Description
Cheesy Christmas Tree Bread is a stunning pull-apart appetizer featuring golden herb-buttered dough wrapped around melty mozzarella and cheddar. Uses store-bought dough for easy assembly and delivers Instagram-worthy presentation.
Ingredients
1 pound refrigerated pizza dough or 2 cans (16 oz each) refrigerated biscuit dough
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed or shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
GARNISH:
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Small bell pepper (yellow), cut into star shape
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F and position rack in center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Let refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften.
3. Mix melted butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small bowl.
4. If using pizza dough: Roll into 12×16-inch rectangle and cut into 24-30 circles using a 2.5-3 inch biscuit cutter.
5. If using biscuit dough: Separate biscuits and flatten each into 3-inch circles.
6. Mix shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together in a bowl.
7. Brush one side of each dough circle with garlic herb butter mixture, reserving some for later.
8. Place one dough circle at bottom center of baking sheet for tree trunk. Add small pinch of cheese.
9. Stack 2-3 more circles vertically on trunk, adding cheese between layers.
10. Arrange 5-6 circles in a row above the trunk for bottom tree layer, overlapping edges slightly. Add cheese on top.
11. Continue building tree with progressively fewer circles per row (4-5, then 3-4, then 2-3, then 1-2), adding cheese between each row until you form pointed top.
12. Brush entire tree surface with remaining garlic herb butter.
13. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush egg wash over all exposed dough.
14. Press fresh rosemary sprigs into tree as “garland” and position cherry tomato halves as “ornaments.”
15. Cut yellow bell pepper into star shape and place at tree top.
16. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
17. If top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil for last 10 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow cheese to set slightly.
19. Serve warm on the baking sheet or transfer to a wooden board.
Notes
Store-bought pizza dough works best—look for 1-pound portions in the refrigerated section.
Don’t skip bringing dough to room temperature—cold dough tears easily during shaping.
Use generous amounts of cheese between layers for maximum cheese pull effect.
Some cheese leakage during baking is normal and creates delicious crispy edges.
Assemble up to 6 hours ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake when ready, adding egg wash just before baking.
Freeze assembled unbaked tree for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 extra minutes.
Serve with marinara sauce, ranch dressing, or garlic aioli for dipping.
Bread stays warm and pull-able for about 45 minutes after baking—perfect party timing.
Reheat leftovers in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Avoid microwaving.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of tree (approximately 3-4 pieces)
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 465mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: Cheesy Christmas Tree Bread, pull-apart bread, Christmas appetizer, holiday bread, cheese bread, festive appetizer, party bread