These apple rhubarb turnovers have a flaky puff pastry crust, juicy apple rhubarb filling spiced with cardamom, and a tangy lemon icing. They’re a little sweet, a little tart, and so delicious for breakfast or dessert!
You might also love these rhubarb oatmeal bars, roasted rhubarb ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb jam.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easier Than Pie. If you love pie but want to make something a little quicker, you’ll love these apple rhubarb turnovers. You’ll be using frozen puff pastry to speed up the process, and it puffs up into beautifully flaky layers surrounding the filling.
Perfect Blend of Flavors. Since rhubarb is so tart, it’s really good paired with sweeter fruits like strawberries or apples. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet apples and tangy lemon icing is just wonderful.
Breakfast or Dessert. These turnovers are great for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Crust
- Puff Pastry. Frozen puff pastry makes it so easy to make homemade turnovers, since all you have to prep is the filling.
- Flour. You’ll need just a tablespoon of flour for rolling out the pastry dough.
- Egg. An egg helps to seal the edges of the dough together, and gives the top a golden brown color.
- Sugar. Adds a touch of sweetness and crunch sprinkled on top of the pastry before the turnovers are baked.
Filling
- Apples. For the apples, choose a good baking apple that holds it’s shape when cooked. I used Honey Crisp.
- Rhubarb. Either fresh or frozen rhubarb will work for these turnovers.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness.
- Flour. Thickens the juices in the filling.
- Spices. A little cinnamon and cardamom enhances the flavors of the fruit.
Icing
- Powdered Sugar + Lemon Juice. A simple combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice makes a sweet and tangy icing to complement the flavor of the fruit filling.
TIP: This recipe makes 8 large apple rhubarb turnovers, but you can easily cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.
Instructions
Crust
- Dust your counter with the flour, and unfold the puff pastry. Work with one sheet at a time. The squares will be about 9×9 inches. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry a little thinner, into two 12×12 inch squares.
- Use a pastry cutter, pizza cutter or just a sharp knife to cut each of the sheets into four smaller squares, so you have a total of eight 6×6 inch pastry squares. Cover the pastry squares and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the turnovers.
- You’ll be using the egg and sugar when you assemble the turnovers.
TIP: Make the filling the night before, so it’s well chilled and ready to go. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait several hours for it to chill, before you can assemble and bake your turnovers. You cannot use hot filling when you assemble your turnovers.
Filling
- In a saucepan, combine the chopped apples, rhubarb, sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom. Over medium heat, bring the fruit to a simmer. Stir frequently, and cook for several minutes, just until the fruit begins to soften and the juices turn slightly thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and chill for several hours, or overnight.
Assembly
- Line a large baking sheet or two half sheet baking sheet pans with nonstick parchment baking paper.
- Spoon the chilled filling onto the 8 squares of pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle. Use a fork to firmly press the edges together.
- Brush the top of the pastry with more of the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut a few small slits in the top of the pastry – this will encourage the steam to vent out the top, rather than splitting open the sides of the turnovers as they bake.
- Place the pan/s in the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes (if your filling was chilled overnight) or for 40 minutes (if your filling was chilled just for several hours and is still slightly warm).
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Bake the turnovers for about 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp, and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool the turnovers on the pan for several minutes, then drizzle with the icing, if using. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Icing
- Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Drizzle the icing over the warm turnovers. The icing will set in a few minutes.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use fresh or frozen rhubarb?
You can use either. I grow my own rhubarb, chop it, then freeze it to use through the winter.
Can I use any type of apples?
Not really. You need to use a baking apple that doesn’t fall apart and turn into mush when it’s cooked. I love Honey Crisp apples for both baking and eating, and since they’re sweet, the filling in these apple rhubarb turnovers will be more on the sweet side. For a more tart filling, use Granny Smith apples.
Why does the filling need to be cooked first?
If you don’t pre-cook the filling, the apples and rhubarb will be a little too firm and crunchy in the turnovers.
Will this recipe work with homemade puff pastry or pie dough?
It should work fine with either.
How should I reheat leftover turnovers?
I’d suggest only icing the turnovers that you’re going to eat right away, since the icing will melt and make a mess if you reheat it. The best way to reheat the turnovers is in a 300-degree oven for a few minutes until the filling is warm and the pastry is crisp. These turnovers are best eaten freshly baked, though.
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Apple Rhubarb Puff Pastry Turnovers
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 2 half sheet rimmed baking pans, lined with parchment baking paper
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pkg (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package instructions
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Filling
- 1 ½ lbs honey crisp apples (about 4 medium apples or 4 cups chopped), peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 6 oz fresh or frozen rhubarb (about 2 cups chopped), chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
Icing (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Crust
- Dust your counter with the flour, and unfold the puff pastry. Work with one sheet at a time. The squares will be about 9×9 inches. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry a little thinner, into two 12×12 inch squares.
- Use a pastry cutter, pizza cutter or just a sharp knife to cut each of the sheets into four smaller squares, so you have a total of eight 6×6 inch pastry squares. Cover the pastry squares and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the turnovers.
- You'll be using the egg and sugar when you assemble the turnovers.
Filling
- TIP: Make the filling the night before, so it's well chilled and ready to go. Otherwise, you'll have to wait several hours for it to chill, before you can assemble and bake your turnovers. You cannot use hot filling when you assemble your turnovers.
- In a saucepan, combine the chopped apples, rhubarb, sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom. Over medium heat, bring the fruit to a simmer. Stir frequently, and cook for several minutes, just until the fruit begins to soften and the juices turn slightly thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and chill for several hours, or overnight.
Assembly
- Line a large baking sheet or two half sheet baking sheet pans with nonstick parchment baking paper.
- Spoon the chilled filling onto the 8 squares of pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle. Use a fork to firmly press the edges together.
- Brush the top of the pastry with more of the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut a few small slits in the top of the pastry – this will encourage the steam to vent out the top, rather than splitting open the sides of the turnovers as they bake.
- Place the pan/s in the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes (if your filling was chilled overnight) or for 40 minutes (if your filling was chilled just for several hours and is still slightly warm).
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Bake the turnovers for about 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp, and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool the turnovers on the pan for several minutes, then drizzle with the icing, if using. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Icing
- Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Drizzle the icing over the warm turnovers. The icing will set in a few minutes.
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