Puff pastry apple roses are an elegant way to serve a dessert that tastes just like apple pie but looks like a rosebud! These romantic beauties are a special treat usually reserved for holidays and special occasions, but they’re easy to make so you can have them anytime!
These adorable apple roses are like a mini apple pie presented as a beautiful flower! They may look professional but couldn’t be easier!
Impress your guests with their own little apple dessert made with flaky puff pastry, sweet and tart sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon, and an apricot jam!
Learning how to make pastry roses with apples was always something I was hesitant about. If I had only known how easy they were, I would have been serving them for all my valentine’s day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dessert trays. Wedding and baby showers too!
The smell of your kitchen is reason enough to make them, but once they’re out of the oven, these showstoppers will look professionally made straight from a bakery. You can’t beat the smell of baked apples!
So, let’s get started on this adorable apple roses recipe and you’ll see just how easy they are!
Ingredients
- Puff pastry: You’ll find this in your local grocery store in the freezer section. You want to make sure to thaw it ahead of time, so it’s easy to roll and move around. Puff pastry takes time and a bit of effort to make from scratch, but if you have a homemade recipe you want to use, go for it.
- Flour: This is needed to dust your work surface so the pastry doesn’t stick.
- Apples: I use Fuji apples because I like the balance of sweet and tart. I also like that they don’t get too soft and hold up nicely while baking. Granny smith is also good, but they have a stronger tarty flavor.
- Lemon juice: When added with water it helps to soften the apples while the acid keeps the apples from turning brown.
- Apricot preserve: I love the flavor of apricot jam with apples and cinnamon. It’s amazing!
- Cinnamon: A highly recommended optional ingredient. Apples and cinnamon are a dynamic duo and are always delicious, especially during the cooler months.
- Powdered sugar: A dusting at the end for presentation.
How to Make Apple Roses
Step 1. The first step is to prepare your apple slices. No need to peel them. They look pretty that way, and it also helps to keep the apples sturdy. Use a sharp knife to cut the apples in half. Remove the core, then slice them into thin slices.
Step 2: Place all the apple slices in a bowl of lemon just and water. Make sure the apples are submerged completely. Microwave it for 3 minutes, which will help soften the apples.
Step 3: Drain the apples and now microwave the apricot jam and 2 Tablespoons of water in a small dish for 1 minute.
Step 4: Unwrap the puff pastry dough and place it on a lightly floured counter. Dust some flour onto the top of the dough as well. Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough a few times. Then, take a pizza cutter and cut the dough into 6 strips along the length of the sheet.
Step 5: Spread the apricot mixture over each strip in an even layer.
Step 6: Make sure your strips are laid out horizontally. Take the apple slices, one at a time, and place them along the top of the horizontal strip. The rounded side should be facing up and the straight edge should be facing down towards the middle of the pastry strip.
Step 7: Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples and carefully fold the strip in half horizontally along the length of the strip. The tops of the apple slices should still be showing. Carefully roll the dough up (the way you would a cinnamon roll) and roll it into a beautiful apple rose.
Step 8: Place each one into a cup in a prepared muffin tin, lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45 minutes until the dough is fully baked.
Step 9: Remove them from the oven to cool. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar for an extra pretty garnish!
Make Apple Roses Ahead
If you’re serving a crowd and trying to get ahead with your preparations, these are great to prepare in advance! Simply roll them up and stick them in the muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge overnight.
Bake when you’re ready to serve!
Tips
- For an easier time slicing the apples use a mandoline. It’s faster and it will give you even sizes every time.
- You can swap caramel sauce or your favorite flavor of jam for the apricot if that’s not your favorite.
- Add a little sugar to the cinnamon and sprinkle a cinnamon sugar mix over the apples for extra sweetness.
- Keep your puff pastry cold. It needs to be thawed, but it still needs to be cold. Keep it in the fridge until just before using it.
- For added assurance to get a nice flaky pastry bottom, you can place your apple roses in the fridge for a bit before baking.
- A nonstick muffin tin is so important! If you don’t have parchment paper you at least need to spray with cooking spray or even grease with butter. You don’t want to spend time making these flowers only to have them get stuck!
How to Serve Puff Pastry Apple Roses
Well, that depends! If I’m serving them for a romantic dessert, I like to enjoy them with a glass of white wine. If it’s a family affair, we’ll usually enjoy them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Sometimes I’ll have leftovers the next day with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Because, why not have dessert for breakfast?!
FAQs
How to store them?
These are best when enjoyed the day you make them. As with any puff pastry, the longer they sit the soggier they will get. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days if you do have them.
Why do I need to put the apples in lemon water first?
The citric acid from the lemon helps to keep them from turning brown. It’s more appealing to the eye this way! However, putting in the microwave helps to keep the apples nice and soft.
