Spring has sprung with a quick and easy recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers that star a fresh fruit filling tucked inside buttery puff pastry.
Nothing signals the start of spring like the arrival of rhubarb at grocery stores and farmers’ markets! The colorful stalks make their debut in April and typically can be found through the month of June, which gives you plenty of time to whip up Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers for spring snacking and dessert.
Is Rhubarb a Fruit or a Vegetable?
It’s a common question in the food world, and for good reason! While most commonly used in sweet preparations, the appearance of rhubarb (essentially a pinkish-red celery-like stalk) makes many think it falls in the “vegetable” category. And those people would be correct! Rhubarb is indeed a vegetable.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers
For this Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers recipe, I’ve slow-cooked the stalky veggie then stirred in juicy strawberries and sweetened the mix with a bit of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. The thick and tangy fruit jam is then tucked inside buttery puff pastry pockets for the ultimate celebration of warmer temps and longer days.
How to Make Turnovers with Puff Pastry
It’s no secret that I am a store-bought puff pastry super fan, whether it’s starring in all things savory or all things sweet. It becomes the perfect flaky canvas to fill with tangy strawberry-rhubarb filling. A quick fold in half diagonally transforms squares into easy-to-eat triangles topped with plenty of sanding sugar for a touch of crunch.
In need of more rhubarb recipes and info? Check out our In Season Now Guide: Rhubarb for how to shop for, store and prepare this spring staple.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb (1-inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- All-purpose flour, for dusting work surface
- 1 (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 1 large egg, whisked with 1 Tablespoon water
- Sanding sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the rhubarb and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the strawberries and cinnamon. Set the mixture aside to cool to room temp. Once the mixture has cooled completely, strain out any liquids.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the pastry to seal any perforations. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into four squares.
- Divide the strawberry-rhubarb filling among the squares, spooning a portion into the centers of the squares and then carefully folding them in half diagonally to form triangles. Using a fork, crimp together the edges to seal them then transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Cut three small slits atop each turnover then brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle them with the sanding sugar (optional).
- Bake the turnovers until they’re golden brown and puffed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the turnovers from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely then serve.
Kelly’s Note:
- The filling can be prepared one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, and then strained just prior to filling the turnovers.
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Rhubarb is our favorite!! I used to be able to find frozen rhubarb when it’s out of season but now nothing! & when I froze it fresh myself it thawed out real mushy. have any ideas on how to find it off season?
I love rhubarb. I had puff pastry in the freezer and thought I would try these. I will definitely make these again. Next time I must try and drain the juices more. My family loved these.
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the turnovers, Carolyn!
My mom (who is German) used to make rhubarb pie when we lived in Minnesota. I think it grew wild and she picked it and baked it. I have so many memories of it. She only made it when we were stationed in Minnesota.
Such a great memory, Pat! I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a shot! :)
thank you for the great ideas!! i can’t wait to try a few out!!
I hope you enjoy the recipes, Maribeth!
I gave my mom some, one of her coworkers doesn’t like Rhubarb and he couldn’t even tell. He ate it before he knew it was lol. They were amazing!!
I’m so thrilled everyone enjoyed the recipe, Tia!
Can frozen strawberries be used instead of fresh?
Absolutely! Just thaw and drain any juices from them first or you can cook the mixture longer until it thickens.
Hi! Can I use strawberry rhubarb jam while rhubarb is out of season? It might be overcook the jam since it’s already been prepared into a jam.
Definitely! No need to cook it, just seal it in the turnovers.
good recipe all turned out fine, i introduced fresh ginger to the rhubarb during cooking. worked well
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Paul!
How should the turnovers be stored? Thank you!
Hi Jen! The turnovers are best when enjoyed within a day of baking them, but they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
So delicious. Instead of milk I used the strained liquid from my strawberry rhubarb mixture in the glaze. Will definitely make these again!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle!
what if you over cook the rhubarb and its kind of like a mush??? still tastey but im not sure how to strain it now
Strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove as much water as possible and just add more strawberries to compensate for the liquid :) You’ll be fine!
Can I use frozen rhubarb in this recipe?
Definitely! Just make sure to thaw and drain it :)
Can they turnovers be frozen after baking? Or maybe even before baking? I’m a beginner baker.. not sure which would be better option..
If either. hank you!
Hi Sabrina! I’d recommend freezing them first and then baking off as needed, but you may need to increase the bake time.
Delicious! The hint of cinnamon balanced the sweet and tart from the strawberries and rhubarb perfectly.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lesley!
I Don’t know why cinnamon adds just the right flavor to every sweet dish I have made. But it just perfectly fits it with any sweet dish. This looks so beautiful.Could I try it out with blueberries?
What do you think how would it be?
Blueberries would be delicious!
Thanks… I went ahead and did it. YES, do place in a strainer! Removed about 1/4C of liquid from my mixture. Thanks for the deliciousness!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lisa!
Sweet recipe!
Question: When you say “Strain out any liquid,” can you provide more detail? Like, should I actually put the mixture in a strainer to remove almost all liquid? Or, is this just a “use a spoon to remove some of the extra liquid” sort of situation? Thank you!
I’d use a strainer!
This is the Perfect strawberry rhubarb filling! Just enough sweet and lots of flavor! I can see using this for ice cream topping, pancakes, quick bread, muffins……
Thank you for sharing.
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Sheila! And I love your ideas for using the filling elsewhere, too! It would be delicious over ice cream :)
This was amazing.. I needed to do something with the rhubarb I just picked..the cinnamon adds just the right flavor to the sweetness from the strawberries and the start from the rhubarb. They were a hit in my house! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Deb!
I want to try it, thanks!
Enjoy, Dave!
This is Fabulous. Would love to make it soon. Thanks for your guidance.
Enjoy!