These Pesto and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees are a quick and easy holiday appetizer. Puff pastry is filled with pesto, sliced prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese, then shaped into festive little trees. They're savory, delicious, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
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Puff pastry is a staple ingredient for holiday entertaining. It works beautifully in everything from tarts and turnovers to pastries, pinwheels, and even those viral upside down puff pastry hacks! This time, I’m using it to make a festive holiday appetizer by turning it into savory little Christmas trees. These flaky trees are filled with Italian-inspired ingredients and are bound to disappear as quickly as the wrapping paper on your presents!
Using a box of premade puff pastry, we layer it with jarred basil pesto, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella. Then, the pastry is cut into strips and formed into simple little trees. Each tree is skewered to help it hold its form while baking. For an extra festive touch, you can add a puff pastry star on top before baking, cut a small star from cheese to place on afterward, or finish with a tiny sprig of rosemary (which I did since rosemary is still thriving in our garden).
These puff pastry Christmas trees are super easy to make, yet look so fun and festive on the holiday table! While they're a delicious appetizer, they would also make a great addition to a savory grazing board or as part of a Christmas brunch spread. Serve them with extra pesto or warm marinara sauce for dipping for a crowd-pleasing starter that's sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering!
Pesto and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees
Are you ready to make this puff pastry Christmas tree appetizer? These savory little trees come together with just a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps. Prep is quick and they bake up buttery and golden with salty, herbaceous Italian flavor in every bite.
The first thing we need to do is unroll a thawed sheet of puff pastry. Spread an even layer of pesto on top of the entire sheet. Layer the prosciutto slices over the pesto and sprinkle chopped sundried tomatoes and shredded mozzarella on top.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the pastry sheet into 1 inch strips. Then, cut each strip in half. Gently zig-zag the strips into tree shapes and push a wooden skewer through the puff pastry tree to help keep its shape.
Carefully transfer the trees to a large, parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush egg wash on top of each tree and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. If desired, cut small stars out of extra puff pastry and place on top of each tree before baking (or cut stars out of cheese or use tiny sprigs of rosemary to finish the trees).
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Towards the end of baking, I added the shredded Parmesan cheese on top. I finished baking the puff pastry trees just until the cheese started to melt and the trees were golden brown. Serve the puff pastry trees warm with extra pesto or warm marinara on the side.
Pesto and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees
Equipment
- 1 large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 4 tbsps. basil pesto
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 3 tbsps. sundried tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- Italian seasoning
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Optional decorative toppers: small puff pastry stars cheese stars, or tiny rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry and smooth the seams.
- Spread an even layer of pesto over the sheet.
- Top with the prosciutto slices and sprinkle the chopped sundried tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the pastry sheet into 1 inch strips. Then, cut each strip in half.
- Gently zig-zag the strip to form a tree shape.
- Thread a wooden skewer into each tree to hold its shape and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet. If desired add a small puff pastry star on top.
- Brush each tree with egg wash. Then, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 12-15 minutes. Towards the end of baking, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake until cheese has melted and puff pastry is golden brown.
- If not using a puff pastry star, at this time you can add a cheese star or tiny rosemary sprig on top.
- Serve warm with extra pesto or warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
Did you end up with leftover puff pastry trees? No worries! You can easily store them or freeze them for later. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Then, reheat until they're warm and crispy. You can also freeze the leftovers to reheat when you're in the mood for a holiday snack strikes! Just thaw, reheat, and enjoy.
Did you make this Pesto and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
