Nectarine Turnovers (Easy Nectarine Recipe)

Last Updated on June 3, 2025 by becky

An easy nectarine recipe featuring puff pastry, nectarines, and brown sugar, plus notes of cardamom and vanilla bean. These rustic nectarine turnovers are simple to prepare, and ideal for breakfast or brunch.

Why Make This Easy Nectarine Recipe?

I love turnovers because they’re so much easier to make than a traditional pie. These handheld pies arealso a fun way to celebrate fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, especially when they’re at their peak during the spring and summer months.

This recipe showcases ripe, juicy nectarines, along with dark brown sugar, vanilla, and cardamom. For convenience, I’ve developed these turnovers using a sheet of store-bought puff pastry (though feel free to make your own, if you’re feeling ambitious), so the entire recipe comes together in less than an hour from start to finish.

Serve homemade nectarine hand pies for breakfast or brunch, or accompanied by a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a simple summer dessert!

What is the Difference between Nectarines and Peaches?

Peaches and nectarines are similar fruits, but they’re not exactly the same.  The biggest difference? Peaches are known for their soft, fuzzy skin (hence the term “peach fuzz,” which, coincidentally, is also the name of Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year!)  Meanwhile, while nectarine skin feels smooth and fuzz-free.

The fleshes of both fruits come in yellow or white, and in “cling” (where the flesh clings to the pit) or “freestone” (where the pit separates easily) varieties. Nectarines usually feel slightly firmer, with a slightly tarter flavor compared to their sweeter, softercounterparts.

Both peaches and nectarines work nicely in baking and dessert recipes. You can often use the two interchangeably, but I also enjoy developing recipes to highlight one or the other, as I’ve done with these nectarine turnovers.  For some of my favorite peach recipes, try making my vanilla peach granita, summer grilled peach and goat cheese pizza, or my peach hand pies with blueberries and walnuts.

Ingredients for Making Nectarine Turnovers

To make this easy nectarine recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:

• Nectarines – Look for ripe nectarines. They should feel slightly soft to the touch, with a fragrant scent and slightly speckled skin. Avoid firm nectarines or fruit with a green tint—these aren’t quite ripe enough yet.
• Dark Brown Sugar – I developed these turnovers with dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar or muscovado sugar will pair just as nicely with the nectarines in this recipe.
• Lemon Juice – Acidic lemon juice contrasts the sweetness of the nectarines and brown sugar.
  
• Cornflour – Cornflour (or cornstarch, depending on your location) thickens the fruit filling. Make sure the product you’ve chosen looks like a fine white powder (similar to confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar), not a coarsely ground yellow meal.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – Vanilla bean paste (not extract) adds notes of vanilla—and pretty bean speckles!—to the fruit filling. Nielsen-Massey and Taylor & Colledge make my favorite brands. You can also use the scrapings of 1 vanilla pod.
  

• Ground Cardamom – Ground cardamom gives the fruit filling a hint of spice.
• Puff Pastry – You’ll need one sheet of puff pastry, rolled or trimmed to about 8 x 12 inches in size. I used store-bought (if frozen rather than refrigerated, thaw according to the manufacturer’s instructions) but you can also use homemade.
  
• Egg – Brushed over the unbaked puff pastry, beaten egg helps to create the flaky texture and golden brown color.
• Demerara Sugar – Sprinkled on top of each turnover, Demerara sugar adds a crunchy finishing touch. You can substitute Sugar in the Raw, or skip the sugar topping altogether.

Tips and Tricks for Making Nectarine Turnovers

When spooning the nectarine filling, allow a generous border around the outside edge. You’ll need room to apply the egg wash, and to thoroughly seal each pastry.

If the filling seems particularly juicy, discard any excess liquid left at the bottom of the bowl. Don’t spoon it over the diced nectarines—too much liquid increases the risk of soggy pastries. (Don’t worry if they leak a little, though—this is totally normal, and part of the charm of making homemade hand pies. See my pic below!)

While these nectarine turnovers are best enjoyed warm, do allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving. If you dig in immediately, the piping hot filling will burn your tongue. (Speaking from experience on this one!)

Special Tools and Equipment for Making This Nectarine Recipe

To make this nectarine recipe, I recommend purchasing a set of round cutters (for cutting the discs of puff pastry), a pastry brush (for egg-washing the pastry), and a half sheet rimmed baking tray (for baking the turnovers). You’ll also need a garden-variety kitchen fork for crimping the edges of each turnover before baking.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

For the best flavor and texture, I recommend baking these nectarine turnovers on the day you plan to enjoy them. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

To freeze: Layer turnovers between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Enjoy cold, or rewarm in a 350° F / 176° C oven for about 10 minutes.

Other turnover and hand pie recipes you might enjoy:

Cranberry Apple Hand Pies
Apple Turnovers (Chaussons aux Pommes)
Mixed Berry Hand Pies
Puff Pastry with Feta and Cherries
Blueberry Hand Pies
Peach and Ginger Hand Pies

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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