This sweet paleo apple turnover is everything that you’d expect a turnover to be. The pastry-like crust is flaky and crispy. Break through the golden crust to find a warm cinnamon apple filling.
This perfectly portable dessert will have you dancing around your kitchen – holding an apple turnover in each hand while alternating bites between the two little pies. Yup, this happened!
The BEST part about this apple turnover is that it’s so easy to make. If you can make my 3-ingredient paleo naan, then you’ll have no problem making this. I really should change the name of that recipe to “amazingly awesome 3-ingredient multi-purpose bread,” but I kinda like the name “paleo naan.”
Making this recipe is sort of like making my paleo samosas or my paleo empanadas – but there are some differences. These turnovers are twice as big as the empanadas – this recipe will make three decently-sized apple turnovers.
You can use any fruit filling you’d like – but apple turnovers were always a favorite of mine as a kid. The apple filling is easy to make – just combine apples, coconut sugar, water, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.
To make the crust, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut milk and salt in a bowl and then pour half a cup of the pancake-like batter onto a pan over medium heat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottom firms up. Gently place the flatbread onto a baking sheet – cooked side facing up.
Cut the edges to form a square shape (eat the edges, because you know you want to). Spoon some of the apple filling onto the crust and fold the dough over – sealing with a bit of egg wash.
I recently made a mini-fruit pie video that you can watch to help you make this turnover. The only difference is that the mini-pies are not in a triangular shape – but hopefully, the video will give you an idea of what to do.
I hope you love these!
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 apples peeled, cored, chopped into bite size pieces
- 3 tbs Coconut Sugar
- 2 tbs water
- 1 tsp Cinnamon Ground
- ¼ tsp salt
- big pinch Nutmeg freshly grated
Pastry
- ½ cup Almond Flour
- ½ cup Tapioca Flour
- 1 cup Coconut Milk canned and full fat - mix well before pouring
- 1 tsp salt
- egg wash
Instructions
Filling
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let simmer for 10 minutes then set aside and let it cool while you make the crust.
Pastry
- In a bowl combine almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut milk to form a batter.
- Ladle ½ cup of batter onto a frying pan on medium heat and cook the flat bread on one side for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottom firms up, then remove and place on a baking sheet - with the cooked side facing upward.
- Cut off edges of the flatbread to form a square shape.
- Spoon apple mixture onto bread, seal with egg wash and pinch the dough closed.
- Brush egg wash on top and repeat.
- Place baking sheet in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until crispy outside.
Rosa says
Hi Ashley,
Could I use almond milk in stead of coconut milk? I’m allergic to cocnut.
Ken Blume says
I have a question:
Instead of sugar can I use maple syrup? If so , how much?
Ken
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ken, I haven’t tried but don’t see why not!
Sondry L Behn says
I came a cross your website on the Paleohack website. I am glad I did. I made these last night, they were very good. My mom used to make fried apple pies, and I was trying to come up with a way to make them paleo. This is so simple to make. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Sondry, I’m so glad you found my website too! Happy to hear that you liked the paleo apple turnovers!
Tea and Becky says
Just made this and it is so good! I want to make again but with a yummy sugar glaze on the top. The hubs loves it too! Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you and your hubby liked it!! A sugar glaze on this would be amazing!
Karen Ethier says
Following up on my post from earlier today: Happy to report the mini-spinach pies are definitely bed-and-breakfast worthy!!! I wish I could post a picture. Boy, this is a fantastic ‘pastry’ recipe. And so simple! I’ll use it next to make your apple turnovers. I had to make a triple batch of the batter in order to have enough for the spinach filling. There was a bit extra batter left over so I added organic cacao, organic coconut sugar, and organic cinnamon to the batter; fried them up cooking on both sides to enjoy a yummy dessert! Thank you, again, for posting this recipe. I’ll keep your blog on my radar.
My Heart Beets says
Karen, I am SO happy to hear that!! That sounds absolutely delicious! If you are on Facebook I’d love to see a picture 🙂 Definitely let me know if you try any other blog recipes!
Karen Ethier says
I will be using your pastry recipe but as the dough for spinach pie. I have my fingers crossed! Since giving up grains 4 1/2 years ago, I have not been able to make my ‘famous’ (in-my-family-famous) spinach pie. It’s time to try to come up with a tasty alternative!! I’ll try to remember to come back to your post to let you know how it turned out. It has been great finding you. I love having all sorts of resources for my cooking. Thank you for sharing. Oh, and my husband has the same job as yours. I hope, someday, to open a B&B/Inn so when I make something new that we totally love, we say it is ‘bed and breakfast menu worthy!’
Jess Crayford says
I just stumbled across your website and had to try making these after reading all the comments. THEY ARE SO GOOD! I am excited to use the naan with a curry too. My partner, who can’t eat egg yolks, will be extra excited as the only gf naan recipes I’ve been able to find have been made with eggs. Thanks for an awesome recipe. I can’t wait to try more of your stuff.
