Add apples and pistachios to breakfast sausage and wrap it in puff pastry for homemade sausage rolls that will melt in your mouth. So much better than what you can find pre-made. Brushed with poppy seeds and baked until golden brown and flaky, they make an amazing appetizer with a slightly sweet flavor. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd or freeze some for later.
Make Apple Sausage Rolls for Your Next Party
Whether you’re in the mood for sweet or savory, homemade puff pastry sausage rolls are great to serve at both an elegant cocktail party or for a casual game day sausage. A mix of seasoned sausage, chopped apple, and crunchy pistachios tucked into a flaky puff pastry roll, is a scrumptious flavor combination.
The addition of apples gives a slightly sweet taste to the filling. Apples and pork are a great combination in this apple and pork tenderloin recipe so I knew they would be great combined with sausage. However, it’s the addition of pistachios that I really love. Not only do they add a nutty flavor but they retain their crunchiness when baked.
The end result is an appetizer with a flaky exterior surrounding a flavorful filling with a little crunch. All topped with some poppy seeds. They are best warm, but still good at room temperature. Try serving with some mustard.
When you need a sizeable number of canapés, this recipe is perfect. It yields 90 small bite sized rolls, perfect for grabbing at a party. Using prepared puff pastry sheets makes these so easy to make. You can easily half the recipe or even double it.
I start with store-bought puff pastry sheets, (I prefer Dufour)which saves so much time. Plus, this recipe can be made ahead and frozen, so you’ve always got appetizers ready to pop in the oven on game day or for holiday gatherings. I always have some type of snack in my freezer, generally a bag of bold chex mix or caramel popcorn, so I’m ready for movie night or friends dropping over.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There’s a little magic in the combination of sausage and apples blended with the nutty crunch of the pistachios.
- They make delicious snacks or appetizers – serve them as canapés at your next party or as an appetizer for game day. They’re the perfect finger food!
- The recipe makes a lot of appetizers so you can eat some now and freeze some for later.
Tips for Working with Puff Pastry
If you’ve never used puff pastry before, it can feel a little daunting, but it’s not difficult if you know a few tricks.
- Thawing puff pastry – The best way is to leave it in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight. You’ll want to use your puff pastry sheets cold, so keep them in the fridge just until you’re ready to roll them out.
- Rolling puff pastry – roll it out onto a lightly floured surface, you can also roll it onto a large piece of parchment if you need to. Be gentle with the dough and try to handle it as little as possible and roll it from the center outward in all directions to get an even thickness. If it gets too warm to handle, place it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
Here’s what you need to make the best homemade sausage rolls with puff pastry:
- Onion – I prefer a sweet Vidalia onion, but a regular yellow or white onion will work.
- Sausage – Breakfast sausage or sweet Italian sausage work best for these appetizers.
- Pistachios – I prefer to use salted pistachios for this recipe. You’ll need to coarsely chop your pistachios so that you get some in each one.
- Apple – Choose an apple that will hold it’s shape like a Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
- Puff pastry – frozen puff pastry sheets. I prefer a brand that contains butter like Dufour or Trader Joes brand. You can usually find them in the frozen foods section of your grocery store, near the pie crusts and other frozen desserts.
- Poppy seeds – These are optional, and you sprinkle them on top of your rolls before baking. They provide a pretty contrast in color and a touch of texture and flavor.
- Pantry Staples – Olive oil, garlic, cider vinegar, mustard, pepper, egg, milk.
How to Make Homemade Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients.
Begin by chopping up the onion nice and fine. Grate the apple (or cut it into very small pieces) and squeeze it to release any excess juice. You can use a dish cloth or paper towel to do this. Depending on the apple, there might not be any juice. Discard any juice and set the apple in a bowl. Chop the pistachios.
Step 2. Cook the onions.
Place a small pan over medium heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are soft, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute.
Step 3. Make the filling.
Place the uncooked pork in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the apple, pistachios, mustard, and cider vinegar. Finally, add the cooked onion, garlic, and pepper and combine the entire mixture. Using your hands is the easiest way.
Step 4. Cut your puff pastry and roll.
Take thawed puff pastry out of the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out one puff pastry sheet into a large rectangle, about 10 x 15 inches. Cut it into 10 horizontal strips about 1 inch wide, then cut each strip into 3-inch pieces. You should have a total of 45 pieces per pastry sheet.
Set ½ teaspoon of the savory pork sausage mixture on the end of each strip and roll it up. Place each one with the seam down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
Step 5. Bake your sausage rolls.
Whisk the egg and milk together and brush it over each sausage roll. While they’re a bit wet, sprinkle on a few poppy seeds and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Sausage rolls are perfect for making ahead. See complete instructions below.
- It’s easier to make this recipe if you prep the ingredients first. Do all your chopping before you begin.
- Be very gentle with your puff pastry and try not to over-handle it.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to make sure you cut all the way through your puff pastry. Work slowly so you end up with evenly-sized pieces of dough.
- For best results, use a ½ tsp measure to add the filling to the dough so you end up with equal portions. This will help them bake much more evenly.
- If you want, you can make larger rolls. Cut the dough into strips your desired size. You’ll need to bake them for a few minutes longer in order for the sausage filling to cook completely.
How to Make Mini Sausage Rolls Ahead
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can freeze these uncooked and bake them up fresh when you need them! I keep them in the freezer, and when company drops by, or we’re hosting a family or holiday gathering, I can just take what I need out and bake them up so they’re hot and fresh. Here’s how:
- Make the recipe according to the instructions, right up until you set your filled and rolled pastries on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Instead of baking, set the baking sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours until the unbaked rolls are frozen solid.
- Remove them from the baking sheet and transfer them to a large, airtight container or ziplock and store in the freezer where they will stay fresh for about 2 months.
- When you’re ready to bake, remove the required number of sausage rolls from the freezer and spread them out on a parchment-lined baking tray. Let the tray sit in the fridge for a few hours or on the counter for 30-45 minutes. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with poppy seeds, then bake as directed in a preheated oven.
Pro-tip: Do not allow your sausage rolls to thaw without first placing them on a baking sheet. If the sausage rolls are touching when they thaw, the puff pastry dough will stick together.
How to Store Leftovers
Once cooled, store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
How to reheat: The best way to reheat these is in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat to 350°F. Place the rolls on a baking tray in a single layer and reheat for 10-15 minutes or until hot through.
More Puff Pastry Appetizers to Try
Homemade Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls with Apples
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ lb breakfast sausage uncooked
- ½ cup salted pistachios coarsely chopped
- 1 apple peeled medium, cored and grated
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Grate the apple (remove the skin, seeds, and core). Chop the pistachios, and the onion very fine.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Remove to a plate and allow to cool completely.
- Place the pork in a medium bowl. Squeeze any excess juice out of the grated apple and add to the pork. Add pistachios, mustard, and vinegar. Add the cooked onion, garlic, and pepper. If you’re using unsalted pistachios, add ½ teaspoon salt. Combine with your hands.
- Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet at a time into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut it into 9-10 horizontal strips 1 inch wide. Cut each strip into 3-inch pieces for a total of 45-50 strips.
- Place ½ teaspoon of sausage mixture on the end of each strip and roll it up. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (You can refrigerate or freeze at this point if you aren’t ready to bake.) Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Whisk the egg and milk together and brush it on each roll. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Be very gentle with your puff pastry and try not to over-handle it. It can break easily.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to make sure you cut all the way through your puff pastry. Work slowly so you end up with evenly-sized pieces of dough.
- For best results, use a ½ tsp measure to add the filling to the dough so you end up with equal portions. This will help them bake much more evenly.
Nutrition
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