These Dessert Roses are not only absolutely stunning, but they taste incredible too! They’re made using delicious red apples, apricot preserves, and puff pastry for the perfect dessert!
The puff pastry makes a crisp crust for these tender apples and they’re a great dessert option for special occasions, including Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
Adults and kids love them alike, in fact, kids love helping while making these because they’re so simple to make but turn out stunning every single time.
Want to learn how to make these beautiful Apple Dessert Roses? Then keep on reading!
Table of Contents
What are Dessert Roses?
Dessert roses are a type of dessert that looks like roses but are actually edible! There are many ways to make dessert roses. You can make them using fondant and buttercream, but nothing matches the ones that I’m sharing with you today!
These dessert roses are made using apples! They’re absolutely delicious but also look so stunning that they’re perfect for holidays and special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even baby showers and weddings!
They go well with all sorts of desserts and can be used as a centerpiece of a holiday dinner table too! I'm sure your family and friends are going to fall in love with them.
What Makes These Dessert Roses So Special?
These dessert roses are special for so many reasons that it’s difficult to even count them! They require simple ingredients to make and cost even less than a cake mix!
Plus, they’re so quick and easy to make that your kids will love making them with you! These are also the perfect crowd-pleaser and everyone seems to love them.
I made these Apple Roses Dessert Recipe for my daughter Anita's 14th Birthday this week. We were asked if these beauties were edible. They’re so simple to make, but they are such a beautiful party table decorator and taste incredible.
Need something new on your party table? Give this stunning creation a try!
Most commonly, we see cakes at birthday parties. I decided to make something different and unique this time. I found this recipe online and adapted it to make it the perfect dessert roses recipe!
You can also make these gluten-free by opting for gluten-free puff pastry. There are a few desserts that look as special and beautiful as these, and I’m sure you’re going to fall in love with them!
What You Need to Make Dessert Roses
Making these dessert roses requires simple ingredients that give the most stunning result ever! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
Puff pastry: We’ll be using puff pastry dough sheets to roll the apple slices in for the dessert roses effect! You can also use gluten-free puff pastries if you’re avoiding gluten or can’t have it due to allergies.
Apricot preserves: I love apricot jam or preserves for this recipe, but you can go for any other that you may prefer more or any you already have at hand. Apricot preserve goes great with the apples though and I highly recommend it!
Apples: I’ve used red apples for this recipe because of how beautiful they look once they’re done. You can go for your favorite baking apples. The ones I’ve used are red delicious. Some other great options include Honeycrisps, Gala, and Fuji. Roses look best when they’re red, but you can still go for green apples such as Granny Smith if you prefer the flavor more.
Lemon: We’ll be using lemon juice to soak the apples since it will prevent the apples from browning.
Water: Water will be mixed with lemon juice while soaking the apples so that they don’t brown.
Flour: We’ll be using flour for dusting the puff pastry sheets. In case you are gluten-free, opt for a gluten-free flour instead such as almond flour.
Confectioner’s sugar: For the finishing touch, we’ll dust and sprinkle the dessert roses with some confectioners or powder sugar.
How to Make Dessert Roses (Step-by-Step):
Making these dessert roses is so easy that it’ll surprise you! They might look intricate, but these apple dessert roses are incredibly easy to make. Here’s how to make them step by step:
How to Prep the Apples
We’ll start by preparing the apples first. Into a medium bowl, add water and squeeze half of a large lemon. Wash the apples and cut them in half. Remove the core and slice then thinly using a knife or a mandolin.
Next, place these thin slices of apple in water mixed with lemon juice so that your apples don’t brown while preparing them.
Next, microwave the apples for 5 minutes and set them aside. Alternatively, you can put them in a pot and heat them on low until the water almost boils. Drain the water right before you’re ready to use the apples.
How to Assemble Apple Dessert Roses
Now dust a large cutting board with flour. Place one puff pastry sheet and coat the entire sheet with flour.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the sheet to double the size of about 12x18 inches.
Now cut this sheet into 6 pieces that are 3x12 inches. Next, spread a teaspoon of apricot preserves onto one of the pieces.
Place drained apple slices on one side of the pastry and fold the pastry in half.
Now pinch both ends of the pastry and start rolling it into a roll. Pinch the end to the rose to secure it.
Now place the dessert rose in a greased pan. I prefer using parchment paper to line my sheet using it makes it easier to remove the roses from the pan after they are done baking. This is because after the roses bake, they lead a little and get stuck to the pan.
Next, repeat the same steps for the second puff pastry sheet.
Once all puff pastry sheet has been rolled into dessert roses, bake the roses for 45 min at 375F on the lowest oven rack.
Once done, let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then remove them with a spatula. After they cool completely, dust some confections’ sugar for decoration. Optionally, you can also sprinkle some cinnamon powder onto it.
Your beautiful dessert roses are ready to be served! Serve with your favorite desserts and have them with a delicious cup of latte.
