Cherry Turnovers with Puff Pastry

Cherry turnovers with puff pastry are delectable pastries that combine the natural sweetness of juicy cherries with the buttery layers of golden puff pastry. Whether served warm as a breakfast treat or a delectable dessert, these Cherry Turnovers are sure to captivate with every bite.

Cherry turnovers make the most delicious breakfast treat! If you need more yummy breakfast ideas, try my bacon breakfast quiche. It’s savory and filling, and the perfect complement to these sweet pastries. For an easy baked breakfast option, why not make my sheet pan eggs? They’re customizable, so the whole family will love them!

My easy cherry turnovers are made from store-bought puff pastry. Puff pastry is different from biscuit dough. While biscuit dough contains milk (or buttermilk) and leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder, puff pastry dough is much simpler. It’s made by layering a very simple dough that contains plenty of fat (like butter). As the butter melts in the layers, it puffs up the pastry.

Puff pastry dough can be a bit time consuming to make from scratch, but store-bought versions are reliable and delicious! I like Tenderflake brand and Pepperidge Farm also makes good-quality dough, but in a pinch, a store brand will work as well.

If your puff pastry is frozen, make sure you thaw it before you begin baking. Read the side of the package for directions on how to thaw your pastry dough. Handle it gently! Puff pastry dough is delicate and you don’t want it to tear.

You can also ruin the dough by overhandling it. If your hands are too warm, the butter in the pastry dough melts, and this will cause it to not ‘puff up’ properly when it bakes.

Ingredients for Puff Pastry Cherry Turnovers

For the Turnovers:

• Puff pastry – Storebought puff pastry is perfect for this recipe, and is so simple to make!
• Cherry pie filling – You can use this exact recipe to make other flavors, too. Go ahead and buy whatever pie filling you like best!
• Egg and water – To make a simple egg wash.

For the Vanilla Glaze:

• Powdered sugar – If your sugar seems lumpy at all, make sure you sift it first.
• Milk
• Clear vanilla extract – This will give the glaze a bright white color as it sets, but if you don’t have clear vanilla, you can substitute regular vanilla extract.

How to Make

STEP ONE: Preheat oven and thaw puff pastry. Preheat your oven, and thaw your puff pastry according to the package instructions. Typically, you’ll need to let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

STEP TWO: Roll Out Puff Pastry. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the puff pastry. Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to divide the puff pastry into squares, approximately 4-6 inches in size. You can also make them larger or smaller, depending on your preference.

STEP THREE: Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Beat until it’s well combined.

STEP FOUR: Add Cherry Filling. Spoon a generous tablespoon of cherry pie filling onto one half of each pastry square. Leave a small border around the edges. Fold the pastry over the filling to create a triangle or rectangle shape, enclosing the cherry filling. Press the edges with a fork to seal the dough, and lightly brush the tops with the egg wash using a pastry brush. This will give your turnovers a beautiful golden-brown finish.

STEP FIVE: Bake. Place the turnovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until they’re puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool.

STEP SIX: Prepare Vanilla Glaze. While the turnovers are baking, you can make the glaze for the top. Stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to create the vanilla glaze. Once the turnovers are out of the oven and slightly cooled, drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top.

STEP SEVEN: Serve: Allow the turnovers to cool for a few more minutes before serving.

Tips for Making Perfect Turnovers with Puff Pastry

• Watch your turnovers closely in the oven. They can burn quickly, so once they’re golden brown, you’ll want to remove them.
• Parchment paper is important, and helps the bottoms from becoming too browned!
• Don’t overfill the pastry. The filling will get very hot and split open the pastry if you overfill them.

What other flavors can I make?

Use any kind of pie filling you’d like to make all sorts of turnover flavors. Try apple, blueberry, peach, or strawberry!

How to Store Leftovers

If you don’t eat up all your turnovers, save them! You can enjoy the again. Here’s how to store them so they stay fresh:

At room temperature: I don’t recommend storing these at room temperature for more than a few hours. The milk in the glaze needs to be refrigerated, so keep these in the fridge instead.

In the fridge: Let your turnovers cool completely, then place them in an airtight container in the fridge, or in a Ziploc bag. Your pastries will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge.

In the freezer: Once your pastries are fully cooled, place them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Freeze for 3-4 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before eating again.

How to reheat: To reheat, warm your turnovers in the microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds. You can also wrap them in foil and set them in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.

Can I Make These Gluten-Free? Dairy-Free?

You can make these puff pastry turnovers using gluten-free pastry dough if you need a gluten-free option. To make these dairy-free, you’ll need a dairy-free pastry dough as well as a dairy-free egg wash. You can use dairy-free milk alternative instead of regular milk if needed.

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