Easy Air Fryer Apple Turnovers: Crispy Perfection with Puff Pastry
Get ready to be utterly delighted by how incredibly simple it is to whip up your very own **homemade Air Fryer Apple Turnovers**! This recipe transforms store-bought puff pastry into a golden, flaky delight, making preparation a breeze for this ultimate fall comfort food. Each turnover is generously filled with perfectly spiced apples, then topped with a sweet homemade glaze and a sprinkle of coarse sugar. Once you taste these, you’ll forget all about those bakery-made versions. It’s time to elevate your dessert game with minimal effort and maximum flavor!
For many of us, the arrival of autumn brings with it a cherished tradition: **apple picking**. I, for one, deeply connect with my regional culture, and that means my childhood was filled with annual trips to local farming communities. We’d venture out to orchards, baskets in hand, to gather bushels of fresh, crisp apples, then excitedly bring them back home. These treasured fruits weren’t just for fresh eating; they quickly became the star of countless recipes: classic apple pies, smooth applesauce, hearty muffins, and so much more. Growing up in a place where apples are central to the fall experience, my love for these sweet and versatile fruits only deepened with each passing year.
Now, as an adult living in that very same community I frequented as a girl, I find myself surrounded by an abundance of fresh apples of every conceivable variety. From quaint roadside stands to bustling farm markets, and even neighbors with prolific apple trees, every corner offers a new opportunity to embrace this wonderful cultural tradition. It’s a joy that never fades, and it continuously inspires me to create new and exciting ways to enjoy apples.
Air Fryer Apple Turnovers: A Match Made in Dessert Heaven!
What better way to celebrate the bounty of this season than to share one of my absolute **favorite apple recipes** right here on the blog? As a proponent of oven-free cooking, I was determined to develop a method for making these delightful, tender apple turnovers using an air fryer. And let me tell you, the results are simply phenomenal! The air fryer creates a truly magical transformation, delivering turnovers that are golden, wonderfully crisp on the outside, with a warm, tender, and perfectly sweet apple filling on the inside. They are, quite frankly, the stuff that dessert dreams are made of. Sprinkled with a sparkling coarse baking sugar just before baking, these homemade treats surpass anything you could find at your local bakery.
Using an air fryer for these turnovers isn’t just about convenience; it’s about achieving an unparalleled texture. The circulating hot air ensures an incredibly even bake and a beautifully puffed-up, flaky pastry every single time. Plus, it cooks them significantly faster than a traditional oven, meaning you can enjoy these warm, delicious treats in a fraction of the time. This makes them perfect for a spontaneous weeknight indulgence or a quick yet impressive dessert for guests.
Choosing the Best Apples for Baking Turnovers
Selecting the right apples is key to a perfect apple turnover. You want apples that will hold their shape during cooking, offering a delightful bite without turning into mush. They should also provide a good balance of sweetness and tartness to complement the rich pastry and sweet glaze. If you haven’t yet gathered your apples for this recipe, here’s an expanded list of the **best apples for baking**, along with a little insight into why they work so well:
- Granny Smith: A classic for baking, known for its firm texture and tartness, which provides a fantastic contrast to the sweet filling.
- Jonagold: A cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious, offering a perfect balance of sweet and tart with a firm texture.
- Cortland: (My personal favorite!) These apples stay wonderfully white when cut, hold their shape, and have a mild, sweet-tart flavor.
- Honeycrisp: As the name suggests, these are wonderfully crisp and sweet, with just enough tartness to make them great for baking.
- McIntosh: Known for their soft, juicy flesh and distinctive aromatic flavor. While they soften more than some others, they create a wonderfully tender filling.
- Braeburn: A firm, crisp apple with a balanced sweet-tart flavor that holds up well to heat.
- Golden Delicious: Sweet and mellow, these apples soften nicely during baking and contribute a rich, buttery flavor to your filling.
- Gala: Sweet and aromatic, Galas are good all-purpose apples that maintain some firmness when cooked.
- Northern Spy: Often considered one of the best baking apples, they are firm, juicy, and have a complex sweet-tart flavor that intensifies with baking.
