Name: Easy Vegan Apple Turnovers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package vegan puff pastry*; 4 cups water; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 4 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons vegan butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon water; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

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Enjoy apple pie the easy way with these Vegan Apple Turnovers! Made with a flaky, puff pastry crust and soft cinnamon and sugar apple center, these turnovers will be gobbled up by your friends and family in no time!

flaky vegan apple turnovers cooling on a baking tray

While I'll almost always choose chocolate over a fruity dessert, there is something so amazing about apple desserts!

Whether it's Easy Vegan Apple Crisp or Apple Dump Cake, I'm always down for a dessert featuring apples!

I think apple desserts just bring me back to our family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when my mom would almost always server her family apple pie for dessert.

If you too love apple desserts, but don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, then this easy vegan apple turnover recipe will be perfect for you!

Let me show you how to make them!

What are apple turnovers?

Apple turnovers are basically apple pies, but in portable form.

Turnovers in general are made with a puff pastry "crust", which provides a light, airy and flaky exterior.

While I'm sharing an apple turnover recipe today, the filling for turnovers can really be whatever you want, including both sweet or savory!

Common sweet fillings are fruits such as apple, cherries or blueberries.

Savory fillings can range from hearty meats to flavorful vegetables.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I want to share an easier way to have apple pie at all your holiday festivities.

Ingredients You'll Need for Vegan Apple Turnovers

Thankfully, these apple turnovers don't require too many ingredients.

I'm guessing you probably have most of them already on hand!

To make these vegan apple turnovers, you'll need the following ingredients:

Vegan puff pastry
Water
Lemon juice
Granny Smith apples
Vegan butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Cornstarch

Then for an extra decadent touch, I love to make a simple sugar glaze to drizzle over the top. For that you'll simply need:

How to Make Vegan Apple Turnovers

These apple turnovers really are so easy to make.

Thanks to store-bought puff pastry, you don't have to deal with making your own crust.

To make these apple turnovers, just follow the step-by-step instructions below:

Preheat your oven to 400F/200C and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Remove your puff pastry from the freezer and allow it to thaw until pliable.
Fill a large bowl with 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and place the apples in the lemon water as you slice them so that they don't brown.

sliced granny smith apples soaking in lemon water

Once all your apples have been sliced, heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the water from the apples and add the sliced apples to the skillet. Sauté the apples for about 2 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon and continue to cook down the apples until soft.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tablespoon of cornstarch and the tablespoon of water until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples and stir until thickened. Remove the apples from the heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes.

brown sugar coating granny smith apples in a saucepan

sauteed cinnamon and brown sugar apples in a pan

Unfold the puff pastry and, if not already cut into squares, trim the pastry into squares. You may need to press together any puff pastry that has cracks. Spoon some of the cinnamon apples onto the center of each square, fold the square in half to form a triangle, and press the edges together with a fork (see photos).
Place the turnovers onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each turnover, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown. Allow the turnovers to cool completely before drizzling with the glaze.

using a fork to press puff pasty together

flaky, golden brown apple turnovers with drizzled with a sugar glaze

To make the sugar glaze, simply whisk 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk into the powdered sugar. Add more milk as needed 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you desire. Drizzle the glaze over the turnovers.

a bite taken out of a vegan apple turnover

Is Puff Pastry Vegan?

Puff pastry is a light and flaky dough that is made by layering butter and dough.

Usually, puff pastry isn't vegan as it's made with lots of butter.

However, you can find vegan puff pastry in the frozen section of most grocery stores!

Simply look for puff pastry that has been made with vegan butter and/or shortening!

Thankfully, the packaging should be labeled "vegan" or "dairy-free" to help you find what you're looking for.

How to Store Leftover Turnovers

Turnovers taste best when enjoyed fresh, hot out of the oven.

However, if you have leftovers, you can always store them in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days.

Sadly, they'll probably lose their flaky crust the longer they sit!

I'd love to know if you give these easy vegan apple turnovers a try and what you think!

As you can see from the photo above, Harper (and Brett and I!) are quite fond of these flaky, portable apple pies.

I'll definitely be making these again for our friends this Christmas!

12 apple turnovers