This Christmas Tree Appetizer is a festive, pull-apart bread shaped like a Christmas tree-warm, cheesy, and perfect for any holiday gathering. It's the kind of easy appetizer that looks impressive but comes together quickly with store-bought dough and simple, flavorful ingredients.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Festive Presentation: Shaped like a Christmas tree, it's as eye-catching as it is delicious.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Everyone loves gooey, golden-brown bread filled with melted cheese and pepperoni.
- Quick and Easy: Made with pre-made dough, it's perfect for busy holiday schedules.
- Customizable: You can easily swap the fillings or toppings for endless variations.
What This Recipe Needs
- Pizza Dough: A shortcut that bakes up soft and fluffy, forming your Christmas tree.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Melts beautifully inside each dough ball, giving every bite a gooey center.
- Pepperoni: A delicious savory addition to the cheese.
- Egg Wash: Creates a nice golden finish to each roll.
- Butter: Brushed over the top for a shiny finish and rich flavor.
- Minced Garlic, Italian Seasoning, and Red Pepper Flakes: Add the perfect savory, aromatic touch that makes the appetizer irresistible.
- Parmesan Cheese: Sprinkled on top for a salty, nutty flavor and a gorgeous golden color.
- Parsley and Basil: adds a pop of color and freshness, completing the look.
- Marinara or Pesto: Perfect for serving on the side and adding extra flavor.
Substitutions
- Pizza Dough: Crescent roll dough or puff pastry can be used for a flakier texture.
- Cheese: Try cheddar, fontina, or a mix of mozzarella and provolone for more flavor.
- Butter: Use olive oil instead for a richer, deeper flavor.
Looking for more tasty appetizers? Check out this Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe, Christmas Holiday Popcorn, Baked Brie with Honey, and Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip!
How to Make a Christmas Tree Appetizer
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the pizza dough and cut it into 30 squares.
- Step 2: Place a cube of mozzarella and a slice of pepperoni in the center of each and fold the dough over to form a ball.
- Step 3: Arrange each dough ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree.
- Step 4: Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush rolls with egg wash, sprinkle with minced garlic, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning,
- Step 5: Bake for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Step 6: Brush with butter, sprinkle with parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Decorate with small cherry tomatoes and a yellow star cut out of a bell pepper!
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- Step 8: Enjoy with a side of marinara sauce!
Expert Tips
- Seal the dough balls well so the cheese doesn't leak during baking.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup and to keep the tree shape intact.
- Brush with melted butter immediately after baking for the best shine and flavor.
- Add a star on top! Use a slice of yellow bell pepper or puff pastry cut into a star for an extra festive touch.
Variations
- Spinach Artichoke Tree: Fill each dough ball with spinach artichoke dip for a creamy twist.
- Sweet Tree: Swap the savory fillings for cream cheese and Nutella or cinnamon sugar for a dessert version.
- Mini Trees: Make smaller individual versions for appetizers or kids' parties.
- Wreath Shape: Arrange the dough balls in a circle for a festive holiday wreath variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make the Christmas Tree Appetizer Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can assemble the tree up to a few hours ahead and refrigerate it, then bake right before serving.
What Type of Dough Works Best?
Refrigerated pizza dough is the easiest option, but crescent roll dough or homemade dough also work great.
Can I Freeze the Dough Balls?
Yes - freeze them unbaked, then thaw and bake as directed.
What's the Best Cheese for This Appetizer?
Mozzarella gives the best melt, but you can mix in other cheeses like cheddar, provolone, or pepper jack for variety.
How Can I Make It Look Extra Festive?
Add cherry tomatoes as ornaments and a bell pepper star on top for a colorful, holiday-ready centerpiece.
More Related Recipes
Make sure to check out all my favorite Christmas Recipes, like Candied Cranberries, Easy Peppermint Bark, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes Dip, Peppermint Marshmallow Wands, Christmas Cracker Candy, and the Best Gingerbread Cookies!
Christmas Tree Appetizer
This Christmas Tree Appetizer is a festivepull-apart bread filled with gooey cheese and pepperoni-easy to make, fun toeat, and perfect for holiday parties.
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Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 6 mozzarella sticks each cut into 5 pieces
- 30 pepperoni slices
- flour for dusting
- 13.8 oz refrigerated pizza crust 1 can
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup Parmesan finely grated
- ½ tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon basil finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
- Yellow Bell Pepper Cut into a star
- Small Cherry Tomatoes*
- 1 cup Marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the mozzarella sticks into 5 pieces each, for a total of 30.6 mozzarella sticks
- Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll pizza dough into a large rectangle approximately 10x12 inches. Cut into 30 2-inch x 2-inch squares.13.8 oz refrigerated pizza crust, flour
- Wrap each square around a piece of mozzarella and a slice of pepperoni to form a ball.30 pepperoni slices, 6 mozzarella sticks
- Arrange the balls, seam side down and touching, to form a Christmas tree. Form a triangle with 7 balls at the bottom, followed 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 at the top. Place two balls at the base as the trunk.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the top of the dough balls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and minced garlic.1 egg, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Bake for 7-10 minutes. Trees is done when golden brown.
- Once it's done baking, melt butter in a small bowl and whisk with chopped parsley, chopped basil, and red pepper flakes. Brush butter mixture over the tree. Sprinkle with parmesan and decorate with cherry tomatoes. Serve with marinara sauce.1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ cup Parmesan, ½ tablespoon parsley, ½ tablespoon basil, ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes, Yellow Bell Pepper Cut into a star, Small Cherry Tomatoes*, 1 cup Marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Cheese: You can also add Parmesan before baking if you want it to melt and crisp.
- Baking: Depending on your oven, you may need to bake this longer. Check that the dough is cooked through and golden.
- Tomatoes: I used a variety of tomatoes called teaspoon cherry tomatoes, which grow like crazy in my garden (yes, even into December!). Regular cherry tomatoes will be slightly larger, so I recommend cutting them into smaller pieces to decorate.
Nutrition
Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
Love that gorgeous festive presentation!
Lisa says
Aww thank you!
Deanna says
We love Bruschetta and this recipe is so fun. Adding this to our Christmas Eve appetizer table.
Lisa says
Yay! You will love it!