Puff pastry cherry turnovers are a quick and easy handheld treat. Flaky puff pastry pockets are filled with fresh cherry pie filling and topped with a crunchy sugar crust.
You'll love these cherry turnovers because they're made with a handful of simple ingredients. Plus, they're easy to serve and less messy than slicing into a whole pie!
Puff pastry is filled with homemade cherry pie filling, then sealed into individual pockets and topped with a crunchy sugar crust. Perfect for any cherry pie fan!
Serve these puff pastry cherry turnovers as an easy after-dinner dessert, for Valentine's Day, or any time you're looking for a quick and comforting dessert treat.
Cherry pie filling
I've included my recipe for homemade cherry pie filling in the recipe card below. However, you're welcome to use a prepared cherry pie filling that you already have on hand, or canned cherry pie filling.
You'll need two cups of prepared cherry pie filling for this recipe.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Puff pastry - Frozen puff pastry sheets can be substituted with homemade puff pastry if you're feeling ambitious. Cherry turnovers can also be made with regular pie crust, but will lack the flaky, buttery texture of puff pastry.
- Egg - We're adding an egg wash to the tops of our turnovers, which creates a lovely golden crust when baked. Egg wash could be substituted with heavy cream if you don't have any eggs on hand.
- Turbinado sugar - Can be substituted with granulated sugar.
- Cherries - Fresh or frozen cherries can be used in this recipe. Make sure your cherries are pitted before cooking. Tart or sweet cherries work in this recipe, so feel free to use your favorite type. Prepared cherry pie filling can also be used in place of the ingredients listed under 'cherry pie filling' in the recipe card.
- Lemon juice - Lemon juice helps cut through the sweetness of the filling and adds a bright, fresh note.
- Cornstarch - Thickens the filling.
- Cinnamon - The cinnamon is optional, but just enough is added for a hint of warmth and depth of flavor.
- Granulated sugar - Granulated sugar sweetens the cherry pie filling and helps create that gooey, jammy sauce. If using sweet cherries, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar slightly.
Pitting cherries
If you don't want to pit your own cherries, you can often find pitted cherries in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
Have fresh cherries on hand? You'll need to pit your cherries before beginning this recipe. Here is a great article on how to pit cherries without a cherry pitter.
When I need to pit cherries, I use the paperclip method - it's surprisingly easy. Insert a paperclip and twist around the pit, then pull the pit out.
You could also try a handheld cherry pitter to speed things up. If you find yourself pitting cherries frequently, there's also a cherry pitter tool that will pit 6 cherries at once!
Tips and tricks
Thawing puff pastry - To thaw your puff pastry, you can do one of two things. Transfer your box of puff pastry to the refrigerator the night beforehand to allow it to thaw. If you didn't thaw your puff pastry the night before, let the box sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. Luckily, puff pastry doesn't take long to come to a workable temperature.
Cook until thickened - Cook your filling on the stovetop until it visibly thickens. Otherwise, a thin filling will seep out the sides of your turnovers while baking.
Don't overfill your pastries - While you may be tempted to add more filling, this can turn into disaster in the oven. Overfilled turnovers pop open and leak while baking in the oven. I suggest only adding the amount of filling suggested in the recipe card for best results.
Egg wash benefits - Adding an egg wash creates a golden brown crust on top of your turnovers and also helps seal the edges while baking. I don't recommend skipping this step! If you don't have an egg on hand, there are a few alternatives.
Egg wash alternatives - Heavy cream or whole milk works great as an egg wash substitute. Melted butter can also work okay as a substitute. Want to learn more about egg wash substitutes and how they'll look on your baked goods?: Bakerpedia: Egg wash substitutes
Add a steam vent - Slicing a vent or piercing with a fork creates a place for steam to escape while your turnovers bake. This helps prevent filling from leaking out the sides while baking.
Storage
Leftover turnovers will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
Make sure the oven is fully preheated before placing your turnovers in the oven. A fully preheated oven ensures the filling and puff pastry are fully baked at the time listed in the recipe card. Don't add extra filling to your turnovers - this can cause them to leak while baking. Don't add extra liquid to the filling, this will cause your turnovers to turn out mushy.
Yes, cherry turnovers can be frozen before or after baking. Place your turnovers on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer your frozen turnovers into a plastic storage bag or other freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to two months.
Yes. Add up to 5 minutes of baking time if baking frozen turnovers.
Yes, the cherry pie filling in the recipe card can be substituted with about 2 cups of prepared cherry pie filling. Skip the cooking step and move on to assembly.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers
Ingredients
Cherry pie filling
- 2 cups cherries, pitted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- dash ground cinnamon
Turnovers
- 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. If cherries aren't very juicy, you may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help them cook down. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry sheets to approximately 12 inch squares. Cut each sheet into four squares.
- Spoon a scant ¼ cup of pie filling onto a corner of each square, avoiding ½ an inch around the edges. Fold the opposite corner of each puff pastry over to cover filling and form a triangle. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush tops and edges of each turnover with egg wash.
- Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar and slice a vent into each turnover.
- Transfer turnovers to parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 19-22 minutes, or until turnovers are golden brown.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cherry pie filling recipe can be substituted with store bought pie filling if desired. If using prepared filling, skip the cooking step and move on to assembly.
- Egg wash can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Turbinado sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar.
- Leftover turnovers will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Sounds wonderful and easy!