Celebrate the holiday season with this delicious and festive puff pastry Christmas tree recipe. This fun holiday appetizer is filled with cheese and spinach, and is perfect to impress your guests with. Ready in one hour.
Planning a Christmas party? Looking for something impressive and Christmassy? Look no further, this edible Christmas tree is a fun savory appetizer that will have your guests talking. My favorite thing about it is how easy it is to pull-apart bites of spinach and cheese puff pastry. In this post, I’ll break down everything you need and the steps required to make this Christmas recipe.
Jump to:
What is a Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
This puff pastry Christmas tree is a savory appetizer recipe that’s perfect for parties. The tree is made using store-bought puff pastry (you can use homemade if you really want to!) that’s layered over a cheese and spinach filling, before being cut into a Christmas tree shape, and then baked.
And what’s better? You can make this recipe in about an hour.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry
- Spinach (frozen or fresh)
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Red pepper
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Egg yolk, beaten
- Sesame
- Black cumin
How to make a Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
This holiday showstopper is surprisingly easy to make! While the beautiful twisted Christmas tree design looks complex, you’ll see that it’s actually quite simple to do.
Start by preheating your oven according to your puff pastry package directions, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats up, use the prepared baking sheet as your work surface and very lightly flour it. Gently roll out your first sheet of cold puff pastry to about ¼-inch thickness. The key here is maintaining even thickness throughout - this will ensure your tree bakes up beautifully golden and perfectly flaky.
Prepare your spinach filling by blending it with the onion powder salt, red pepper, black pepper, and olive oil.
Next comes the fun part! Spread your fillings (spinach first, then the grated cheese) evenly across the pastry surface, being careful to leave a ½-inch border around the edges. Keep the filling layer relatively thin - this will help prevent any filling from escaping during the baking process. Place your second sheet of puff pastry on top and gently press around the edges to seal everything in.
Now it’s time to create the Christmas tree shape. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the entire pastry into a large tree with a small rectangle at the bottom for the trunk. Cut triangles from the top of the pastry, and then cut out the branches, and twist. I recommend taking a look at the recipe video for a visual demonstration.
Don’t worry about making your tree and twists perfectly uniform - those slightly irregular twists add charm and character to your finished puff pastry tree. Give it a light brush with egg wash (in this case it’s just the beaten egg yolk) for that picture-perfect golden finish, sprinkle over the black cumin and sesame seeds, then bake until it’s beautifully puffed and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving - this brief rest allows the layers to set properly and makes serving much easier. Trust me, this show-stopping holiday centerpiece will have everyone asking for seconds!
Tips
Keep it cool. When working with puff pastry, it’s best to work it cooler. Don’t let it thaw to the point that it’s warm when you work with it. Warm pastry won’t puff properly, and the layers may collapse.
Chill, don’t overfill. We all get a little overzealous sometimes, but be careful not to add too much filling.
Clean cuts. Nice clean cuts will help with the presentation of this dish. I recommend using a pizza cutter. While we’re looking for clean cuts, we don’t want perfectly straight cuts. Trees aren’t made up of straight lines, so use gentle curve for your shapes.
Waste not, want not. Don’t waste the excess pastry. Instead of throwing away the unused cuts, twist them and bake as little extras.
Variation ideas
Different shapes. If you don’t want to make a Christmas tree-shaped dish, you can cut the pastry into any shape (if you’re more artistic than me, try a reindeer). Be careful cutting several different shapes, as large size differences may impact the baking times of each piece.
Different fillings. There’s a lot of room to play with different savory fillings. Don’t like spinach? Leave it out. Prefer cheddar or parmesan to grated mozzarella cheese? Go for it.
Go sweet. Turn this into a sweet appetizer by swapping the savory fillings out for something sweet. Nutella or a chocolate spread is your easiest bet for this. And if you’re feeling extra indulgent, sprinkle sugar over the top of the pastry, and drizzle on some chocolate sauce.
Serving suggestions
This is a wonderful appetizer for your next holiday party. Try serving it alongside some baked brie with honey for a sweet companion dish. (You’ll find some people will pull-apart the twists and dip them into the brie.)
Storage
Once prepared the unbaked dough can be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to one month. Let it thaw slightly before tossing it into the oven to bake.
The baked puff pastry will can be refrigerated for up to a day. After this, you’ll be able to tell that the pastry is beginning to go stale. You can refresh baked pieces by placing them in a hot oven for three or four minute. I don’t recommend freezing once baked.
Final thoughts
This recipe is easier than it looks. It serves a crowd. And it can be ready in as little as one hour. That makes it perfect for your next holiday gathering. Try this Puff Pastry Christmas Tree, and let me know what you think in the comments below.
📖 Recipe
Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 puff pastry Christmas tree 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Celebrate the holiday season with this delicious and festive puff pastry Christmas tree recipe. A simple but impressive holiday recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 rolled puff pastry sheets (650g-700g)
- 2 cups spinach (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon sesame
- 1 teaspoon black cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to puff pastry package directions (usually around 300 degrees F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour the parchment paper. Roll out first sheet of cold puff pastry to ¼-inch thickness, maintaining even thickness throughout.
- In a blender or food processor, combine spinach, onion powder, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and olive oil until well mixed.
- Spread spinach mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle grated cheese over spinach layer, keeping layers thin to prevent filling from escaping during baking. Place second sheet of puff pastry on top. Gently press edges to seal.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut pastry into the Christmas tree shape. Starting from bottom, cut branches on both sides, leaving center intact. Gently twist each branch 2-3 times to create decorative effect. See recipe video for visual guide.
- Brush entire tree with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle the top of your pastry with sesame seeds and black cumin seeds.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- Watch recipe video for detailed visual instructions on cutting and shaping the tree.
- Let your tree cool for about 5 minutes before serving – though I know it’s tempting to dive right in! The waiting allows the layers to set properly, making it easier to pull apart and serve.
- Remember: Don’t be too precious about making it perfect. The beauty of this Christmas tree lies in its homemade charm, and those slightly uneven twists make it uniquely yours!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Comments
No Comments