharp knife. Brush the top of the turnovers with egg wash, and sprinkle on a little coarse sugar.
- Bake: Bake for 18 – 24 minutes. The turnovers should be a deep golden brown. While the first pan bakes, repeat this with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Serve + Store: Drizzle the warm turnovers with salted caramel sauce and enjoy while hot from the oven! These are best while they're fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days and reheat in the oven to preserve the crisp, flaky texture.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Unbaked turnovers can be fully assembled without the outer egg wash, and frozen in a single layer. Bake from frozen adding a few minutes to the bake time if needed. Caramel can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Brenda says
Made them today… didn’t look as pretty as the picture but they were delicious!! And especially the salted caramel sauce!!
Thank you for this easy recipe with everyday ingredients and the detailed instructions. It’s a keeper!! 🙂
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks for the rave review, Brenda! 🙂
Bianka says
Oooo these look SO delicious! I love caramel and have a bunch of apples just sitting there looking at me… I might have to make them lol! x
Stephanie Simmons says
I hope you do give them a try! 🙂
Constance Smith says
You can’t have too many apple recipes. You simply can’t. Oh, and now that you have used the puffed pastry…look out! You’ll be inventing ways to use it! 😛
bluebowl says
Glad you feel that way too 🙂 I still have more apples to get through from our trip to the orchard!
Carmen says
The puff pastry makes this so easy to make! One of the reasons why I don’t make hand pies or turnovers is the level of work it takes to make the dough. This totally solves that! I have some in my freezer right now. I think I’ll try this one out this week!
bluebowl says
How perfect! Hope you like them!
Maman de sara says
Oh! Why I am looking at this right now, I really want to eat them. The add of caramel is a great idea, thanks for sharing.
bluebowl says
Thank you! 🙂
Rezel Kealoha says
This looks so good and your instructions are so easy to follow! This is perfect for fall!
bluebowl says
Thank you so much! 🙂
April says
Your apple turnovers sound and looks so good! I’m sitting here drooling over them!
bluebowl says
Thank you! Haha me too, girl ?
Catherine Brown says
Oh my goodness, these look SOOOO good! This filling looks like it would be fantastic in a lot of things… but tucked inside pastry, be still my heart! I would eat the entire pan. 🙂
bluebowl says
Pastry is the best! Thank you 🙂
Tara says
Yum! Such wonderful flavors. I love the combination of caramel and apple. This sounds so perfect with some vanilla ice cream.
bluebowl says
Yes! I definitely made my husband bring home some vanilla ice cream just to have with these 🙂
Azlin Bloor says
Oh my goodness, these look so incredible, they are my husband’s absolute favourite! This is such a perfect way to use all the apples that are around this time of the year. And you are so right, they don’t need much do they?
bluebowl says
Thanks so much! My husband loves these too 🙂
Julie says
These look so perfect for Autumn! I could see taking these (still slightly warm) on a long walk on some chilly afternoon to see the changing leaves.
bluebowl says
That sounds AMAZING 🙂 I might just have to do that 😉 Even though it was lightly snowing here today….
Amelie says
This looks so good! My mom used to make a similar dessert when I was a kid, but I had totally forgotten about it. This recipe makes me want to try it myself. Thanks!
bluebowl says
My mom used to make these too! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
Cynthia says
Looks amazing and your instructions are so clear! I still have to learn more about puff pastry, it is so intimidating for me, but this recipe comes right on time as I’m having pregnancy cravings and I’m desperate for apple strudel; this looks like a good substitute!
bluebowl says
Thank you so much!! Glad to hear my instructions are clear – that’s my goal! ? Hope you enjoy this if you try it out!