Crescent dough rolled into beautiful roses with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni petals — brushed with herb butter and pesto, and baked golden. The perfect romantic appetizer.
Servings
8
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
15 min
Total time
30 min
Ingredients — 8 roses
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking spray | — | as needed |
| Crescent dough (e.g. Jus-Rol) | 1 | package |
| Pizza sauce | ½ | cup |
| Mozzarella cheese, shredded | 2 | oz |
| Large pepperoni slices, cut into thirds | 8 | — |
| Butter, melted | 2 | tbsp |
| Italian seasoning | 2 | tsp |
| Pesto | 2 | tbsp |
Directions
1
Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2
Prepare the dough. Unroll the crescent dough onto a clean work surface. If the dough has perforations, press the seams together gently to form one smooth rectangle. Cut into long strips about 2 inches wide.
3
Add the fillings. Spread about 2 teaspoons of pizza sauce evenly along each dough strip. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Lay the pepperoni pieces along one long edge of each strip, overlapping them slightly and letting them hang just above the top edge — these will form the "petals" of each rose.
4
Roll and place. Starting from one end, roll each strip into a tight spiral. Place each rolled rose into a cavity of the prepared muffin tin, pepperoni side facing up.
5
Glaze and bake. Stir the melted butter and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl. Brush the herb butter lightly over each rose, then add a small drizzle of pesto on top of each. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown and cooked through.
6
Cool and serve. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before lifting out. Serve warm as an appetizer or party snack.
Cook's notes
The pepperoni petal trick
The key to a beautiful rose shape is letting the pepperoni slices hang slightly above the top edge of the dough strip before rolling. When the strip is rolled into a spiral, those overhanging pieces curl outward naturally, mimicking the look of rose petals.
Don't overfill
A thin, even layer of sauce and cheese is all you need. Too much filling makes the strips slippery and hard to roll tightly, and can cause the roses to unravel in the oven. Less is more here.
Make ahead
You can assemble the roses and refrigerate them in the muffin tin, covered, for up to a few hours before baking. Add the herb butter and pesto just before they go into the oven for the freshest result.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Amount | Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 98 kcal | Saturated fat | 4 g |
| Protein | 3 g | Cholesterol | 16 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 5 g | Sodium | 191 mg |
| Dietary fiber | 1 g | Calcium | 69 mg |
| Total sugars | 1 g | Vitamin C | 2 mg |
| Total fat | 7 g | Potassium | 98 mg |
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