Christmas Tree Deviled Eggs (with Avocado – No Food Dye!)

if you need a holiday appetizer that makes people go “wait how did you do that” but doesn’t actually require you to do anything hard, these are it.

deviled eggs shaped like little christmas trees. bright green from avocado not food coloring. topped with a cheese star and a tiny piece of red pepper. they look like you spent an hour per egg but really you just piped some filling in a swirl and called it a day.

they taste like guacamole and deviled eggs had a baby at a christmas party. creamy. fresh. a little tangy. keto friendly if that matters to you. make ahead friendly if sanity matters to you.

and honestly the best part is watching people try to figure out if they should eat them or take a picture first.

why you’ll love these christmas tree eggs

they look fancy but they’re just deviled eggs with a piping tip. seriously. if you can make regular deviled eggs, you can make these. the tree shape comes from how you pipe it not from some complicated technique.

the filling is actually good. most “festive” deviled eggs just add green food coloring to regular filling and call it a day. these use avocado which makes them creamy and fresh tasting. like if guacamole and deviled eggs became best friends.

they’re naturally green. no artificial dyes. no weird chemical taste. just avocado doing its thing.

keto and low carb. eggs, avocado, mayo. that’s basically the whole keto food pyramid right there.

make ahead friendly. you can boil the eggs and make the filling the day before. pipe them the morning of your party. or even a few hours ahead if you add enough lime juice.

cute enough for pinterest, easy enough for real life. they photograph like a dream but you don’t need culinary school or steady hands or patience.

diet friendly for basically everyone

keto / low carb:
these are basically designed for keto. eggs and avocado are keto staples. each egg has less than 1g net carbs. zero guilt. all the holiday vibes.

paleo:
use paleo mayo (made with avocado oil). skip the cheese star or use a dairy free alternative. the rest is already paleo compliant. eggs, avocado, peppers, done.

whole30:
same as paleo. compliant mayo, no cheese. still looks festive with just the red pepper ornaments.

gluten free:
already gluten free. nothing in here even comes close to gluten.

vegetarian:
eggs and avocado are vegetarian. cheese is vegetarian unless you’re strict about rennet, then use vegetarian cheese or skip it.

dairy free:
skip the cheese star. use a yellow bell pepper cut into a star shape instead. still looks good. or use dairy free cheese if you can find it.

nut free:
nothing here has nuts. totally safe for nut allergies.

low calorie:
each egg is around 70-80 calories depending on how much filling you use. not bad for party food that actually fills you up.

diabetic friendly:
super low carb, high protein, healthy fats. won’t spike blood sugar. your diabetic relatives can actually eat these without worry.

the only diet these don’t work for is vegan. but if you’re vegan you already knew deviled eggs weren’t gonna work.

what you’ll need

for the eggs:

• 12 large eggs (the fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel, use older eggs if possible)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 tablespoons mayo (use good mayo, not miracle whip)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (this keeps the avocado from turning brown)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• tiny pinch of garlic powder (optional but good)

for decorating:

• small star shaped cheese cutouts (use a tiny cookie cutter on sliced cheddar or swiss)
• red bell pepper, diced super small for the “ornaments”
• fresh dill or parsley if you want to get extra (looks like little tree bases)

equipment:

• piping bag with an open star tip (wilton 1M or similar works great)
• tiny star cookie cutter (like half inch diameter)

tips for the perfect green filling

avocado vs food coloring

look, you could just make regular deviled egg filling and add green food coloring. it’ll be green. it’ll look festive. but it’ll taste like regular deviled eggs that happen to be green.

using avocado instead makes them taste better. creamier. fresher. a little bit like guacamole which everyone loves anyway. plus it’s naturally green so you’re not dumping chemicals in there.

the trick is using ripe avocado. not rock hard. not brown and mushy. that perfect stage where it gives a little when you squeeze it but doesn’t have brown spots inside.

keeping it green

avocado turns brown when it hits air. this is a problem when you’re making party food that needs to sit out. here’s how to fix it:

lime juice is your friend. acid slows down the browning. use at least 1 tablespoon in the filling. taste it. if it’s not bright and tangy, add a little more.

make them close to serving time. you can prep everything ahead but pipe the filling within a few hours of your party.

cover them well. if you need to make them the night before, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of any leftover filling and store the piped eggs in an airtight container in the fridge.

mayo helps too. the fat in mayo creates a barrier that slows oxidation. don’t skip it.

how to boil and peel eggs perfectly

this deserves its own section because badly peeled eggs will ruin your whole vibe. nothing worse than eggs that look like the moon surface when you need them smooth for a holiday party.

