Christmas Tree Sandwiches Recipe

If you’re looking for a festive, fun, and absolutely adorable appetizer to impress your holiday guests, I’ve got just the thing for you — this Christmas Tree Sandwiches Recipe is an absolute showstopper. It’s playful, delicious, and surprisingly simple to put together. I absolutely love how these little green trees, dotted with pomegranate “berries,” bring so much cheer to the holiday table. Stick around, and I’ll walk you through every step to nail this festive favorite.

this Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

Choosing simple, fresh ingredients keeps these Christmas Tree Sandwiches approachable and delicious. Thin white sandwich bread works best for cutting out those perfect shapes, and the combination of cream cheese with pineapple and sour cream keeps the filling smooth and flavorful.

• White sandwich bread: Go for thin slices so the sandwiches aren’t too bulky and cut easily.
• Cream cheese: Use full-fat for the creamiest texture; it spreads and pipes beautifully.
• Crushed pineapple with juice: Adds a subtle sweetness and a little zip to the cream cheese mix.
• Sour cream or mayonnaise: Helps lighten up and smooth the frosting — choose based on your taste preference.
• Green food colouring: Just a few drops make the green frosting pop like real evergreen boughs.
• Pomegranate seeds: These little red jewels mimic holly berries and add a fresh burst of flavor.

Variations

Personally, I like to mix things up depending on who’s coming to my holiday party or what I have in the fridge. Don’t be afraid to get creative with the fillings and decorations — it’s all about making this recipe your own!

• Alternative fillings: I once swapped the pineapple cream cheese for a sweet cucumber dill cream cheese blend, and it was just as festive and fresh.
• Vegan option: Use vegan cream cheese and a plant-based mayo to keep these sandwiches friendly for all diets.
• Color variations: Try using different colors of food coloring, like red for a Rudolph look or white for snowy trees.
• Extra decorations: Tiny edible silver balls or chopped chives make excellent additions for mimicking ornaments and garlands.

How to Make Christmas Tree Sandwiches Recipe

Step 1: Cut Out Your Christmas Shapes

Here’s the fun part — grab a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter and cut out 8 tree shapes from the center of 8 slices of white sandwich bread. For the other 8 slices, use a holly leaf cutter (or a similarly small cutter) to cut out about 24 holly leaves. This step sets the stage for your festive assembly, so take your time to get neat cuts — but don’t stress if they’re not perfect, rustic charm works too!

Step 2: Prepare the Cream Cheese Pineapple Spread

Divide your cream cheese into two equal portions. Mix 4 ounces with crushed pineapple and a bit of its juice. You can tweak the amount of pineapple until you find the consistency you like — I prefer it slightly chunky with just enough sweetness. Spread this on the whole slices of bread that will cover your sandwich trees. This balance of creamy and fruity is what makes this recipe such a crowd-pleaser.

Step 3: Assemble Your Sandwiches

Gently top your pineapple-cream cheese-covered bread slices with the Christmas tree-shaped bread slices. The sandwich shape will serve as your canvas for decorating. Press lightly so the layers hold together but don’t squish out the spread.

Step 4: Make the Green Frosting

Take the remaining cream cheese and mix it with sour cream or mayo until it’s spreadable but firm enough to pipe. Start with just a tiny amount of green food colouring and gradually add until you reach that perfect tree-green shade. Trust me, a little goes a long way here!

Step 5: Decorate Your Sandwich Trees

Using a piping bag fitted with a #67 tip (or any small round tip), pipe a line of green frosting along the center of each holly leaf slice. Place a couple of pomegranate seeds at one end to mimic holly berries — it’s such a simple touch that really brings these sandwiches to life! Then pipe sweeping lines from the top-center of the sandwich tree out to each branch tip, adding a pomegranate seed at each tip to look like festive decorations. Chill them until you’re ready to wow your guests.

How to Serve Christmas Tree Sandwiches Recipe

Garnishes

I usually keep garnishes simple with the pomegranate seeds as the star for that pop of festive red. Sometimes I add a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme underneath the sandwiches on the platter — it adds a lovely scent that reminds me of Christmas pine forests and looks incredible too.

Side Dishes

For a proper spread, I love pairing these Christmas Tree Sandwiches with a light, crisp salad or a small charcuterie board with olives and nuts. It balances out the creamy richness beautifully and keeps everything feeling light and fresh.

Creative Ways to Present

One year, I arranged the sandwiches on a large platter shaped like a giant Christmas wreath, with rosemary sprigs interspersed and clusters of pomegranate seeds sprinkled around for a wow factor. Kids loved picking their own “trees” off the platter — it made holiday snacking extra magical!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

These sandwiches keep really well! I store them in an airtight container in the fridge, lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They stay fresh and tasty overnight, so I often make them the day before to save time on party day.

Freezing

Freezing isn’t my go-to for this recipe since the bread can get soggy when thawed. But if you want to freeze, I suggest doing just the unassembled bread and cream cheese mixture separately, then assembling fresh before serving.

Reheating

Because these are cold sandwiches, I don’t reheat them — I always serve chilled. If you prep ahead, just take them out of the fridge about 10 minutes before serving so they lose that slight chill and the flavors come through.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

I truly adore this Christmas Tree Sandwiches Recipe because it brings that festive spirit right to your fingertips — literally! It’s a recipe that’s fun to make, easy to personalize, and always brings smiles at my holiday gatherings. I hope you give these charming sandwiches a try and enjoy them as much as my family and I do. Trust me, your guests will be asking for the recipe before the night ends!

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