Puff pastry Christmas trees are a quick and impressive holiday appetizer that everyone loves. Ham and pepper jack cheese are layered in puff pastry and baked into little Christmas trees, topped with a cheddar cheese star. They’re so festive!

Golden-baked puff pastry Christmas trees with ham and cheese, garnished with parsley and cheddar stars, served on a white platter with holiday decor.

These ham and cheese Christmas trees are an adorable and festive way to serve everyone’s favorite ham and cheese puff pastry appetizers.

I love taking classic holiday appetizers and giving them a Christmas twist. From a pull-apart crescent roll Christmas tree to an easy Christmas tree charcuterie board, themed recipes always bring extra fun to the table.

There’s just something about a little creativity that makes food taste even better. Sure, ham and cheese puff pastry is delicious—but a ham and cheese puff pastry Christmas tree? Even better!

Ham and cheese puff pastry Christmas tree with crispy edges, layers of ham, melted cheese, and a parsley garnish, finished with a small cheddar star on top.

These savory treats come together quickly with just a handful of simple ingredients, including store-bought puff pastry, which is so easy to work with. Grab some skewers and a small star-shaped cookie cutter, and these festive trees will be ready to serve in just over 30 minutes.

Why you’ll love this Christmas tree puff pastry recipe

Quick and easy to make in just over 35 minutes.
The filling can be customized. Use a different kind of meat or cheese, or switch it up completely and add a sweet filling.
The easy app fits right in with any Christmas-themed table setup.
Everyone loves food on a stick!

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Christmas Trees

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Tray with ingredients for puff pastry Christmas trees: sliced ham, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, puff pastry sheets, butter, parsley, garlic salt, and onion powder.

Puff pastry – You’ll find this in the freezer section of your grocery store, usually with pie crusts, croissants, and any other frozen dough. Get the ones that have 2 sheets included. They’ll need to be thawed completely before using them.
Deli ham – Thinly sliced ham is best. Honey ham, black forest ham, smoked ham, cooked ham, whichever you prefer.
Sliced cheese – I used pepper Jack cheese for a nice kick, but you can substitute with mozzarella, Havarti, Swiss cheese, Provolone, etc.
Cheddar cheese block – I like using orange cheddar for the star for a nice pop of color.
Butter and seasoning – Melted butter will be mixed with onion powder, garlic salt, and fresh chopped parsley to be brushed over the trees for added flavor.

Equipment

Wooden skewers – Make sure skewers are long enough so that they fit through the pastry, leaving a bit at the top to fit the star and enough on the bottom for people to hold. 8 or 10 inch skewers should be perfect.
Small star cookie cutter – This cookie cutter set is inexpensive and has several sizes.
Pizza cutter or sharp knife

How to Make this Christmas Tree Appetizer

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step-by-step process to make ham and cheese puff pastry Christmas trees: layering ham and cheese on puff pastry sheet, cutting puff pastry into strips, forming tree tree shapes, and placing on skewers on lined pan.

Step 1: Unravel one puff pastry sheet out on a clean work surface. Layer the ham on top, followed by the cheese slices. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top.

Step 2: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the square (or rectangle in some cases) into 8 equal strips. One strip at a time, start folding the strips, accordion style, keeping a bigger fold at the bottom, which gets smaller as you go up. It should look like a triangular Christmas tree shape.

Step 3: Carefully push a skewer up through the middle of the tree, which should poke out the top. Leave enough room for the star. Place the prepared tree on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat the steps with the remaining strips.

Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until lightly golden brown. Then, immediately brush with melted seasoned butter. While they cool, cut out the little cheese stars to place on top. Serve while warm.

Single puff pastry Christmas tree appetizer on a skewer, showing layers of ham, cheese, and puff pastry topped with a cheddar star.

Pro Tip:

Make these up to 24 hours ahead if you’re not ready to bake them yet. Assemble them, lay them on the tray with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and keep them refrigerated until ready to bake.

Storage

Refrigerator: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. While they won’t be quite as flaky as when freshly baked, they’ll still be delicious!

How to Reheat: To get them a little crispier again, you can reheat these in the oven or air fryer. If you don’t mind the soft puff pastry, you can also microwave them for a few seconds.

Recipe Tips

Thaw puff pastry properly. Allow the puff pastry to thaw in the fridge according to the instructions on the package. Avoid leaving it at room temperature too long, or it may get sticky and hard to handle.
Even cutting. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the strips evenly so the trees bake uniformly.
Avoid overfilling. Use thin sliced deli meat and cheese to avoid the filling leaking out.
Skewer properly. Make sure the skewers go through the center of the trees for stability.

How to Serve Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

These little gems are super cute no matter how they’re presented. You could place them on a serving platter in a circle, surrounding a bowl of dipping sauce. Green basil pesto or red sundried tomato pesto are great options.

Or, you could use a mini Babybel cheese as a base and stick each tree trunk skewer in one and present the trees upright. So cute!

Additions and variations

Swap the ham. Use turkey, chicken, prosciutto, or salami instead.
Add a spread. If using mozzarella, think about using pizza sauce. If using ham, think about honey mustard or caramelized onions, and turkey pairs perfectly with all kinds of pesto!
A sweet twist. Fill it with Nutella, bake it, and dust it with powdered sugar for a sweet treat or dessert.
Try an egg wash. You can also brush the pastry trees with an egg wash before baking, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
No orange cheddar for the star? Use any cheese you want or swap it with a cute little green olive or stars cut out of puff pastry.

More Christmas Appetizer Recipes

Recipe

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Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

Author: Jaclyn

Prep: 15

Cook: 20

Total: 35

These puff pastry Christmas trees are a festive appetizer made with layers of ham, pepper jack cheese, and flaky puff pastry, topped with a cheddar star. Quick to make and perfect for holiday gatherings, they’re as adorable as they are delicious!

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
▢ 6 slices ham thinly sliced
▢ 6 slices pepper jack cheese
▢ 2 Tablespoons butter melted
▢ 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic salt
▢ 4 ounces cheddar cheese for star toppers

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out one puff pastry sheet on a flat surface. Layer ham and cheese evenly over the pastry. Top with 2nd puff pastry sheet.
Use a pizza slicer or sharp knife to slice into 8 equal strips, about 1 inch wide each.
Accordion-fold each strip into a tree shape, starting wide at the bottom and tapering to the top. Insert a skewer through the center to hold the shape, leaving a bit of room at the top to add the star later. Place on lined baking sheet.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.
In a small bowl, stir to combine melted butter, parsley, onion powder, and garlic salt. Brush the butter mixture over the warm trees.
Allow trees to cool slightly. Meanwhile, use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut cheddar cheese into star shapes. Place stars on the top of the skewers. Serve warm.