Cherry Turnovers made with puff pastry are flaky, golden pastries filled with bright cherry pie filling. This recipe yields 4 turnovers and includes instructions for baking in the oven or cooking in an air fryer.
A couple of weeks ago I picked tart cherries at a local farm. The trees were generous this year, so I ended up with more cherries than usual. With puff pastry on hand, turnovers were an easy, quick dessert—especially appealing during a heat wave when I didn’t want to run the oven. Air frying made them fast and kept the kitchen cool, but I’ve included oven directions as well so you can choose what works best.
Puff pastry gives these turnovers crisp, flaky layers that you don’t get from standard pie dough. They’re simple to assemble: thaw the pastry, portion the cherry filling into squares of dough, fold into triangles, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake or air fry until puffed and golden. Finish with a light vanilla glaze for the perfect sweet touch.
Ingredients for Cherry Turnovers
To prepare these cherry turnovers you will need:
- Puff pastry: One sheet, thawed according to package directions. Find it in the freezer section near pie crusts.
- Cherry pie filling: Homemade or store-bought cherry pie filling works well.
- Egg: One large egg, beaten to make an egg wash so the turnovers brown evenly and the cinnamon sugar adheres.
- Cinnamon sugar: A sprinkle of cinnamon mixed with granulated sugar for the top.
- Vanilla glaze: Powdered sugar mixed with a little milk and vanilla for drizzling after cooling.
Substitutions and variations
You can swap the cherry filling for other fruit fillings like apple, blueberry, or peach. For a different twist, try a smear of Nutella with banana slices in the center before folding.
How To Make Cherry Turnovers
These turnovers are straightforward to make:
- Roll out the puff pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll the sheet into a roughly 10×10 inch square and cut into four equal squares.
- Fill and seal: Brush the edges of one square with egg wash, place about 2 tablespoons of cherry filling in the center, then fold one corner to the opposite corner to form a triangle. Press edges firmly to seal; crimp with a fork if desired.
- Vent and finish: Make three small slits on top of each turnover to release steam. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Cook: For oven: bake at 400°F for 18–20 minutes or until puffed and golden. For air fryer: cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip, then cook another 5 minutes; work in batches if your basket is small and keep unbaked turnovers chilled until ready to cook.
Puff pastry turnovers are best enjoyed the same day for maximum flakiness, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They’re lovely served with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
How To Make the Glaze
Once the turnovers are completely cool, whisk together the glaze:
- Combine: Stir powdered sugar with 1–2 teaspoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Add more milk if too thick or more sugar if too thin.
- Drizzle: Spoon or pipe the glaze over cooled turnovers and let it set before serving.
Freezing Puff Pastry Turnovers
You can freeze turnovers at several stages:
- Assembled but un-washed (before egg wash).
- Fully baked but unglazed.
- Fully baked and glazed (glaze may become sticky after thawing).
Place turnovers in a single layer on a tray and freeze for about an hour until firm so they don’t stick together, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating or serving.
Cherry Turnovers FAQ
Seal the edges firmly by pressing with your fingers and optionally crimp with a fork to prevent leaking during baking.
Ensure the turnovers are cold when you place them into a fully preheated oven; cold pastry helps create the steam that produces flaky layers.
Yes—pie crust works as a substitute, though the texture will be different (less flaky layers than puff pastry).
Absolutely. Canned filling is an easy convenience option and works well in this recipe.
Yes, double the ingredients to use two sheets of puff pastry and make more turnovers.
More Cherry Ideas
If you have extra cherries or filling, try other cherry desserts such as cherry cobbler bars, cherry pie ice cream, or a cherry crumble pie for more ways to enjoy the fruit.
Cherry Turnovers
4 turnovers
20 minutes
20 minutes
40 minutes
Flaky puff pastry turnovers filled with cherry pie filling—easy to bake or air fry and perfect for a quick dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
- 1/2 cup cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease an air fryer basket (no air fryer preheat required).
- On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 10×10 inch square and cut into four equal squares.
- Brush the edges of a square with beaten egg, place about 2 tablespoons cherry filling in the center, keeping it away from the edge.
- Fold one corner to the opposite corner to form a triangle, press to seal, and place on the prepared sheet or in the air fryer basket. Repeat for remaining squares.
- Cut three slits into each turnover, brush with egg wash, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden and puffed, or air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip, then cook another 5 minutes. Keep unbaked turnovers chilled until ready to cook.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make the glaze; adjust consistency with more sugar or milk as needed. Drizzle over cooled turnovers and allow the glaze to set. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Notes
- This recipe doubles easily to use two puff pastry sheets.
- Try other fillings like blueberry, peach, apple, or chocolate and banana for variety.
Recommended Products
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Cherry Pitter -
Air Fryer
