Blueberry Puff Pastry Turnovers. An easy recipe with minimal ingredients. These crispy, buttery, flaky and delicious pastries are perfect for brunch, breakfast or dessert. Of all the fruits, blueberry transforms the most when cooked down. Mild, plump berries with a bit of sugar, cooked to jammy perfection. It’s the perfect combination with simple, frozen puff pastry. This recipe has limited work for you and tons of blueberry flavor.
What ingredients do you need for puff pastry turnovers?
- Puff Pastry Dough: I use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets, always. They are affordable & awesome. Thaw them until room temperature or easily malleable. It should still feel cold to the touch, but not so cold that it cracks. Roll the dough or press with your hands, but only enough to make a square shape and lightly pat out creases.
- Blueberries: You can use frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries, or even blueberry preserves. Blueberries are in season from June to Early August. For the BEST results, use fresh in season blueberries. In the FAQ below, you can learn how to choose the best blueberries at the grocery store.
- Sugar & honey: I find blueberries, even at their sweetest, to be mild. This combination of sweeteners is my favorite for getting the most out of the blueberries. That said, you can use 1:1 any sweetener of your choice (brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, sugar)
- Lemon Zest: You do not need to use lemon zest, but you should know that adding it in this recipe does not make it taste like lemon-blueberry. I used the lemon zest for a really fresh brightness that I think enhances the blueberry flavor even more.
- Cornstarch: Necessary for making a nice, blueberry jammy filling. This is what makes it so that it sets & does not run out of the pastry.
- Egg: The egg is for an egg wash before baking. Substitutes for egg wash: whole milk, buttermilk, or any non-dairy milk.
- Powdered Sugar & Milk: This is for the glaze. You can skip the glaze entirely & just do a wash with a sprinkle of coarse sugar. You can also use any non dairy milk. Add until it is thick and while stay on the pastry without completely dripping off.
FAQ
How to pick the best blueberries at the grocery store or farmer’s market?
Perfect ripe blueberries are plump & deep blue. A dusting of gray/silvery surface is normal. A firm blueberry with a hint of red isn’t fully ripened and will be tart. Stains on the container might indicate bruised fruit. Taste them if you can.
Can you make blueberry turnovers using pie crust?
Yes you can use pie crust, but the results will be slightly different. Pie crust will be like hand pie and taste like a classic blueberry pie. Using pie pastry takes this dish from pie to danish (and I love a blueberry danish!).
How to substitute blueberries?
See notes in the recipe below. You can substitute blueberries with raspberries, but it may require an extra step or two listed below. I also love to follow the recipe exactly, but using half raspberries and half blueberries or a mix of all 3 berries. I sometimes make 1/2 mixed berry and 1/2 just blueberry. You can also use blueberry or berry preserves. You can even mixed the blueberry filling with berry preserves of your choice.
Is puff pastry the same as phyllo dough?
Puff pastry is not the same as phyllo dough & produce totally different results . Puff pastry is light and fluffy while phyllo is delicate and crispy and shouldn’t really be substituted for each other.
Home Cook’s Notes: Tips for Making the best Turnovers
Berries can vary & blueberries especially. Nick is always telling me “blueberries are mid”. I also think blueberries transform the most of any berry. They go from lightly sweet and mild to an explosion of sweet blueberry flavor once cooked. Tasting your berries is important. If they are “mid” or subpar in terms of sweetness, add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the mixture.
Make sure to keep the edges sealed. I like to freeze the turnovers 10 minutes once sealed so they can be nice and cold when I put them in the oven. They will be a little more stiff and easy to check each edge to make they are sealed tightly. Try your best to keep the blueberry filling at one heaping (room temp) tablespoon the turnovers are easy to seal.
The set, classic glaze it was makes these turnovers taste like a perfect blueberry danish. But you can skip the glaze. After egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar for a sweet bite and crunchy bite.