Resources: cookingwithmanuela.blogspot.com
Recipe Card
The Easiest Apple Dessert Roses Recipe (Perfect Every Time)
Ingredients
- Ingredients you will need:
- 1 pack (2 sheets – Puff Pastry)
- 1 cup – Apricot preserves
- 4 – red delicious apples
- ½ large (or 1 small – lemon)
- 1 quart water
- Flour for dusting cutting board
- Confections’ sugar for dusting roses
Instructions
How to Prep the Apples
- We’ll start by preparing the apples first. Into a medium bowl, add water and squeeze half of a large lemon. Wash the apples and cut them in half. Remove the core and slice then thinly using a knife or a mandolin.
- Next, place these thin slices of apple in water mixed with lemon juice so that your apples don’t brown while preparing them.
- Next, microwave the apples for 5 minutes and set them aside. Alternatively, you can put them in a pot and heat them on low until the water almost boils. Drain the water right before you’re ready to use the apples.
How to Assemble Apple Dessert Roses
- Now dust a large cutting board with flour. Place one puff pastry sheet and coat the entire sheet with flour.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the sheet to double the size of about 12x18 inches.
- Now cut this sheet into 6 pieces that are 3x12 inches. Next, spread a teaspoon of apricot preserves onto one of the pieces.
- Place drained apple slices on one side of the pastry and fold the pastry in half.
- Now pinch both ends of the pastry and start rolling it into a roll. Pinch the end to the rose to secure it.
- Now place the dessert rose in a greased pan. I prefer using parchment paper to line my sheet using it makes it easier to remove the roses from the pan after they are done baking. This is because after the roses bake, they lead a little and get stuck to the pan.
- Next, repeat the same steps for the second puff pastry sheet.
- Once all puff pastry sheet has been rolled into dessert roses, bake the roses for 45 min at 375F on the lowest oven rack.
- Once done, let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then remove them with a spatula. After they cool completely, dust some confections’ sugar for decoration. Optionally, you can also sprinkle some cinnamon powder onto it.
- Your beautiful dessert roses are ready to be served! Serve with your favorite desserts and have them with a delicious cup of latte.
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This recipe was originally posted on May 1, 2015. Enjoy!
Lyneal says
Hi, can I prepare these in advance and freeze until baking? I’m thinking of doing them for Christmas, but I have 18 guest, so need to prepare what I can in advance.
Thanks
Valya's Taste of Home says
Hi! I would bake them first, cool them, and then freeze them in the air tight container. Take them out of the freezer and thaw them completely in the fridge for about 12 hours or so. Then reheat them in the oven just until warm and then lightly sprinkle them with some powder sugar for the beautiful presentation before serving. I hope this helps. Let me know how it went. Thanks for such a great question. 🙂
Linda Hickey says
I love this recipe. It’s a very pretty looking recipe. I’m going to try it.
Valya's Taste of Home says
Thank you! They taste amazing as well!
Sis Jenka says
Valechka, u tebya zolotiye ruchki!!!!! I admire all your creations!
Would you be so kind to let me know if these can be made at least a day ahead...? I am planning a Tea Party menu and wanted to make these a day ahead if possible... thank you...
How would I store them before serving for them not to get soggy?
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I never made these ahead of time. They are usually disappear right after they come out of the oven. They taste really good fresh and warm. If you make them ahead of time, let me know the results. Thank you!
Ulyana says
Hi Valya, thanks for the delicious recipe!! I had a few troubles with my roses, they kept falling apart and the apples fell out. Do you think it could be that the apple slices were too thick? They looked the same size as yours... also my jam was kind of watery, could that have kept the roses from sticking together? I love this recipe, just hoping to find out where I can improve so they come out beautiful like yours next time!!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I'm guessing that runny jam softened the dough and thick sliced apples were not bendable enough to stay in place. Make sure the dough is cold too (I mean not have been sitting on the counter top for too long and become very soft). The jam will leak out a little while baking buy should keep the rose shape in place. I hope this helps. Practice makes perfect. Keep trying and don't give up.
Jill says
These look amazing! Can they be made the day before an event or is it better to wait until the day of? I need to know how they hold up and how to store them in that case. Thank you for the stunning recipe!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
They are just fine if made the night before. You can store them in plastic container with lid slightly open. Thank you for the sweet comment Jill.
Anna M. Guzman says
Can I make them a day in advance, allow them to cool then place it in a cellophane bag to give as a gift?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
That is totally ok Anna. They can be reheated in the toaster oven for a little bit if preferred warm, but they taste delicious either way. 🙂
Alevtina says
Looks awesome! How many roses total should be from 1 puff pastry sheet?
valya'stasteofhome.com says
6 roses from one pastry sheet.
Michele @ TwoRaspberries says
oh my gosh! this is the coolest thing ever! it's SO pretty!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Michele. It's not only beautiful looking it tastes just as good. 🙂
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
OMG! These are so beautiful. You are so talented Valya!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thanks Ilona. They are really do taste good too. 🙂
Olga says
How pretty! This is going on my 'to do' list
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Olga! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Katya @ Little Broken says
These are so pretty!!! and edible too 🙂 My sister is very creative with food and would so love these!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Katya! 🙂
Nina says
Wow these look amazing! And so simple to make. Definitely a must-try! Thank you Valya!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Nina! These beauties are good. 🙂