Vegan Apple Turnovers
These vegan apple turnovers with puff pastry are crispy, flaky and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. They make the perfect on-the-go snack or breakfast.
Every single time I’m in the supermarket, I’ll eye up the bakery goods. Apple turnovers, cinnamon rolls, croissants…
And every single time I’m in the supermarket, I’ll leave disappointed that there still aren’t any ready-made pastries suitable for vegans.
*sigh*
A dairy-free alternative
While there may not be much in the way of grab-and-go vegan pastries just yet, I was delighted to discover that most ready-to-roll puff pastry is actually vegan-friendly!
You know what that means? Homemade egg-free and dairy-free apple turnovers for days.
Apple turnovers were actually my first puff pastry dessert experiment and much to my surprise, they turned out so nice. They were also SO EASY to make.
All you have to do is prepare your filling which takes about 10 minutes or so, then pop that into little pockets of ready-made puff pastry and bake them.
You can eat them just as they are, or you can go a step further and add some creamy vanilla glaze on top for an extra touch of sweetness. Either way, you’re going to love them!
How To Make Vegan Apple Turnovers
The first step to the best dairy-free apple turnovers is to prepare your filling. This is loosely based on my apple crumble bars filling and consists of 5 things:
- Water. When mixed with the rest of the ingredients, the water helps to create a saucy, syrupy texture which tastes divine inside puff pastry!
- Apples. I recommend using green apples such as Granny Smith apples for best results. I love using these in my apple flavoured desserts because their tartness compliments the sweetness, caramel-tasting brown sugar very well. If you can’t find them, any type of apple will still work.
- Cornflour. This is also known as cornstarch if you’re in the USA. It helps to bind everything together and thicken it up.
- Cinnamon. Adding cinnamon is totally optional for this recipe but it will give your vegan apple turnovers a warm, slightly spicy flavour that goes nicely with the richness of the brown sugar.
- Brown sugar. This brings a sweet, warm addition to the turnover filling. I recommend using soft light brown sugar. If you don’t have any to hand, you can substitute it for coconut sugar or caster sugar. I’ve never tried using maple syrup or agave nectar for this recipe so I’m unsure of how much you’d need to use as a substitute.
Step 1 :
Chop, peel and core 4 Granny Smith apples, then place them into a large pan with 4 tablespoons of cold water.
Add 1/2 a teaspoon of cornflour. This will help to thicken the apple filling up a little bit when you begin to heat it, preventing it from spilling out of the pastry when it’s baking.
Add 100g of soft brown sugar (1/2 cup) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix everything together while the ingredients are still cold (the cornflour will go lumpy if you try to add it into the hot mixture).
Step 2:
Once all of your filling ingredients are mixed together in the pan, turn up the heat and cook for around 10 minutes or so, stirring every so often to prevent the mix from sticking.
You’ll know it’s ready when it becomes a little thicker and the apples are slightly soft.
Step 3:
Roll out 500g (17oz) of room temperature ready-made puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Most puff pastry is vegan-friendly but it’s always best to double-check as there’s a slight chance that some might have eggs or dairy in them.
I used the Jus Rol block when I made mine. Some other vegan-friendly ones are Tesco’s own, Asda’s, Morrisons’ and Sainsbury’s.
Step 4:
Cut the puff pastry into 8 even squares using a knife or pizza cutter. Cut away any rough edges too.
Put a little bit of the filling into the centre of each square. Be careful not to use too much though, or it will come spilling out the edges. I found that around 1-2 tablespoons was pretty much perfect.
Fold over the apple turnovers so that the corners meet diagonally, then seal the edges with a fork.
Step 5:
Lightly brush the pastries with melted vegan butter or plant-based milk, then bake them for around 15-20 minutes at 200°C/400°F. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re lightly brown all over.
Once baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Step 6:
Prepare your vanilla glaze by mixing 45g icing sugar (1/3 cup), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of plant-based milk together. The consistency will be slightly runny but still thick enough to latch onto the pastry.
Gently drizzle your vanilla glaze over your dairy-free apple turnovers and allow the glaze to set. You are now ready to enjoy!
FAQ:
Apple turnovers with puff pastry are best kept at room temperature. This prevents the pastry from becoming soggy from the moisture in the fridge.
I’d recommend placing them in an airtight container that’s lined with baking paper to keep them at their best. This way, they’ll stay fresh for around 2-3 days.
Yes! These dairy-free apple turnovers can be frozen once cooled. I’d recommend leaving the glaze part until the day you plan to serve them.
To freeze, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and pop them into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once they’re completely frozen, place them in a plastic seal bag and put them back in the freezer.
When you’re ready to eat them, bake them from frozen at 180°C/350°F for around 10-15 minutes until warmed right through. Ice with the vanilla glaze as directed in the recipe.
More vegan brunch recipes:
I hope you like these vegan apple turnovers. If you make these at home, please let me know how it goes by leaving a comment and/or rating below. Happy baking! xo
Vegan Apple Turnovers (Dairy-Free)
Eggless and dairy-free apple turnovers made with puff pastry and topped with a vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
- 4 Small or 2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped and peeled
- 4 Tablespoons Cold water
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100 g Soft brown sugar (½ Cup)
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
- 500 g Pack ready-to-roll puff pastry (17.5 oz)
- Melted butter to brush the pastry (or plant-based milk)
For the glaze:
- 45 g Icing sugar (1/3 Cup)
- 1 Tablespoon Plant-based milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (or 180°C/ 350°F if you're using a fan or convection oven) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
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Set the puff pastry out at room temperature to allow it to soften while you prepare the apple turnover filling.
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Add the chopped apples to a large pan along with the water, cornflour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well.
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Turn the heat on medium and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
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Roll out your puff pastry to around 1/2 cm thick. Divide it evenly into 8 squares using a knife or pizza cutter. Discard any uneven edges.
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Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the filling to join at the corners, then seal the edges using a fork. Be careful not to overfill them.
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Lightly brush each pastry with melted vegan butter or plant-based milk.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes until the turnovers are light golden brown. Once baked, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Prepare your glaze by mixing together the icing sugar, plant-based milk and vanilla extract. Drizzle it over the cooled turnovers and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days, in an airtight container lined with baking paper.
Nicki
Saturday 27th of April 2019
Excellent easy recipe. Thanks chloe !
Chloe
Saturday 1st of June 2019
Thank you Nicki :)