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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

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These Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers are the perfect fix for your sweet cravings. Flaky crust filled with a sweet and gooey apple filling that’s juicy and packed with flavor. Every bite leaves you in food heaven!

puff pastry apple turnovers topped with homemade whipped cream on a white plate

Apple pie is a classic dessert, and is total comfort food. But as much as I adore homemade apple pie, I don’t adore the massive amounts of calories or refined sugar that come along with it!

I decided to make over this classic dessert recipe, into perfectly sized, individually portioned puff pastry apple turnovers! With just a few secret swaps, you can enjoy this apple puff pastry for dessert or even brunch!

Latest Recipe Video!

This recipe really makes the perfect mini apple pastry to enjoy at home! Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla all come together to make these apple turnovers a staple in your kitchen. And the best part: they are much healthier for you than a regular slice of apple pie!

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

Recipe Ingredients & Notes

puff pastry apple turnovers ingredients

You just need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe! A few things to note:

  • Egg Roll Wrappers: A much healthier, lower fat option that acts just like puff pastry when baked in the oven! You can find them in the refrigerated section of the supermarket near the other Asian items.
  • Spices: Any of your favorite apple pie spices work well in this recipe! I chose cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice – but you can try all spice, cloves, ground ginger, or even cardamom!
  • Apples: Red Delicious or Fuji Apples both work great in this recipe – but any crisp and sweet apple would be perfect!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium nonstick pot on the stove, combine sugar, cornstarch, spices, vanilla extract, and salt with 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until ingredients dissolve.

spices added to a large pot

Step 2: Add apples and stir. Bring to medium-high heat and, stirring frequently, cook until apples have softened, 7 – 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and, stirring often, cook until thick and gooey, 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

apples and spices cooking in a pot


Step 3: Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil and/or spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside. Place two egg roll wrappers flat on a dry surface. Set out a small dish of water. Dip your finger into the water, and run it along all of the wrapper edges. (Repeat as needed while preparing your pockets, as it will help seal them.) Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom, place about 1/3 cup pie filling along the bottom half of each wrapper, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides.

apple filling placed in egg roll wrapper


Step 4: Fold the top half of each wrapper over the filling, so that the top edge meets the bottom and the filling is encased with a border on three sides. Dab each border with water, and fold each inward about 1/4 inch to lightly seal. Press firmly along the borders with the prongs of a fork to seal completely.

fork making indents in the pastry shell

Step 5: Carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat this process with remaining wrappers and filling, for a total of six apple turnovers. Spray the top of each pocket with olive oil cooking spray.

puff pastries on a baking sheet ready to go into the oven

Step 6: Bake in the oven until edges begin to brown, 15 – 18 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

puff pastry apple turnovers fresh out of the oven

Step 7: Top with additional cinnamon and homemade whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for a more decadent dessert!

puff pastry apple turnovers topped with homemade whipped cream on a white plate

What Makes These Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers Healthy?

While this puff pastry with apples is still a dessert, there are a few secret swaps that makes it much healthier than traditional apple turnovers or apple pie.

  • Using egg roll wrappers instead of pastry dough. Now – to be fair, the egg roll wrappers don’t taste exactly like puff pastry when you bake these turnovers. But it’s close enough, and with some whipped cream or a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar, you won’t be able to tell the difference!
  • Using olive oil spray instead of actual butter. Helps get that golden brown crust without all of the calories!
  • Using only 2 Tbsp of added sugar. Trust me, you don’t need more than that. It’s just enough sugar to make these apple turnovers perfectly sweet, while only adding 4 grams of added sugar to each turnover! (The rest of the sugar you see in the nutritional information is natural sugar, from the apples).

Will Kids Enjoy These Apple Pastries?

Unless your child doesn’t like sweets, he or she is going to love these puff pastry apple turnovers. They are perfectly sized for a child, and they will love having their own treat that they don’t have to share.

