Looking for naturally sweet bite that brightens up the day? Let’s make some apple turnovers and open the door for even more!
Apple turnovers are a classic dessert that have been enjoyed for centuries. They consist of a sweet filling of cooked apples, spices, and sometimes other ingredients like raisins or nuts, encased in a flaky pastry crust. While apple turnovers are a popular treat around the world, their origins can be traced back to Europe, where they first appeared in the 17th century.
The pastry itself has its roots in medieval Europe, where it was used for both sweet and savory dishes. The first recorded recipe for puff pastry, the classic pastry used in turnovers, dates back to the early 17th century in a cookbook published in France. It wasn’t until a few decades later, in the mid-1600s, that apple turnovers specifically began to appear in cookbooks.
The popularity of apple turnovers quickly spread throughout Europe, and by the 18th century, they had become a staple dessert in many households. In the United States, apple turnovers gained popularity in the late 19th century, and were often sold by street vendors in cities like New York.
Today, apple turnovers are a beloved dessert around the world, and have evolved to include variations beyond the classic recipe. One such variation is the sugar-free apple turnover, which omits any added sweeteners and relies solely on the natural sweetness of the fruit for its flavor. These sugar-free turnovers can be made with a variety of fruits, such as peaches, berries, or even pumpkin.
Some recipes even call for using cottage cheese as the filling, which provides a tangy and creamy contrast to the flaky crust. These cottage cheese turnovers are popular in Eastern European countries, and can be made with a variety of cheeses, such as ricotta or feta.
In addition to the traditional pastry crust, turnovers can also be made with alternative crusts, such as a gluten-free crust made with almond flour or a whole wheat crust for added fiber. These variations allow for individuals with dietary restrictions or preferences to still enjoy this classic dessert.
While apple turnovers have evolved over time to include new variations and recipes, the classic version remains a favorite among many. It is a delicious and comforting dessert that can be enjoyed any time of year, whether fresh out of the oven in the fall or as a sweet treat in the summer.
Ingredients
Apple Cinnamon Filling
- 4 pieces / 500g Apples (peeled, shredded)
- Honey or sweetener of choice to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon / 0.5g Cinnamon
- ½ cup / 100g Water
- 1 tablespoon / 8g Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon / 5g Vanilla extract (optional)
- ¼ cup / 60g Water
Note: If short on apple other fruits or even jam can be used as filling. Also try it with protein filled cottage cheese:
Cottage cheese filling
- 10 oz / 300g Cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoon / 45g Honey or sweetener of choice to taste (optional for sweet turnovers)
- 1 teaspoon / 5gVanilla extract (optional)
Dough
- 2⅓cup / 300g Flour
- 4 tablespoons / 50g Butter
- 3 teaspoons / 12g Baking powder (follow instruction on packaging)
- 1 piece / 60g Egg
- ¼ cup / 60g Water
Frying
- 2 cups / 500ml Oil
How to make Apple turnover
Filling
- Grate the apples. Peeling is not paramount. Some like to do it, but since vitamins are right under the skin, healthier otherwise.
- The time has already come to use any optional sweetener of choice. Try to keep it low as apples are generally sweet enough and don’t really require extra sweeteners. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon on top and mix it well together.
- While adding about a quarter cup of water pour the filling int a saucepan to cook. Cook apple in medium heat, stir occasionally for about 5 – 10 minutes. Replace the amount of water that evaporates if a more jucy filling is desired otherwise not necessary.
- Meanwhile the apple is cooking mix a spoonful of cornstarch, teaspoon of optional vanilla extract and some water in a bowl. When added to the apple sauce this will thicken it somewhat so if we want a denser filling add more cornstarch. Optionally we can skip this step entirely. Pour the liquid into the cooked apple mixture then stir vigorously.
- Take it off the heat when it starts to boil and set aside the saucepan with the filling whilst we’re making the dough. The cooler the filling gets the better as handling buttery pastry with hot filling isn’t one of the easiest task in the kitchen.
Apple turnover dough
- Measure flour, butter, baking powder and pour it into a mixing bowl with and egg. (soften or even melt the butter a bit as it will be hard to knead it otherwise). Add the water. Water is crucial ingredient that activates gluten in the flour that holds together the whole pie from falling apart into a shapeless brown mass in the hot oil pan. Knead it well together by hand until the dough comes together and not sticking to the hands or the side of the bowl. Add a bit more of flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Divide it into nine pieces of the same size.
