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These Vegan Apple Turnovers are crisp, buttery pastries stuffed with a spiced apple filling that’s just the right amount of tart and sweet! The perfect cozy fall or winter dessert.
Table of Contents
These Vegan Apple Turnovers are a veganized version of the classic apple-stuffed dessert! Sweet mounds of spiced caramelized apples tucked into crisp, buttery puff pastries and drizzled with a sweet glaze for the perfect handheld dessert 😊
A Comfort Classic, but Veganized!
If you’ve never had a turnover before, you’re in for a treat! It’s a classic pastry made by taking a square piece of dough, stuffing it with filling, and then folding it over, sealing, and baking it. While they can be sweet or savory, sweet fruit-filled turnovers like these Vegan Apple Turnovers have a special place in my heart (and my belly 😉).
Because turnovers are so portable, they are commonly enjoyed as an easy, on-the-go breakfast alongside a cup of tea or coffee. I made this recipe with that in mind, so the spiced, jammy apple filling has the perfect balance of tart and sweet. These can even be made without the glaze drizzle if you’d like an extra tart version!
What You Need For Vegan Apple Turnovers
Some bakeries will make their turnovers with dairy and eggs, but turnovers can easily be made vegan. In fact, most pre-made puff pastry dough in the grocery store is plant-based by default, just be sure to check the ingredients!
For these Vegan Apple Turnovers, I used Pepperidge Farm’s puff pastry dough and stuffed it with a tart apple filling made from Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples drenched in vegan butter and brown sugar and seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg! Because the apple filling is fairly tart, I really enjoy topping my turnovers with a plain glaze drizzle that gives them the perfect balance of sweetness, but this step is totally optional. If you are opting for the glaze, you’ll only need 2 simple ingredients: powdered sugar and water.
How to Make Vegan Apple Turnovers
- Thaw the puff pastry according to package instructions. Line a baking sheet and preheat the oven.
- In a pan, melt butter and add the apples, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Mix everything and sauté until there’s liquid in the pan.
- Make a cornstarch slurry, add to the apple mixture, and stir rapidly. Remove apples from heat and set aside.
- Place the puff pastry on a dusted surface and roll into a square, then cut into 4 squares. Fill half of each square with apple mixture, brush with milk, then fold over into a triangle. Use a fork to pinch edges, then transfer to the baking sheet.
- Cut slits in the top of each pastry, brush with milk, and bake until golden.
- Mix powdered sugar and milk in a bowl until glaze forms. Drizzle glaze over each and serve.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Use Baking Apples: I used a combo of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples for this recipe, but you could use any of your favorite baking apples like Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Jonagold. Apples to avoid would be Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious, as they will end up too watery and mushy.
- Vegan Puff Pastry: Most puff pastry is vegan by default, but make sure to double-check the ingredients before buying. I used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, which is available at most grocery stores in the US.
Serving Suggestions
Turnovers, whether they are sweet or savory, are typically enjoyed for breakfast, but can also be enjoyed as a dessert any time of day! These sweet, fruit-filled pastries are so delicious alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but also just as good as an after-dinner treat. Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them in a tightly-sealed container or bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave or heat in the toaster oven.
If you’re looking for more fall and winter dessert recipes, you’ll love this No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Pie, these One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins, and this Cranberry Orange Bread!
FAQs
Turnovers are named after the way they are folded (turned) over to create an enclosed pocket of yummy filling! Among the most popular of all turnovers, apple turnovers got their name from their tangy apple filling.
While similar, pies and turnovers have different types of crust. Turnovers are made by folding dough over into a triangle or half-moon shape, and pies are made using a circular shape. Also, turnovers are typically made using puff pastry, while hand pies are usually made using pie crust.
Typically store-bought puff pastry dough is made from flour, water, and oil. I used the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets which are already vegan.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Apple Turnovers
Ingredients
For the Turnovers:
- 1 lb puff pastry (2 sheets) thawed according to package instructions
- 3 apples* peeled, cored, and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted dairy-free butter
- 1/4 cup (48 g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom and/or nutmeg optional
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour for dusting
- 3 tablespoons plant-based milk for brushing
For the Glaze (optional):
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Prep: Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and thaw according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 400F and set a lined baking sheet aside.
- Cook the Apples: Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium pan. Add the apples to the pan along with the brown sugar, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well until the apples are evenly coated in spice. Sauté for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and there is liquid on the bottom of the pan.
- Thicken the Filling: dissolve the cornstarch in water, add to the apples, and stir rapidly. Remove the apples from the heat and set aside while you prepare the puff pastry.
- Cut the Puff: Lightly dust a cutting board or large surface with half of the flour, then place one sheet of puff pastry on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out into an 11″ by 11″ square, then cut into four equal squares.
- Fill the Pastry: Fill one half of each pastry square with the cooked apple mixture, leaving a 1/2″ border on the edges. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk, then fold the other half of the pastry over to form a triangle; use a fork to pinch the edges together, then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have 8 turnovers.
