Cute, savory, and packed with irresistible flavor, these pizza roses are surprisingly simple to pull off, coming together in just half an hour with rich, layered taste from fragrant herb butter and bright, zesty pesto. They make the perfect show-stopping appetizer for a cozy romantic date night in or a festive Valentine’s Day gathering with friends.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 package crescent dough (a brand like Jus Rol works perfectly for this recipe)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
8 large pepperoni slices, cut into thirds (prepare extra if you need more for your dough strips)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly coat every cavity of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Unroll the crescent dough onto a clean, dry work surface. If your dough comes pre-sectioned, gently press all seams together to form one solid large rectangle. Cut the rectangle into long strips that are roughly 2 inches wide each.
Spread about 2 teaspoons of pizza sauce evenly across each dough strip, then sprinkle a light layer of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Line your cut pepperoni pieces along one long edge of the strip, letting each piece slightly overlap and hang over the top edge of the dough—this overhang will create the signature petal shape of your roses.
Starting at one short end of the prepared strip, roll the dough tightly into a spiral. Tuck the loose end of the spiral underneath to hold its shape, then place each rolled rose into a greased cavity of the muffin tin.
In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and Italian seasoning until fully combined. Lightly brush this herb butter all over the top of each rolled rose, then finish with a small drizzle of pesto over every rose.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the dough is fully cooked and golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let the pizza roses cool for 5 minutes in the tin before serving to make removal easier and avoid burnt fingers.
