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These are all over the internet, but mine is a little different.. Here are the tricks you need for Christmas morning breakfast – the Nutella Christmas Tree! It’s a perfect festive breakfast treat that always impresses, tastes divine but its secret is… it’s really easy to create.
This Nutella Christmas Tree recipe is the ULTIMATE festive breakfast for your family! If seasonal indulging is your thing (and of course it should be), then you’ve got to try this.
This breakfast pastry is fun, chocolatey, tastes amazing and makes the house smell divine and cosy. Everything we need at Christmas!
Here I’ll show you the few simple steps that stand between your ready-made croissant dough and this beautiful tree. The secret is where to cut, so follow my step-by-step guide below.
Why you’ll love this Nutella Christmas Tree recipe
⭐️ Festive, fun and indulgent
⭐️ Decorative and delicious
⭐️ An easy treat that will impress kids and adults!
How we came up with this recipe
You may have seen similar Christmassy bakes around on social media, but I wanted to make my Nutella tree as a breakfast dish that could be enjoyed on the big day (don’t worry, you’ll be hungry again by lunch!)
My recipe is different because:
⭐️ I use croissant dough, rather than puff pastry or anything else that was a bit more… dessert-ish.
⭐️ Includes instructions to make-ahead, like a lot of my Christmas recipes, to give the option of prepping ahead to save time on the busy morning.
⭐️ My version uses only ONE can of dough and we cut it cleverly to avoid any waste or unnecessary cost. I also use scissors to cut it as it’s so much easier!
Nutella Christmas Tree Ingredients
- Croissant dough – One 340g can. I use this one by Jus Rol as it’s good quality and easy to work with
- Nutella – Or other sweet spread
- Egg – This is for brushing on top for a golden bake
How to make a nutella Christmas Tree
1. Carefully open the can of dough, unroll, then cut the long run in half and lay side by side. Squish the join so you end up with a large rectangle. Now cut a line from the middle of the top edge, to the bottom left corner, and another line from the middle of the top edge to the bottom right corner.
2. You’ll end up with one big triangle and two smaller ones either side. Cover the middle large triangle in your Nutella and spread evenly.
3. Take the two smaller triangles you cut and flip them over so that you can sit them on top of the Nutella to join up and make a large triangle for the top. Squish the join together with your fingers.
4. Now cut strips either side using scissors, about 3cm wide. DO not cut all the way to the middle. Trim off any messy or uneven bits at the bottom (save this).
5. Twist each of the pieces two or three times.
6. Roll your offcut pastry if you have any to make a little bauble to top the tree. Brush with egg and bake as per the recipe below.
Substitutions
- Puff pastry – If you can’t find croissant dough or would prefer to use puff pastry, go for it. I like Jus Rol‘s ready made one
- Brioche dough – You could always try this with brioche dough too (although I haven’t tested this – YET!) I like The Northern Dough Co for brioche
Leftovers
I doubt this will ever be a issue! But, if it is…
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. For best results, reheat in foil in the oven. Microwave is fine but it may go a bit floppy. Cold is also OK!
In the freezer It won’t be at its best after being frozen, but you can still do this with leftovers. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or oven.
Top tips
Make ahead of time
To save time at breakfast, do the prep on Christmas Eve (or the night before you’re going to eat it), then cover it and put it in the fridge.
When you’re ready, brush the egg over and bake as normal. If you’re cooking this straight from the fridge, it may need 3-5 more minutes in the oven.
Pastry type
The pastry needs to be the type of croissant dough that’s in cans that you roll out – NOT ready-rolled up croissant!
FAQs
Yes. It will be best to freeze it uncooked, so prep the tree up to the point before you brush on the egg, then freeze it flat until you’re ready to enjoy it. Make sure you defrost it thoroughly first though, and bake as normal.
Sure – just make sure your dough or pastry is the gluten free variety. Nutella is gluten free but isn’t certified as in case of cross contamination, so be wary if you have to be very strict, always check the labels and use your own judgement for your situation.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Nutella Christmas Tree {BEST Version Ever!}
Ingredients
- 340 g Croissant dough, I use Jus Rol
- 250 g Nutella
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Carefully open the can of dough and unroll. Cut the long run in half and lay side by side. Squish the join so you end up with a large rectangle.
- Now cut a line from the middle of the top edge, to the bottom left corner, and another line from the middle of the top edge to the bottom right corner. (Ending up with one big triangle and two smaller ones either side.)
- Cover the middle large triangle in your Nutella and spread evenly.
- Now take the two smaller triangles you cut and flip them over so that you can sit them on top of the Nutella to join up and make a large triangle for the top. Squish the join together with your fingers.
- Now cut strips either side using scissors, about 3cm wide. DO not cut all the way to the middle.
- Trim off any messy or uneven bits at the bottom (save this).
- Twist each of the pieces two or three times.
- Roll your offcut pastry if you have any to make a little bauble to top the tree.
- Brush with egg.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden all over.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
