Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread

Name: Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 41 min
Ingredients: 1 pound prepared pizza dough; 8 mozzarella cheese sticks; 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon water; 2 tablespoons butter (melted); 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped); 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese; 1 cup marinara sauce (for serving)

Yumna Jawad

Updated Dec 16, 2024

4.86 from 14 votes

This Christmas tree pull-apart bread is my go-to for holiday gatherings made with pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, with marinara for dipping!

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Prep Time 25

Servings 8 servings

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Christmas tree pull apart bread on board with hand pulling a piece with a cheese pull.

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My Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread is So Good!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Popular Additions
How to Make Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Tips for Making the Best Christmas Tree Cheese Bread
Frequently Asked Questions
More Christmas Appetizer Recipes:
Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread Recipe

My Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread is So Good!

This Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread is one of those recipes that makes me feel like I’m winning at the holidays.

It’s so simple—store-bought pizza dough, mozzarella sticks, and a little marinara for dipping—It’s festive, fun, and always a hit with my family.

The kids love helping roll the dough around the cheese (and, let’s be honest, sneaking a piece or two), and when it comes out of the oven, all golden and buttery, there’s this moment where we all just stop and admire it.

Then we dig in. It’s the kind of holiday snack we look forward to year after year.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for recipe: pizza dough, melted butter, cheese stick, grated parmesan, fresh parsley, seasonings, and marinara sauce.

Pizza dough: I always use store-bought pizza dough for this recipe, but you can make your own!
Mozzarella cheese sticks: These are easy to slice and use to stuff the rolls! You could also use cubed, low-moisture mozzarella cheese instead.
Italian seasoning and garlic powder: Sprinkling these two in each roll to add flavor!
Egg and water: You’ll use this to make the egg wash! Brushing the dough with egg wash helps the dough brown.
Butter: Melted butter adds flavor to the rolls!
Fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese: You’ll top the Christmas tree pull-apart bread with these! Make sure to finely chop the parsley so it’s easy to evenly sprinkle.
Marinara sauce: I usually use store-bought marinara sauce, but if you want to make your own my recipe only takes 30 minutes.

Popular Additions

Add turkey pepperoni. Add slices of turkey or vegetarian pepperoni on top of the mozzarella cheese before sealing the rolls!
Add a dollop of marinara sauce inside the rolls. This would make each roll cheesy and saucy.
Add pesto. You could also add pesto to the center of each roll!
Make rolls garlicky. Mix a minced garlic clove in the melted butter, then brush over the pull-apart bread.

How to Make Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

Pizza dough rolls out flat and cut into equal pieces. — **Step 1:** Roll the dough and cut into pieces.

Dough pieces flattened into a square or rectangle with a piece of cheese added. — **Step 2:** Place one mozzarella cheese cube on top of each of the dough squares. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic powder on top of each.

Hand holding a square with cheese and folding the edges inwards. — **Step 3:** Fold the edges into the center and pinch them closed.

Rolling the dough ball in hands. — **Step 4:** Roll the ball in your hands.

Cheese stuffed dough balls on a baking sheet seam side down in the shape of a tree after brushing with egg wash, before baking. — **Step 5:** Transfer the balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them seam-side down in the shape of a tree with a small trunk at the bottom. Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and brush each ball with the egg wash.

Cheese stuffed dough balls on a baking sheet after bakiing. — **Step 6:** Bake until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. When the rolls are done cooking, brush the melted butter on top, and sprinkle them with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Tips for Making the Best Christmas Tree Cheese Bread

Bake the extra pieces on the side. This recipe makes about 3 extra dough balls, so you can bake them just on the side in the same pan.
Don’t worry about making all the dough equal in size. Some will be bigger than others and that’s totally fine because you can place them in the shape of a Christmas tree however you like.
Use a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you don’t, this pull-apart bread Christmas tree will stick to the pan!
Allow the dough to come to room temperature. This will make it easier to roll and shape.

Christmas bread on a board brushed with butter and topped with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, small dish of marinara nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store and reheat Christmas tree pull-apart bread?

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the bread will last for up to 3 days! You can reheat the bread in a 350°F oven (or toaster oven) until warmed through.

Can I use frozen pizza dough?

You can, as long as the dough is thawed first!

What dough I do if the pizza dough is hard to shape?

If the dough isn’t stretchy enough, it might be too cold! I’d try letting it come to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes more, then re-checking.

Hands pulling a cheese bread apart with cheese stretching across.

More Christmas Appetizer Recipes:

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