Description
Create a festive Christmas Donut Tree centerpiece that’s both delightful and easy to assemble. This no-bake recipe uses powdered sugar or sour cream donut holes arranged on a styrofoam cone, decorated with fresh rosemary and pomegranate arils, making it perfect for holiday gatherings and parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Donut Tree Base
- 80–90 Donut Holes (Powdered Sugar or Sour Cream)
- 12 inch Styrofoam Cone
- 90 Toothpicks
- Plastic Wrap (enough to wrap cone twice)
Decorations
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs (trimmed into short pieces)
- 1/4 Cup Pomegranate Arils
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Wrap the 12-inch styrofoam cone tightly in two layers of plastic wrap to protect it and provide a surface for the donut holes to attach.
- Insert toothpicks: Stand the cone upright and insert a toothpick about halfway into the cone starting at the bottom edge. This will hold the first donut hole securely.
- Add the donut holes: Gently push a donut hole onto the exposed portion of the toothpick, making sure it sits snugly against the cone surface and is aligned flush with the base.
- Continue placing toothpicks: Insert another toothpick nearby but not touching the first donut hole to allow space for the next one.
- Build the base row: Place another donut hole on this second toothpick and continue around the base of the cone, maintaining a straight line and spacing so that the donut holes nearly touch.
- Fill subsequent rows: For the next rows up the cone, tuck the donut holes staggered between the ones below to fill gaps and create a full, tree-like appearance.
- Complete the cone coverage: Continue adding rows of donut holes and toothpicks until the entire cone is covered and resembles a conical tree.
- Add rosemary accents: Trim short pieces of fresh rosemary sprigs and insert them in the gaps where there is space to add texture and greenery reminiscent of pine needles.
- Embellish with pomegranate: Scatter the 1/4 cup of pomegranate arils evenly around the tree, pushing them into gaps or resting them atop donut holes for pops of festive red color.
- Finish with powdered sugar dusting: Lightly dust the entire donut tree with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to evoke a snowy, wintery effect perfect for holiday décor.
Notes
- Use fresh donut holes for best taste and appearance; stale or dry donuts will not hold well on the toothpicks.
- Handle the styrofoam cone gently to avoid breakage, especially when inserting toothpicks.
- If desired, substitute other fresh herbs like thyme or small pine sprigs for rosemary.
- Pomegranate arils can be replaced with small candy ornaments or holly berries for a different festive look.
- Make the tree as tall or short as desired by adjusting the size of the styrofoam cone.
- This is a no-cook recipe, perfect for last-minute holiday arrangement.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Christmas Donut Tree, Holiday Dessert, No-Bake Dessert, Donut Hole Recipe, Festive Treat
