Every fall after apple picking, I’m always looking for fun new ways to use up all the apples I bring home, and these Apple Roses are a new favorite. They look fancy, but really, they’re so simple. To make them, you only need a handful of ingredients, but as always, quality is more important than quantity.
The secret weapon for extra time saving? Kerrygold cinnamon & sugar butter, that is creamy, rich, and perfectly spiced and ready to go.
You spread it on puff pastry, layer on blanched apple slices, fold, and roll. Before they bake, give them a quick egg wash. And once they’re golden, brush on a little more of that sweet cinnamon butter.
The result: a dessert that’s as simple as it is stunning – leaving you with less time in the kitchen and more time to enjoy it with the people you love.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Apple Roses
Beautiful but simple – while seemingly super impressive (like something you’d find at a fancy pastry shop), these are easier to make than an apple pie!!
Few Ingredients, big flavor – this recipe uses only 5 ingredients!
🍲 Ingredients
Puff pastry – I like Dufour or another all-butter brand
Red apples – for this, I like using honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples. You want a crisp apple with a bright red skin
Lemon – to help prevent the apple slices from turning brown and oxidizing.
Kerrygold Cinnamon Sugar Butter – if you can find this it will save you a few steps, if not simple make a compound butter with 1 stick of soft butter, 2 tablespoons sugar (white, light brown, or a mix of both) and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Egg – gives the pastry shine before it goes into the oven
👩🍳 How to Make Apple Roses
- Prep the Apples:
- Wash the apples, then cut around the core to remove it.
Using a mandoline, slice the apple pieces into thin ⅛-inch slices. - In a medium saucepan, bring water and lemon juice to a boil. Add the apple slices and simmer for 30–45 seconds, just until slightly softened and bendable.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry on paper towels.
- Wash the apples, then cut around the core to remove it.
- Prep the Pastry:
- Let the puff pastry sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until pliable.
- Spread 6 tablespoons of Cinnamon Sugar Butter evenly over the entire sheet.
- Cut the sheet into 6 even strips widthwise.
- Assemble the Roses:
- Lay apple slices overlapping along the top edge of each strip, red peel side up and slightly overhanging.
- Fold the bottom edge of the pastry up to cover the base of the apples, then gently roll each strip into a spiral to form a rose.
- Place the assembled roses into the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking.
- Place each rose into a greased muffin tin to hold its shape.
- Brush & Bake:
- Brush each rose with the beaten egg.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40–45 minutes, until golden and puffed.
If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes.
- Finish:
- While still warm, brush the tops with a little of the remaining cinnamon sugar butter, melted in the microwave or on the stovetop, before serving.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to add lemon when boiling apple slices – this prevents them from oxidizing and turning brown!
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature – this will make it much easier to spread on the puff pastry!
- Please keep an eye on the oven and cover with foil as needed – the longer bake time is required to make sure the center of the pastry is fully cooked. However, this may lead the top to brown more than needed, so check half way though and then again after 10 minutes and tent with foil as needed to prevent it from burning.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for the first day, then transfer to the fridge for up to 4 days. Best served reheated in the oven briefly.
🤔 Common Questions
You really shouldn’t — blanching makes the slices soft enough to bend into rose shapes without cracking. It only takes a minute and makes a big difference.
They should look golden and fully puffed with no raw dough in the center. If you’re unsure, lift one gently — the bottom should be crisp and lightly browned.
Apple Roses
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, room temperature for 30 minutes
- 2 medium red apples
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 8 tbsp cinnamon sugar butter, 6 tbsp for spreading, 2 tbsp for brushing
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Prep the Apples:
- Wash the apples, then cut around the core to remove it.
- Using a mandoline, slice the apple pieces into thin ⅛-inch slices.
- In a medium saucepan, bring water and lemon juice to a boil. Add the apple slices and simmer for 30–45 seconds, just until slightly softened and bendable.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry on paper towels.
Prep the Pastry:
- Let the puff pastry sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until pliable.
- Spread 6 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar butter evenly over the entire sheet.
- Cut the sheet into 6 even strips widthwise.
Assemble the Roses:
- Lay apple slices overlapping along the top edge of each strip, red peel side up and slightly overhanging.
- Fold the bottom edge of the pastry up to cover the base of the apples, then gently roll each strip into a spiral to form a rose. Pop the finished roses on a plate and freeze or refrigerate for 5-10 minutes before baking.
- Place each rose into a greased muffin tin to hold its shape.
Brush & Bake:
- Brush each rose with the beaten egg.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40–45 minutes, until golden and puffed.
- If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Finish:
- While still warm, brush the tops with a little of the remaining cinnamon sugar butter, melted in the microwave or on the stovetop, before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How many days in advance can I make these? I’m thinking of making them for family for Thanksgiving.
Just made the apple roses — they turned out amazing! Beautiful, delicious, and everyone loved them. The family is requesting mote for our next gathering! Truly loved it!!. 😋
Ahh this makes me so happy to hear!! 🥰 I’m so glad everyone loved them, they really are such a crowd-pleaser. Thank you for making them and sharing this!! 🍎✨
LOVED!
A recipe has an ingredient’s list, directions on cooking and temp to cook things on. There was no more info on your “recipe “ as watching the video. It’s not a recipe if there are no step by step instructions.
Hi Lisa! Thanks so much for taking the time to check out the recipe 💛 I totally get the confusion — the blog post has some background info and tips up top, but if you scroll all the way to the bottom, there’s a full printable recipe card with all the exact quantities, cook times, and step-by-step instructions. That’s where the complete recipe lives! Hope that helps and really appreciate you visiting the site. 😊