Make this cheesy pesto Christmas tree for a fun holiday appetizer

If you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas appetizer that is sure to stand out on the dinner table, you’ll definitely want to check out this Cheesy Pesto Crescent Christmas Tree.

From Pillsbury, the tree may look complicated, but despite its beauty, it’s actually quite easy. All you’ll need is cream cheese, basil pesto, Pillsbury Original Crescent Dough Sheet, mozzarella cheese, butter and Parmesan cheese.

You’ll combine the cream cheese and pesto, then simply spread the mixture onto the dough. Next, you’ll sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese, then add a top layer of dough. Finally, you’ll take a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into three tree shapes, add slits in the dough and form it into one giant tree. The whole recipe takes 60 minutes total, with just 25 minutes of prep time.

You’ll also find a similar recipe from All Recipes that actually includes fewer ingredients. While it still calls for pesto and puff pastry, you won’t need cream cheese or mozzarella. Instead, you’ll use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and will want to have a bit of flour on hand.

Or, if you’re looking for a more dessert-like tree, this version uses Nutella and raspberries. The rest of the recipe is pretty much the same — simply cutting pastry sheets into the shape of a Christmas tree.

For something slightly different, and even easier, take a look at this pull-apart chocolate chip cheesecake Christmas tree. Also from Pillsbury, it is made with crescent dinner rolls, which are stuffed with cream cheese and chocolate chips. The rolls can be pulled apart, so it’s a great treat for sharing.

Or, if cookies are more your idea of Christmas dessert, you may want to try your hand at these sugar cookie Christmas trees that are much easier to make than you may think. You’ll simply whip up some cookies, then stack them with frosting so they look like small trees.

Do you have a favorite show-stopping Christmas recipe?