- Bake: Cut 1-2 small slits in the top of each pastry with a knife to allow for ventilation, then brush the tops of each pastry with the remaining plant-based milk. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until the pasty is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
- Make the Glaze (optional): Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon of milk; mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk in 1/2 teaspoon increments, until the glaze reaches your desired thickness.
- Glaze & Serve: Drizzle the glaze over the turnovers, then serve warm; leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat leftovers in the oven or toaster oven.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Apples: I prefer to use a mix of red and green apples for this recipe for a well-balanced flavor. I used 2 Honeycrisp apples and 1 Granny Smith apple; if you use more green apples, the filling will be more tart.
- Plant-Based Milk: I would recommend using a milk with a higher fat or protein content for better browning, like soy milk, full-fat oat milk, or canned coconut milk.
- Substitutions: butter can be replaced with a neutral-tasting oil. Brown sugar can be swapped with coconut sugar or cane sugar. Cornstarch can be replaced with arrowroot powder.
Loved this recipe! Such an easy and delicious start to fall baking and a great way to use up some of my tree’s apples. I accidentally used a little too much butter but it was totally fine. My husband said they looked just like Arby’s apple turnovers, but tasted way better 😉
Yay! Thank you for making it, Lauren!
Easy and delicious! My family loves these apple turnovers. We will be making them again.
Easy and delicious! These remind me of the turnovers my mom made growing up. I will be making these again.
I’m glad you liked it, Kathy!
So easy and delicious! I love making apple desserts during the fall and this one hits the spot!
Thank you, Samantha!
Easy and delicious! Perfect recipe for the start of fall. 🍏
So delicious! The spices were perfect and the apples kept their shape. I’ve never cooked with puff pastry before and it was surprisingly easy!
Glad you gave it a try, Jessica!
These were so easy to make and very delicious 🥰
Thank you, Emma!
A great recipe if you’re new to puff pastry! I’ve never used it before, so I was excited to try it out. This recipe couldn’t be easier and they turned out great! I added cinnamon & cardamom to my glaze for my own preference. I was extra generous with my apple filling, so my last puff pastry got some chocolate instead and that was also fantastic. Everyone in my home enjoyed these, and now I’m wondering what else I should stick inside some puff pastry!
There are a lot of things you can use to fill puff pastry! Enjoy!
These apple turnovers were so yummy! This recipe was very easy to follow and they made the whole house smell like fall! This filling tastes like you are eating real apples instead of an overly sugared-gooey artificial mess like most store-bought turnovers. These will definitely be a repeat up in this house 🙂
So happy you loved it, Kimberly!
Absolutely scrumptious! This recipe was easy to follow and so yummy. The addition of cardamom to the spice blend really makes these sing. They are perfectly balanced, sweet but not too sweet. I used the exact apple blend recommended (2 honeycrisp, 1 granny smith) and was very happy with the result.
Glad you loved it!
Tastes amazing! Pretty easy recipe to make as long as you have premade puff pastry. Great way to start off the Fall season.
Absolutely delicious! My only tip is to pay attention when you’re picking out the puff pastry. I didn’t realize they sell other shapes of puff pastry other than sheets and accidentally bought hexagons. Also, extra filling made a great oatmeal topping!
I liked the addition of the extra spices in the filling. I chopped my apples rather small and made 24 mini turnovers to bring to a party. The smaller size took about 18 minutes to bake. I had quite a bit of left over thickened “juice” in the filling so I mixed that in with the glaze to give it a little extra flavor and lessened the amount of milk. They turned out great.
The most delicious turnover! The filling is perfect and the recipe was easy enough to do that my 4 year old had a great time doing a lot of it herself! This will be a go to recipe for apple season from now on.
Happy that you and your 4-year old enjoyed it, Jordan! Thank you. ♥
These were so easy and delish! I did have filling leftover, but I just got more puffed pasty and made them again! I made the first batch while on FaceTime with my best friend and she said “those look so impressive” and I told her how easy they were and sent her the recipe! Thank you for sharing, will for sure make again!
Happy you enjoyed them, Jane!
Delicious!!! I accidentally bought phyllo dough pastry sheets. 🙁 However they still tasted delicious and just made a different version of apple turnover. My apples may have been on the small side so I think I will use 4 apples next time or just extra large ones.
Absolutely delicious!!! Such a fun quick recipe for the most perfect crispy apple treat.
So good and the recipe was easy to follow! Caitlin’s recipes are always great!
Thank you so much, Cassie!
This recipe was delicious and super easy for beginners! I’m not a huge baker but I was able to have success with this recipe. I substituted the brown sugar with date sugar and they still tasted amazing! I will definitely do this again for any sort of dinner event for family or friends. It would be perfect for Thanksgiving dessert – especially with some vanilla ice cream on top.
Glad you enjoyed it, Toni!
I love all of the recipes I find on From My Bowl!
Thank you so much, Jeanie!
So good! Mine were ugly but delicious 😆 I went off recipe a little and added a bit of brandy to the apple filling. Turned out so good!
Thank you, Allison!