Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

This apple cream cheese crescent ring is filled with delicious apple pie filling and sweet cream cheese and topped with a delicious drizzle. It's an easy, fruity crescent ring dessert that takes almost no time at all to make but tastes like a bakery treat you spent hours making. 

I've always loved pastry in almost all varieties. From sweet rolls to danish and everything in between, I've had a long, not-so-secret love affair with these delicious bakery treats. The problem is that they can be so... involved.

I love homemade everything, but I have often found myself swinging by the bakery to buy a treat for family dessert rather than go through the arduous process of making my own pastry.

And then I discovered crescent ring recipes. Game changer!

I don't know who invented crescent ring desserts, but I'm so glad they did. And seriously, I have no idea. I Googled it at length, and I came up with nothing. Whoever invented them deserves a parade, though.

Crescent rings, whether sweet or savory, are absolutely delicious! Delicious crescent roll dough folded over a tasty filling and served up piping hot is just about the best appetizer I can think of - and I own a food blog!

I make all kinds of crescent rings, but one of my favorites is dessert crescent rings. That crescent dough is tailor-made for sweet fillings, and that's just what you get with this delicious, easy fruity crescent ring dessert.

The flavors in my apple cream cheese crescent ring are reminiscent of apple cheesecake and are as decadent as they are easy to create. That's always a winner in my book! 

The History Behind and Inspiration for this Crescent Ring

This apple cream cheese crescent ring combines apple pie filling and cream cheese which is then wrapped up in a crescent dough ring and cooked. It's delicious and tastes quite similar to cheesecake when you enjoy a slice.

So before going forward, I want to talk for a second about the cream cheese inspiration for this dessert and the history of crescent rolls. Because, again, I have no idea who invented crescent ring recipes. LOL 

What is Cheesecake

You've probably had cheesecake, but have you ever wondered what it is exactly? I mean, other than delicious, of course. Well, here's a brief crash course in what exactly makes a cheesecake. 

To begin with, cheesecake is a cake in name only. Many people classify it as a torte because of all the eggs used in most recipes. Others classify it as a custard pie based on its structure of a separate crust, soft filling, and no flour. Another camp identifies it as a flan or tart.

Whatever you call it, a cheesecake is a dessert made up of one or more layers. The thickest main layer is a mix of soft cheese -  most commonly cream cheese but also cottage cheese or ricotta cheese - eggs, and sugar.

If there's a crust, it's usually made from crushed cookies or graham crackers. It can be baked or unbaked and is usually refrigerated. You'll often find it topped with fruit, as well. 

History of Crescent Rolls

Because I just cannot find the source of crescent rings, I went further back to look at the history of crescent rolls. Don't worry, it's brief, but I just can't get enough of food history. 

Food historians aren't exactly sure of exactly when crescent rolls were invented, but most believe that it was sometime during the thirteenth century. They're a variation of the more basic kipferl, and Austrian biscuit baked into a crescent shape. 

Unlike kipferl, which is a biscuit, crescent rolls are pastry. They are believed to have evolved from kipferl around 1838 or 1839 when August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer, opened a Viannese Bakery in Paris. 

Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

Wherever and however crescent rings were invented, they are currently one of my favorite ways to make appetizers or desserts. This fruity crescent ring dessert is a prime example of that.

The sweet apple filling combined with cream cheese and wrapped up in flaky, golden brown crescent roll dough is just about one of the tastiest and easiest desserts you'll ever make.

It's a delicious treat that's equally at home as a simple weeknight dessert or on the table at a holiday get-together. 

Wherever you choose to share it, this delicious dessert is always a crowd-pleaser. The delicious flavor has everyone clamoring to get the last piece before it's gone, and because it's so incredibly simple to make, you won't mind whipping up a more than one to bring to potlucks or special events!

Heck, if you enjoy this crescent ring I urge you to try my friend Terri's Lemon Cream Cheese Pastry Ring, just for a delightful change. So light and refreshing I am sure you LOVE this easy recipe too!

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this recipe is exceedingly simple and very short. You only need a handful of ingredients to make both the fruity crescent ring dessert and the delicious drizzle that you'll top it with.

The best part is that these ingredients are all readily available at your grocery store. There are no fancy ingredients here. It's all about simplicity. 

For the Crescent Ring

• Cream cheese, softened
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Crescent rolls
• Apple pie filling

For the Glaze

• Powdered sugar
• Whole milk

See? I told you the list was a simple one. Every single ingredient here is basic baking fare, and it's all delightfully semi-homemade. It doesn't get much easier. 

Making the Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

The only thing easier than the ingredient list for this recipe is the recipe itself. This fruity crescent ring dessert is nothing more than a matter of layering, folding, and baking.

The only thing easier than making this dish would be just buying a pastry at the store. You'll find the complete recipe with cooking times and amounts in the recipe card below, but take a look at the highlights here.

You'll see exactly how easy it really is. 

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth with an electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl and mix in until combined, set aside.
2. Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a clean work surface. Place a small bowl (4-inches in diameter or similar) or ramekin in the center. Lay the crescent roll triangles in a starburst shape around the bowl with the points sticking out. They will overlap each other. 
3. Smooth out ⅔ of the cream cheese mixture around the center of the starburst in a circle. Add the apple pie filling right on top. Dollop the remaining cream cheese mixture on top and gently smooth it out. 
4. Take the triangles and wrap them over the filling and tuck the ends underneath the center of the ring. Drag the ring onto a large sheet tray so it can lay flat. I have used a pizza pan or a flat sheet tray for this. 
5. Bake until golden brown. Let cool completely on the tray.
6. While it is cooling, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze on top of the crescent ring, I like to use a fork for this. Slice into wedges and serve!

Variations

The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. By simply tweaking it a bit, you'll have a completely new recipe that's just as good as this one! It's so simple to do that you'll find yourself playing around with this dessert often. 

Add Cinnamon

One fun tweak to make to this recipe is to add cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture. It pairs perfectly with the apple filling and really gives an extra depth of flavor. 

Different Fruit

This recipe features apple pie filling, but you can use any fruity filling you like. Cherry, blueberry, and other fruity fillings will work so nicely with this recipe. If you're feeling fancy, you can even make your own fruity filling from scratch. 

Add Nuts

I sometimes like to add nuts to this recipe, and they'll work with any fruit variation you might choose. Pecans work wonderfully with the flavors. You can bake them right in the center and sprinkle some toasted nuts over the top if you like, as well. Yummo!

Serving Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

This fruity crescent ring dessert is perfect for any occasion from weeknight desserts to potlucks and holiday get-togethers. If you make it per the directions, there's no need to add anything to it at all. It's perfect as-is. 

If you want to make some changes, you can also serve it with whipped cream or ice cream on top. 

You can also serve this dessert warm, at room temperature, or even cold. It's delicious however you serve it!

Storing Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

This delicious dessert will keep well in the refrigerator for up to four days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. This doesn't freeze well, so you'll have to eat it all up before then. I know, I know. What a bummer to have to scarf it all up. You can do, it though!

Try This Apple Cream Cheese Crescent Ring 

This apple cream cheese crescent ring is absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy to make. It practically begs to be made! With a recipe this delicious and easy to make, there's no reason not to try it.

The sweet apple filling combined with the cream cheese all wrapped up in flaky crescent dough and drizzled with the sweet topping make for a dessert that everyone will keep coming back for. 

I can't encourage you to make this delicious dessert enough. It's one of my go-to's, and if you give it a try, it'll be one of yours, as well. It's just so good and so easy. Give it a try!