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It doesn’t get any more festive than this Pull-Apart Crescent Roll Christmas Tree Appetizer! It’s perfect for holiday parties, potlucks, get-togethers, and even a light dinner or brunch!
This recipe costs $10.44 to make. It serves sixteen people, which works out to be only $0.65 per serving.
For more appetizer ideas for your holiday party, we recommend these Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese, these Cranberry Meatballs, and this Classic Cheese Ball recipe.
Are you hosting a holiday party or attending one this year? Do you have no idea what to make for the party? We have taken the guesswork out of that last question for you.
This will be the last recipe you search for. Our Pull-Apart Crescent Roll Christmas Tree is an amazing appetizer for any holiday party. It is on point with the theme and easy to make.
You will get oohs and ahhs from those at the party because of how cute it is. The recipe is a Win-Win!
The refrigerated Crescent Rolls are stuffed with a cream cheese and bacon mixture and then baked. After baking, the rolls are topped with butter and parsley. The recipe only takes 35 minutes to make!
Grab your kiddos to help you make this fun appetizer because they will love helping with the rolls and forming the Christmas Tree. This savory appetizer is a festive dish you can make year after year and never tire of it.
Ingredients & Cost:
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls – $3.52
- 8 oz cream cheese – $1.00
- 1 cup crumbled bacon – $3.36
- 2 large garlic cloves – $0.10
- ½ cup chives – $1.98
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.20
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley – $0.28
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
INSTRUCTIONS
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Next, mix the cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives together to make the filling.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the triangle dough pieces in half lengthwise. Some of the triangles will be smaller than others.
- Spoon one to two teaspoons of cream cheese mixture on the wide end of the triangle. Tightly roll each triangle up.
- Set the rolled crescent triangles onto the baking sheet, making a tree shaped pattern, starting with the trunk first.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then melt butter and brush over the tree and sprinkle with parsley.
- Finally, transfer to a serving platter or leave it on the baking sheet and serve immediately.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Instead of bacon you can use cooked breakfast sausage crumbles or even cocktail franks.
- Low-fat crem cheese can be used, just please don’t use fat-free cream cheese.
- Herbed cheese spread like Boursin can be used instead of cream cheese, just note that it will drive the price of the recipe up quite a bit.
STORAGE & MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
Serve: You can keep this out for about two hours before it needs to be covered and refrigerated.
Store: Cover leftover and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Freeze: Place leftovers in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag and freeze for 1-2 months.
Defrost: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Reheat: Place the entire tree or tree pieces in a 350 degree F oven for 10-20 minutes, or until heated through.
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe 24 hours in advance by preparing it all the way up until baking. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. Bake as directed in the recipe below. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
COOK’S TOOLS
- Baking sheet
- Pizza cutter
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Silicone baking mat
- Pastry brush
- Measuring cups
- Mixing bowl
RECIPE FAQs
Crescent rolls and croissants are very similar. However, one key difference is that croissants are flakier in texture. In comparison, a crescent roll is more similar to a dinner roll in texture.
You can serve this Crescent Roll Christmas Tree and these Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese as an appetizer. If you are making a formal dinner, we recommend our Christmas Beef Chuck Roast, along with our Cranberry Party Punch, Mashed Potatoes, Frog Eye Salad, and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots.
GET KIDS INVOLVED
Ages 2-3: Have your child help place the crescent rolls on the baking sheet as you build the tree. A fun counting activity for your child will be to count the number of rolls as you place them on the baking sheet.
Ages 4-5: Guide your child’s hands as you show them how to roll up the triangles tightly.
Ages 6-8: Teach your child how to cut the dough. Your child can then help by spooning the mixture onto each triangle before rolling them up.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
BUDGET TIPS
This is a great dish to bring to a holiday party. It serves a crowd and is budget-friendly! The dish costs just $0.65 per serving to make.
MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES
- Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Christmas Fudge
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip
- Peppermint Dip
- Cranberry Party Punch
- Peppermint Patty Candy
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
Crescent Roll Christmas Tree
Recipe Cost 10.44 Serving Cost 0.65Equipment
- baking sheet
- pizza cutter
- mixing spoon
- Measuring spoons
- silicone baking mat
- pastry brush
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cans 8 oz each refrigerated crescent rolls
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon about 16 slices bacon
- 2 large garlic cloves finely minced
- ½ cup chives finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
PREP OVEN AND BAKING SHEET:
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
MAKE FILLING:
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, bacon, garlic and chives until smooth
ASSEMBLE:
- Separate the dough into triangles and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a pizza cutter to make it easy. The triangles may not be all the same width, on the smaller ones, add less filling.
- Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture on the wide end of triangle.
- Roll each triangle up as tightly as possible.
- Place the rolled crescent onto the prepared baking sheet in a tree shaped pattern, starting with the trunk first. Place 2 rows of 2 crescents for the trunk. The next row has 7 crescents, next row has 6 crescents, next row has 5 crescents, next row has 4 crescents, then 3, 2 and 1 crescents.
BAKE AND FINISH:
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Melt butter and brush over tree, sprinkle with parsley.
- Transfer to serving platter or leave on the baking sheet.
- Serve immediately.
Wanda says
Now this is a fun appetizer I’m totally going to try this year!
Maria San Juan says
My kids will surely love this! Thank you for this idea. I will surely make this for my family!
Tara says
Oh how fun! Definitely the perfect appetizer for the holidays. My kids would have such fun making this tree with me too.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
This looks like so much fun to make and a great centrepiece too. The kids will love this!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!
ali randall says
My kids love it when I can create a recipe in the shape of a Christmas favorite. How much fun will it be to pull these apart on Christmas day. This recipe is a keeper.
Michele says
I can’t believe how easy this is to make, and everyone loved it. I will be serving these at our holiday parties from now on. Thanks for the recipe.
Mindee Taylor says
I got sooooo many compliments on this cute appetizer! Not only was it delicious it was just so fun looking!