Easy Apple Roses

Have I mentioned how much I like apple desserts? There are so many warm, spicy, nutty, tart, sweet recipes out there, it’s hard to decide which one to cook or bake. 

My husband loves apple pie. For all my years of cooking and baking, I’m not a great crust maker. On the other hand, my neighbor, who is a Cutco retiree, makes the best flaky crust I’ve ever tasted. Mine doesn’t even come close. In my quest to make an apple pie dessert without making crust, I came across these Easy Apple Roses using puff pastry to make an adorable sweet treat.

They smell so good while baking I couldn’t wait to get them out of the oven. The puff pastry bakes up light, airy and crispy, and the cinnamon and sugar mixture envelops the apple slices.

Preparing the Apple Slices

Leave the skin on the apples to add to the overall look of the rose petals. To get a uniform rose look, as you’re cutting them, try to keep the slices about the same thickness. Use a 4" Paring Knife to cut the apples in half, core and thinly slice on the long edge.

Another good knife for slicing apples is the 5" Petite Santoku.

The apple slices can be microwaved or sautéed in butter to soften them a bit before laying them onto the pastry.

How To Make Apple Roses

Now, here comes the fun part.

Roll out your thawed puff pastry until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. Use a Pizza Cutter to cut two 3-inch by 12- to 14-inch strips.

Brush the pastry with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Lay the apple slices lengthwise along the top edge of the puff pastry strip, about 1/4-inch from the top.

Fold the bottom half up and brush with more butter.

Then, carefully roll the pastry up to create your apple rose shape.

Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Place in prepared ramekins or muffin tin and bake for about 45 minutes.

We eat with our eyes first and these individual desserts will make you say, “Yum.” It’s like having your own little apple pie.

If you like this recipe, also try our Quick and Easy Apple Bites Appetizer or take a look at our post on How to Make Blooming Apples.

Don’t let the instructions deter you from trying these. They are actually simple to make. Once you’ve done a couple, you’ll find they come together quickly.