Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread
Updated Dec 16, 2024
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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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
- 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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
You can, as long as the dough is thawed first!
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.
More Christmas Appetizer Recipes:
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- Cranberry Brie Bites
- Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter
- Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board
- Cranberry Baked Brie
- Crudite Platter
- Baked Brie Appetizer
- Cranberry Salsa
- Focaccia Charcuterie Board
- Brie Stuffed Meatballs
If you try this feel good Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Video
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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Allow the prepared dough to come to room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Cut each mozzarella cheese stick into 4 pieces to make 32 bite size pieces. Then, roll the dough and cut into 32 squares.
- Place one mozzarella cheese cube on top of each of the dough squares. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic powder on top of each. Fold the edges into the center, pinch them closed, and then roll the ball in your hands.
- Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheet, placing them seam-side down in the shape of a tree with a small trunk at the bottom (you will have 3 extras that you can bake on the side). Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and brush each ball with the egg wash.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or 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.
- Serve immediately with marinara or your favorite sauce for dipping.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
This was marvelous, a big hit! Tomorrow I will make it as a New Year treat but as a snowman variation. Happy New Year!
Aww, love that!! So glad it was a hit at your house, Julie!! Happy New Year!
Mozzerella sticks are too big for the dough sizes. I recommend cutting the sticks into 5 or 6 pieces, so they are rounder and don’t split apart with the cheese melting all over the pan. Also line your pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Very hearty appetizer.
Hi there! Did you make sure to roll out the pizza dough before making the dough balls?
A big hit! Thank you, Yumna. Everyone loved it. They ate the extras too. If you are going to make this, it’s a little fussy working with the dough so give yourself a little extra time to do it. You can’t rush handling the dough. I added turkey pepperoni bits in the middle and fresh garlic, but it’s really about the gooey cheese. Good either way I’m sure!
Amazing!! So happy it was a huge hit, Lisa! Love that you added turkey pepperoni and fresh garlic. Yum!!
I made it and it came out great! My friends loved it and it is the perfect appetizer. First time making it and I feel it was a success! I will be making it again for the next gathering I go to and can’t wait to see their faces and I walk in with this.
Aww, love that!! So glad it was a hit with your friends, Julie! Thank you!!
Could this be made with crescent roll dough versus pizza dough?
I haven’t tried it myself but I think it could work. Let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Can’t wait to try this! Does anyone know if you can stuff the dough and form the tree ahead of time? I was thinking of doing that part and then refrigerating it and then baking it the next day, but I don’t want to ruin it.
Yes, I think that would work well! If you are popping it in the oven directly from the fridge, you may need to add a few minutes since it’s cold. Enjoy!
Question: If I were to use your pizza dough recipe, do I use all of it, or only one of the two balls of dough the recipe yields? Thanks!
Good question! One dough ball should be just right but you can weigh it to be sure. You need 1 pound for this recipe.
OMG, This was a holiday favorite of kids and adults- made in the shapes of a Xmas tree and a Chanukah Dreidel!!
I can see making this again during a football watching or anytime!
Aww, love that you did a tree and a dreidel!! So happy it was a hit. Thank you!!
Amazing! Super simple too!! Would make again!!😋❤️❤️
Yay! So glad you loved it and found it easy to make!! Thank you!
Anytime!! Love your recipes, Yumna!!
This was a big hit at our Christmas dinner! Made it with fresh mozzarella pearls and fresh garlic brushed in the butter. Everyone raved.
Yum, sounds so good!! So glad it was a hit at your Christmas dinner! Thanks!!
I love the variations mentioned here. I made this for the first time on Christmas Day and my son said it was like something from Olive Garden and is a very picky eater. I think seasoning inside each ball would add flavor. I’m going to try the pesto idea next time. Winner recipe!
Yay!! So happy you and your son loved it, Kaye. Merry Christmas!!
Made this on a whim and everyone LOVED it!! Thank you!! So easy and cute
Yay! So glad to hear that you made it and loved it! Happy Holidays!
Could you make this just as a garlic bread roll without the chese ? Do you think will taste good?
Hi Pati, I’m sure you could but I haven’t made it without cheese myself. Please let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!!
We made this together for our LifeGroup Christmas party and it was outstanding! We got lucky because someone else brought meatballs in marinara sauce so they complimented each other, no coordination, but a happy coincidence! Wow, it looked great, almost too good to eat, but ooooh, how yummy!!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Wow, what a happy coincidence!! That’s amazing! So happy everyone loved it. Thank you, Lisa!!
Can I assemble the night before and bake the next morning?
Yes, I think that would work well! Cover with plastic wrap if you can to keep the dough moist. Enjoy!
Hi, I follow you on Instagram and love seeing your recipes. I was wondering about your thoughts of using puff pastry instead of pizza dough. Thank you
Hi there! I haven’t tried using puff pastry in place of pizza dough but I think it might work, though the individual balls will probably end up more square than round. If you try it, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!!
This is so easy and so good. It also comes together so beautifully, even when you let the kids help. I used the linked pizza dough recipe. My only suggestion would be to switch out the string cheese for a higher fat mozzarella simply because it doesn’t melt but just kind of stays a hard chunk inside. (Maybe it was just the kind I bought.) A new family favorite appetizer or snack.
Yay!! Aww, so happy your family loves it! That’s a great tip, thank you so much for sharing!
How do you transfer from baking sheet to serving plate?
Great question—I use parchment paper to transfer it to the serving platter then shimmy it out from underneath!
Thank you, Yumna!
This was a hit and so tasty!!! Used 21 Seasoning Salute spice from Trader Joe’s… awesome!!
Ooh yum, that sounds so good!! Love that you added extra flavor! Thanks, Heather!!
Can you pre-assemble this? Thanks!!
Yes, I think you could! This would be a great option if you’d like to serve it at a party at someone else’s house. Simply assemble on the baking sheet and cover with tinfoil or plastic wrap for transport. Once you arrive, unwrap and adjust any pieces that shifted before popping in the oven. Hope you enjoy!!
Hi Yumna!!
My name is Laura and I’m 13 years old. I’ve been following and LOVING all of your recipes!! I love to cook and bake! I was wondering with this recipe, if you could substitute the pizza dough for pie crust? Thank you!😊
Thank you so much, Laura! So glad you like my recipes!! I wouldn’t substitute pie crust for this recipe because it won’t get the bread-like, doughy texture you’re looking for. Any type of pizza dough will work but frozen premade dough is the easiest. Here’s my recipe for homemade pizza dough as well, if you’re interested: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/how-to-make-pizza-dough/ Happy holidays!!
Thank you, very much!!
This was a hit at Christmas the past two years! It’s a great appetizer and it tastes amazing! It was easy to put together. I will be making it again this year and every Christmas.
Aww, so happy it’s a hit and earned a permanent spot on your Christmas menu!! Thank you, Kim!