the method: put eggs in a pot. cover with cold water by about an inch. bring to a rolling boil over high heat. as soon as it boils, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 11 minutes.

drain and immediately dump the eggs into a bowl of ice water. let them hang out for at least 5 minutes. this stops the cooking and makes peeling way easier.

peeling hack: crack the egg all over by rolling it gently on the counter. start peeling from the fat end where the air pocket is. peel under running water if they’re being stubborn. older eggs (like a week old) peel easier than super fresh ones.

how to pipe the trees

this is where the magic happens. it looks complicated but it’s literally just piping in a circle and lifting up.

prep your piping bag: fit a piping bag with an open star tip. wilton 1M is the classic. if you don’t have a piping bag, use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off but honestly it won’t look as good. the star tip is what makes it look like tree branches.

fill the bag: scoop your avocado filling into the piping bag. don’t overfill it or it’ll squirt out the top. fill it about halfway.

the technique:
hold the piping bag straight up and down, tip about half an inch above the egg white. start at the center of the yolk hole.

squeeze and move in a small circle, working your way around. keep circling and slowly lift the bag up as you go. you’re making a cone shape. the circles get smaller as you go up. stop squeezing and pull straight up at the top to make a point.

it’s like soft serve ice cream but triangular.

practice on a plate first if you’re nervous. you can scrape it off and try again.

decorating the trees

once your trees are piped, add the decorations immediately before the filling sets up.

the star: use a tiny star cookie cutter to cut stars from a slice of cheddar or swiss cheese. press one gently onto the top of each tree. this is the tree topper.

the ornaments: dice red bell pepper into tiny pieces, like 2mm squares. use a toothpick to place 3 or 4 pieces on each tree randomly. they look like little red ornaments.

optional base: if you want to get fancy, put a tiny sprig of fresh dill or parsley at the base of each tree so it looks like it’s sitting on greenery. this is extra but it does look good in photos.

variations to try

spicy christmas trees:
add 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño to the filling. use pepper jack cheese for the star. add a tiny piece of red jalapeño as the tree topper for extra heat.

traditional green (with food coloring):
skip the avocado. use the classic deviled egg filling (yolks, mayo, mustard, vinegar) and add green food coloring until it’s the shade you want. it won’t taste as good but it’ll last longer without browning.

bacon lover’s version:
mix crumbled bacon into the filling. use bacon bits as ornaments instead of red pepper. controversial but people will eat them.

everything bagel trees:
sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top of each tree before adding decorations. weird but it works.

storage instructions (vital for appetizers)

before assembly:
boiled eggs keep in the fridge up to 5 days. make the filling up to 1 day ahead, store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface.

after piping:
these are best eaten within 4-6 hours because of the avocado. you can make them the night before if you add extra lime juice and store them in an airtight container, but they might brown slightly.

at the party:
keep them refrigerated until 30 minutes before serving. deviled eggs shouldn’t sit at room temp for more than 2 hours (food safety stuff).

leftovers:
eat within 24 hours. the avocado will brown but they’re still safe to eat, just not as pretty.

common mistakes to avoid

using unripe avocado. it won’t mash smooth and the filling will be lumpy and pale green instead of bright green.

not adding enough lime juice. your trees will turn brown and sad looking within an hour.

overfilling the piping bag. it’ll squirt out the top and you’ll have filling on your hands and counter and probably your shirt.

making the trees too tall. they’ll tip over. keep them squat and sturdy, like 1.5 to 2 inches tall max.

using the wrong piping tip. a round tip won’t give you the branch texture. you need a star tip.

faq quick hits

can i make these without a piping bag?
technically yes but they won’t look like trees. you can spoon the filling into the eggs and use a fork to make it pointy but it’s not the same.

what if i don’t have a star cookie cutter?
cut the cheese into tiny triangles by hand. or skip the star and use a small piece of yellow bell pepper.

can i use Greek yogurt instead of mayo?
yeah but the texture will be less creamy. use full fat greek yogurt and add a little extra lime juice.

will these work for meal prep?
not really. the avocado browns too fast. these are party food, not weekly meal prep.

can i freeze them?
absolutely not. eggs get rubbery when frozen and avocado turns brown and separates. just don’t.

timing for party planning

2 days before: boil and peel eggs, store in fridge in a container of water
1 day before: make the filling, store covered in fridge
morning of party: pipe the trees, add decorations, refrigerate
30 minutes before guests arrive: take them out of the fridge so they’re not ice cold