Nutella Puff Pastry Trees (Printable View)

Flaky puff pastry filled with chocolate-hazelnut spread, baked into festive, golden tree shapes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed (about 8.8 oz each)

→ 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 - Preheat oven to 400°F. 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 around the edges.
03 - Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top, creating a sandwich with the Nutella filling in between.
04 - Using a sharp knife or tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out tree shapes about 4.7 to 5.9 inches tall. Re-roll pastry scraps to create additional trees.
05 - Transfer trees to the prepared tray. Carefully cut horizontal slits on each side of the tree shape to form branches, leaving the trunk intact. Twist each branch gently to enhance the appearance.
06 - Brush the entire surface of each tree with the beaten egg to promote browning.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
08 - Allow the pastries to cool slightly. Optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving warm or at room temperature.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress guests but come together in under an hour with just puff pastry and Nutella.
  • The contrast between crispy exterior and melty chocolate-hazelnut center is genuinely addictive.
  • Kids go wild helping shape and twist the branches, making it as much fun to create as it is to eat.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the pastry fully thaw or it'll crack when you try to spread Nutella and won't puff evenly in the oven.
  • The egg wash makes all the difference between a pale pastry and one that looks bakery-worthy and glossy.
  • Twist those branches gently or they'll break off—the pastry is already fragile once baked, so less is more with the handling.
03 -
  • If your pastry cracks while spreading Nutella, patch it gently with a small piece of thawed pastry—no one will know once it's baked.
  • Reroll your scraps immediately while they're still cool enough to handle; they'll give you extra trees rather than waste.
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