Kids will love helping to make this recipe, so it’s a great excuse to get everyone involved in the kitchen! These apple puff pastries are also a great alternative when you would rather the kids eat a healthier dessert for any occasion. 

puff pastry apple turnovers topped with homemade whipped cream on a white plate

Recipe FAQs

What Kind of Apples Do I Need?

We almost always use Fuji apples because they offer the right amount of sweetness, and the texture is wonderful. However, you can swap them for another variety if you want to. Sweet or tart apples will work, you just want a crisp apple to get the right texture for this apple pastry recipe. My favorites include:
Fuji Apples
Red Delicious
Gala
Golden Delicious
Granny Smith

Can I Use Other Fruits instead of Apples?

Yes! You can easily swap the apples for other fruits. Peaches or pears would both be excellent options. They are sweet and delicious as well. You can try out other fruits, but just know that the results may vary some and that’s to be expected. Leave me a note and let me know which fruit fillings work and which ones don’t! 🙂

How Do You Store Leftover Apple Turnovers?

These puff pastry apple turnovers are best when refrigerated. You can keep them in a large ziplock bag or food storage container with an airtight lid. They will last 2-3 days in the fridge. 
Additionally, if you wrap each apple pastry with foil or plastic wrap, and then place them into an airtight container, you can also put them in the freezer. They will last for 2-3 months in the freezer and can be thawed in the fridge, and then warmed in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees before eating. 

Top Tips For Making The Best Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

  • It’s important to cook the apples, so the filling resembles any other traditional apple pie. This will give you a soft and delicious pie filling. 
  • Be sure to stir the apple pie filling regularly while it’s cooking. That will ensure that it becomes thick and doesn’t burn.
  • Be careful not to overfill the egg roll wrappers — that will cause them to break while baking and all of that delicious filling will ooze out.
  • Make sure you let the apple turnovers cool before serving and before topping them with whipped cream or ice cream.
  • Be sure to add your favorite toppings like ice cream, whipped cream, or even some spices like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice!
puff pastry apple turnovers topped with homemade whipped cream on a white plate

Check Out These Other Insanely Good Dessert Recipes!

If you have tried these Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

🎥 Watch How to Make It

puff pastry apple turnovers topped with homemade whipped cream on a white plate
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

These Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers are the perfect fix for your sweet cravings. Flaky crust filled with a sweet and gooey apple filling that’s juicy and packed with flavor. Every bite leaves you in food heaven!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Baking, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 140.6kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon or more for optional topping
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • tsp salt
  • 3 cups peeled and chopped apples preferably Fuji
  • 6 large square egg roll wrappers found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the other Asian items
  • Extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
  • Optional toppings: homemade whipped cream (made from just heavy cream) and a dusting of cinnamon; vanilla ice cream for a bit more decadence

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a medium nonstick pot on the stove, combine sugar, cornstarch, spices, vanilla extract, and salt with 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until ingredients dissolve. Add apples and stir. Bring to medium-high heat and, stirring frequently, cook until apples have softened, 7 – 10 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low and, stirring often, cook until thick and gooey, 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. 
  • Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil and/or spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  • Place two egg roll wrappers flat on a dry surface. Set out a small dish of water. Dip your finger into the water, and run it along all of the wrapper edges. (Repeat as needed while preparing your pockets, as it will help seal them.) Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom, place about 1/3 cup pie filling along the bottom half of each wrapper, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides.
  • Fold the top half of each wrapper over the filling, so that the top edge meets the bottom and the filling is encased with a border on three sides. Dab each border with water, and fold each inward about 1/4 inch to lightly seal. Press firmly along the borders with the prongs of a fork to seal completely. Carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat this process with remaining wrappers and filling, for a total of six mini pies.
  • Spray the top of each pocket with olive oil cooking spray. Bake in the oven until edges begin to brown, 15 – 18 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Top with additional cinnamon and homemade whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream

