• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Grits and Gouda
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Meats and Mains
    • Breakfast Brunch Brinner
    • Veggies and Sides
    • Desserts and Cakes
    • Cookies and Candy
    • Canning and Condiments
    • Christmas
    • Salads & Slaws
    • Instant Pot
    • Thanksgiving
  • About
    • About
    • Community
  • Work With Me
  • Holiday Cooking Show
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Holiday Cooking Show
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home > Food > Cookie Butter Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

    Cookie Butter Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

    Published: Nov 10, 2023 by Kathleen · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See full disclosure

    • Facebook
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe

    These Puff Pastry Christmas Trees filled with cookie butter are fun and festive holiday cookies on a stick! They only require 4 ingredients and simple prep. Perfect for cookie swaps, cookies for Santa, teacher gifts and are fun to make with kids.

    Close up of a hand holding a puff pastry christmas tree with others in the background.

    SAVE THIS RECIPE

    I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Aren't these Italian-style cookies precious? They may look difficult to make but they aren't and I'll show you step by step how to make them.

    Layered with sweet, spiced cookie butter and dusted with cinnamon sugar, these flaky and delicate Christmas tree "cookies" are a delicious way to celebrate the holiday season.

    I'm all about making quick and easy treats for the holidays like my Oreo Mint Truffles and Shortcut Frosted Mini Brownie Cups!

    I'm obsessed with Biscoff cookies and cookie butter, so I made these Christmas tree desserts for my 6th annual Holiday Cooking Show. They were a huge hit! I know you will love them too!

    Shortcuts

    • Using store bought puff pastry shaves hours off prep time.

    Having to make your own puff pastry dough can be time consuming. That's why using store bought frozen puff pastry is an absolute life saver!

    Ingredients

    What you will need to make Cookie Butter Puff Pastry Trees:

    Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.

    Labeled ingredients for puff pastry christmas trees on a marble counter.
    • Puff pastry
    • Cookie butter - Biscoff is a well-known brand when it comes to cookie butter, but any brand will work.
    • Cinnamon sugar - Either buy cinnamon sugar or make your own! See Pro Tip section below.
    • Butter (Salted or unsalted)

    Pair these puff pastry Christmas trees with my Little Debbie Christmas Tree Dip to add to a truly decadent dessert board!

    How to make this Christmas Tree Dessert

    Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.

    Using a rolling pin to roll out puff pastry.
    Using a bench scraper to fold half of the puff pastry over the cookie butter.
    • Roll out the thawed puff pastry into a rectangle.
    • Spread one half with cookie butter, then fold the other half of the pastry over top.
    Using a pastry cutter to slice puff pastry.
    Folding puff pastry into a tree shape.
    • Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the puff pastry into strips.
    • Fold each strip into a Christmas tree shape.
    Using a wooden skewer to support the shape of a puff pastry christmas tree.
    Unbaked puff pastry christmas trees on a baking sheet.
    • Stick a wooden skewer through each puff pastry ribbon to maintain its shape.
    • Transfer the assembled puff pastry trees onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    Adding cinnamon sugar to unbaked puff pastry christmas trees.
    • Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then bake and enjoy!
    Close up of a hand holding a cookie butter puff pastry christmas tree.

    If you want to make a star for each of them, use the last strip of filled dough and cut out tiny stars with a star cookie cutter and bake them separately. Then press them into the top of the stick after baking.

    You can also top them with a marshmallow star or gummy star.

    Pro Tips

    To make your own cinnamon sugar, combine 3 tablespoons sugar with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and mix well.

    Substitutions & Variations

    Trade "this" for "that" in this puff pastry Christmas tree recipe.

    • Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree - Substitute Nutella (or any chocolate hazelnut spread) for the cookie butter.
    • Other fillings - Instead of or in addition to the cookie butter, try something like peanut butter or Sunbutter (sunflower butter).
    • Star tree toppers - 1. Use one of the strips to make little stars using a star shaped cookie cutter. Place them at the top of each tree before baking. 2. Add candy stars or gummy stars to the top of each tree after baking.
    • Sprinkles - Add some green sprinkles or green sanding sugar. Kids would love it!
    Puff pastry christmas trees on a baking sheet.

    Helpful Information

    What is puff pastry?

    This delicate and layered pastry dough is a fantastic base for various pastries and other desserts. Made by layering and folding with butter, this sheet-like dough is available to purchase in stores (usually frozen) which means much less prep for you!

    What is cookie butter?

