Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread is a perfect Christmas Appetizer. Shaped in a tree, this pull apart twist bread is not only beautiful, but delicious. Incredibly easy to make and so tasty to eat, you cannot go wrong with the creamy texture and slightly crunchy peppers are the tree branches.
Such a cute holiday appetizer for a Fantastic for a Christmas Party!
Why this recipe works
Holiday Friendly: Incredibly adorable and easy to stuff with, well, whatever you love, this Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread is a fun way to set up a goodie filled table with delicious bread that you can twist and eat! The cute Christmas tree design bakes perfectly in shape and still allows the bread to be pulled off.
Seasonal Ingredient changes are easy: This recipe includes herb cream cheese and fresh veggies to give it a little bite, but you can easily make a sweet tree by altering the ingredients to Nutella
or a full main dish recipe by making your tree into a traditional pizza.
Ingredients
- crescent dough sheet – Pillsbury makes a full crescent dough sheet, you will need two. This dough comes out in one full sheet to use a pizza roller to shape. It also cooks evenly and quickly.
- garlic and herb cream cheese – There are tons of kinds of cream cheese flavors but the herb works best for this particular recipe. Its fine to also use plain or other flavors that you may love based on your needs.
- sour cream
- fresh spinach
- red peppers
- cheese – I recommend Asiago cheese or freshly shredded Parmesan (not grated) cheese.
Expert Tips
To make a more compact tree: To keep the center small, use the pizza cutter to cut it a little more into the center so the center is smaller and the bread pulls are longer.
Removing tree from baking sheet: Simply (and carefully) slide the tree from the parchment paper (tipping the baking sheet works fine) onto a cheese board or large wooden cutting board. If you use a charcuterie board, just add dips around the tree for a full holiday appetizer display.
Skip the stuffing: This twist trick works well for making Christmas Tree bread sticks too! Just cut and place dough cheese on parchment paper, twist the outside and bake as directed without any stuffing.
How to make Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
PREP FOR RECIPE:
- As always, preheat oven to 375. If you do not pre-heat you are going to throw off all your timing so start with that.
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and spinach. Mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unroll dough. Parchment paper helps things not stick and if you have never used it before, its pretty much a life saver.
Step 1: Press dough into a large rectangle.
Step 2: Cut dough into a triangle shape (like a Christmas Tree), saving the excess pieces (a pizza or pastry cutter
is good for this)
Steps 3-4: Spread cream cheese mixture onto the large tree triangle.
Step 5: Sprinkle with peppers and cheese.
Step 6: Place remaining dough pieces on top of the cheese and gently press the center seam together. Continue to press the outer seams together to seal the dough.
Step 7: Use a knife to cut 1″ to 1.5″ slits into each side of the triangle dough, leaving about .5 – 1″ in the center uncut.
Steps 8-9: Starting at the bottom, pick up each piece of dough and twist it twice and replace it on the pan. Continue up the row of dough strips (these are your tree branches). You may find you will only need to twist the short ones once instead of twice.
Step 10: Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving warm.
FAQ’S
This depends on the center ingredients, but in this case, a garlic butter dip would be great.
Absolutely! I try to keep it simple because to really mix food coloring would require kneading the dough out and I would lose the already perfectly flat sheet, but you could definitely mix in green food coloring if you are feeling adventurous.
It’s fine to put in cheese, hamburger meat, meatballs or steak in the center as long as its COOKED already.
Related Recipes
If you are looking for other easy and awesome side dish ideas, I love these bacon wrapped jalapenos and this party friendly taco dip. Of course if you need other amazing recipe dishes to share with a crowd, try Cowboy Caviar, Homemade Queso Dip, or even this Christmas Cookie Dough Cheese ball. YUM. Like SO yum.
And if you are looking for more food fun, this Caprese appetizer that is shaped like a lady bug is about THE cutest recipe EVER. Not that ladybugs are holidays exactly but cute food is always in season!
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Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tube - 8 oz, crescent dough sheet
- 1/2 cup garlic and herb cream cheese - softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup diced red peppers
- 1/2 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and spinach. Mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unroll dough. Press dough into a large rectangle.
- Cut dough into a triangle shape, saving the excess pieces.
- Spread cream cheese mixture onto the large triangle.
- Sprinkle with peppers and cheese. Place remaining dough pieces on top of the cheese and gently press the center seam together. Continue to press the outer seams together to seal the dough.
- Use a knife to cut 1" slits into each side of the triangle dough, leaving about 1" in the center uncut. Starting at the bottom, pick up each piece of dough and twist it twice and replace it on the pan.
- Continue up the row of dough strips. You may find you will only need to twist the short ones once instead of twice.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving warm.
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