Crisp, flaky pastry turnovers filled with cinnamon-spiced diced apple and raisins, a beloved Dutch fair-food treat.
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.
Serves 8
Combine diced apple, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, raisins and cornstarch in a bowl, tossing to coat evenly.
Cook the apple mixture in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly softened and the juices thicken; let cool completely.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut into large squares or rounds, about 12 cm across.
Place a spoonful of cooled apple filling in the center of each pastry piece.
Fold the pastry over into a triangle or half-moon shape, pressing the edges firmly to seal, and crimp with a fork.
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.
Cool the apple filling completely before assembling — hot filling melts the butter in the pastry and prevents it from puffing properly.
Seal the edges firmly and crimp with a fork, or the filling will leak out and burn during baking.
Cut a small steam vent in the top of each turnover so built-up steam doesn't burst the pastry seams.
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.
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.
Appelflappen 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.
Yes, this is standard practice even in Dutch bakeries — just make sure it's fully thawed and pliable before rolling and cutting.
The edges weren't sealed tightly enough, or the filling was too wet — cool it thoroughly and drain excess liquid before filling the pastry.
Yes, assemble and refrigerate unbaked turnovers for a few hours, or freeze them for up to a month; bake from frozen with a few extra minutes.
Per serving (120g / 4.2 oz) · 8 servings total
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