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This Pepperoni Pull-Apart Tree turns pizza dough into a festive Christmas appetizer that you can pull apart and dip, with pepperoni and cheese in every bite. A garlic butter and Parmesan topping makes each roll taste like cheesy garlic bread with a pepperoni pizza filling.
Cheesy Pepperoni Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread
Finding a Christmas appetizer that everyone in my family enjoys can be tricky. Adults usually love all the holiday appetizers, but kids aren’t always as excited. That is why I wanted to make this Cheesy Pepperoni Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread. It has all the familiar flavors of pepperoni pizza in a fun Christmas tree shape, and the kids can help make it!
I used Trader Joe’s pizza dough for this recipe, which I like to keep in the freezer for easy meals. Bringing the dough to room temperature makes it much easier to stretch around the mozzarella and pepperoni. I found that pinching the seams tightly helps keep the melted cheese inside the rolls instead of all over the baking sheet.
Mini pepperoni is the way to go for these little dough balls. Regular pepperoni slices are too big for the amount of filling each one needs. I also love finishing the baked bread with a second brushing of garlic butter. It adds so much flavor, and the fresh rosemary and cherry tomatoes make the whole thing look festive without much extra work.
This Christmas tree pull-apart bread is made with 24 little pizza dough balls stuffed with mozzarella and pepperoni, brushed with garlic butter, and baked until golden brown. Serve it warm with pizza sauce for dipping, and watch everyone pull off their favorite piece!
Ingredients
- Pizza dough: Prepared pizza dough keeps this Christmas appetizer easy to make. I use Trader Joe’s pizza dough, but your favorite refrigerated pizza dough works, too. Let the dough come to room temperature before you divide and shape it. Cold dough tends to spring back when you stretch it, making it harder to wrap around the filling.
- Mozzarella cheese: I use whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella for the cheesy centers. Cut it into 24 small cubes so every roll gets a piece. Low-moisture mozzarella melts nicely without adding excess liquid to the dough. Avoid fresh mozzarella packed in water for this recipe.
- Mini pepperoni: These little slices fit inside the dough balls much better than regular pepperoni. Use some inside each roll and scatter the rest over the top before baking. If you only have regular pepperoni, chop it into smaller pieces.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter forms the base of the garlic butter topping. Half the fun of this bread is pulling apart a roll with that buttery, seasoned crust!
- Fresh garlic: Finely grated garlic spreads evenly throughout the butter so every roll gets plenty of garlic flavor. A microplane grater works particularly well here.
- Italian seasoning: This dried herb blend brings familiar pizza flavors to the topping. You can substitute a mixture of dried oregano and basil.
- Garlic powder: A little garlic powder adds one more layer of garlic flavor alongside the fresh garlic.
- Fine salt: Salt seasons the garlic butter and brings out the flavor of the Parmesan and herbs. If your pizza dough is particularly salty, reduce the added salt slightly.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated Parmesan adds a savory, cheesy coating to the bread. Freshly grated Parmesan sticks nicely to the buttered dough and browns in the oven.
- Pizza sauce: Warm pizza sauce is my favorite dip for this Christmas tree bread. It gives each cheesy pepperoni roll that familiar pizza flavor. Marinara sauce works, too.
- Fresh rosemary: Small rosemary sprigs positioned between the baked rolls resemble little evergreen branches. Add them after baking, so they stay fresh and green. Remove the sprigs before eating.
- Cherry tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes make easy red Christmas decorations. Tuck them between the rolls after baking for little pops of holiday color.
How To Make Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
- Prep the Oven and Pan: Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
- Portion the Dough: Divide the room-temperature pizza dough into 24 equal pieces, aiming for roughly 19 grams per piece. Flatten each portion into a small flat circle with your fingers.
- Fill and Seal: Place 1 cube of mozzarella cheese and 3 mini pepperoni slices in the center of each disc. Pull the dough edges up over the filling, pinch the seams tightly shut, and roll the dough between your palms into a smooth ball.
- Assemble the Tree: Arrange the balls seam-side down on the prepared baking pan in a triangular tree shape. Place 1 ball at the top point. Form the second row with 2 balls touching the first. Continue building downward with rows of 3, 4, 5, and 6 balls. Place the final 3 balls in a column beneath the center of the bottom row to form the tree trunk. Keep the balls lightly touching.
- Mix and Apply the Topping: Whisk the melted unsalted butter, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and fine salt together in a small bowl.
