Appelflappen (Dutch Apple Turnovers)

About This Recipe

Appelflappen is a real, traditional Dutch dish, known as Dutch Apple Turnovers. Crisp, flaky pastry turnovers filled with cinnamon-spiced diced apple and raisins, a beloved Dutch fair-food treat.\n\nAppelflappen are a traditional Dutch fair and street-food treat, often sold at Sinterklaas markets and winter fairs, made from simple puff pastry filled with an apple compote reminiscent of the country's broader apple-baking traditions.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Dutch home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gpuff pastry(store-bought, thawed if frozen)
• 4tart apples(peeled and diced)
• 3 tbspsugar
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 2 tbspraisins
• 1 tbspcornstarch
• 1egg(beaten, for egg wash)
• 2 tbspcoarse sugar(for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine diced apple, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, raisins and cornstarch in a bowl, tossing to coat evenly.

2. 2

   Cook the filling briefly

   Cook the apple mixture in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly softened and the juices thicken; let cool completely.

3. 3

   Cut the pastry

   Roll out the puff pastry and cut into large squares or rounds, about 12 cm across.

4. 4

   Fill

   Place a spoonful of cooled apple filling in the center of each pastry piece.

5. 5

   Fold and seal

   Fold the pastry over into a triangle or half-moon shape, pressing the edges firmly to seal, and crimp with a fork.

6. 6

   Bake

   Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse sugar, cut a small slit in the top for steam, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and puffed.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoonful of thick vanilla custard alongside the apple filling for a richer version.

• •

  Some bakeries use a mix of apple and pear for the filling.

• •

  A version dusted with just powdered sugar instead of coarse sugar is a lighter finishing touch.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions