Healthier apple roses made with flaky phyllo dough, cinnamon apples, and a natural salted caramel. These deceptively easy roses are vegan and naturally sweetened. They make a beautiful and tasty holiday dessert or breakfast treat. This post is sponsored by BLACK+DECKER®. All opinions are my own.
The holidays are in full swing and that means relaxed joyful moments with family, and delicious smells and flavors filling the house. If we’re being honest though, it also means a bit of chaos. Having the right tools in the kitchen can make a huge difference when it comes to stress-free holiday entertaining. I am all about simplifying, so when BLACK+DECKER® asked me to share some tips for easy entertaining, I was more than happy to help! Their small appliances are simple, reliable, and not overly fussy, which is so helpful as a busy mama.
The toaster oven is one appliance I use every day, but during the busy holiday season, I’m even more grateful for it. Not only do I make toast (of course!) in the toaster oven, I often use it to reheat foods and even to bake in. The toaster oven heats up much faster than my large oven, so I can bake an apple crumble or these cute little apple roses in less time. The BLACK+DECKER® Extra Wide Convection Oven is small and sleek enough to be unobtrusive on the counter, but wide enough for a 9×13 casserole or a standard muffin tin! However, BLACK+DECKER® makes a great variety of appliances, so you can choose the ones best for you. I made these phyllo apple roses the night before, stored them in the refrigerator, and reheated the next day in the toaster oven.
Easy Entertaining Tips
On to these gorgeous baked apple roses! They are sure to wow your guests.
While baked apple roses aren’t my idea, I was so excited to try making a healthier, more natural version. If you know who came up with this fabulous apple rose idea, please let me know. I’ve swapped out the puff pastry and replaced it with light and flaky phyllo dough. To glue these babies into roses and add flavor I used my super natural, refined sugar free salted caramel made with dates. A pinch of cinnamon inside each rose makes these apple roses taste like apple pie. My kids weren’t sure if these roses were cinnamon rolls or apple pies, and I’m perfectly okay with that because the combination is divine. The only refined sugar here is a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top.
These beautiful apple roses are surprising easy to make. 2-inch strips of phyllo dough get a nice coating of salted caramel. Then thinly sliced and softened apples are layered over the top. Fold the lower half of the dough up, roll, and voilà – they’re ready for the oven. I know many people are nervous about working with phyllo dough. I know that because I myself feel that way sometimes, but it’s really easy. The only trick is to keep any dough you’re not working with covered with a damp towel. Once it dries out it becomes very brittle and can’t be used.
Aren’t these just little stunners? I cannot get over how easy these were to make and how beautiful and tasty they turned out. I love the lighter pastry thanks to the phyllo dough. These lovely baked apple roses are so guilt-free I even had a couple for breakfast. For a holiday dessert, I would serve these with a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Apple pastry roses made with phyllo dough and natural salted caramel. Serve alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BLACK+DECKER® . The opinions and text are all mine.