Easy Apple Turnovers with Biscuits

Apple season always gets me excited about baking, but I don’t always have time for making pie dough from scratch. That’s when I discovered the magic of using refrigerated biscuits for apple turnovers. They give me all the flaky, buttery goodness I crave without the extra work.

These apple turnovers became a game-changer in my house. I can throw them together on a busy weeknight when the kids are asking for something sweet, or prep a batch on Sunday for easy breakfasts all week. The biscuits do most of the heavy lifting, so I just focus on getting those apples perfectly spiced and tender.

Want something that tastes homemade but doesn’t require rolling out dough? These turnovers are your answer. They’re crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with warm cinnamon apples that taste like fall in every bite.

What Kind of Apples Should I Use?

For apple turnovers, you’ll want to stick with cooking apples that hold their shape well when baked and won’t turn to mush. Granny Smith apples are probably your best bet since they’re tart, firm, and won’t get too soft during baking. Honeycrisp and Braeburn are also great choices if you prefer a slightly sweeter flavor while still maintaining that nice texture. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh, as they tend to break down too much and can make your turnovers soggy. When prepping your apples, slice them about 1/4-inch thick so they cook evenly and fit nicely inside your biscuit pockets.

Options for Substitutions

This simple turnover recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Refrigerated biscuits: If you’re out of canned biscuits, you can use puff pastry sheets (thaw first and cut into squares) or even pie crust rolled thin and cut into circles. Puff pastry will give you a flakier result.
• Cooking apples: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn work great, but really any firm apple will do. Just avoid soft varieties like Red Delicious that might turn mushy when cooked.
• Light brown sugar: Regular brown sugar or even white sugar mixed with a pinch of molasses works fine. You can also try coconut sugar for a slightly different flavor.
• Ground nutmeg: Don’t have nutmeg? Skip it entirely or add a tiny pinch of allspice or cardamom instead. The cinnamon is really the star here anyway.
• Apple schnapps: If you don’t have apple schnapps, stick with vanilla extract, or try a splash of apple juice or even rum extract for the glaze.
• Powdered sugar glaze: You can skip the glaze altogether and just dust with powdered sugar, or make a simple cinnamon-sugar topping to sprinkle on before baking.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making apple turnovers is overfilling them with the apple mixture, which causes the filling to leak out during baking and creates a messy situation – stick to about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per biscuit to avoid this problem. Another common error is not sealing the edges properly, so make sure to press the biscuit edges firmly with a fork and brush them with a little water first to help them stick together. Don’t skip letting the cooked apples cool slightly before assembling, as hot filling can make the biscuit dough too soft to work with and more likely to tear. Finally, keep an eye on your turnovers during the last few minutes of baking since the sugar in the filling can cause them to brown quickly – if they’re getting too dark, cover them loosely with foil.

What to Serve With Apple Turnovers?

These warm apple turnovers are perfect on their own, but they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts slightly from the heat of the pastry. A hot cup of coffee or spiced apple cider makes a great drink pairing, especially on a cool morning or evening. If you want to make it a more complete breakfast or brunch, serve them alongside some crispy bacon or breakfast sausage to balance out the sweetness. You can also drizzle a little extra caramel sauce on top or dust them with a bit more cinnamon for an extra treat.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These apple turnovers are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The biscuit pastry might soften a bit, but they’ll still taste great for breakfast or a snack.

Freeze: You can freeze baked turnovers for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. I like to freeze them before adding the glaze, then drizzle it on after reheating for the best texture.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5-8 minutes until warmed through. You can also use the microwave for 20-30 seconds, but the oven will help crisp up the outside again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1400-1550
• Protein: 10-14 g
• Fat: 28-34 g
• Carbohydrates: 290-320 g

Ingredients

For the turnovers:

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits
• 3 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or apple schnapps
• Water, as needed

Step 1: Prepare the Apple Filling

• 3 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a mixing bowl, combine the peeled, cored, and sliced apples with the light brown sugar, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and melted butter.

Mix well so the apples are evenly coated with the sugar and spices.

Step 2: Roll Out and Fill the Biscuits

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits
• apple mixture from Step 1

Separate the refrigerated biscuits and, using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten each into a circle on a lightly floured surface.

Place a spoonful of the apple mixture from Step 1 into the center of each dough circle.

Step 3: Form the Turnovers

• filled biscuit rounds from Step 2

Fold each biscuit over the filling to create a half-moon shape.

Carefully crimp the edges with a fork to seal in the apple mixture.

Step 4: Bake the Turnovers

• assembled turnovers from Step 3

Arrange the sealed turnovers on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the turnovers are golden brown and the dough is cooked through.

Serve the turnovers warm for best flavor.

I like to let them cool just slightly so the glaze sticks nicely in the next step.

Step 5: Prepare and Drizzle the Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or apple schnapps
• water, as needed

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and vanilla extract (or apple schnapps).

Add water gradually, a few drops at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth, pourable glaze.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm turnovers before serving.

Easy Apple Turnovers with Biscuits

Delicious Easy Apple Turnovers with Biscuits recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 9 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 1475 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the turnovers:

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits
• 3 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or apple schnapps
• water, as needed

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl, combine the peeled, cored, and sliced apples with the light brown sugar, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix well so the apples are evenly coated with the sugar and spices.
• Separate the refrigerated biscuits and, using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten each into a circle on a lightly floured surface. Place a spoonful of the apple mixture from Step 1 into the center of each dough circle.
• Fold each biscuit over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Carefully crimp the edges with a fork to seal in the apple mixture.
• Arrange the sealed turnovers on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the turnovers are golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Serve the turnovers warm for best flavor. I like to let them cool just slightly so the glaze sticks nicely in the next step.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and vanilla extract (or apple schnapps). Add water gradually, a few drops at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth, pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the warm turnovers before serving.