Weekly visits to the farmers market are a wonderful way to support local growers and tune into the seasons. One of the simple pleasures of market shopping is discovering a new apple variety and imagining fresh ways to showcase it.
Inspired by the wide selection at my local stand, I wanted to make something that felt like apple pie but presented differently. The result is these bite-size apple rosette cookies. Rolling the roses takes a bit of practice, but soon you’ll have a trayful ready to bake.
These delicate cookies combine the warmth of ginger-spiced dough with thin, glazed apple slices shaped into tiny roses. They’re vegan, grain-free, and refined-sugar-free, making them a pretty and thoughtful treat for holiday gatherings or any time you want an elegant bite-size dessert.
If you prefer something more rustic, an apple crumble is always a cozy option, and homemade applesauce or apple butter are great ways to use a surplus of fruit. But when you want to impress with presentation, these apple rosettes are a charming choice.
Apple Rosette Cookies
5 from 1 review
A cross between apple pie and gingerbread, these petite apple rosettes sit atop ginger-spiced, grain-free cookie crusts. They make an elegant, shareable dessert for holiday or weekend gatherings.
- Author: Janel @ Unconventional Baker
- Prep Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 1 hr 40 min
- Yield: 8 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: dessert, vegan
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Cookie Crust:
- 6 Tbsp white rice flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- zest from 1/2 lemon
Apple Slices:
- 1–2 sweet red apples (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work well)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cup water
Apple Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp apricot preserves (no sugar added)
- 4 tsp coconut oil (optional)
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Chill a mini muffin pan before you begin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add the cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon zest, stirring until a cohesive dough forms.
- Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls and press each into a well of the chilled mini muffin pan, flattening and pressing up the sides to form a small crust. Return the pan to the fridge while you prepare the apples.
- Remove apple cores and cut the apples into very thin half-moon slices (about 1–2 mm). Place the slices in a bowl with the lemon juice and 2 cups water and let sit for at least 5 minutes to prevent browning and soften the slices.
- In a small saucepan, warm the apricot preserves with the coconut oil over medium-low heat until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup water, then reduce to low to keep warm.
- Drain the apple slices and gently toss them with the warm glaze until they become flexible. Once soft enough to roll without breaking, remove the slices from the glaze and reserve the glaze liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bring the muffin pan to your work surface.
- Lay the apple slices out to cool slightly. For each rosette select five slices in graduating sizes.
- Roll the largest slice tightly to form the rose center. Overlap the next-largest slice over the edge to create the first petal, and continue with the remaining slices, using progressively smaller pieces to shape a small rose. Transfer each finished rose into a prepared mini crust.
- If the apples look dry, brush them with additional glaze.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then tent loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning and bake another 10–15 minutes until the crust is golden and dry.
- Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then lift the cookies out with a small knife and transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
*Pink Lady and Honeycrisp varieties work well for these rosettes.
**Use fruit-preserve brands that are sweetened only with fruit juice for a less sugary glaze.
***To make an oil-free version, omit the coconut oil from the glaze.