This fun and delicious Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread is the best way to add a cheesy, savory treat to your holiday spread. Fluffy bread filled with melted cheese and topped with a flavorful garlic and herb butter.
If you are looking for delicious and beautiful holiday appetizers, make the Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread!
CHRISTMAS TREE PULL APART BREAD
Shaped like a tree, this pull-apart bread is filled with gooey, melted cheese and topped with an aromatic garlic herb butter, making it both a treat for the eyes and the taste buds! Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or looking for a fun activity to do with the family, this easy-to-make recipe will bring everyone together in the spirit of the season. Get ready to share the joy of homemade comfort food with a festive twist!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Dough– This recipe uses premade Pillsbury pizza dough! You can use either pre-made or homemade pizza dough. You can also swap out the Pillsbury pizza dough for Pillsbury biscuits or crescent rolls.
- Cheese– For the best results you want to use Mozzarella cheese strings! But you can swap out for Colby jack or Pepper jack string cheese or block cheese.
- Garlic Butter– The bread is topped with delicious butter! For the garlic butter you want to use melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. You can also add red pepper flakes for a little kick!
- Greens– Top the baked pull-apart bread with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley for added flavors! This is totally optional.
- Parmesan– Garnish the top of the bread with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
HOW TO MAKE PULL APART CHEESE BREAD
Not only is this Christmas tree cheesy pull apart bread fun to make but it is so easy!
- Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Open and roll out the pizza dough. Cut the dough into 30 squares.
- Cut a mozzarella stick into about 4 pieces, repeating to get 30 pieces of cheese.
- Place a piece of cheese in the center of each dough square, folding the dough to enclose the cheese. Then, roll the dough to create a round ball. (Be sure to seal the dough, so that the cheese does not ooze out!)
- Repeat this with all the cheese and dough squares.
- Arrange the cheese stuffed bread onto the lined baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree.
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the garlic butter. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire tree with garlic butter.
- Bake until bread is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with freshly grated parmesan and chopped greens.
- Serve with desired sauce while it is still hot and cheese is gooey.
| SERVING TIP- Pair this cheesy pull-apart bread with warm marinara sauce or pizza sauce for the perfect appetizer! |
FILLING VARIATIONS
Elevate this recipe by swapping the cheese for different fillings! Here are some ideas:
- Creamy– Swap out the cheese for herbed cream cheese or Boursin cheese!
- Cranberry Brie– Fill the bread with a dollop of cranberry sauce and a piece of brie cheese.
- Pizza– Along with the cheese add some chopped pepperoni, for a pull apart pizza bread.
- Dessert– Swap out the cheese filling for sweet cream cheese, cinnamon and sugar filling and top with brown sugar butter. Drizzle with icing and enjoy a sweet pull apart bread!
| Tip– Be sure not to overstuff the bread or the filling will ooze out. |
OTHER APPETIZER RECIPES
Whether are you having a game night or hosting a party, check out some other amazing appetizer recipes:
- Baked Chicken Wings
- Rotel Dip
- Charcuterie Board
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls
- BBQ Flatbread Pizza
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! If you want to make this any other time of the year you can shape it differently or just shape it as a circle or square.
Yes, you can totally leave out the cheese!
Yes, you can assemble the tree up to 2 hours before baking. When ready to bake, brush with the garlic butter and then bake!
The garlic butter topping brings more flavor to the bread buns, but you can use egg yolk instead if you prefer.
Pull apart bread is best eaten fresh, when warm and gooey! But you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days!
Reheat the bread in the oven, toaster oven, microwave, or air fryer until warm. Don’t overheat, or the bread will harden.
Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 13.8 oz pillsbury pizza dough 1 can
- 8 mozzarella string cheese
- grated parmesan cheese for topping
- fresh chopped greens for topping
- marinara sauce for dipping
Garlic Butter-
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Open the Pillsbury pizza dough and roll out the pizza dough onto a clean surface and cut it into 30 evenly sized squares.
- Slice the mozzarella sticks into about 4 pieces each, making 30 individual pieces of cheese.
- Place one piece of mozzarella in the center of each dough square. Gently fold the dough around the cheese and pinch the dough edges together to seal tightly, ensuring no cheese can escape during baking. Then, roll each stuffed dough ball between your hands to form a smooth, round shape.
- Continue this process for all 30 pieces of dough and cheese.
- Arrange the dough balls on the baking sheet, shaping them into a festive Christmas tree design. Start with one on top and continue in row adding one more to each row.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning.
- Using a pastry brush, generously coat the entire tree with the garlic butter, making sure every dough ball is covered.
- Bake at 400°F for 28-30 minutes, or until the bread rolls are golden brown.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh greens for a pop of color.
- Serve immediately while the bread is hot, gooey, and cheesy! Pair with pizza sauce or marinara sauce for the ultimate appetizer.
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