When Fall comes around the corner these Pumpkin Turnovers made with Phyllo dough are my go-to quick and easy recipe. Only seven ingredients, but packed with flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh pumpkin are the perfect combination to warm you up. Ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. You don’t want to skip this one!
What is Phyllo/Filo dough?
Phyllo dough also known as “Filo” is a very thin dough sheet used in many cuisines to prepare sweet or savory dishes. The word “Phyllo” in Greek means “leaf”, in Turkey they call it “Yufka”. Baklava is a very popular dessert made with this type of dough, but there are many other dishes like “Borek” filled with meat, cheese, or veggies, “Banitsa” made with feta cheese in Bulgaria or also known as “Spanakopita” made with feta and spinach in Greece. This dough is wildly used across Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
Making Phyllo dough by hand is not the easiest thing to do, so most often people go for a store-bought, which is available pretty much everywhere.
What you’ll need to make this Easy Pumpkin Turnovers with Phyllo Dough?
Fresh pumpkin or canned
Phyllo/Filo dough
Walnuts
Muscovado or Dark brown sugar
Butter
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
For the pumpkin, you can use freshly grated pumpkin or pumpkin puree.
I prefer using Muscovado sugar because it has more molasses, a toffee-like taste, and it’s the perfect flavor combination in this recipe. But, if you don’t have dark sugar, regular will work fine too.
Brown Butter also adds depth of flavor. It’s an extra step but totally worth it.
For spaces, you can also use premade pumpkin spices blend, or make your own combination like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger.
Because this recipe requires a minimal amount of ingredients, make sure they are of good quality. The smallest change in the process (regular butter vs. brown, muscovado vs. white sugar) will be noticeable in the final taste.
How to make Pumpkin Turnovers?
- The preparation of these Pumpkin turnovers with Phyllo dough is very easy, since the dough is already made all you have to do is make the filling. You can make the filling a few ways, using fresh pumpkin or pumpkin puree.
- For the fresh pumpkin, you’ll need to peel and grate the pumpkin. For the pumpkin puree, you can roast the pumpkin till soft, or you can buy canned, which will be the quickest. Choose whatever option suits you best, it will work either way.
- I highly suggest browning the butter, because lets be honest, brown butter is so much better than just melted. It has a uniqie sweet aroma, and the flavor takes your cooking to the next level.
- Once you have the pumpkin and the butter ready, the rest is easy-peasy. Mix the rest of the ingredients together with the pumpkin puree and use the brown butter to brush the Phyllo dough sheets.
I cut the phyllo sheet in half, or just fold it to create a double layer. You could also make them smaller bite-size if you’d like to. Half of the sheet comes to 6 inches (15cm). Brush half of the sheet with the brown butter and fold the other half on top. Brush again. If the sheets are cut in half, brush the top and flip the brushed side over the bottom sheet. Brush again. Add the filling and fold into triangles.
Once you have all the turnovers ready, brush them one more time with the brown butter and bake them till crispy at 350F(180C) for 13-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
For more recipes like this one, I recommend:
THE ONLY CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE YOU NEED – Delicious melt in your mouth Cinnamon Rolls.
RUGELACH COOKIES – These babies are addictiev! Simple ingredients with a big taste.
EASY BANITSA RECIPE – BULGARIAN CHEESE PIE – Layers of phyllo dough and feta cheese, this simple but so delicious dish was one of my favorite growing up. It’s a very popular Bulgarian recipe and I hope you’ll give it a try.
If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comment below. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. Would love to connect.
Easy Pumpkin Turnovers made with Phyllo dough
Ingredients
- 550 g Shredded Fresh Pumpkin or Pumpkin puree 3¼ cup shredded. 15oz(about 2 cups) puree
- 50 g Walnuts, chopped 1/2 cup
- 100 g Muscovado sugar 1/2 cup(packed), or dark brown sugar
- 1 t Cinnamon
- 1/8 t Nutmeg
- 50 g Butter
- Phyllo/Filo dough sheets
Instructions
- If using fresh pumpkin cut it into pieces, take the skin off, the seeds out, and grate it. Set aside. If using pumpkin puree you will skip these steps, although if you are making homemade puree, you will do the steps above, except instead of grating it you will roast the pieces in the oven till soft and them mush them into puree consistency.
- Add butter to a saucepan and cook till brown. Stir occasionally.
- Chop the walnuts. Add them to the grated pumpkin together with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350F(180C).
- Lay the Phyllo sheets flat. Spread the brown butter lengthwise over half of the sheet using a pastry brush. Fold the other side over, brush again, and add about 2 tbsp of the filling to the bottom corner. Take the corner with the filling and flip it over the other side creating a triangle. Then one more time to the other side till you reach the top(see photos for reference).
- Arrange the turnovers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush them with the brown butter on top and bake for about 13-15 minutes, or till golden brown.
- Let them cool a bit and enjoy! They are great even the next day if they last that long 😉
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