Keto Puff Pastry Trees
Published December 20, 2023 • Updated February 2, 2026
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These viral Puff Pastry Christmas trees are all over social media! The perfect fun, festive appetizer for the holiday season, these trees can easily be made sweet or savory and low-carb. Of course, I opted for a pizza version.
With all of the holiday parties that take place this time of year, festive appetizers are just as desired as the main meal. This recipe is perfect for your next holiday gathering. A puffy, low-carb dough sandwiches gooey cheese, pepperoni and robust marinara sauce, then folds into a festive Christmas tree shape.
What makes this low-carb?
- Fathead dough – Traditional refrigerated puff pastry dough is loaded with carbs and off-limits for keto. This recipe uses fathead dough – the same dough I use for my pizza crust. It’s made mostly of almond flour and melted mozzarella cheese, so it stays low-carb while still being pliable enough to fold into shapes.
- Pizza sauce – You can use store bought marinara for the pizza sauce, but make sure you check the label and look for one with no or low added sugars. Many brands sneak sugar into their sauce. I prefer to just make my own pizza sauce so I can control the ingredients.
- Cheese, cheese, more cheese – Cheese does double duty here – it adds flavor to the filling AND plays a role in making the dough pliable. Melted mozzarella cheese in the dough works similar to gluten in regular pizza dough. It makes the dough elastic and moldable so you can shape it and roll it into various shapes.
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Keto Pastry Dough Ingredients
20 oz (7 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese -
3 cups almond flour
-
2 teaspoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon salt
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2 eggs
Pizza Toppings Ingredients
-
1/4 cup marinara sauce
-
12 slices provolone cheese
-
48 slices pepperoni
-
Italian seasoning
-
wooden skewers
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Melt mozzarella cheese
Add shredded mozzarella cheese to a large bowl. Melt in the microwave at 60 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
- 20 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Dry ingredients
While cheese is melting, add almond flour, baking powder and salt to a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- 3 cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Make dough
Add melted mozzarella cheese and eggs to the food processor. Pulse until a dough ball forms and cheese is fully incorporated into the other ingredients. A food processor works best; however, an electric mixer can be used or you can knead the melted cheese and egg into the dry ingredients using your hands.
Roll it out
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Divide the dough into two equal sized balls. Place one ball in between two sheets of parchment paper. Flatten the dough out with the palm of your hand to form a square block. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle shape sheet that is about 15 x 12 inch and 1/8 inch thick. Repeat with other dough ball.
Add pizza toppings
Starting with one sheet of dough, remove the top layer of parchment paper. Spread marinara sauce from edge to edge. Layer down provolone cheese and pepperoni slices. To the other dough sheet, remove the bottom parchment sheet. Place the dough sheet on top like a sandwich and remove the top parchment sheet. Lightly press to adhere.
- 1/4 cup marinara sauce
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 48 slices pepperoni
Cut into strips
Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut into 1 inch thick strips with the long end facing you.
Fold the trees
Working one at a time, fold strips back and forth in a zig-zag motion, making each layer slightly narrower than the last to create a tree shape. Add a skewer to the tree from the bottom through the top. Place on a parchment lined baking tray. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top before baking.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros (Free) →Frequently Asked Questions
My dough flattened out on the edges. What did I do wrong?
To keep the dough from sliding when baking, don't cut the strips of dough any larger than 1 inch wide. Thinner strips of dough hold their shape better when baking.
Do I have to use a skewer?
The wooden skewer helps to hold the accordion shape of the tree while baking; however, if you press the dough tightly into its shape, it should hold while baking.
How can I limit the cheese in this recipe?
The dough has cheese and the filling has cheese. To limit the amount of cheese, just omit the cheese in the filling. Use sauce, pepperoni or even melted butter to fill the trees instead.
Made these for Christmas Eve and my kids fought over the last one. The zig-zag folding took a few tries but they looked so cute on the platter.
I could only wish my friends would appreciate the work that went into these. Then I would try them. Maybe some time, I will just make them for me. I deserve to make the effort for me.