Feel free to use a single variety or mix and match to create a unique flavor profile in your apple turnover filling!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to gather for these incredible Air Fryer Apple Turnovers:
- Puff Pastry: This is your secret weapon for easy, flaky turnovers! If you can find pre-rolled puff pastry sheets, definitely go for those – they will make your prep much quicker and easier. I often find blocks, which work perfectly fine, but require a quick roll-out. Ensure your pastry is thawed according to package directions before you begin.
- Apples: You’ll need about 3 medium-sized apples. As discussed above, select varieties that are ideal for baking, as they will stand up beautifully to sautéing without becoming overly mushy. McIntosh is a great choice, but any good baking apple you have on hand will work splendidly.
- Egg: One large egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water, creates our essential egg wash. This serves a dual purpose: it helps seal the edges of your apple turnovers, preventing any delicious filling from escaping, and it also gives them that beautiful, golden-brown, bakery-quality finish when baked.
- Butter: Just two tablespoons of salted butter will be used to sauté your diced apples, adding a rich, foundational flavor to the filling.
- Cinnamon: A half teaspoon of ground cinnamon adds that quintessential warm, comforting spice that pairs perfectly with apples.
- Lemon Juice: One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice brightens the apple flavor and prevents the apples from browning excessively while you prepare the filling.
- White Sugar: Two tablespoons of granulated white sugar contribute to the overall sweetness and help create a lovely caramelized texture in the apple filling.
- Brown Sugar: A quarter cup of packed brown sugar adds a deeper, molasses-rich sweetness and a wonderful sticky caramelization to the apples.
- Coarse Baking Sugar (optional): This is an optional but highly recommended touch! A sprinkle of coarse sugar on top before baking adds a fantastic texture and a sparkling, professional appearance. You can find it here.
For the Glaze:
The sweet drizzle takes these turnovers from great to extraordinary!
- Powdered Sugar: Also widely known as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar, this finely textured sugar is indispensable for creating smooth, pourable glazes and frostings. There’s no direct substitute for its texture in this recipe, but if you’re in a pinch, you can make your own using this simple recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking.
- Heavy Cream: You will need 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. The exact amount depends entirely on your preference for glaze consistency. I personally favor a thinner, more easily pourable glaze, so I tend to use closer to the full 2 tablespoons.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a quarter teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract adds a lovely depth of flavor to our glaze, beautifully complementing the apple turnovers. While highly recommended for that extra touch, you can certainly omit it if you prefer.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Air Fryer Apple Turnovers
Follow these easy steps to create flaky, delicious apple turnovers:
1. Prepare the Apple Filling: Begin by heating a medium-sized skillet over medium heat on your stovetop. Add the butter and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until it is completely melted and shimmering.
2. Sauté the Apples: Add your peeled and diced apples to the skillet. Stir them thoroughly to ensure each apple piece is evenly coated in the melted butter. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened to your liking, which usually takes about 5 minutes.
3. Add Sweeteners and Spices: Reduce the heat to low. Now, add the brown sugar, white sugar, ground cinnamon, and fresh lemon juice to the skillet. Stir everything together very well until all the apples are coated with the sugary spice mixture.
4. Simmer to Perfection: Allow the sugared apple mixture to simmer gently for approximately 3 minutes, or until the apples are very soft and the sugars have caramelized into a rich, syrupy consistency. This creates a wonderfully tender and flavorful filling.
5. Cool the Filling: Once caramelized, remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the apple filling to a separate bowl or spread it thinly on a plate to help it cool down completely to room temperature. This step is crucial to prevent the puff pastry from becoming soggy.
6. Prepare the Puff Pastry: While the filling cools, unwrap your thawed puff pastry sheets. If you are using puff pastry blocks, lightly flour your work surface and roll out each block into a large square, roughly 8-10 inches by 8-10 inches, ensuring a consistent thickness. Once rolled or unwrapped, cut each large square into four smaller, equal-sized squares.
7. Make the Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and a tablespoon of water until well combined. This is your egg wash, essential for sealing and browning the turnovers.
