These flaky turnovers are so easy to make. Simply stuff with homemade cinnamon apple filling and generously top with caramel sauce.
What I love about these turnovers is how simple they are. There is absolutely nothing difficult about making these caramel apple turnovers! Much easier than a full apple pie, but with all the same apple and cinnamon goodness. It all starts with a package of thawed puff pastry. Puff pastry is very easy to work with. In its raw form, it’s similar to pie crust. When baked, it’s magically airy, flaky, and puffy. Layers upon layers of buttery goodness.
The trick here is to thaw the puff pastry for about 2 hours. But do not let it get too warm or it will be hard to work with. An easy way to do this is to put the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator before going to sleep. In the morning, the pastry will be thawed, but still cool.
There are typically two sheets of puff pastry in a standard box. Unfold the two sheets and lay them flat. Cut each into four squares. Spoon the filling into the center. Fold in a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork, then brush with beaten egg so they’re beautiful and shiny on top.
Like so:
The filling is made from two small peeled and chopped apples. I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Pink Lady apple. Any variety will work. You’ll cook down the apples with cornstarch, chopped pecans, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sugar. The pecans are completely optional. I loved the extra texture they gave to the gooey filling though!
The cinnamon-y apples will leak onto the baking sheet…
…and it’s utterly amazing.
I like to eat them warm right out of the oven. Once they’re done, drizzle each with salted caramel. There is nothing quite like the combination of caramel and apples, especially this time of year! If you ever have the itch to pair the two together in a full-size pie, my salted caramel apple pie is for you. Or try salted caramel apple pie bars or these apple cupcakes with salted caramel frosting.
If you have about an hour to spare, do yourself a favor and make these irresistible turnovers. For breakfast, afternoon snack, or heck—even dessert with a huge scoop of melty vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream. (Umm… yum.)
Don’t want to use puff pastry? Use my favorite pie crust to make individual hand-pies with this filling instead. See my apple hand pies post for shaping success tips, as well as alternate filling ideas. That filling is very similar to this one, but yields more filling and uses more fall spices.
If you appreciate having a few shortcut recipes in your back pocket (I know we all do now and then!), see my recipe for 20 minute chocolate crescents as well.
PrintCaramel Apple Turnovers
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 turnovers
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy, buttery, and incredibly flaky turnovers stuffed with gooey cinnamon apples and generously topped with caramel sauce. My favorite way to start a cool, crisp fall morning.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 small peeled & finely diced apples, any variety
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- optional: 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Pastry
- 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed*
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup salted caramel for drizzling
Instructions
- Make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples, cornstarch, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir constantly for 5 minutes. Switch to low heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool off for 20 minutes.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Prepare the pastry: Unroll the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface. Cut each into 4 squares. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of apple mixture onto the center of each square. Fold each over into a triangle shape and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. See photo above for visual. Some apple juices may leak out.
- Lightly brush the top of each turnover with beaten egg. Cut 2 or 3 small steam vents in the tops. Bake each batch for 20 minutes until golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through bake time to avoid uneven browning.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle each turnover with caramel sauce before serving. Turnovers taste best on the same day, though you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked turnovers can be frozen up to 2 months and thawed overnight in the refrigerator, then warmed up in the oven or microwave.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush
- Puff Pastry: See text above for the best way to thaw puff pastry for this recipe.
Who else is ready for fall?