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These Apple Pie Turnovers are fall perfection! Easy to make and fun for little hands, they’re a fantastic way to use all those fresh apples you’ve been picking. It’s like having a handheld slice of classic apple pie all to yourself!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Delicious & Classic: These turnovers are filled with fresh apples, warm cinnamon, and a touch of brown sugar. A perfectly portable apple pie that kids love, especially in their lunch boxes! We can’t get enough of easy apple desserts like Apple Pie Cups and Apple Applesauce Muffins this time of year.
- Healthier Option: Unlike the pre-packaged apple pies from fast food, these homemade turnovers skip palm oil, high fructose corn syrup, and other unnecessary additives without sacrificing flavor. I love finding a way to make healthier versions of fast food favorites!
- Freezer-Friendly Treats: Make a batch ahead of time and freeze them. Whenever a craving hits, simply pop them in the oven and get ready for a warm, apple-licious snack any time of year!
The Ingredients
- Apples: Use your favorite type! Fuji, Gala, Pippin, or Granny Smith all work beautifully. Mixing varieties can give extra depth of flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm spice and the classic apple pie taste we all love.
- Brown Sugar: Just enough for sweetness and a lightly caramelized flavor with the baked apples.
- Pie Dough: Store-bought pie dough works perfectly if you don’t have time to make your own homemade pie dough. Still delicious every time!
- Egg + Water (optional): For an optional egg wash that gives your turnovers a beautiful golden-brown finish.
How to Make Apple Pie Turnovers
- In a medium size bowl, combine the chopped apple, cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Unroll your pie crust on a parchment-lined or floured surface. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter (any fun shape you like!), cut out as many shapes as possible.
- Place 2 teaspoons of the apple mixture in the center of half of the dough cut outs. These will be your bases. Lightly dab a little water around the edges of each base cutout. Place a second dough cutout on top and gently press around the edges to seal.
- Transfer the turnovers to a prepared baking sheet. If you’d like them extra golden, whisk 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush it lightly over the tops (optional).
- Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes and then serve.
Recipe Video
Storage/Freezing Instructions
Storage: Keep baked turnovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for 3–4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes to crisp them back up.
To Freeze: Assemble and seal, then freeze turnovers on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, bake from frozen at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, or until golden.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a fun cutter: You can use any type of cookie cutter, but this apple shaped cookie cutter makes them even more special with a dose of whimsy.
- Cut from the edges: Start at the outer edge of the dough and cut shapes close together to reduce scraps. This maximizes dough use and helps you make more handheld apple pies with less waste.
- Dice apples small: Small, even pieces soften quickly and help keep the turnovers from bursting open.
- Don’t overfill: Stick to about 2 teaspoons of filling so the edges seal properly. Got Easy Homemade Apple Butter on hand? Use that as your filling instead!
- Keep the dough cold: If the dough warms up, chill the cutouts for a few minutes so they hold their shape.
FAQs
Any firm, crisp apple works well. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith are great choices, and mixing varieties gives extra flavor.
Yes. Puff pastry works beautifully and creates a lighter, flakier turnover. Keep the filling amount the same and bake until golden.
No. The apples soften perfectly as they bake, as long as they’re chopped into small, even pieces.
A drinking glass, mason jar ring, biscuit cutter, or even a knife to cut squares all work. Shape doesn’t impact baking, just appearance.
More Apple Desserts
Apple Pie Turnovers are a cozy, sweet treat that’s perfect for fall. They’re easy to make, fun for little hands to help with, and a great way to get kids excited about baking too! Let me know what you think of these — leave a rating and comment below.
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Apple Pie Turnovers
Ingredients
- 1 large apple , peeled, cored & diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1 box refrigerated pie dough (or homemade pie dough)
- 1 egg + 1 tsp water (optional for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the chopped apple, cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Unroll your pie crust on a parchment-lined or floured surface.
- Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter (or any fun shape you like!), cut out as many circles as possible.
- Place 2 teaspoons of the apple mixture in the center of half of the dough cut outs. These will be your bases.
- Lightly dab a little water around the edges of each base cutout. Place a second dough cutout on top and gently press around the edges to seal.
- Transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheet.
- Poke 3–4 small vents in the top of each turnover with a toothpick. If you'd like them extra golden, whisk 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush it lightly over the tops (optional).
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes and then serve.
Notes
- Use a fun cutter: You can use any type of cookie cutter, but this apple shaped cookie cutter makes them even more special with a dose of whimsy.
- Cut from the edges: Start at the outer edge of the dough and cut shapes close together to reduce scraps.
- Dice apples small: Small, even pieces soften quickly and help keep the turnovers from bursting open.
- Don’t overfill: Stick to about 2 teaspoons of filling so the edges seal properly.
- Keep the dough cold: If the dough warms up, chill the cutouts for a few minutes so they hold their shape.
- If you want to make your own pie dough, use this homemade pie dough recipe.
- Storage: Keep baked turnovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for 3–4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes to crisp them back up.
- To Freeze: Assemble and seal, then freeze turnovers on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, bake from frozen at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, or until golden.
Looks so good and easy!! Great kids recipe also…..
The recipe is great. I’ve made these three times now. The family loves them! As we are diabetic, I substituted Swerve brown sugar. I also added a touch of lemon juice to the apples – maybe a teaspoon – to preserve their color. The taste is amazing and everyone asks for the recipe. It’s so simple! Thanks for providing it!
So happy you liked these, Diane! 🙂
second batch – baked 14 mins, was a hit! first batch, baked 16 minutes was a bit overdone. My oven must cook hot. At 18 mins, they would’ve been crispy critters!
Hummm…wonder how cherry filling would work. Anyone remember McDonalds cherry pies?
I’m wondering if I could make this even easier by using some Apple butter I already made and puff pastry on my freezer?
Would you please note the link for Weelicious pie crust? I can’t seem to find it.
You can even turn this to empanadas and fill it with ypur favorite meat filling!
I made something very similar except I grated the apples and topped it with vanilla ice cream
Sounds fantastic and super simple, I can’t wait to try them!