8. Fill the Pastry: Carefully portion a small amount of the cooled apple filling onto the center of each puff pastry square. Be sure to leave at least a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the square—this space is needed for proper folding and sealing.
9. Seal the Turnovers: Lightly brush a small amount of the prepared egg wash along two adjacent edges of each pastry square. Then, carefully fold one corner of the square over to meet the opposite corner, forming a triangle shape. Gently press down along the edges to seal the turnover securely.
10. Crimp the Edges: For an extra-secure seal and a beautiful, rustic look, use the tines of a fork to crimp all along the sealed edges of each turnover. This also helps prevent the filling from leaking out during baking. Place the completed turnovers on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper.
11. Chill Before Baking: Once all your turnovers are assembled, determine how many can comfortably fit in your air fryer basket without overcrowding (usually 2-3 for basket-style, more for oven-style models). Keep that amount out for immediate baking, and place the remaining turnovers in the refrigerator to chill. Chilling them prevents the pastry from becoming soggy while they await their turn and ensures maximum flakiness.
12. Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for at least 3 minutes, or follow the specific preheating instructions for your particular air fryer model.
13. Egg Wash & Sugar: Just before baking, brush the tops of the turnovers that are ready to go into the air fryer with the egg wash. If desired, sprinkle them generously with coarse sugar for an added crunch and sparkle.
14. Air Fry: Carefully place your prepared turnovers into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they don’t touch. Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until they are beautifully golden brown and delightfully puffy. Cooking time can vary depending on your air fryer, so keep an eye on them.
15. Cool Slightly: Once baked, carefully remove the hot turnovers from the air fryer and transfer them to a cooling rack. Placing a paper towel or parchment paper underneath the rack will catch any glaze drips.
16. Prepare the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add more heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time, until you achieve a thin, pourable glaze consistency that you desire.
17. Drizzle and Serve: Using a spoon, generously drizzle the prepared glaze over the still-warm turnovers. The warmth helps the glaze set beautifully. Repeat the entire baking and glazing process with any remaining chilled turnovers until all are cooked and adorned. Serve them warm and savor every bite!
Oven Instructions: A Traditional Baking Method
Don’t have an Air Fryer yet? No worries! These delicious apple turnovers can still be made beautifully in a traditional oven. While the air fryer provides a unique crispness, oven-baked turnovers are equally delightful with a slightly softer, yet still flaky, pastry.
To bake in the oven, simply prepare all the turnovers following the instructions above – from making the apple filling and assembling the pastry to brushing with egg wash and sprinkling with coarse sugar. Once assembled, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced adequately apart.
Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 20-24 minutes, or until they are golden brown, puffed, and the filling is bubbling slightly. Keep a close eye on them towards the end of the baking time as ovens can vary. Once baked, transfer them to a cooling rack and proceed with drizzling the glaze as instructed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Turnovers
While baked and glazed apple turnovers tend to lose their optimal texture when frozen and thawed, **unbaked apple turnovers freeze exceptionally well!** To freeze, simply place the unbaked, assembled turnovers (without egg wash or coarse sugar yet) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them flat until they are completely solid. Once frozen, transfer the solid turnovers to a labeled freezer bag or an airtight container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, you can either bake them directly from frozen (adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time) or let them thaw slightly in the refrigerator before baking as usual. Just remember to brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar right before baking.
Preventing soggy apple turnovers is crucial for that perfect flaky bite! Here are the best tips:
- Chill the Turnovers: Always keep your assembled but unbaked apple turnovers chilled in the refrigerator until they are ready to go into the hot air fryer or oven. Cold pastry is key to flakiness.
- Room Temperature Filling: Ensure your apple filling has completely cooled to room temperature before you add it to the puff pastry. Hot filling will warm the pastry too quickly and lead to sogginess.
- Hot Appliance: Always place your turnovers into a preheated air fryer or oven. A hot cooking environment helps the pastry quickly puff up and crisp.
- Proper Sealing: Use the egg wash to seal the edges well and crimp with a fork. This prevents steam from escaping prematurely and keeps the filling contained.
- Egg Wash Timing: Only brush the turnovers with egg wash just before they go into the oven or air fryer, not too far in advance.