My Heart Beets says
Jess, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the turnovers turned out for you 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes you try!
Raj @ www.ThePrimalDesire.com says
Ashley, you’re the cutest! Loved the video, and this crust looks like something I may need to repurpose…!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Raj!!
Alison says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I miss naan bread so much, having gone gluten free.!! I made these tonight and all my grain eaters devoured them!!
Delicious and so healthy.
I am looking forward to trying the apple turnovers next!!
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Cassie says
wow!!! Soooo good! I made these with whole milk (fresh cow’s milk) instead, and then added another 1/2 cup of almond flour and another 1/2 cup of tapioca flour. Filling was my homemade strawberry jelly. nom nom nom!!!
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it!! And yum!! A homemade strawberry jelly filling sounds amazing!!
Abbey says
Can you use coconut oil instead of the egg wash?
My Heart Beets says
yup, definitely!
Monica says
These were really good! Made them mini. The crust wasn’t quite sweet enough for us, so we ended up dusting with powdered sugar. I did cook the second side of the batter on the girdle as well, until it would slide around easily. That made them really easy to work with.
I liked them so much I tried them again tonight with different fillings. I made half with Justin’s Natural Hazelnut Spread, and the other half with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and 1/2 a marshmallow. After brushing with eggg, I sprinkled generously with coconut sugar.
They were both good, but the Enjoy Life/marshmallow combo was to die for!!!!! So incredibly delicious!
Thanks so much for the recipe and video 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Monica, love that you added powdered sugar – And I must try these with chocolate and marshmallows now!! 🙂
Tessa says
These look so good but tapioca flour is so high in carbs. Can you suggest any substitution for it?
Kathi says
Hello! I made these today was surprised at how good they are! I have a few tips:
1. The recipe says to use HALF the batter, but it also says this makes 3. Use only 1/3 for each
2. I also cooked the other side for 1 minute, makes it easier to handle.
3. I sprinkled some sugar on top of the egg wash, yum!
4. If you don’t like a super sweet filling, use granny smith apples
5. I used organic sugar and brown sugar mix
My Heart Beets says
Kathi, I’m glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
The recipe actually says to use 1/2 cup of batter – there should be a total of 1 1/2 cups, which should make a total of 3 turnovers. You can definitely make the pies smaller the way that I do in the mini fruit pie video though.
Thanks for the extra tips!
Angela says
Made these today and OMG! They were soo good & easy to make. My foodie son whose attitude is “I’ll only eat it if it tastes good” said these were the best he’s ever eaten!
My Heart Beets says
Angela, that’s so great! Hearing that your foodie son says these are the best he’s ever eaten totally makes my day!
Carol Ann Rowland says
Hi there,
Am preparing to make these wonderful turnovers again (for Christmas morning). Have you tried freezing them? I am wondering if they would be okay to freeze. I do know they reheat well (crisp up again) when they haven’t been frozen.
My Heart Beets says
You can freeze them 🙂 They will reheat well (although fresh is always best… though not always possible!). Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Carol Ann Rowland says
woohoo! Thank you. 🙂 I may wait and try to get them done on the 24th so I don’t have to freeze them, just not sure if it will be too much as we have our big dinner on the 24th too.
Rosa says
Hi, loved this recipe for my daughter who we just switched to GF. Do you know if it could be made with coconut flour instead of almond? We have to make as AIP as possible for her. Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Rosa, yes you can use my coconut flour flatbread recipe to make this – the ratios are slightly different so make sure to look at that recipe. It tastes nearly identical to the almond flour flatbread that I use here: https://myheartbeets.com/coconut-flour-naan/
Marissa says
Ashley, I have been making (and loving!) your recipes for several months now. I usually don’t leave comments, but this was so divine that I just had to! I never get treats like this! I used about 3/4 cups of arrowroot starch instead of tapioca flour because it was all I had in the pantry and I let them cook very briefly on the reverse side before assembling them, which I thought made it a little easier. They came out absolutely perfect. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Marissa!! I’m happy to hear that you like this recipe 🙂 And thanks for the arrowroot/cooking tip! I’m sure it’ll help other readers, so we all appreciate it!
Carolyn says
I just tried to make this with coconut and tapioca flours. The batter was too thick so I had to add more coconut milk. I put it i the pan and it stuck to the pan and wouldn’t cook properly. I don’t want to waste all of this flour. I don’t know what I did wrong and don’t know how to fix it. I don’t see how 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of coconut milk could ever make the proper consistency to get this job done.
My Heart Beets says
Coconut flour is completely different from almond flour, which is why the recipe did not work. I suggest following the recipe and using almond flour. Hope that helps!