    Made from a spiced cookie called speculoos, this thick and sweet spread combines cookie crumbs with some kind of fat (like butter or vegetable oil) and sugar. It has a taste similar to gingerbread with hints of caramel.

    Close up of puff pastry christmas trees on a cooling rack.

    Storage Tips

    • To Store. Store any leftover puff pastry trees in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container. They can be eaten cold, but I recommend letting them come up to room temperature again (or even popping them back in the oven for a minute or two!)
    • To Freeze. You can also keep your puff pastry trees in the freezer for months at a time. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Be social and share, y'all! Don't forget to sign up with your email so you don’t miss a single post on my Southern shortcut recipes!

    If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to rate it 5 stars if you love it!

    Want more shortcut dessert recipes?

    • Cranberry Orange Cookies
    • Mississippi Mud Brownies
    • Pecan Cream Pie
    Close up of a hand holding a puff pastry christmas tree with others in the background.

    Cookie Butter Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

    Kathleen Phillips: GritsAndGouda.com
    These Puff Pastry Christmas Trees filled with cookie butter are adorable holiday desserts on a stick! They only require 4 ingredients and simple prep. Perfect for cookie swaps, cookies for Santa, teacher gifts and are fun to make with kids.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    SAVE THIS RECIPE

    I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 18 minutes mins
    Total Time 38 minutes mins
    Servings 10 servings

    Equipment

    • Star cookie cutter set optional
    • Pastry brush
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 17.3 ounce package of two frozen puff pastry sheets thawed
    • ⅔ cup cookie butter such as Biscoff
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
    • 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar*

    Instructions
     

    • Thaw frozen puff pastry according to package directions. I prefer the overnight in the fridge method.
      Keep the other sheet in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    • Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Working with one sheet at a time, roll it out onto a clean, dry counter into a 15x10-inch rectangle.
      If you carefully lift the sheet as you roll it to keep it from sticking, you probably won’t need to lightly dust flour on the surface.
    • Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Spread ⅓ cup cookie butter over one of the rectangle halves, all the way to the edges.
      Stack the other rectangle on top of the cookie butter-covered half, making sure the edges match up.
    • Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 5 (1-inch) wide x 10-inch long strips.
    • Start folding the strip accordion-style by making the bottom of the trees (wider end) first. The first fold will be about 3 inches wide.
      Continue folding the strip back and forth stacking it on top of the previous fold, reducing the size of the fold until you get to the top. The folded strip will resemble a tree.
    • Push a wooden skewer through the center of the tree, starting at the bottom up to the top of the tree. Leave about ¾ to 1 inch at the top of the skewer.
    • Loosen the folds of the tree to allow the puff pastry room to expand while baking.
    • Place each tree on a baking sheet in the refrigerator after making each one so the dough doesn’t get too warm.
    • Repeat the procedure with the remaining pastry sheet and cookie butter.
    • Brush the puff pastry trees with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
    • Bake the Christmas tree cookies for 15 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

    Notes

    • Make your own cinnamon sugar. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon sugar.
    • Use alternate fillings like peanut butter, Nutella, or sunflower butter.
    • Decorate with candies like marshmallows or gummy stars, or add holiday sprinkles.
    If you want to make a star for each of them, use the last strip of filled dough and cut out tiny stars with a star cookie cutter and bake them separately. Then press them into the top of the stick after baking for 12 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1treeCalories: 407kcal
    Did you make this recipe?If you love it, share it! Comment below before you go!

    Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.

    More Food

    • Roasted whole chicken by an air fryer.
      Air Fryer Whole Chicken Recipe
    • Four jars of pickled cucumbers sit on a table.
      Easy Dill Pickles for Canning
    • Air fried butternut squash halves on a white plate, garnished with herbs
      Air Fryer Butternut Squash Halves
    • Pouring blackberry syrup over a stack of pancakes on a white plate
      Blackberry Simple Syrup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

    More about me →

    • Mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Popular Recipes

    • Four pecan dishes in one collage: pie, sauce, tassies, turkey cheeseball.
      Easy Pecan Recipes
    • Collage of four air fryer recipes with text overlay.
      Easy Ninja Air Fryer Recipes
    • breaded tilapia on blue and white plate with broccoli and lemon
      Easy Air Fryer Tilapia
    • Several pieces of chocolate magic cake with one piece missing.
      Chocolate Magic Cake

    More Popular Recipes →

    Footer

    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

    Copyright © 2025 Grits and Gouda · Privacy Policy

    Thank you for rating this recipe!

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.