These puff pastry cheese turnovers are slightly sweet, slightly salty, and straight from the heavens. Serve them for dessert or breakfast!
Because these cheese turnovers aren’t insanely sweet, they’re a perfect snack to nosh on. You can serve them for either breakfast or dessert, and must try with a hot cup of coffee!
Note: You’ll need puff pastry and farmer’s cheese for this recipe. Snag them from the store or make them homemade using our quick puff pastry dough recipe and easy farmer’s cheese recipe.
What Exactly are Cheese Turnovers?
Cheese turnovers come in many different shapes and sizes. Most consist of some type of dough stuffed with a slightly sweet cheese filling. Below, find an overview of our version of cheese turnovers.
- Flavor: The flavor of these cheese features a slightly salty, slightly sweet cheese filling encased in buttery puff pastry.
- Texture: The texture of the cheese turnovers is the perfect balance of gooey cheese filling and slightly crispy puff pastry.
- Time: These cheese turnovers only take 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of baking to make.
How to Quickly Prepare Cheese Turnovers
To kick of the process, first make the filling by mixing the farmer’s cheese, softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk together.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry sheets into thin layers. Next, cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
- Assemble the Turnovers: Add a spoonful of filling into the center of each square and fold over the sides to form tiny triangles. Place the turnovers of baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, whisk the egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle on a bit of sugar (this will create a delicious glaze!).
- Bake the Turnovers: Bake the cookies at 415°F for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for the Best Cheese Turnovers
Making these turnovers is so easy, you can hardly call it a recipe. That said, a couple of tips and tricks will make the process all the smoother.
- Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature. The cream cheese will be super easy to work with and incorporate if you let it soften before handling. Pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you get to prepping.
- Handle the puff pastry while it’s super cold. To get the fluffiest turnovers possible, roll out the puff pastry straight out of the freezer. The longer it sits at room temperature, the more the butter will melt and turn the pastry flat.
- Don’t overstuff the turnovers. Resist the urge to stuff too much filling into each piece of dough or the filling will seep out in the oven. About two tablespoons is more than enough.
Different Filling Variations
Feel like experimenting with your own fillings? Go for it! Below, find a couple of suggestions to inspire you.
- Strawberry & Cheese – Add in a dollop of your favorite strawberry jam or a couple thin slices of strawberry.
- Apple & Cheese – Swap out the white sugar for brown sugar and add in a dollop of applesauce.
- Bacon Turnovers – Skip the farmer’s cheese filling and fill the puff pastry with shredded cheddar, gouda, swiss cheese, or gruyere and air fryer bacon bits (great for breakfast on the go!).
Storing, Freezing, & Reheating Best Practices
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, find the best practices for storing and reheating here.
- Storing: To keep the turnovers on hand for up to a week, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: To freeze the turnovers for up to a month, assemble them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop the baking sheet into the freezer uncovered. Once completely frozen, transfer the turnovers to a freezer safe bag.
- Reheating: To reheat refrigerated or frozen turnovers, pop them in the oven or in an air fryer until warmed through.
FAQ
What is farmer’s cheese?
Farmer’s cheese is a European staple. It’s a simple cheese that is very similar to American-style cottage cheese.
Where can you purchase farmer’s cheese?
You can purchase farmer’s cheese at most European specialty food stores. It’s also starting to trickle into most big box grocery stores, so you might get lucky!
What’s a good substitute for farmer’s cheese?
Cottage cheese is a good substitute for farmer’s cheese. That said, the texture is a bit different and farmer’s cheese is recommended.
Can you store these turnovers at room temperature?
You can store the turnovers at room temperature for 1-2 days, but pop them in the refrigerator after that.
Can you freeze the turnovers raw instead of baked?
Yes, you can freeze the turnovers raw and bake them from frozen when you’re ready.
More Sweet Cheese Pastries to Try
- Sochniki (Sweet Cheese Cookies) – Shortbread cookies with sweet cheese filling
- Cheese Danishes – Danish pastry filled with a sweet cream cheese filling with a delicate zing of citrus.
- Farmer’s Cheese Cake with Raisins (Zapekanka) – Slavic-style cheesecake
- Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns – Sweet cheese stuffed buns
- Farmer’s Cheese Donut Holes (Russian Ponchiki) – Deep-fried, cheese-stuffed donut holes
- Sweet Cheese Bourekas – Puff pastry with a sweet cheese filling
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry dough
- 1 lb farmer's cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg egg yolk and whites separated
- 1/4 cup sugar for the tops
Instructions
Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the farmer's cheese, softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk (save the egg whites for later). Set the filling aside.
Forming Cookies
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry dough into a thin layer. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
- Add a hefty spoonful of the filling into the center of each square. Fold over one of the edges to make a triangle shape.
- One by one, place the turnovers on a lined baking sheet. Whisk the leftover egg whites with a fork.
- Brush the egg whites on the top of each turnover, followed by a sprinkling of sugar. Bake the cookies at 415°F for 15 minutes.
I want to try New Mexico turnover with cheddar cheese and green chilies
That sounds delicious!
So good! Just like cheese danish, but more fun!
Yep, it is kind of similar to a cheese danish. Enjoy!
So impressed with these! They turned out really good for my first time making them! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hi Eden- thanks for the feedback, glad these were a hit for you!
I couldn't find farmer's cheese, so I used your suggestion and made the version with bacon and cheese. (Didn't add sugar.) My kids thought it was the best after school snack ever!
Glad they enjoyed it, Kara!
What is farmers cheese cottage?
Hi Heather, farmers cheese is common in European countries, you can make it yourself or European stores sell it. Here is the recipe for homemade farmers cheese: https://momsdish.com/recipe/2… Hope this helps!
How can I store these after making them ? Can they be put in the fridge or should they be left out?
Hey Lacey, you can keep them out for a day or two but after that, you would need to refrigerate them.
I substituted ricotta cheese instead of farmers cheese and the batter came out runny. Anyway I can fix it?
Hi Michelle, adding egg may help but farmers cheese would be the best option for this recipe.
Is there a substitute for farmers cheese?
Hey Keesh, you can also use ricotta.
These are by far the best cheese turnovers I've ever made. I've been buying them from a bakery in CA called Portos, and now they deliver, but very expensive. I still can't believe that these taste just like those if not even better and way less expensive. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Oh wow, what an awesome compliment. I am happy you loved them!
Can you freeze them before baking for a later time. Not that I want to wait but need to know.
I have never tried to but I think it would work.
I made these today for a family dinner. They were such a big hit! So easy to make, and out of this world delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe, I will be making these very often. ?
Hi Lana, I like your description of "out of this world delicious" 😉 It makes me happy when you guys love the recipe.
these look great ! what can i substitute farmers cheese with ? 🙂
You can also use jam, poppy seeds, fresh apples, nutella. 🙂
nutella instead of farmer's cheese? yum! how much?
It depends on the size of the cookies. Just a little, though so it doesn't make a mess while baking.
Love farmer's cheese. These look great! My husband is getting pickier and pickier too.:)
Where can I buy farmers cheese?
cottage cheese is the same
A lot of European grocery stores have it or even a local grocery store has it sometimes.
Sometimes I wonder if all this recipes are worth it. He is way too spoiled.