Donut Hole Christmas Tree— Looking for a QUICK and EASY, yet FESTIVE centerpiece for your holiday dessert table or brunch spread? Try making a Christmas tree out of donut holes! All you need is a styrofoam cone from the craft store and some store-bought donut holes. Decorate your tree however you want, then let guests help themselves! Please note you will also need a styrofoam foam core (see Notes), plastic wrap, and about 90 to 100 toothpicks for this project.
three 15-ounce boxes donut holesabout 80-90 donut holes*
½cupmini marshmallowsor as desired
6fresh rosemary sprigssliced into 1 to 2-inch segments, optional and as desired
½cupconfectioners' sugaror as necessary
Instructions
Unroll a 2 foot sheet of plastic wrap or saran wrap, place the foam core** (see Notes) on one end of it, and roll up your foam core. Tip - This is done to keep the donut holes from directly touching the foam core so it doesn't have to be perfect, just get your foam core covered.
Place the wrapped foam core onto the serving platter or cake stand you plan to use. Tip - I also recommend taping it down. Make a tape knot and place it underneath the foam core to adhere the foam core to your cake stand.
Insert a toothpick about 3/4-inch above the base of the foam core, pushing it in halfway.
Press a donut hole onto the toothpick.
Repeat this process around the perimeter of the foam core, then move up a layer, going in a circular pattern up the foam core, adding toothpicks + donut holes to each. Repeat until the total tree is covered. Make Ahead - If you want to get this 'prepped' for kids or grandkids so all they have to do is stick the donut holes on, you can add the 80-90 toothpicks strategically around the foam core tree, noting that there is a bit of guesswork involved with where exactly to stick the toothpick in, based on the size of the donut holes, the previous layer's exact height, and so forth. But you can play around with it and get a decent approximation so that once the kids or helpers come along - or for you if you're setting this out for a holiday brunch, you can do the toothpick insertions the night before - that come showtime all that's needed to be done is stick on the donut holes.
After your tree is totally covered with donut holes, where there are gaps and/or as desired, insert about 12 toothpicks about three-quarters of the way for marshmallows.
Add a marshmallow to each of these toothpicks.
Optionally, and as desired, tuck small segments of fresh rosemary on the tree, especially where the tree may look a bit sparse. Note - Fresh rosemary is very fragrant and aromatic, and if you think that you will not enjoy any trace of rosemary aroma with your donuts, then skip this step. It's festive looking, but it's also aromatic.
Using a small sifter, mesh strainer, or fine mesh sieve, evenly dust the tree with confectioners' sugar, as desired.
Serve immediately. Because donut holes will lose their freshness and go hard or stale within a few hours of being exposed to the air, I recommend making and consuming on the same day, ideally within 3-4 hours or so. If you want to save the donut holes, put them into an airtight container or somehow wrap the tree in plastic wrap if you want to preserve it.
Notes
*Donut Holes - You can use any type or flavor of donut hole you like, such as plain, vanilla, chocolate, gluten free, etc. However I recommend that they're the type coated in powdered sugar already. Even so, due to handling them, you'll still likely want to dust your finished tree with confectioners' sugar for a nice and 'snowy' look.**Foam Core - I recommend buying online for absolute ease and convenience from either Amazon, Target, Walmart, but your local Michael's Craft Store, Hobby Lobby, or similar craft stores will carry a styrofoam cone core, especially around the holidays. I used a 12-inch green cone but if it's a couple inches taller or shorter, that's fine. Your donut hole quantity may increase or decrease as the size of your cone increases or decreases. It also does not matter if it's green or white - it's getting covered up anyway with the donut holes and dusting of powdered sugar!