Keto Puff Pastry Trees

Froze a batch unbaked and pulled them straight to a 400 oven two weeks later, same color, same structure. Parchment between the layers before freezing or they fuse at the edges. This is the only appetizer I actually keep stocked ahead.

Been reheating these at 350 for 8 min and they come out basically the same, crust crisps instead of going soggy. One thing: keep the marinara layer thin or the center gets dense.

Keto year three and I’d stopped attempting pizza, not the taste but the structure. This is the first version where the dough holds a fold. Provolone and pepperoni stay put, nothing slides. Didn’t expect that to matter so much. One star off for the dough thinning step, took me two tries.

I mixed a teaspoon of garlic powder into the almond flour before adding the cheese, the mozzarella fat pulls it through the whole dough. Surface seasoning just gets the outer layer. Small change but the garlic hits every bite now, not just where the Italian seasoning landed on top.

fathead that actually layers, finally

Didn’t think melted mozzarella could actually behave like dough until I watched it come together in the food processor. That stretchy, almost sticky mass was not what I expected. Twenty minutes later though, I had something good enough to bring out. A couple trees went a bit thick on one end, but the layers held and the provolone pulled it together. Honestly pretty proud for a first attempt. Do you chill the dough at all, or better to roll while it’s still warm?

Taking these to a get-together next weekend and a few people don’t eat pork. Would Italian turkey sausage crumbles work as a pepperoni sub, or does the extra moisture mess with fathead dough?

Only brought these as backup in case nothing else at the table looked good, then watched the tray go empty before the main food even hit. Marinara, provolone, pepperoni all layered in there, and a crowd that showed up expecting chips and dip cleared the whole thing. Made one batch. Should have made two.

Made these last weekend, had trouble getting the fathead dough thin enough without tearing when I cut the trees. Is it easier to roll while it’s still warm, or does chilling help?

Before keto I made stromboli every time we had people over. Gave that up two years ago and just stopped. Made these on a Saturday afternoon sort of testing if fathead dough could actually do what the recipe claimed, and when I pulled them off the parchment they held. Actually held, like something you’d find at a real party spread. The almond flour has this slight nutty undertone that I noticed on the first bite, but it doesn’t fight the pepperoni and provolone, it just sits quietly underneath. Used Rao’s for the marinara and kept it thin so the layers didn’t go wet inside. Two years of skipping it and I didn’t need to. That’s the part that got me.

Had to add about 5 minutes past the suggested time to get real color on mine, but that first pull apart when the provolone stretches out makes up for babysitting the oven.

Swapped the pepperoni for spicy Italian sausage crumbles and it completely changed the filling. Way more heat, and the provolone melts differently around sausage than it does with flat pepperoni slices. The dough held up fine, which I honestly wasn’t sure about with the extra weight. Hard to go back now.

Made these on a whim Saturday and my 8-year-old, who has been quietly suspicious of everything I make since I went keto, ate three and then asked where they came from. She thought they were from somewhere. I didn’t correct her. The fathead dough holds together better than I expected at that thickness, no tearing when you fold it, and the provolone melts into the marinara in a way that actually makes it feel like a real pastry situation.

My son picked off the provolone on the first one and then ate three more whole, which tells you more about the cheese-to-pepperoni ratio than anything I could say. The fathead dough held up better than I expected with that much filling.

Never worked with fathead dough before so I was pretty nervous about the mozzarella melting situation. But once it hit the food processor with the eggs it came together way faster than expected. I did the pizza version with the provolone and pepperoni layers and they actually puffed up a little while baking, which surprised me. The almond flour gives it a faint nutty taste underneath the marinara that I wasn’t expecting but actually liked. Mine stuck to the bottom parchment when I tried to transfer them, even with the spray, so either I rolled it too thin or there’s a trick I’m missing for getting them off without tearing. Four stars because I’m pretty sure that was my fault, not the recipe’s. Trying again this weekend.

Tried swapping the provolone for sharp cheddar on batch four and the sharpness cuts through the pepperoni grease in a way the provolone never did, keeping it.

Four batches in, the biggest change was adding a teaspoon of garlic powder to the dough before pulsing. The crust goes from tasting like nothing to actually contributing flavor, especially at the edges where it crisps. I use Rao’s for the marinara and it holds up well. Making another batch this weekend.

Made a lot of keto pizza doughs that came out soft and floppy, so I was skeptical. These actually held their shape, edges got crispy, and the provolone layer stayed put. First keto dough I’ve made that could fool someone.

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.