Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries (Vegan)

These Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries are quick and easy to make yet are impressive. Filled with a sticky apple date pecan caramel mix, these flaky golden pastries are naturally vegan and easily gluten-free.

I just love all things apple, especially this time of year. So, when presented with a bag full of home-grown apples that were going spare, I needed to get inventive. After apple cakes, muffins, cupcakes and making lots of homemade applesauce, I turned my attention to apple turnovers or puff pastries. These nostalgic bakes are really easy to make impressive to serve to friends and family and only need a few basic ingredients.

Four Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries on a wooden board
Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries

Why will I love these pastries?

These apple turnovers are delicious, they are:

  • Golden, flaky, crispy and buttery
  • Filled with a sticky caramel apple date and pecan mix
  • Packed with fruits and nuts
  • Topped with a vanilla bean sticky glaze
  • Quick and easy to make in 10 minutes
  • Great to serve to friends and family
  • Naturally vegan
  • Easily gluten-free and nut-free
  • Nostalgic, warming, comforting and cosy

If you already love the sound of these Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The recipe can be split into three parts: the apple caramel filling; the pastries and then the glaze.

Let’s start with the filling:

  • Apples: use eating apples here as cooking apples will soften too much and make the filling too wet. Use your favourite seasonal variety like royal gala, jazz, pink lady etc.
  • Medjool dates: these add to the caramel-stickiness and sweetness of the filling. Medjool dates are best as they are naturally sweeter and jammier but you can use other dates or dried fruits like raisins, apricots or figs although dates are best. I use the ones from KoRo and you can save with code Nourishing5.
  • Pecans: for a sweet crunch. Apples and pecans work so well together although if making these nut-free, swap the pecans for sunflower seeds or leave them out. Other nuts you can try are walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts.
  • Olive oil: I love using olive oil as it adds a richness but you can use coconut oil or vegan butter, too.
  • Maple syrup: for stickiness to make this filling really caramel-like. Other syrups like agave, rice, tapioca or vegan honey will also work.
  • Cinnamon: for flavour.

As for the pastries:

  • Puff pastry: I use pre-rolled puff pastry as it’s the perfect thickness and means you don’t have to use a rolling pin. Blocks of puff pastry will also work, just note the weight and scale the recipe up or down as needed. Most brands are accidentally vegan just check the ingredients. If needed, using gluten-free puff pastry.
  • Smooth runny almond butter: or you can use peanut, hazelnut, pecan or granola butter here. This adds to the sticky sweet filling. To make them nut-free, opt for tahini or sunflower seed butter.
  • Olive oil and maple syrup: this replaces the non-vegan egg wash and makes for the crispiest, most golden flaky top.
  • Demerara sugar: for the classic sugary crunch. This is the best sugar to use as it’s much coarser and results in visible specks of sugar but you can use coconut, caster or light brown sugar, if needed.

As for the glaze:

  • Icing sugar: like traditional glazes, mix this with water to a thick but pourable mix.
  • Vanilla powder: I love using vanilla bean powder which is a fine black powder and results in a lovely speckled glaze but you can use vanilla essence too.
  • Extra pecans and sugar: for crunch on top.

How do I make these?

These puff pastries are ready in a few minutes of work:

  • Make the apple filling: add all the ingredients to a frying pan and cook for 10 minutes till sticky and softening. Allow to cool briefly.
  • Unroll the pastry: and slice into 6 rectangles or squares. Depending on the shape and size of your pastry your squares may be different but that is OK.
  • Spread half of each pastry square with almond butter: to form a triangle.
  • Top the almond butter with the apple filling: to make a mound of apple.
  • Fold the other corner over: to make a triangle.
  • Crimp along the edges with a fork: to seal in all the filling.
  • Brush with the olive oil and maple wash: and sprinkle over the demerara sugar.
  • Bake for 20 to 22 minutes till golden: rotating the trays throughout the cooking time to ensure an even bake.
  • Cool briefly: so that the glaze doesn’t drip off.
  • Stir the icing sugar and water to make the glaze: and drizzle over the pastries.
  • Sprinkle on some extra pecans and demerara sugar: and enjoy.

Are these nut-free and gluten-free?

To make these apple turnovers nut-free, swap the pecans for seeds or leave them out and swap the almond butter for sunflower seed butter, tahini or granola butter. To make these gluten-free make sure to use a gluten-free puff pastry.

How long will these pastries keep for?

These taste the best when they are still slightly warm from the oven but can be kept, once cool, in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Keep them in the fridge but enjoy them at room temperature. You can also freeze these pastries in Ziploc bags for up to 1 month, and allow to defrost at room temperature.

Stack of three Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries
Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries

I love them, what else can I make?

I hope you are going to love these apple turnovers and for more ideas, how about my:

Close up of torn apart Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries

Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

These Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries are quick and easy to make yet are impressive. Filled with a sticky apple date pecan caramel mix, these flaky golden pastries are naturally vegan and easily gluten-free.

Ingredients

For the Filling:

  • 2 small apples
  • 80g medjool dates (pitted weight), chopped small
  • 50g pecans, chopped small
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

For the Pastries:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry (375g)
  • 60g smooth runny almond butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar

For the Glaze:

  • 100g icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ¼ tsp vanilla powder
  • Extra demerara sugar
  • Extra pecans

Instructions

  1. Make the apple filling: wash and core the apple. Chop into small pieces and add to a frying pan with all the other filling ingredients. Stir well and allow to cook over a high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until sticky and softened. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180Fan/200*C and line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper.
  3. Allow the pastry to chill at room temperature for 10 minutes and then un-roll the pastry (or roll your pastry to a rectangle). My sheet of pastry was about 36cm x 24cm. Now cut the pastry into 6 rectangles or squares (mine were approximately 12cm squares).
  4. Visually divide the pastry square/rectangle into two triangles down the middle and spread the almond butter over one triangle half. Now top the almond butter with some apple mix.
  5. Fold over the send triangle over pastry to cover the filling and make a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork to secure the pastries. Repeat to make 6 pastries.
  6. Place onto the trays. Stir together the olive oil and maple syrup until combined and brush over the pastry tops. Sprinkle over the sugar.
  7. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown and flaky. Rotate the trays halfway through cooking to ensure an even bake.
  8. For the glaze: stir together the icing sugar, water and vanilla to a thick pourable consistency. Allow the pastries to cool for 20 minutes (or to cool fully) and drizzle over the glaze.
  9. Add on some extra demerara sugar and pecans and enjoy. Once cool, store these pastries for 1-2 days in a sealed container in the fridge although best eaten at room temperature. These are best fresh but can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1month and allow to defrost at room temperature.

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I look forward to hearing what you think of these Apple Pecan Caramel Puff Pastries so please leave a comment below and a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see them so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on TwitterFacebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With apple turnover love x

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