The Recipe Critic

Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

December 15, 2022

Christmas tree pull apart bread is cheesy on the inside, and soft and chewy on the outside! It is formed in the shape of a Christmas tree and baked to perfection. Served with your favorite marinara sauce, this is sure to become your new Christmas tradition!

I love making bread. It makes the house smell incredible, and it’s so fun to watch dough turn into a fluffy, delicious ball of bread. If you love making bread too, you’ll have to try this classic Grandma’s Perfect Homemade Bread, it’s the homemade sandwich bread recipe you’ve been waiting for. And you might as well try this amazingly simple cinnamon roll monkey bread and super delicious apple bread too!

Christmas tree pull apart bread sitting on parchment with some sauce next to it and a hand pulling away some of the bread.

Pull Apart Christmas Tree Bread

What holiday doesn’t need cheesy, buttery, dippable bread? That’s why I love the idea of making this Christmas tree pull apart bread for your Christmas celebration! It is fun, festive, and seriously, everyone is going to love it. We all love monkey bread, right? This is basically savory monkey bread that is stuffed with cheese! It really doesn’t get easier to dress up your holiday table than this.

If you have tried the dinner roll wreath, you are going to love this recipe. It’s even easier, and every bite is stuffed with cheese! It’s the perfect way to compliment your Christmas charcuterie board or to go alongside your Christmas dinner ham. You can dress up the presentation with herbs like rosemary and parsley. It is the perfect side dish for this holiday season!

Ingredients

These ingredients are so simple and come together to make THE most delicious bread. Pizza dough is amazing on its own, then you stuff it and dip in in marinara sauce for a heavenly bite every time. You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.

  • Pizza Dough: If you have your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe, that will be perfect for this pull apart bread! You could also buy a pre-made pizza dough. Whatever is easiest for you and your family!
  • Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is perfect for stuffing this bread. It melts perfectly on the inside of the bread.
  • Butter: You will want to use unsalted butter. You mix the melted butter with parmesan, garlic powder, and herbs to make the sauce that you brush on top of the bread before baking it.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese has the perfect flavor for this bread. It’s what you love to sprinkle on top of your pizza!
  • Garlic Powder: Garlic powder brings out the sweet and savory flavors in this dish.
  • Dried Italian Seasoning: Italian seasoning is a blend of herbs that you already love on your pizza like oregano and thyme. It adds so much flavor to the bread!
  • Marinara Sauce: I love making my own homemade marinara sauce, but you can use whatever you like best! You could even use a pizza sauce because it’s pizza dough, so you know it’s going to be amazing.
Process photos showing all of the cheese cut up, all of the dough cut up, the cheese folded inside of the dough, and then the Christmas tree being brushed with butter

Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread Recipe

This Christmas tree pull apart bread recipe is so easy to put together, and looks so festive on the table! The Christmas tree shape is so cute, and it’s fun to gobble it up. I know my family and I really enjoyed this bread together, and I know you will too.

  1. Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cut Bread: Flour the counter and place the pizza dough on top of your floured surface. Cut the pizza dough with a pizza cutter or knife into 33 small pieces.
  3. Cut Cheese: Cut the mozzarella cheese into 33 small pieces.
  4. Shape and Fill: Flatten out a piece of dough and place a cheese piece in the middle. Then gather the dough up and around the cheese. Secure the dough around the cheese.
  5. Repeat: Repeat the steps until all 33 cheese balls are formed.
  6. Arrange: Arrange the balls on the prepared pan. Start with 7 balls on the bottom then build the tree up by placing one less ball on each row. Then work your way up the tree in the order of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
  7. Make Star: Once you reach the top of the tree with one ball then place three more balls around the top ball to form the star.
  8. Add Stem: Place the last two balls at the base of the tree for the stem.
  9. Whisk: Combine the melted butter, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Then whisk until incorporated.
  10. Brush: Using a pastry brush, brush the dough balls generously with the butter mixture.
  11. Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes until your tree is golden brown.
  12. Enjoy: Serve with a marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Baked pull apart bread in the form of a Christmas tree with red dipping sauce.

Tips for Making Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

This Christmas tree pull apart bread is so easy to make, and you can change the flavor by adding different ingredients. You could even make a sweet tree instead of savory! Here are my tips for making this side dish.

  • Pinch the Seam: Make sure that when you are stuffing the bread, you pinch the seam closed. You don’t want to see any cheese because it will spill out of the dough, and it will make your bread look different shapes. You want it to stay in a nice little ball while baking!
  • Adding Butter to the Top: This is a crucial step! It adds so much flavor to the bread, and it helps them get nice and golden brown. You can change up the flavors of the butter sauce by adding different herbs and seasonings. Make it your own!
  • Make it Sweet: Do you love dessert pizza? Then you would love a sweet version of this dish! You can sweeten up some cream cheese by adding brown sugar and cinnamon and add that to the middle instead of mozzarella. Then you could brush the top with butter that has cinnamon added to it. Finish it off with a powdered sugar glaze or add a white chocolate sauce for dipping. You’re going to love it!
A close up of Christmas tree pull apart bread with a hand pulling up one of the rolls.

Storing Leftovers

This side dish is so yummy, I doubt you will have any leftovers! If you do need to store your Christmas tree pull apart bread, here is what I would do.

  • In the Refrigerator: Pull apart bread is best eaten within 24 hours, but it can last up to 3 days in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container. When you reheat the bread, use the oven or a toaster oven. The microwave can make the bread hard.
A close up of a hand dipping the roll into some marinara sauce.

Other Holiday Side Dishes

Holiday meals are my favorite to cook! I love all of the thought and effort that goes into a nice family dinner. I also love having friends and family over to enjoy all of the good food! If you are planning your holiday meal, here are some sides that you will want to have on the table!

Print

Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread

Christmas tree pull apart bread is cheesy on the inside, and soft and chewy on the outside! It is formed in the shape of a Christmas tree and baked to perfection. Served with your favorite marinara sauce, this is sure to become your new Christmas tradition!
Course Appetizer, Bread
Cuisine American
Keyword Christmas tree pull-apart bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 11
Calories 49kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • pizza dough, cut into 33 pieces
  • mozzarella cheese, cut into 33 pieces
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, for dipping

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Flour the counter and place the pizza dough on top. Cut the pizza dough into 33 small pieces.
  • Cut the mozzarella cheese into 33 small pieces.
  • Flatten out a piece of dough and place a cheese piece in the middle. Gather the dough up and around the cheese. Secure the dough around the cheese.
  • Repeat the steps until all 33 cheese balls are formed.
  • Arrange the balls on the prepared pan. Start with 7 balls on the bottom then build the tree up by placing one less ball on each row. Work your way up the tree in the order of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
  • Once you reach the top of the tree with one ball then place three more balls around the top ball to form the star.
  • Place the last two balls at the base of the tree for the stem.
  • Combine the melted butter, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush the dough balls generously with the butter mixture.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes until your tree is golden brown.
  • Serve with a marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 3balls | Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 244IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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