Notes

    Top Tips For Making The Best Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
    • It’s important to cook the apples, so the filling resembles any other traditional apple pie. This will give you a soft and delicious pie filling. 
    • Be sure to stir the apple pie filling regularly while it’s cooking. That will ensure that it becomes thick and doesn’t burn!
    • Be careful not to overfill the egg roll wrappers — that will cause them to break while baking and all of that delicious filling will ooze out!
    • Make sure you let the apple turnovers cool before serving and before topping them with whipped cream or ice cream!
    • Be sure to add your favorite toppings like ice cream, whipped cream, or even some spices like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice!
    Adapted from HungryGirl

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 2.9mg | Sodium: 231.5mg | Potassium: 93.3mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 10.5g

    Posted In…

    Plant Based Desserts ·

    Indulge your sweet tooth with some of my delicious, lightened-up treats! From vegan vanilla pudding to gluten-free brownies to microwave peanut butter fudge, there’s something for everyone!

    All of these desserts are healthier than their traditional counterparts, and many have gluten free and/or vegan alternatives. But the most important part is that they are all so tasty, so satisfying, and are total crowd pleasers!

    Be sure to try other reader favorites like this healthy hot chocolate, our healthy edible vegan cookie dough, and these peanut butter bliss balls!

    39 responses to “Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers”

    1. I love the idea of using egg roll wrappers for a lighter alternative to puff pastry! I never would have thought of that one. Can’t wait to try it!

    2. I love, love, LOVE turnovers but like you said they’re still a dessert. Never thought about making them with egg roll wrappers. What a great idea!5 stars

    3. These apple turnovers remind me of childhood! My grandma would make these for all of us kids. They’re easy to make and so delicious!5 stars

    4. These apple turnovers are looking so cute and I bet they are delicious! We will be trying them this weekend. Looking forward for this fun activity with my daughter!5 stars

    5. First of all, I want to say that these came out yummy!! However, I did something wrong: the egg roll didn’t come out as crispy as I thought they would. Want to make these again for sure but should I use less filling & less goo?

      Ps the name is perfect as I feel 0 guilt

      • Oh great! I’m glad you liked them. For the egg roll to become super crispy, make sure the wrapper is super dry before it goes into the oven (with the exception of the butter spray on top). And yes, not overfilling is important as well! Hope that helps!

      • Thanks Deepthi!! I think you can probably use the phyllo pastry sheets for this recipe – I’m not sure how long it would take to bake them, but it would definitely work as a substitute! Let me know how it turns out!

    6. I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well. Thanks for sharing this information. And I’ll love to read your next post too.

    7. Yay! Thank you for giving me a recipe with all the sweet stuff and none of the guilt. I am always always eating out (for my blog, so I say) but still want treats at home, even though I can’t really afford (weight wise, haha) to overindulge. Love this option!

      • Haha! That’s awesome – I love eating out as well, but this is a great DIY option! 🙂 Hope you enjoyed it!

    8. What a great idea! I’m getting hungry just looking at those. Definitely a great way to have the dessert without worrying that you’re going to eat an entire pie. Beautiful!

    9. I love those little apple handpies, sadly I know how bad they are for you and I rarely buy them. Yours look light and delicious, love it!

      • Yup – totally agree – these remind me of those little handpies, or even McDonald’s apple pies (which are also really bad for you). I love that these are a healthier version that taste the same!

    10. this is perfect. I wanted to make pie but then didn’t wanted to make a huge big one .. this is perfect .. really!

    11. These pies look really good … I love using apples in baking recipes (well we have to make use of the apples from our trees somehow, right?). You may also like my apple strudel … a step by step is on my site .. you’ll find it under italian recipes.

      • I love using apple in recipes as well – it’s one of my husbands favorite dessert fruits!

    12. These look delish and I can’t believe they are around 100 calories. What a great use of left over spring roll wrappers too. I might make mini ones with won ton wrappers!

      • Won ton wrappers would work great!! I also love that you can freeze the leftover wrappers and use them for other recipes!

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