brown butter apple cheddar pie crescent rolls on plate

It’s finally the Christmas season and while I’m feeling all sorts of merry and joyful, I’m also feeling immense guilt over all the Pinterest crafts I planned to do this year and never did.

Oh, this is nothing new. Every year, I declare that “this! This will be the year I make that homemade advent calendar! That I decorate my tree in homemade origami ornaments! That I crochet infinity scarves for all my friends and relatives! That I make a homemade wreath that won’t fall apart in two days!”

And then I get bogged down with Christmas shopping and to-do lists and baking brown butter apple cheddar pie crescent rolls and none of the crafts ever happen. Though I have to say that in the case of pie-stuffed crescent rolls, I’ll take them over crafts any day.

ingredients on table

Here’s why I like these crescent rolls: They sound fancy to make, but they’re so not. They’re sweet and savory (my FAVE combo forever and ever) and they make for simple, quick and yummy holiday appetizers or desserts — or both, if your guests like them so much they want to eat them before and after dinner (hint: They probably will).

preparing brown butter apple cheddar pie crescent rolls on baking sheet
preparing brown butter apple cheddar pie crescent rolls on baking sheet

I also like them because they are not like Pinterest crafts, which look so easy to make but are secretly impossible for the uncoordinated like myself. These crescent rolls look easy to make and they are easy to make, and that is a promise. Because if you’re anything like me and you hear the words “brown butter,” “apple pie” and “cheddar cheese” and suddenly want those things in your life very, very soon, you don’t want anyone telling you to wait longer than necessary.

brown butter apple cheddar pie crescent rolls on plate

Make these crescent rolls while you set up your (non-homemade) Christmas ornaments. Make them while you order Christmas gifts online instead of making them by hand because you’re more likely to accidentally poke yourself in the eye with a crochet hook repeatedly than make a decent scarf for a friend. Make them while you browse Pinterest and ooh and aah over all the crafts that you must make! and probably never will. But hey, it’s OK. Because now you’ve got brown butter apple cheddar pie-stuffed crescent rolls in your life, and they are much more delicious than a homemade wreath.

P.S. Check out Serious Eats’ recipe hub for more Pillsbury holiday goodness.

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brown butter apple cheddar crescent rolls

Brown Butter Apple Cheddar Pie Crescent Rolls

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  • Author: Girl Versus Dough, adapted from Pillsbury
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 crescent rolls 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 8 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 (8 oz) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
  • 8 2-inch-long, thin slices extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue stirring until butter turns a dark caramel color. Remove from heat; transfer to a small bowl.
  3. Toss apple slices with butter in bowl.
  4. In a separate small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  5. Unroll and divide crescent roll dough into triangles on baking sheet.
  6. Top each triangle evenly with brown sugar mixture, then top each triangle with an apple slice and a cheese slice.
  7. Carefully roll up triangles from the long end. Brush tops with remaining butter.
  8. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until crescents are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Disclosure: I received compensation from Pillsbury for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.