Air Fryer Apple Turnovers

Name: Air Fryer Apple Turnovers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound puff pastry (block or sheets, thawed); 3 medium baking apples (peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes); 2 tablespoons salted butter; 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons granuled white sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; Coarse sugar (for sprinkling (optional)); 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

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You'll be surprised how easy it is to make your very own Apple Turnovers using an Air Fryer! The use of puff pastry makes for a simple preparation for this Fall favorite comfort food. Topped with a homemade drizzle and sprinkled with coarse sugar, you can forget about bakery-made turnovers from here on out.

An apple turnover, with a bite taken out of it, exposing the apple filling.

I don't know about you, but I identify pretty deeply with my regional culture. For me, that means I grew up every year trotting off to the local farming community to pick apples and tote them back home. Once home, they were great for fresh eating, pies, applesauce, muffins, and more. Having grown up in a culture that is immersed in all things apple, I grew to love these sweet and delicious Fall fruits more and more with each passing year.

Now, living in that same community that I once traveled to as a girl, I have fresh apples of every variety available to me. Every road side stand, every farm market, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry with an apple tree presents a new opportunity for me to enjoy this cultural tradition.

Apple turnovers on a cooling rack, drizzled with glaze.

Apple Turnovers + Air Fryer = 😋

And so, what better way to celebrate this season than to share one of my favorite apple recipes with you here on my blog? Since I'm focused on sharing oven free recipes, I decided to develop a method for cooking these tender apple turnovers in an Air Fryer. And let me tell you: they are amazing!

Golden, crisp exterior, with a tender and sweet apple filling, they are the things that dreams are made of. When sprinkled with a coarse baking sugar just before baking, they are even better than the ones you can buy from the bakery.

Best apples for baking

If you haven't already picked up your apples for this recipe, here's a list of the best apples for baking with to help you make your selection!

Granny Smith
Jonagold
Cortland (my personal favorite)
Honeycrisp
McIntosh
Braeburn
Golden Delicious
Gala
Northern Spy

Ingredients

Puff pastry: If you can find puff pastry sheets, opt for that! I could only find blocks, so I had to roll them out myself. Sheets make for a much easier prep if they are available to you.
Apples: You will need about 3 medium sized apples. You want apples that are good for baking, since they will stand up to sautéing without breaking down. I used McIntosh, but you can use any baking apple you have on hand. Granny Smith, Jonagold, Gala, and Cortland are all great options as well.
Egg: You will need one egg, beaten with some water. This makes an egg wash for sealing out apple turnovers, and brushing them to help them turn a golden brown color.

You will also need:

Butter
Cinnamon
Lemon juice
White sugar
Brown sugar
Coarse baking sugar (optional; find it here)

For the Glaze:

Powdered sugar: Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar, its a fine textured sugar that is used to make icing, frosting, and glazes. This cannot be substituted, but you can make your own using this recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking.
Heavy cream: You will need 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream. This really depends on how thin you like your glaze. I like mine on the thinner side, so I use almost the full 2 tablespoons.
Vanilla extract: Just a touch (¼ teaspoon) of vanilla extract makes for a nicely flavored glaze for our Air Fryer Apple Turnovers. You can completely omit this if desired.

Instructions

How to saute apples to make turnover filling.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until melted.

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.

Reduce the heat to low and add the brown sugar, white sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir well.

How to add apple filling to puff pastry to make turnovers.

Simmer the sugared apple mixture for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is soft and caramelized.

Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

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".Cut the puff pastry into four squares from large square.

Whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash. Set aside.

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.

How to fill and seal apple turnovers using an egg wash and fork.

Brush a small amount of egg wash along each side of the square, and fold it over, pressing down to seal.

Use a fork to crimp the edges of the turnovers, and place on a lined baking sheet or plate.

Repeat with all of the remaining puff pastry squares.

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.

How to make apple turnovers in an air fryer. Add the sealed turnovers to the basket of an air fryer and bake until golden.

Preheat your air fryer to 350F for at least 3 minutes, or according to the manufacturers instructions for your particular model.

Brush the tops of the turnovers you are ready to bake with the egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

Place your turnovers in the preheated basket and bake for 11-15 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.

Remove from the air fryer and place on a cooling rack with paper towel or parchment underneath.

An apple turnover, being drizzled with a simple glaze.

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. Drizzle the glaze on the still warm turnovers using a spoon.

Repeat the baking process with your remaining 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. Serve and enjoy!

Oven Instructions

If you don't have an Air Fryer (yet 😉), you can easily make this recipe in the oven.

Prepare all of the turnovers as directed, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in an oven preheated to 400F for 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

An apple turnover with a bite taken out of it, being placed on a wire rack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze apple turnovers?

While baked and glazed apple turnovers do not freeze well, unbaked apple turnovers freeze very well! Simply place the unbaked apple turnovers on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once completely frozen through, add the turnovers to a labeled freezer bag. Bake from frozen (or thawed slightly) and use within 2 months.

How do you keep apple turnovers from getting soggy?

By keeping your apple turnovers chilled before baking, using chilled or room temperature filling, and adding them to a hot oven or air fryer, you are ensuring that they do not become soggy. In addition to these steps, do not brush them with egg wash until they are ready to go into the oven.

What are the best apples for turnovers?

Any good quality baking apple works very well for turnovers. Granny Smith, McIntosh, Jonagold, Cortland, and Honeycrisp are just a few fine choices.

How do you thaw puff pastry?

If you are using the solid blocks of puff pastry, they will need to be thawed overnight (about 8 hours) in your fridge. If you are using sheets of rolled puff pastry, they can be thawed in the fridge in about 4 hours. The best results will come from following the instructions off the package of the particular brand you purchase.

More Fall Inspired Desserts

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