Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry

If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect Apple Turnover Recipe, I promise this is it!! After falling in love with Silver Dollar City’s turnovers, I set out on a mission to recreate them at home. After much trial and error, I came up with this recipe that has such a WOW factor! These Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers are SO simple to make and will impress your family and guests every time!

Recipe created by Olivia on our team.

Silver Dollar City Apple Turnovers — A Favorite Childhood Memory

One of my favorite memories as a child was visiting Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The amusement rides, demonstrating craftsman, candy shops, bluegrass music, Marvel cave, and more — it all made for unforgettable memories I will forever cherish.

Every time we visited the theme park, we went to Nellie’s Apple Butter Shop where we were greeted by the most amazing sights and smells. Rows and rows of apple butters, jams, syrups, and the most delectable freshly made apple turnovers!

Paired with warm apple cider, the delicious, flaky, triangular-shaped turnovers were the perfect start to any morning at Silver Dollar City.

Creating My Own Puff Pastry Apple Turnover Recipe

A few years ago, I found some puff pastry dough marked down to 29 cents and began Googling recipes for ways to use it. When I stumbled upon an apple turnover recipe, I was so excited that I could enjoy the delicious tasting delicacy without traveling to Branson!

The recipe didn’t disappoint! Soon, I was baking homemade apple turnovers from my very own kitchen (which now smelled amazing!).

Apple turnovers look very fancy, but are actually quite simple to make! They taste similar to apple pie but are much easier and (in my husband’s opinion) yummier! They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snack, and can be paired with coffee, tea, or apple cider. It’s the perfect recipe for fall when apples go on sale.

How to Make Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

2. In a small saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter over medium heat.

3. Add in diced apples and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.

4. Reduce heat and add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Continue cooking until apples are caramelized and most of the liquid is gone.

5. Dust countertops with flour and roll out pastry dough. Cut into 6 equal-sized squares.

6. Place a little over 1/8 cup of apple mixture onto the middle of each square.

7. Fold diagonally to make a triangle. Crimp edges, first with your fingers and then with a fork.

8. Transfer to parchment or foil-line baking sheet.

9. Brush with coconut oil (or egg wash) and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

10. Cut 2-3 small slits in each turnover.

11. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

12. In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and whipping cream to make a glaze.

13. Drizzle glaze over warm turnovers.

Apple Turnover Recipe Variations

After getting married and adjusting to cooking for my husband who is dairy-free, I tweaked the recipe slightly to make it safe for him. He loves these so much, and can eat many in one sitting! 

This recipe is very accommodating of allergies as it can easily be made dairy free, vegan, or gluten free.

• For dairy free: use a coconut oil option in place of the butter.
• For vegan: use coconut oil in place of the butter and egg wash.
• For gluten-free: use gluten-free puff pastry dough and gluten-free dusting flour. 

How to Store Apple Turnovers

If you don’t eat them fresh, you can store them at room temperature for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed food storage container. They will not taste quite as delicious and flaky, but they won’t be bad!

Can You Freeze Apple Turnovers?

We don’t recommend freezing the turnovers as the crust doesn’t defrost well (it was already frozen as puff pastry).

If you want to make assembly easier, you can make the apple filling and freeze that. Then, when you’re ready to make them, just defrost the puff pastry and the filling, assemble, and bake!