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Made with buttery puff pastry and your choice of sweet or savory filling, this puff pastry Christmas tree is an easy and fun breakfast, appetizer or dessert for the holidays!
I’m not the type of mom who makes Christmas-themed treats too often. Most of my Christmas recipes rely more on seasonal flavors than seasoning treats like Santa Claus or reindeer.
But every now and then I make something as cute and festive as it is delicious. Sometimes they are snowflake sugar cookies, sometimes they are melted snowman cookies, and sometimes they are Bright Christmas cupcakes.
And sometimes it’s this puff pastry Christmas tree.
This recipe is especially great because it is very versatile. It’s cute enough to thrill your kids but still elegant enough to serve at your annual party. Plus, you can change up the filling to make it a sweet treat or savory snack!
What is a puff pastry Christmas tree?
This puff pastry Christmas tree is a sweet or savory delight made with two sheets of puff pastry and the filling of your choice.
After wrapping the puff pastry around the desired filling, you cut everything into a triangle and create twisted “branches” to transform it into a tree. Cover everything with a puff pastry star and it becomes a Christmas tree!
I consider this a “tear and share” recipe. People can tear off the branches for a snack, possibly leaving the “trunk” of the tree for even more deliciousness.
Since you can use any spread you like for the filling, you can turn it into a Christmas morning breakfast, a festive appetizer, or a sweet and simple dessert.
I’ll also share some tips for making it ahead of time! After all, we love a make-ahead recipe.
How to make a sweet or savory puff pastry Christmas tree
This puff pastry Christmas tree looks really cute and elegant, but it’s really super easy to put together. If you like working with puff pastry to make recipes like my Apple Tart with Puff Pastry, Cinnamon Rolls with Puff Pastry or Cherry panzerotti, you too will love this recipe.
Ingredients you will need
You only need a handful of ingredients to make my puff pastry Christmas tree:
- 2 sheets of defrosted puff pastry
- ¼ to ⅓ cup sweet or savory spread
- 1 large egg
- Flaked salt for sprinkling (salted version only)
- Powdered sugar or parmesan to finish
Before you begin assembling your tree, make sure both sheets of puff pastry are thawed according to the package directions. I find the quickest and most reliable way to do this is to let it sit on the countertop for about 30 minutes.
Which fill to use is up to you! I have a bunch of ideas listed below under “fill options” for you to try.
I like to cover my savory trees with a little flaky sea salt before baking, but that’s optional.
For a more snow-like effect, dust your finished trees with icing sugar (for sweet fillings) or parmesan cheese (for savory ones).
Preparing this recipe
To assemble your puff pastry Christmas tree, begin by rolling out one of the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface to a 10×13-inch rectangle. Carefully move it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Spread the filling on this sheet of puff pastry. Make sure it goes all the way to the edges!
Now repeat the rolling out operation with the second sheet of pastry and place it on top of the first, inserting the filling in the center.
Now it’s time to turn it into a tree!
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the pastry into a large triangle. Set the cut corners aside, but do not discard them. If you want the tree to have a trunk, cut that shape out of the bottom of the triangle, setting the cut corners aside.
To make the branches, start at the bottom of the tree and cut the tree at 1-inch intervals. Be sure to leave a 1-inch uncut strip down the center for the trunk.
Leave the top 3 inches or so of the tree uncut, as those pieces would be too short to twist.
Carefully twist each strip. You can twist the longer strips 3 times and the shorter ones 1-2 times.
Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut a star from the scraps. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash.
Use the beaten egg to “glue” the star to the top of the tree, then gently brush the entire tree with the beaten egg.
At this point you will still have some scraps left. I like to cut them into strips, twist them and bake them for extra snacks too. Place them on a separate baking sheet or arrange them around the tree, just make sure they don’t touch each other or the tree.
If you’re using a savory filling, now is a good time to lightly sprinkle the top with a little flaky sea salt.
Cook the tree at 180°C for 20-25 minutes. You want the top to be nicely browned and the bottom to be well cooked.
Allow the tree to cool for 5-10 minutes before sprinkling with icing sugar or parmesan and serving.
Filling options
You can use just about any sweet or savory spread as a filling for your puff pastry Christmas tree. Some of my favorite sweet fillings include:
Use a savory filling to turn it into a festive appetizer for your annual Christmas party. Some of my favorite savory fillings include:
Tips for the future
If you’re serving this puff pastry Christmas tree for Christmas morning breakfast or as a holiday appetizer, you’ll probably want to make it ahead of time.
Make the tree as described, but leave out the egg wash. Place it in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 hours before cooking. Brush with beaten egg just before cooking.
If you need to prepare it more than a few hours in advance, place the pan in the freezer. Once the tree is frozen, after 1-2 hours, you can wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
When ready to bake, unwrap and place the tree on a lined baking sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and cook from frozen according to the recipe directions, adding a few minutes to the cooking time if necessary.
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out a sheet of puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10×13-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet.
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Distribute the desired filling on the shortcrust pastry, taking care to reach the edges.
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Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry into a 10×13 inch rectangle. Place it on top of the first sheet of pastry, inserting the filling between the two layers of shortcrust pastry.
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Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into a large triangle. Set cut corners aside; do not discard. If desired, cut out a log shape from the bottom of the triangle, setting the cut pieces aside.
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Now, starting at the bottom of the triangle, cut the tree at 1-inch intervals, leaving an uncut strip of about 1 inch in the center for the trunk. Leave the top 3 inches of the tree uncut, as those pieces would be too small to twist.
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Carefully twist each strip; twist the longer strips 3 times and the shorter pieces at the top of the tree 1-2 times.
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Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut a star from the scraps. Beat the egg with 1 spoonful of water and use this egg wash to attach the star to the top of the tree. Brush the tree with the beaten egg.
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Cut the scraps into strips. Twist them and place them on a separate baking tray (you can place them on the edges of the first tray if it is large enough, just make sure they don’t touch the tree). Brush with the beaten egg.
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If using a savory filling, lightly sprinkle the top of the tree and the extra strips with a little flaky sea salt.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bottom is fully cooked.
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Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes. Dust with icing sugar if using a sweet filling or garnish with freshly grated parmesan if using a savory filling.
Use a savory filling for a holiday appetizer. Suggested fillings include:
Recipe nutritional data based on using jam for the filling.
Calories: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 35G, Protein: 5G, Fat: 24G, Saturated fat: 6G, Polyunsaturated fats: 3G, Monounsaturated fats: 13G, Trans fats: 0.003G, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 164mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1G, Sugar: 6G, Vitamin A: 30UI, Vitamin C: 1mg, Soccer: 11mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.