From the Kitchen
More Blueberry Recipes
Blueberry Cobbler with Cream Cheese Biscuits
Connect With Me
When you make these Blueberry Puff Pastry Turnovers, please share your thoughts in the comments or tag me on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis. I really love hearing from you, but if anything please come back and give it a rating!
Blueberry Puff Pastry Turnovers
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries about 6oz
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp zest lemon
- 1 sheet puff pastry defrosted
- 1 egg beaten, for wash
Glaze
- 1 tbsp milk microwave 30 seconds
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make Blueberry Filling: In a small sauce pan, add blueberries, honey and sugar. Toss & cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until blueberries are bursting and bubbling. Mix water with cornstarch to create a slurry. When blueberries are bubbly and cooked down, add cornstarch mixture. Cook on low 8-10 more minutes until it is thick and jammy. Remove from heat & stir in lemon zest. You can add more if you want a hint of lemon-y flavor. Let the filling cool 10-15 minutes. You can even place in fridge.I like to let puff pastry defrost on counter while making blueberry filling & oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F & Prepare Puff Pastry: Preheat the oven to 400°. Set out a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Open puff pastry dough (defrosted) on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, gently tap out the creases. I try not to increase the size of the puff pastry much at all. Cut the puff pastry into four equal size square pieces. If you cut them uneven (like i always do), trim the pieces to a square. In a small bowl, beat egg to create an egg wash and set aside.
- Assemble Turnovers: Add a hefty tbs of room temperature or cold blueberry filling in the center of each puff pastry square. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush along the edge of the pastry square with the egg wash. Fold one corner to the other corner & form a triangle. Keep the filling in the center or towards the back. Try for no spillage at all.
- Seal the Edges of Turnover: Crimp the edges together by pressing down gently with the back of the fork. Seal the edges all the way around the triangle. Try not to let any filling spill out. Trim any uneven edge with sharp knife & check to make sure there are no openings. If the puff pastry is very warm at this point, place finished puff pastries in the freezer 5-10 minutes.
- Brush with Egg wash & Bake: Brush turnovers entirely with egg wash. Gently poke the top of the puff pastry with a sharp knife to put about 1/3 inch slit to allow steam to escape while baking. Repeat for all turnovers. Transfer turnovers to the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until puff pastry is puffed, very golden & flaky.
- Glaze: Let the turnovers cool 15-20 minutes before eating them. 30 minutes to an hour if glazing (they should not be so hot the glaze will melt). Make the glaze by microwaving 1tbs milk for 30 seconds and then adding 3/4 cup powdered sugar & stir until thick and drizzly. Drizzle over cooled turnovers & let set 20-30 minutes – or eat while it is warm and gooey. Serve with any extra blueberry filling in a small bowl on the side.
Home Cook’s Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the filling up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in air tight container once room temperature & refrigerate. Freeze fully assembled puff pastry up to one month. Thaw (they should still be cold to the touch) & then bake.
- Mixed Berry Filling: I believe this recipe works with blueberries or a mix of fresh berries the best. Feel free to make with just raspberries. Raspberries are fragile and juicy. I like to strain a bit as well to get rid of some of the seeds & you may need 1tsp or so more cornstarch to set. You can also use frozen blueberries or mixed berries for this recipe – but fresh & in season will always deliver the best results.
- It is very easy to double recipe. Follow all instructions & just double the ingredients. You will use 2 sheets puff pastry. Remember to place in the fridge or freezer if the pastries start to warm up while working with them.
Joan Lindy says
You have “tbsp” and “tbs” which one is Tablespoon?
Sam says
I apologize for the confusion – both !
Melinda says
This recipe was excellent. I have made several batches and continue to get more requests! The lil bit of lemon just adds that sunshine to the recipe.And the honey is outstanding. Thanks so much!
Sam says
Thank you so much, Melinda. I love the feedback!!
Nash says
Can I make this without the corn starch
Sam says
yes! you can make it using arrowroot or tapioca