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Meatball Pumpkins Recipe

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4.2 from 6 reviews

These Meatball Pumpkins are a festive and fun appetizer perfect for fall gatherings. Tender meatballs are wrapped in crescent roll dough, baked to golden perfection, and tied with twine to resemble cute little pumpkins. Finished with a garlic butter glaze and a basil sprig stem, they’re served with marinara sauce for dipping—a delightful savory treat that’s both visually charming and delicious.

Ingredients

For the Meatball Pumpkins

  • Cooking spray, for the twine
  • 8 small frozen meatballs, thawed (or 4 large meatballs, thawed and halved)
  • 3/4 cup marinara sauce, warmed
  • 1 (8-ounce) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 oz.)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 small basil sprigs

Instructions

  1. Prep the oven and twine: Preheat your oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut eight 36-inch pieces of kitchen twine and spray them lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Coat the meatballs: In a medium bowl, toss the thawed meatballs with 1/4 cup of the warm marinara sauce until they are evenly coated. Set them aside for assembly.
  3. Prepare the dough squares: On a lightly floured surface, unroll the crescent roll dough. Separate it into 4 rectangles by sealing the perforations between the two triangles in each. Then cut each rectangle in half to make 8 equal squares.
  4. Assemble the pumpkins: Place 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella cheese in the center of each dough square. Place a meatball on top of the cheese (with the cut-side up if halved). Gather the dough corners around the meatball, pinching the seams tightly to seal, and gently roll into a smooth ball.
  5. Wrap with twine to create pumpkin segments: Center one greased twine piece under a dough ball seam-side up. Pull the twine ends up and cross them over to create an X on top. Flip the ball over and repeat this process until the ball is divided into 8 wedges. Tie the string tightly on top and trim excess twine. Repeat for all dough balls.
  6. Brush with garlic butter and bake: Arrange the twine-wrapped dough balls on the baking sheet. Whisk melted butter and garlic powder together, then brush liberally all over the dough balls. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
  7. Cool and garnish: Let the meatball pumpkins cool slightly, then carefully remove the twine using kitchen shears as needed. Insert a small basil sprig into the top of each ball to look like a pumpkin stem.
  8. Serve: Serve warm with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy this festive appetizer.

Notes

  • Using kitchen twine sprayed with cooking spray prevents the dough from sticking and helps create distinct pumpkin segments.
  • If you can’t find frozen meatballs, homemade or store-bought fresh meatballs work just as well.
  • For a spicier kick, consider adding some crushed red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.
  • Make sure to seal the crescent dough seams well to prevent cheese and sauce from oozing out while baking.
  • Basil sprigs add a fresh flavor and a cute stem appearance, but rosemary sprigs can be a good substitute.

Find it online: https://lauracooks.com/meatball-pumpkins-recipe/