- Make 9 little balls out of them.
Assembly
- Sprinkle some flour on the board and put one ball in the middle.
- Flatten it with a rolling pin then put some filling on one side of the dough.
- Fold it in half. A help of a spatula may be needed to pick up the flattened dough nicely.
- Press the dough together by hand or with a fork. Make sure there aren’t any gaps where the filling could escape. Remove the excess dough if necessary and make new balls from them. Repeat until the dough runs out.
- Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it in medium to high heat. Drop a tiny piece of dough into the oil. If it starts sizzling, we can put the first two apple turnovers into the oil to fry. In about 1 -3 minutes (maybe more, depending on the cooktop turn it round to fry the other side too.
Enjoy!
No one can resist to starch fried in oil. Be it bite sized or bigger than our plate we will have them all:
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There are more apples where this recipe comes from:
- Applesauce Recipe
- Applesauce Muffin & Cupcake Recipe
- Applesauce Cake Recipe
- Upside-Down Apple Cake
- Apple Cake Recipe
- Simple and Delicious Sugar Free Apple Pie Recipe
Sugar Free Apple Turnovers Recipe
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 Apples peeled, shredded
- Honey or sweetener of choice optional
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract optional
- ¼ cup Water
Dough
- 2⅓ cups Flour
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 3 teaspoons Baking powder follow instruction on packaging
- 1 Egg
- ¼ cup Water
- 2 cups Olive oil Or cooking oil of choice for frying or bake it in oven
Instructions
Filling
- Grate the apples. Peeling is not paramount. Some like to do it, but since vitamins are right under the skin, healthier otherwise.
- The time has already come to use any optional sweetener of choice. Try to keep it low as apples are generally sweet enough and don't really require extra sweeteners. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon on top and mix it well together.
- While adding about a quarter cup of water pour the filling int a saucepan to cook. Cook apple in medium heat, stir occasionally for about 5 – 10 minutes. Replace the amount of water that evaporates if a more jucy filling is desired otherwise not necessary.
- Meanwhile the apple is cooking mix a spoonful of cornstarch, teaspoon of optional vanilla extract and some water in a bowl. When added to the apple sauce this will thicken it somewhat so if we want a denser filling add more cornstarch. Optionally we can skip this step entirely. Pour the liquid into the cooked apple mixture then stir vigorously.
- Take it off the heat when it starts to boil and set aside the saucepan with the filling whilst we’re making the dough. The cooler the filling gets the better as handling buttery pastry with hot filling isn’t one of the easiest task in the kitchen.
Apple turnover dough
- Measure flour, butter, baking powder and pour it into a mixing bowl with and egg. (soften or even melt the butter a bit as it will be hard to knead it otherwise). Add the water. Water is crucial ingredient that activates gluten in the flour that holds together the whole pie from falling apart into a shapeless brown mass in the hot oil pan. Knead it well together by hand until the dough comes together and not sticking to the hands or the side of the bowl.
- Divide it into nine pieces of the same size.
- Make 9 little balls out of them.
Assembly
- Sprinkle some flour on the board and put one ball in the middle.
- Flatten it with a rolling pin then put some filling on one side of the dough.
- Fold it in half. A help of a spatula may be needed to pick up the flattened dough nicely.
- Press the dough together by hand or with a fork. Make sure there aren't any gaps where the filling could escape. Remove the excess dough if necessary and make new balls from them. Repeat until the dough runs out.
- Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it in medium to high heat. Drop a tiny piece of dough into the oil. If it starts sizzling, we can put the first two apple turnovers into the oil to fry. In about 1 -3 minutes (maybe more, depending on the cooktop turn it round to fry the other side too.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin now, Enjoy later!
It’s so easy and so fast to prepare that I could do it every day.
Nothing is stopping you from doing that ;D
I’m surprised that it is actually sweet without added sugar!
Really tasty sugar free turnovers! Loved them!
Fruits are nature’s candy and candies are sweet by nature! 😀
Happy you liked it! Thanks for the feedback
how about giving the total carbs based upon an alternative sweetener?
We are working on to provide the most accurate values for our recipes but due to the difference in ingredients used, the nutritional values can differ greatly. To get the most accurate results recalculate the recipe’s nutritional values with the exact ingredients used for the given recipe.
In this particular recipe the honey or any other additional sweetener, like zero calorie sweetener, optional since fruits are sweet on their own.