You need them to be pliable when you’re rolling up the dough.
How to reheat them?
To give them back a bit of their crispy texture, I would recommend placing them back in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. You could even try the air fryer if you have one for a few minutes.
The microwave works for a quick reheat, but it won’t be crispy. Still delicious though!
Check Out these DELICIOUS Recipes:
Quick Breakfast Burrito Recipe
Apple Roses Dessert Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Take 2 apples and slice them in half, remove the core then slice them into thin slices. Make sure to leave the peel on the apples.
- Take half of the lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl filled with water. Add apple slices, make sure there is enough water to cover all of the slices. Microwave it for 3 minutes, this helps soften the apple slices.
- Place 3 tablespoons of apricot jam into a small dish. Add 2 tablespoons of water and microwave it for 1 minute.
- Drain the apples. Now remove the dough from the box, then from a bag. Flour the counter and top of the dough, take rolling pin and stretch the dough few times. Using pizza cutter slice into 6 strips.
- Spread apricot jam over each strip. Add apple slices. Sprinkle cinnamon. Fold the strip in half. Roll into a beautiful apple rose. Place each rose into a muffin sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes or until the dough is fully baked.
- Let them cool. Sprinkle with powder sugar and serve, with hot coffee or tea! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
When YOU make this Apple Roses Recipe, take a picture & DM me your Food Creation on Instagram @MunchkinTimeBlog or hashtag #munchkinrecipes. We would love to see YOUR creation!
Do you like this Apple Roses Dessert Recipe?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you.
Quote of the Day
Have a wonderful day!
=)
This post was updated on Oct 7, 2022.
If you are at a vacation house or something lacking a muffin tin – like a rental for the holidays – this can still be done on a plain baking sheet. I did it last night. Just leave a little room at the end of the puff pastry strip so you can close it off more easily. These are great
Thank you so much Anna for an awesome recipe review and a helpful tip! I am so glad you like these apple roses dessert 😀
These are beautiful! What a treat for both the mouth and the eyes.
Thank you so much Jamie for a beautiful comment!
can these be frozen before they are baked??
This is a good question! I haven’t tried freezing these roses before, so I am not sure if they still going to be good looking after being in the freezer.
Those are very pretty! Thanks for sharing on the Faith Filled Parenting Linky Party!
Thank you!
These are beautiful!!!
Thank you so much Christia!
Look at these cute little rose shaped delights! I need to make some asap
Thank yore so much Clare! They are so worth making!
I am going to try these. I think it is a beautiful dessert. Thank you for the video, now I know what I am doing, before I start.
You are so welcome dear Dayna! If you make them, share your creation with us on Instagram, my daughter and I would love to see your Apple Roses!
These are gorgeous! I love desserts that are both beautiful and delicious!
Thank you so much Jessy!
Me too! Thank you for stopping by Jessy!
Wow these are impressive. Thanks for posting. Hello from Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party.
Thank you Melissa for stopping by!
LOVE these! Definitely trying for Christmas dinner!!!
Thank you so much Karen!
I tried making this once and it was a fail. 🙁 I didn’t microwave them though, that is probably the key. Thanks so much for sharing!
I found you at A Little R & R.
Lexie
http://www.thegenesisfeminist.com
Sorry to hear that Lexie! Yes microwaving is sure is the key here, it makes apple slices be more flexible when rolling them into a rose.
Thank you so much for sharing, it’s an amazing recipe. You and your daughter are great showing how to make apple roses.
Thank you so much Nenita for such a sweet comment!
Oh boy! Another beautiful and delicious recipe for me to try! Pinning!
Thank you for stopping by and for pinning it, it means a lot to me!
She is 7 years old and also loved to help me in the kitchen, but recently about a year ago or so, she’s lost that appeal. However, after watching this video, she said that she wants to make this recipe by herself. :). I am so thrilled that she wants to get back in the kitchen again and create! Thank you to you and your daughter for such an inspiration! I will let you know how it went.
Wow that is truly amazing! I am so happy to hear that our video helped here get that passion back! Does she has a favorite recipe that she likes to cook? Maybe my daughter and I can make recipe video for her?
Thank you for the recipe and the video! You and your daughter are amazing! Sometimes when you read through the instruction list, its long and you feel overwhelmed. I am very visual and video breaks down the recipe into easy and detailed steps. I can’t wait to show this to my daughter! Thank you for your very hard and time-consuming work!
Thank you so much Tanya, for such a kind comment! I love creating videos with my daughter and hearing feedback like this makes me want to film even more! I am very visual too, and for me looking at the video recipe are so much easier than reading recipe instructions, that is why we are starting to make more video recipes like this. I hope your daughter will enjoy it, by the way how old is she? =)