Nutella Puff Pastry Trees (Printable)

Flaky puff pastry layered with creamy Nutella, baked into festive tree shapes with a golden crisp.

# What you'll need:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 sheets puff pastry (approximately 8.8 oz each), thawed if frozen

→ Filling

02 - 4.2 oz Nutella (or chocolate-hazelnut spread)

→ Finish

03 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
04 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)

# How to make it:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Unroll both puff pastry sheets. Evenly spread Nutella over one sheet, leaving a 0.4 inch border.
03 - Place the second sheet of pastry over the Nutella-covered sheet to create a sandwich.
04 - Using a sharp knife or tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out tree shapes about 5 to 6 inches tall. Re-roll scraps to cut additional shapes as needed.
05 - Transfer the trees onto the baking tray. Carefully slice horizontal cuts on both sides of each tree, keeping the center trunk intact. Twist each branch gently for decoration.
06 - Brush the beaten egg evenly over each tree to ensure a golden finish.
07 - Bake the shaped pastries for 16 to 18 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
08 - Allow the pastries to cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • They look impressive enough to impress guests but honestly require almost no skill—flaky puff pastry does most of the work for you.
  • The combination of crispy, buttery layers with creamy chocolate-hazelnut filling tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when it took less than an hour.
02 -
  • Don't skip the egg wash—it's the difference between pale, flat pastries and ones that look professionally baked with that deep caramelized color.
  • If your pastry cracks while cutting or shaping, pinch the edges back together and keep going; minor tears seal themselves during baking.
03 -
  • Keep your work surface cool and dry when handling puff pastry—warmth makes it greasy and hard to cut cleanly, so chill your knife under cold water if needed.
  • The twisted branches look more impressive if you vary their angles slightly rather than making them perfectly uniform—it feels more natural and catches the light better.
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