- Don’t Overfill: Be mindful not to overfill your pastry squares; too much filling can make it difficult to seal properly and increase the chances of sogginess.
The best apples for turnovers are varieties that are firm enough to hold their shape when cooked and offer a good balance of sweet and tart flavors. Excellent choices include Granny Smith (for tartness), McIntosh (for tender sweetness), Jonagold, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Northern Spy. Using a blend of apples can also create a more complex and delightful flavor in your filling.
Thawing puff pastry properly is essential for achieving that perfect flaky texture. Always refer to the specific instructions on your puff pastry package, as thawing times can vary by brand and format.
- Overnight in the Fridge (Recommended): For solid blocks of puff pastry, the best method is to thaw them overnight (approximately 8 hours) in your refrigerator.
- Fridge Thawing for Sheets: If you’re using pre-rolled puff pastry sheets, they typically thaw faster, usually within about 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Quick Thaw (Emergency): If you’re short on time, you can sometimes carefully thaw frozen puff pastry by placing the wrapped package in a bowl of cold water for 30-60 minutes, changing the water every 15 minutes. Avoid the microwave unless explicitly stated on the package, as it can partially cook the butter in the pastry, leading to a less flaky result.
Ensure the pastry is cold but pliable enough to unfold or roll without cracking before you begin working with it.
More Fall-Inspired Desserts to Love
If you’re looking for more comforting and delicious recipes perfect for the autumn season, check out these other favorites:
- Air Fryer S’mores
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Fluff
- Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- Caramel Apple Dip
Air Fryer Apple Turnovers
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Ingredients
- 1 pound puff pastry block or sheets, thawed
- 3 medium baking apples peeled and chopped into ½” cubes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until melted.
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Add the diced apples and stir well to coat them in the melted butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple is soft, about 5 minutes.
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Reduce the heat to low and add the brown sugar, white sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir well.
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Simmer the sugared apple mixture for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is soft and caramelized.
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Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
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Once your apple filling has cooled, unwrap your puff pastry sheets OR roll out your puff pastry blocks using a small amount of flour. Roll the puff pastry into 2 large square shapes, about 8-10″ x 8-10″.
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Cut the puff pastry into four squares from large square.
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Whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash. Set aside.
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Portion a small amount of the cooled apple filling onto the center of each puff pastry square, leaving at least 1″ around the perimeter of the square for folding and sealing.
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Brush a small amount of egg wash along each side of the square, and fold it over, pressing down to seal.
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Use a fork to crimp the edges of the turnovers, and place on a lined baking sheet or plate.
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Repeat with all of the remaining puff pastry squares.
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Once all of the turnovers are made, assess how many you will be able to fit into your air fryer comfortably. If you are using a basket style, you may only be able to fit 2-3 in at a time. Larger, oven-style models may be able to fit all 8. Once you know how many you can fit, keep that amount out, and place the remaining turnovers in the fridge to chill. This prevents them from getting soggy while they wait for their turn to bake.
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Preheat your air fryer to 350F for at least 3 minutes, or according to the manufacturers instructions for your particular model.
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Brush the tops of the turnovers you are ready to bake with the egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
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Place your turnovers in the preheated basket and bake for 11-15 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.
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Remove from the air fryer and place on a cooling rack with paper towel or parchment underneath.
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Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream and vanilla. Thin it out with additional heavy cream until you get a thin, pourable glaze.
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Drizzle the glaze on the still warm turnovers using a spoon.
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Repeat the baking process with your turnovers (brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cook in the air fryer, and drizzle with glaze) until all of the turnovers have been cooked.
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Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Granny Smith
- Jonagold
- Cortland
- Honeycrisp
- McIntosh
- Braeburn
- Golden Delicious
- Gala
- Northern Spy
Freezing:
While cooked turnovers don’t freeze that well, you can very easily freeze unbaked apple turnovers. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and freeze flat on a lined baking sheet.
Once the turnovers are frozen through, add them to a freezer bag and label. Keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can cook them in the air fryer completely frozen, or thawed slightly. You will have to add additional time to ensure thorough baking.
Nutrition
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