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A pepperoni and cheese Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread is the perfect Christmas appetizer! This recipe is so easy and versatile, but best of all, it puts a smile on everyone’s face! A pull-apart pepperoni and cheese Christmas tree is a delicious way to decorate your holiday table.
Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
This festive pull-apart cheesy bread in the shape of a Christmas tree is perfect when you need to feed a crowd. This recipe uses refrigerated croissant dough, but you could also use refrigerated biscuit dough or pizza dough.
This tree-shaped appetizer or side dish is perfect for sharing during the holiday season and tastes delicious when dipped in marinara sauce, garlic butter, ranch dressing, etc. Make sure to press the edges of the dough together and place the balls seam-side down to help prevent the cheese from melting out.
Ingredients
- Refrigerated croissant dough
- Cheddar & Mozzarella cheese twist sticks
- Mini pepperonis
- Pizza sauce
- Butter
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Parsley for garnish
How to Make A Cheesy Pull Apart Christmas Tree
With a small knife cut all but 2 triangle croissant sections in half from the tip to the center of the base, and then cut your cheese sticks into ½-inch segments. Place about ½ tablespoon of pizza sauce, 1 cheese stick segment, and 1-2 mini pepperonis at the widest part of each croissant triangle.
Roll each croissant triangle from the widest part to the tip wrapping around the pizza filling to create dough balls. Prevent overspilling by creating a tightly sealed ball of pepperoni, cheese, and sauce.
Now it’s time to assemble the Christmas tree shape! Place the croissants into the shape of a tree on your lined baking sheet starting with 1 at the top and working down to 7 at the bottom (seam-side down). Then place the 2 uncut croissant rolls in the center of the base to make the trunk of the tree.
In a small bowl, mix garlic powder and Italian seasoning with the melted butter and brush or drizzle over each croissant roll. Place mini pepperonis across the tree like garland, or randomly placed them like ornaments. You can sprinkle on other herbs and seasoning if desired. Bake until golden brown and serve with warm marinara sauce, spinach dip, ranch dressing, etc.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can substitute the cheddar and mozzarella cheese sticks with mozzarella or cheddar cheese sticks instead of a mix of the two. You could also use cheese cubes instead of cheese sticks. Using Colby jack, Monterey, or pepper jack cheese would also be ok. You can substitute the garlic powder with minced garlic. If you don’t like pepperoni, consider THIS Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread Recipe with tomato ornaments!
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, you can make this Pizza Croissant Tree ahead of time and freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. To freeze it as a whole tree, you’ll need to find a container/bag/ large enough and ensure that the freezer space is flat so that the croissant segments do not break apart while stored.
More Recipes by The Blogette to Try Next:
Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Small Bowl
- small knife
- wire cooling rack
- Basting brush (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 (8 count) packages of refrigerator croissant dough
- 8 Cheddar Mozzarella cheese twist sticks
- 1 cup mini pepperonis
- ½ cup za sauce, more for serving/dipping
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- With a small knife cut all but 2 triangle croissant sections in half from the tip to the center of the base, and then cut your cheese sticks into ½-inch segments.
- Place about ½ tablespoon of pizza sauce, 1 cheese stick segment, and 1-2 mini pepperonis at the widest part of each croissant triangle.
- Roll each croissant triangle from the widest part to the tip wrapping around the pizza filling.
- Place the croissants into the shape of a tree on your lined cookie sheet starting with 1 at the top and working down to 7 at the bottom. Then place the 2 uncut croissant rolls in the center of the base to make the trunk of the tree.Â
- In a small bowl, mix garlic powder and Italian seasoning with the melted butter and brush or drizzle over each croissant roll. Place mini pepperonis across the tree like garland, or randomly placed them like ornaments.
- Bake the croissant tree in your preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the tops of the croissants are golden brown.
- Once fully baked, Cool slightly on a wire rack, top with chopped parsley, and then serve warm.
