Name: Mickey Mouse Cherry Turnovers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients: 1 12-ounce bag of frozen sweet cherries; ⅓ cup granulated white sugar; 1 tsp lemon (or lime) juice; ½ tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp almond extract; 4 ½ tsp cornstarch; 4 ½ tsp water; Pinch of salt; 1 box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets); Egg wash (1 egg and about a tablespoon of milk or water); Sugar crystals

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For a fun and easy dessert idea for the Disney lover in your house, these cherry Mickey Mouse turnovers are sure to be a huge hit for any Disney fan!

Who needs a special occasion when these easy cherry turnovers are so incredibly easy to make? All you need is some frozen puff pastry, a jumbo Mickey Mouse cookie cutter, and some easy cherry pie filling.

I won’t tell if you want to cheat and use canned pie filling, but making the homemade cherry pie filling is worth it and only takes a few ingredients and a few (active) minutes to make.

Tips for making puff pastry turnovers

This recipe couldn’t be easier, but if you haven’t used frozen puff pastry before, there are a few things you will need to know for pastry success.

Make sure it is completely thawed before starting to make your turnovers.
Refrigerate the pastry sheets overnight or leave them out on the counter for at least 30 minutes, though I find that 40-45 is better.
If the puff pastry is too warm, it can get a little sticky and hard to work with, so don’t leave it on the counter for longer than necessary.
When spreading the pie filling on the puff pastry, it can look like you need more, but resist the temptation to overfill it. A little filling goes a long way.
When you put the top on, the filling will spread and you need to be able to crimp the edges all the way around so the filling will stay inside while baking.
When using a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, wiggle the cutter around to make a clean cut. Puff pastry doesn’t cut as easily as cookie dough, especially the warmer it is.
If you choose to make a regular square or triangle turnover instead of a Mickey Mouse turnover, cutting the puff pastry with a pizza cutter is the easiest way to go.

Armed with these simple tips, you are well on your way to making easy and delicious turnovers (or other puff pastry dessert) any day of the week.

Cherry Mickey Mouse turnovers step by step

Gather the ingredients.

Scroll down to the recipe card for all of the ingredients and measurements.

Add frozen sweet cherries, sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract to a saucepan. Stir to combine, then add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan.

Cook on medium heat, pressing the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook. Once thickened, take the cherries off of the heat and let it cool to room temperature for about a half-hour.

Disney dessert turnover with frozen puff pastry

Once the cherry mixture is cooled, cut out four Mickey Mouse shapes per sheet of puff pastry for a total of eight cutouts. If you don’t have a cookie cutter but want to make these pastries anyway, you can just cut the pastry into rectangles or triangles and it will be just as tasty.

Jumbo Mickey Mouse cookie cutter - cherry turnovers

Put four cutouts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Fill with the cherry mixture; be careful not to over-fill them.

Disney cherry puff pastry turnover with cherry pie filling

Cover with the four remaining cutouts and crimp the edges closed with a fork going all the way around to be sure the top and bottom are together securely.

With a knife, cut a few small slits on top of the puff pastry so steam can escape.

Cover with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees fahrenheit.

How to glaze puff pastry

While I chose not to glaze my turnovers, you certainly could with an easy to make sugar glaze.

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract

Mix until combined, then drizzle over the top of the pastry with a spoon.

Can cherry turnovers be frozen?

Yes! Not that cooked turnovers will last long, because yum! But if you are planning to make these Mickey Mouse turnovers to freeze for later, put them them together and cook them for 15 minutes.

Allow the turnovers to cool completely before putting them in the freezer.

How to freeze cooked turnovers

Once the cooked turnovers are completely cooled, put them in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. They will store in the freezer for about three months. Do not glaze them before freezing.

How to freeze uncooked pastries

Once the Mickey Mouse turnovers are put together, lay them out flat on a baking sheet, and instead of putting them in the oven, put them in the freezer.

When frozen you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to three months.

How to cook frozen puff pastry turnovers

If the pastry has been cooked before being frozen: When you are ready to cook the frozen puff pastries, allow them to thaw, brush on some egg wash, then bake them for 20-25 minutes.

If you want to glaze them, now is the time to do it.

If the pastry was frozen raw: When you are ready to serve the turnovers, you don’t need to thaw them. Arrange the frozen pastries on a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush with egg wash, then bake for 25-30 minutes.