• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking My Dreams
  • Recipes
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
    • Portfolio
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
  • Subscribe!
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Aperitivo » Puff Pastry Pesto Christmas Trees

    Puff Pastry Pesto Christmas Trees

    Published: Nov 22, 2020 · Modified: May 7, 2021 by Jessica Montanelli · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    42.2K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Total time to make this recipe: 25 minutes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    puff pastry pesto trees on a platter

    A cute a delicious Christmas appetizer shaped as Christmas Tree. They're crunchy and flavorful, with Basil Pesto and Parmigiano cheese. These Pesto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees will be perfect as Aperitivo for the Holidays, accompanied by a glass of white wine or Prosecco.

    I've always been in love with appetizers. Tiny bites full of flavor, made in all different shapes and with all kinds of ingredients. One of the reasons I love them is that having tiny portions allows me to try a bit of everything. One of my secret desires would be to taste a full restaurant menu, if only they would turn it into a finger food buffet!

    In every Holiday meal, appetizers are always my favorite part. So now that I can cook my own Christmas feast, I usually make a ton of different Christmas appetizers and only one main course with one side and one dessert. I'm happy like that!

    two puff pastry trees served in a jar next to the platter

    Puff Pastry Appetizers

    One of the easier ways to make many different appetizers is with puff pastry. It's the perfect crunchy and flaky base to host all kinds of ingredients and you can shaper the way you want. From vol-au-vent to tarts, to pinwheels or trees as in this recipe.

    In Italy, we love making all kinds of puff pastry savory treats, which we call "Rustici" (translated "rustic"). They're always a hit at every birthday party, potluck, or dinner party with a buffet.

    Here's a few ideas of appetizers that you can make with puff pastry:

    • Puff Pastry mini Pizza
    • Potato Rosemary Tarts
    • Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart
    • Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Quiche
    hand cutting the puff pastry in strips with a wheel cutter
    raw puff pastry trees on parchment paper

    Can you make this recipe in advance?

    To make these puff pastry pesto trees takes literally just a few minutes. So it's the ideal recipe to make last-minute, just 30 minutes before your guests arrive.

    If instead, you want to make Homemade Basil Pesto from scratch, I suggest you make it the day before and then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you need to use it.

    I don't suggest making the puff pastry homemade as it takes a crazy amount of time and dedication. You can simply buy it in the supermarket either refrigerated or frozen. If you buy the frozen one, remember to thaw it overnight in the fridge as overwise it would be impossible to shape.

    Can you freeze leftovers?

    You can freeze cooked puff pastry but the result will not be the best. When thawed, puff pastry will become very soft so they will lose all the crunchiness which is the best part of puff pastry.

    One thing you can try to bring some of the crunch back, is to reheat the thawed snacks in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for a few minutes. But be careful not to burn them!

    puff pastry pesto trees on a platter
    two puff pastry trees served in a jar next to the platter

    The Recipe

    puff pastry pesto trees on a platter

    Puff Pastry Pesto Christmas Trees

    Crunchy pesto-flavored snack shaped as Chrismas Tree. The perfect Christmas appetizer or aperitivo to welcome guests with Italian flavors.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Jessica Montanelli

    Ingredients

    • 1 roll Puff Pastry
    • 3-4 tablespoon Basil Pesto
    • 2 tablespoon Parmigiano cheese, grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
    • Roll out the puff pastry sheet over parchment paper.
    • Spread the basil pesto evenly on top of the puff pastry, using a spoon or a spatula.
    • Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano cheese on top as well.
    • With a knife or with a wheel cutter, cut the puff pastry into strips large about 1 inch / 2.5 cm.
    • Fold the strips to make the Christmas tree shape. You can leave the puff pastry as it is or add a skewer in the middle as I did.
    • Bake the snacks in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

    Notes

    Check out this recipe if you want to make Basil Pesto from scratch.
    You can add a cut-out star made of cheese of top of the tree for further decoration.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291 kcal | Carbohydrates: 29 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 28 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Cholesterol: 16 mg | Sodium: 298 mg

    Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: Italian
    Have you tried this recipe?Snap a photo and tag @jess.cookingmydreams or use the hashtag #cookingmydreams!

