Air Fryer Cherry Turnovers
Air fryer cherry turnovers are a quick and easy dessert made with just a few simple ingredients. Sweet cherry pie filling is surrounded by flaky puff pastry and air-fried until crisp and golden brown. Drizzled with icing, these tasty hand pies are perfect for quick desserts and afternoon snacks.
These flaky air fryer turnovers, filled with cherry pie filling, make a quick and easy dessert. Topped with a simple sugar glaze, this sweet treat is perfect for an afternoon snack or quick breakfast.Â
If you like these turnovers, you may enjoy air fryer blueberry hand pies or air fryer butter tarts.
These simple turnovers, made with frozen puff pastry and store-bought cherry pie filling are a quick and easy treat.
Baked in the air fryer, they take less than 20 minutes.
Turnovers make a great dessert or snack, and becuase you can eat them with your hands they are perfect for taking on the go. Drop them in your lunch box for an afternoon snack, or add them to a dessert platter for a party or pot luck.
We use frozen puff pastry because it’s easy and readily available, but if you have the time and patience you can make your own. We also use canned cherry pie filling, but if you have a favorite homeade version you can use that.
The drizzle of sweet icing finishes these treats off nicely, but you can leave that off if you prefer, or sprinkle with sugar before baking instead.
The baked turnovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container, and can be frozen for several months, so you can always have a quick treat on hand.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Puff pastry sheets – We use frozen puff pastry. This may come in sheets or in blocks, depending on the brand. You can use either, simply follow the directions on the package for thawing and rolling the pastry. If you have a homemade version you love, you can use that, too.
Cherry pie filling – We use canned pie filling for our turnovers because it’s quick and easy. If you don’t want to use canned you can use your favorite homemade version.
Egg – Egg is used to seal the edges of the turnovers and to brush on the tops, creating a golden, crispy crust. If you have an egg allergy you can use cream or milk instead.
Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar is used to make the icing drizzle once the turnovers are cooled. If you don’t like icing you can leave this off, or you can sprinkle the tops of the pastry with coarse or granulated sugar before baking.
Milk or Cream – This is used for the icing drizzle. If not making icing you can skip this ingredient.
How to make air fryer cherry turnovers
- Unroll the thawed puff pastry dough and cut it into 8 rectangles.
- Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling on one end of each rectangle
- On the same end that you place the filling, brush the 3 edges with beaten egg
- Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut it into rectangles. (Either 4 or 8, depending on the size of your sheet. My sheet was approximately 15×13 inches, and I cut it into 8)
- Fold the unfilled end over the filling, then seal all 3 edges with a fork
Ensure you allow your puff pastry to thaw in the refrigerator before you try to unfold it, or it will crack when you try to work with it.
- Poke a few holes in the top of the turnovers then place them in the air fryer basket. I like to spray mine with some non-stick spray or lay a small piece of parchment in the basket to make sure they don’t stick
- Set the fryer to 320 degrees for 17 minutes.
Refrigerate any turnovers that did not fit in the air fryer while you wait for the first batch to bake. This will help ensure the puff pastry doesn’t melt and will give you flakier pastries.
- Remove the baked turnovers from the fryer and place them on a cooling rack
- Allow them to cool, then drizzle with icing
To make these more like traditional hand pies, swap the puff pastry for frozen pie pastry and reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes.
Oven Baked Cherry Turnovers
You can bake these turnovers in a traditional oven if you don’t have an air fryer.
To bake these cherry turnovers, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for approximately 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
Top Tips & Tricks
- Ensure the puff pastry is completely thawed but still cold when you begin. If the puff pastry sheets are frozen, they will crack as you unfold them.
- Ensure you crimp the edges well so you don’t lose too much filling. It is expected, however, for a bit of filling to leak out. Don’t worry, that chewy bit is delicious.
- Place any prepared turnovers that you will not be baking immediately into the refrigerator until you are ready. If they are left out, the butter in the pastry will melt, and you won’t get that nice, flaky pastry.
- Be sure to bake them long enough. You are looking for puffed, golden turnovers and a bit crispy on top. Under-baked turnovers will sink as they cool, and the pastry will not have those lovely, flaky layers.
- Wait for the turnovers to cool before icing, or the icing will melt into the pastry.
FAQS
They last about 2 days if stored in an airtight container. After two days, they tend to get a bit stale. You can also freeze these to keep them longer.Â
It is normal for some filling to seep out while baking. But if you find a lot of filling escaping, you may have overfilled the pastry or did not had a good seal between the layers. Try to keep the cherry from spreading to the edge when filling them for the best results. A little bit is ok, but too much will prevent proper sealing.
More Easy Air Fryer Desserts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Puff Pastry Sheets 1 large or 2 small sheets
- 1 20-oz Can Cherry pie filling
- 1 Large Egg beaten
- 2 tsp Water
Icing Drizzle
- 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp Milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with the water and set aside.
- Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet(s) and cut into 8 rectangles. My 1 pound sheet was approximately 15×13 inches and I cut it into 8, but some sheets are only half this size.
- Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling onto one end of each rectangle.
- Brush the egg wash on the 3 edges of the pastry around the filling.
- Fold the other end of the rectangle over the filling and press all 3 edges with a fork to seal. Poke a few holes in the top of each turnover with the fork.
- Brush tops of turnovers with the egg wash.
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick spray or line with a piece of parchment paper and place the turnovers in the basket.
- Set the air fryer to 320 degrees for 17 minutes. Place any turnovers that did not fit in the basket on a parchment lined baking sheet and set in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Remove the baked turnovers from the fryer and move them to a cooling rack. Proceed to bake second batch if you couldn't fit them all in your fryer.
- Once the turnovers are cool, drizzle with icing and serve.
Icing Drizzle
- In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
