Perfect dessert recipe for the holidays or for any time you want to wow your guests! Super quick and easy apple rose tarts filled with cinnamon sugar that look gorgeous and taste amazing.

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This apple rose tarts recipe is a great one to keep in your back pocket just in case you ever need to make something beautiful. As long as you have puff pastry, the other ingredients are probably already found in your pantry!

There are many variations of apple rose tarts online, the most famous of which is probably the Pepperidge Farm recipe. Most recipes use jam as the sweetener, but I’m always partial to my cinnamon sugar version. Nothing makes your home smell cozier than cinnamon sugar apples baking in the oven.

Ingredients

• Apples: Technically any type of apples will work, but apples with a red skin will work the best to look like an actual rose. My preferred apples for these tarts are Pink Lady apples since the skin is mostly red and the apple itself holds up very well in baked goods.
• Puff pastry: Any puff pastry you can find at the store will work. I typically use Pepperidge Farm ones since they are the most easily accessible.
• Lemon: Lemon juice in the water is what helps to keep the apple slices from browning, so aesthetically this is a must!
• Cinnamon sugar: Some recipes for apple rose tarts tend to use a jam instead of cinnamon sugar — either option works. However, I do find that cinnamon sugar just smells and tastes like the holidays! The nutmeg is optional here since we only need a tiny bit of it, but that little hint of nutmeg definitely helps the cinnamon flavor shine.
• Butter: Unsalted or salted will work here as the butter is really only used to keep the tarts from sticking to the cupcake pan. Feel free to dust with flour and shake off the excess if things tend to stick on your pan or use parchment paper to line each tin.
• Powdered sugar: Totally optional, but these tarts reach that next level of gorgeous when you dust them with a little powdered sugar.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a large microwave-safe bowl with water about halfway full. Squeeze the juice from ½ of a lemon into the water.

Cut the apple in half lengthwise (through the stem), and cut off the ends. Carefully core the apple to remove the seeds, cutting as little as possible of the surrounding apple. Thinly slice the apples with a knife or mandolin slicer so all the thicknesses are even (about 1/16″).

Place the apple slices into the lemon water, gently stir so the water coats the slices, and then heat in the microwave for 3 minutes. The apples and water will be very hot when it comes out. Adjust microwaving time to make sure the apple slices are bendable (enough to roll them without breaking), as microwave strengths can vary.

While the apple slices are in the microwave, mix together the brown sugar, white granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a small bowl.

Once the apple slices are very flexible, fish them out of the water using a slotted spoon and lay them on a sheet of paper towel. Using another sheet of paper towel, gently pat the apple slices dry.

Unfold a defrosted puff pastry sheet.

Roll it out until it is about 12 inches long.

Use a knife to cut them into six 2-inch wide strips.

Gently stretch out each strip until they are about 18 inches long.

Sprinkle about 2/3 tbsp of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto a strip and pat until evenly distributed.

Place apple slices overlapping each other about halfway onto the top half of the pastry strip.

Then, fold the bottom half up over the bottom of the apple slices.

Starting at one end, tightly roll them up to create the apple rose.

Dab your finger in a little water and then dab the end of the pastry strip to seal it together.

Place the apple roses into a cupcake/muffin pan that has been sprayed with baking spray, generously buttered and floured, or lined with parchment paper.

Repeat steps until both puff pastry sheets are used up. Should make 12 apple rose tarts (6 tarts per sheet of puff pastry).

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. If you are unsure if they’re done, feel free to carefully lift one tart out of the tin with a fork to check if the bottom is golden brown.

After they are done baking, carefully remove them from the cupcake tins quickly using a chopstick, fork, or knife. Do not let them cool in the pan because if any sugar has bubbled out, it will harden and cause the entire tart to stick in the pan. If needed, run a thin butter knife or spatula around the edges of each tart to loosen them from the tray. Place them on a wire rack or plate.

Using a sifter or sieve, dust the tops with powdered sugar and serve alone or with vanilla ice cream!