    If you like this recipe, you can leave a comment and a star rating to support me. ★★★★★
    Thank you so much!

    « 27 Christmas Gifts for Italian Food Lovers
    Wild Mushroom Ravioli (with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce) »

    Sharing is caring!

    42.2K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen

      December 27, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      I made these last night for an event that was supposed to be tonight. Will they still be good in two days if kept refrigerated?

      Reply
      • Jessica Montanelli

        December 27, 2022 at 6:15 pm

        Unfortunately cooked puff pastry does not keep well in the refrigerator as it will become soft. You can try to make them crunchy again with a few minutes in the oven before serving but it might not work very well.

        Reply
    2. Laura

      December 16, 2022 at 7:54 pm

      Can I make these ahead leave in fridge and bake them off when I arrive at my destination to serve hot?

      Reply
      • Jessica Montanelli

        December 18, 2022 at 4:15 pm

        Hi Laura, sure! As long as you keep them in the fridge they'll keep their shape until you're ready to bake them.

        Reply
        • Linda Domroes

          December 23, 2022 at 1:27 pm

          Hi Jessica!
          These look beautiful!
          Never worked with puff pastry.
          When cutting into one inch strips, do you use the whole strip per tree?
          Thank you!

          Reply
          • Jessica Montanelli

            December 24, 2022 at 2:54 pm

            Hi Linda, yes I use the whole strip per tree. But you can use more or less depending how big you want your trees. 🙂

            Reply
    3. Lisa M Tiani

      December 15, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      I've seen these before but I've never made them yet a lovely star idea. I will be making them this weekend for my family party. I also will make some sweet with honey and rosewater. Then Brown sugar, cinnamon! I'm excited to share.

      Reply
    4. Carol

      December 15, 2022 at 3:06 am

      Hi! These are super cute! Did you use a special kind of skewer or soak them before using?

      Reply
      • Jessica Montanelli

        December 16, 2022 at 11:08 am

        Hi Carol, they're normal skewers. There's no need to soak them since they don't stay in the oven too long or at very high temperatures so they won't burn.

        Reply
    5. Janet

      December 14, 2022 at 1:58 am

      How did you make the stars on top?

      Reply
      • Jessica Montanelli

        December 14, 2022 at 1:24 pm

        Hi Janet, I cut a thick slice of semi-hard cheese (like Gouda or Swiss cheese) with a knife. You can also use fondant cutters made for cake decorations, like these: https://amzn.to/3UZ8XZM

        Reply
    6. Cathi B

      December 13, 2022 at 10:02 pm

      5 stars
      These were a huge hit at work!
      So easy but looked very impressive and came out delicious.

      Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm an Italian who moved to the Netherlands with a true passion for food, travel, and everything handmade. I love to experiment, learn new skills, and share my knowledge about everything I do!

    This blog is my perfect escape to search for my path towards happiness. :)

    More about me →

    • jess.cookingmydreams
    • Cooking my Dreams
    • jess.cookingmydreams

    Popular Recipes

    • Ricotta and Smoked Salmon Ravioli
    • Pici Cacio e Pepe (Tuscan Pasta with Creamy Cheese and Black Pepper Sauce)
    • Classic Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
    • Classic Tuscan Lasagna
    • Soffritto (Mirepoix): What it is, how to use and how to freeze
    • Pasta with Easy Creamy Eggplant Sauce

    Subscribe and get a Free E-Cookbook

    ebook page that says 10 classic tuscan recipes.

    As Seen In

    Spring Recipes

    • Soft Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Chocolate Chunks
    • Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartare
    • Wild Mushroom Ravioli (with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce)
    • Raspberry Chocolate mini Bundt Cakes

    Follow me

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Portfolio
    • Cooking Classes

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    I refuse.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    42.2K shares