- Top with Cheese and Pepperoni: Brush two-thirds of the garlic butter mixture across the tops and sides of the arranged rolls. Scatter the finely grated Parmesan cheese over the buttered rolls. Press the remaining mini pepperoni slices onto the dough.
- Bake to Golden Brown: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops turn deep golden brown. Brush the remaining one-third of garlic butter over the hot rolls. Tuck the halved cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary sprigs into the crevices between the rolls to decorate the tree.
- Plate and Serve: Slide the bread on the parchment paper onto a large wooden board or serving platter. Pour the warm marinara sauce into a small bowl and set it beside the tree trunk. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
Holiday recipes like Festive Christmas Snack Mix, Christmas Sugar Cookies, and this Pepperoni Pull Apart Tree make celebrating even more fun. Follow these simple tips to help your tree hold its shape and bake evenly.
- Keep the filling away from the dough edges. This gives you enough space to pinch the seams closed.
- Leave room for the tree. As you make the tree with the dough balls, place them in rows, barely touching. They will expand as they bake and join together.
- Use this 1-Hour Pizza Dough Recipe. My favorite quick and easy homemade pizza dough recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Sure, you can use cheese only for a cheese-filled option. Or use finely crumbled sausage instead of pepperoni.
The center may need more baking time, especially if you placed the dough balls too close together when forming the tree before baking. Loosely cover the tree with foil and continue baking until done.
This is best served fresh and warm, so I recommend preparing and baking this, just before serving.
Make This Christmas Tree Bread for Your Next Holiday Gathering!
This Cheesy Pepperoni Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread brings pizza night flavors to the Christmas appetizer table. It is fun to assemble with the kids, easy to share, and especially delicious served warm with pizza sauce.
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and rating below, and save this recipe to Pinterest so you can make it for your next Christmas celebration.
Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread
Equipment
- Rimmed half-sheet baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Kitchen scale or bench knife
- Small microwave-safe bowl
- pastry brush
- Small serving bowl for dipping sauce
Ingredients
Dough and Fillings
- 1 pound prepared pizza dough, room temperature
- 6 ounces whole milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 cubes
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices, divided
Garlic Butter Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish and Serving
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce or pizza sauce, warmed
- 8 fresh rosemary sprigs, trimmed into small sprigs
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the room-temperature pizza dough into 24 equal pieces. A kitchen scale helps keep each piece close to 19 grams. Flatten each dough piece into a small disc using your fingers.1 pound prepared pizza dough
- Place one cube of mozzarella cheese and three mini pepperoni slices in the center of each disc. Pull the dough edges up around the filling. Pinch the seams tightly to seal in the cheese. Roll the sealed dough between your palms into a smooth ball.6 ounces whole milk low-moisture mozzarella cheese, ½ cup mini pepperoni slices
- Arrange the balls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet to build the tree. Start with 1 ball at the top. Form the next row with 2 balls touching the first. Continue adding rows of 3, 4, 5, and 6 balls. Place the final 3 balls beneath the center of the bottom row in a column to create the tree trunk. Keep the balls lightly touching so they pull apart easily after baking.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and fine salt. Brush two-thirds of the garlic butter evenly over the tops and sides of the arranged dough balls.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the dough. Scatter the remaining mini pepperoni slices on top, pressing lightly so they stick to the surface.⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 22 minutes. The rolls should turn deep golden brown on top, and the cheese should be fully melted.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Brush the remaining garlic butter over the hot rolls.
- Cool for 5 minutes. Tuck the halved cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary sprigs into the gaps between the rolls to decorate the tree.8 fresh rosemary sprigs, 6 cherry tomatoes
- Transfer the bread and parchment paper onto a large wooden board or serving platter. Pour the warm marinara sauce into a small bowl and set it next to the tree trunk for dipping. Serve warm.1 ½ cups marinara sauce or pizza sauce
Notes
- Refrigerator: Remove the rosemary and tomato decorations before storing. Place leftover rolls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Let the baked rolls cool completely. Freeze them in a single layer until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months for the best quality.
- Thawing: Transfer frozen rolls to the refrigerator overnight before reheating. You can reheat them from frozen, but they will take longer.
- Reheating: Arrange the rolls on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 8 to 12 minutes, or until heated through. Cover loosely with foil if they begin to brown too much. Reheat the centers to 165°F.