Molly says
I am having trouble keeping the dough from sticking to the pan. Tried a little ghee but it still sticks. Any advice? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Molly, my Paleo Naan FAQ might be able to help you troubleshoot: http://myheartbeets.com/commonly-asked-questions-paleo-naan/ You can also check out this video of how I make mini fruit pies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-W5tqIGUc Hope that helps!
Yasmine says
I’m a 12 year old girl, and I enjoy baking. My family and I have been eating pale for almost a year (my dad discovered Paleo when he was diagnosed with Celiac disease) I promised my dad I’d make turnovers, and this recipe is perfect! I’m very excited to make this. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Yasmine 🙂 How sweet of you to make your dad apple turnovers 🙂 You’re clearly a very good daughter! I hope you and your family enjoy the recipe!
Yasmine says
So I made the turnovers, and they are so amazing! Once again, thank you so much!
Serena says
I can not have coconut products, what could I use in place of the coconut milk?
thank you
Yvonne says
How many carbs are in each turnover?
Aimee says
Do you have an alternative nut-free flour that you can suggest, my daughter has a severe nut allergy. Could Coconut work?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Aimee, you can try making these turnovers using my nut-free Paleo Roti flatbread. I haven’t tried this but I believe they should work! Please let me know how they turn out – I hope your daughter loves them!
Marissa says
Just a question….. Can you use regular sugar for this recipe?? I don’t have any coconut sugar on hand but want to try this ASAP!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Marissa, yes you can definitely use regular sugar 🙂 Let me know how it turns out for you!
Carol Ann says
Wow! Mine did not come out nearly as nice as yours, leaving me to realize that I am going to need to do lots and lots and LOTS of practice. 😉
They taste incredible. And not like a subpar but healthy imitator…they taste like the real deal.
They actually (perish the thought) remind me a little of what I remember, from many many years ago, of a McDonald’s apple pie but much, much better.
I am ecstatic! This will become a regular recipe for at the cottage. Can’t wait to try other flavours of fillings. As well as the empanadas!
My Heart Beets says
Carol Ann, thank you so much! I’m sorry I’m just now realizing that I never replied to this – I remember sharing your comment on my Facebook page back when you wrote it because it had made my day! Hope you’re still enjoying the recipe 🙂
Megan M says
So, I just made these. I have to admit, I was prepared to not be blown away, and have some doughy under flavored failed paleo bread experiment. But ohhhhhh savory goodness! They taste incredible buttery, crispy, truly the best experiment I have done for a long time! Amazing! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Megan, LOVE this comment – thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you!!
Alicia S. says
Do you have any suggestions to use besides the egg wash to make them stick. we have an egg allergy. Also do you use almond meal or blanched almond four?
My Heart Beets says
Alicia, you can use melted ghee or butter instead. Also, if you click on any of the links under ingredients – you can see the exact brand I use (Bob’s Redmill). Hope that helps!
Dustin says
It would be awesome if you could make this with coconut flout because almond flour is high in omega-6 which really throws your ratio of Omega3 to Omega6 out of balance causing guaranteed inflammation. The other issue with the fat in almond flour is that it is extremely fragile and will easily become rancid especially after cooking in a hot pan; definitely not something you want to eat often…but wow do they look great.
Karen says
Could you substitute honey for the coconut sugar? I have never seen coconut sugar in the store.
My Heart Beets says
Yup, that’s fine. Enjoy!
Layla says
Hi, I’ve made the Naan numerous times and it is fabulous as are the empanadas. For this one, if I put the cooked part up on the baking sheet, won’t the uncooked part be gooey and stick to the sheet? Hoping to try this with some pears that I have. Thanks!
Kristin says
I was wondering the same thing! I tried one the way in the recipe and one with cooked side down….. In the oven now so I’ll let you know how it goes!!
Sonia says
Yep. Also wondering this… Little help?
Evil One says
Curious what size pan you use to cook the first side?
I made these for the first time last night – and honestly wasn’t too sure they were going to turn out. Assembly was a bit awkward and I’m wondering if maybe I didn’t use a large enough pan and therefore got a smaller, thicker base.
Anywho… even though they were hard to assemble and didn’t look anywhere as beautiful as your picture THEY TASTED AMAZING!!! Seriously I ate 1.5 of the 3. I had added a little bit of cinnamon to the wet dough. after cooking, the crispy edges reminded me of french toast. Ahhh how I loved french toast in my pre-paleo days. Now I have a delicious dessert and a method to make french toast like tasty morsels! YUM YUM
Thank you – and kudos!
Evil One says
I made these again for a friend who was visiting… unfortunately she has a lot of allergies and can’t eat apples… but I knew she could eat the pastry so I improvised!
For the filling I spread on some Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter and added sliced bananas. I was nervous if it would turn out… but it did!
We ate them with Coconut Bliss vanilla “ice cream”… and oh my jeezus were they delicious!!
I highly recommend!
Kelly says
Tried the Paleo Naan today for the first time — SO GOOD. This changes everything. Thank you!!