There are few sweet treats that are better than an apple turnover, in my opinion. The soft fruit, flaky pastry, and sugar glaze are top-tier, and if I see it on a menu or in a coffee shop, I'm ordering it immediately.
However, I never realized how easy they can be to make at home until I discovered this air fryer turnover recipe while searching for recipes for my best air fryer tests.
It uses just three ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish, and when I served these to friends at a recent picnic, they thought they were store-bought. It's so easy and delicious, it's become an air fryer dessert that I keep returning to.
Below, I show you how to create this classic French dish and achieve maximum impact with minimal effort, and skill.
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Air fryer turnover recipe
The air fryer turnover recipe I followed is from home baker Jojo Seufert's YouTube channel. It's been watched 86,000 times and counting.
Air fryer turnover ingredients
I'm not the best baker so I'll do anything to make baking air fryer desserts as simple as possible. As a result, this recipe uses ready-made puff pastry and tinned apple pie filling. If you have the time, patience, or skill to make your own, then please do.
The original recipe included cinnamon but I don't like it so didn't include it. You can also use nutmeg.
- Ready-made puff pastry
- Apple pie filling
- 1 beaten egg
Air fryer turnover method
To make air fryer turnover you will need the following:
- Air fryer – I used the Tower Vortx 9 Litre Duo Capacity Basket Air Fryer with Smart Finish 5.2L and 3.3L
- Pastry brush – If you don't have a pastry brush, you can also use your fingers or the back of a spoon
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C.
Step 2: Roll the puff pastry out flat onto baking paper or a lightly floured surface.
Step 3: Divide into four squares – if you want smaller turnovers, increase the number of squares.
Step 4: Spoon a small amount of apple pie filling into the center of each square. Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg over the filling.
Step 5: Brush the egg wash around all four edges of the square.
Step 6: Fold the pastry in half by bringing the top corner to meet the bottom corner to form triangles. Pinch the edges together using the back of a fork. You can also use your fingers.
Step 7: Place in the preheated air fryer and make small crosses in the center of each to allow air to escape. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
Step 8: When there are five minutes left, flip the turnovers and continue cooking.
Step 9: Once the pastry looks golden brown, remove the turnovers and serve. You can also add a sugar glaze by mixing powdered sugar and milk and drizzling it over each turnover.
Air fryer turnover verdict
The first time I made these air fryer turnovers, I sprayed oil on the bottom of the basket because I was worried they'd stick. This made them soggy and the filling fell out when I removed them.
For the second time, I skipped the oil, and not only did they not stick, but they cooked much more evenly and had a lovely crunch.
I have made this recipe multiple times since and have experimented with a cherry filling; I've added chocolate to the center and even made them with ham and cheese. They're so simple and delicious for something that's so easy and quick to make.
Word of warning though. Don't bite into the turnovers straight away – the filling gets very hot and will scald your mouth. I found out the hard way!
If you're still sitting on the fence and wondering whether to buy an air fryer, you may want to read our article to decide whether air fryers are worth it?
