Jump to Recipe
An image of a Christmas tree bread that is pull apart on a baking sheet with a block of cheese.

Make your holidays memorable with this savory Christmas tree pull apart bread. The pull-apart bread has been brushed with a buttery garlic herb mixture, and each ball of bread is filled with gooey cheese that is perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

This post is sponsored by Cabot Cheese. All opinions are 100% mine, as usual. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored posts that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content for you! 

An image of a piece of bread being pulled away from the Christmas tree bread.

You are in for a special holiday treat!

I love the holidays, and baking holiday-themed recipes for my family and friends always lights up my heart. This Christmas tree bread is the ultimate appetizer for any holiday party. Who doesn’t love bread with a gooey center of melted cheese and a buttery garlic herb coating?

Three bread dough balls on a wooden cutting board with a block of cheese in the background.

You and your guests will have a blast pulling apart each bread ball and dipping it into marinara sauce.

A bite taken out of a bread dough ball with a block of Cabot cheese in the background.

Let’s talk about the flavors. First, the bread dough is mixed with shredded cheese. I used Cabot Creamery Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese. If you’ve been around here, you know I am a fan of Cabot Creamery, and I love their award-winning cheddar and dairy products. Be sure to grab a few of their products the next time you are at the grocery store.

A bread dough ball in a bowl of marinara.

Back to the flavors in this bread! Each dough ball has a cube of sharp cheddar cheese for that perfect gooey bite. Lastly, I brushed the whole pull-apart Christmas tree with garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes mixed with melted butter. It’s one savory appetizer you won’t forget!

An image of a Christmas tree bread that is pull apart on a baking sheet with a block of cheese.

The recipe is easy to make. After mixing the dough, you only need to roll it out, cut it into tiny squares, fill each square with some cheese, and then roll it into a ball. Then, take the balls and form it into a simple tree shape. Easy peasy!

Want more ways to make this even easier? Use store-bought pizza dough if you are in a hurry. Also, it doesn’t have to be a Christmas tree, either. This would be perfect as game-day snacks or themed parties.

Ingredients

An image of the ingredients for a Christmas tree pull apart bread with shredded cheese on a wooden cutting board.

The ingredients needed for this pull-apart Christmas tree are simple and common pantry ingredients.

  • all-purpose flour
  • Cabot’s Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • whole milk
  • instant yeast
  • a few large eggs
  • butter
  • garlic powder
  • kosher salt
  • a few herbs like thyme & rosemary
  • red pepper flakes
  • marinara for dipping

How to Make a Pull Apart Christmas Tree

A mixing bowl of flour with shredded cheese.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, grated cheese, and salt in a stand mixer or a large bowl.

Mixing the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

Add in warm milk, yeast, and eggs.

The dough formed in a mixing bowl before allowing it to rise.

Stir and knead with the dough attachment (or by hand) until a soft, smooth dough forms. Add in additional flour as needed.

The dough transferred to a greased white bowl.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover.

The dough after it has risen in a white bowl.

Let rise until the dough is nearly doubled.

The cheese cut into cubes.

Cut the cheddar cheese into cubes.

The dough cut into squares with cubes of cheese.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the bread dough into two halves and place each on a floured surface. Roll out one dough into a rectangle.

Cut up the dough into squares. Place one cube of cheese in the middle of a square and wrap the dough around the piece of cheese, forming a ball.

The dough balls formed into a tree on a baking sheet.

Place the ball on the baking sheet, making sure the seam side is down. Repeat for the remaining squares, placing the balls on the baking sheet in a Christmas tree shape making sure the balls are all touching. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

Cover the bread on the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise until puffy but not doubled.

Brushing the dough balls with melted butter.

Preheat the oven. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake the bread until the top is golden brown.

The baked pull apart Christmas tree bread on a baking sheet.

Remove the bread from the oven when the bread is done.

A white bowl with the herbs and melted butter mixed together.

Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and herbs for the topping.

A picture of a whisk brushing the butter herb mixture onto the baked pull apart Christmas tree bread.

Brush on baked bread balls.

A piece of the pull apart bread dipped into a bowl of marinara sauce.

For dipping, serve this pull-apart Christmas tree bread warm with an extra sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and marinara.

How to Store

Store Christmas tree pull apart bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this bread and reheat it in the oven until warm.

An image of a Christmas tree bread that is pull apart on a baking sheet with a block of cheese.

More Christmas Appetizer Recipes

If you’re hosting a holiday party or want something to nibble on, try these amazing appetizers.

An image of a piece of bread being pulled away from the garlicky cheese Christmas tree bread.

What do you think of this amazing Christmas tree bread recipe? What would you serve with this appetizer? Let me know in the comment section below. 

If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!

Happy holiday baking, friends!

Pull Apart Christmas Tree Recipe

An image of a Christmas tree bread that is pull apart on a baking sheet with a block of cheese.
Yield: serves 8-10

Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

Make your holidays special with this savory Christmas tree pull apart bread. The pull-apart bread has been brushed with a buttery garlic herb mixture and each ball of bread is filled with gooey cheese that is perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Bread Dough:

  • 2 ½ - 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup grated Cabot’s Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup warm whole milk
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast
  • 2 large eggs, whisked together
  • 16 ounce Cabot’s Sharp Cheddar cheese
  • Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), for brushing

Topping:

  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • ¼ cup grated Cabot’s Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
  • 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
  • Marinara, warmed (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, grated cheese, and salt in a stand mixer or a large bowl. Add in warm milk, yeast, and eggs. Stir and knead with the dough attachment (or by hand) until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5-7 minutes. Add in additional flour as needed.
  2. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise until dough is nearly doubled, about 2 hours.
  3. Cut the cheddar cheese into cubes, about half an inch pieces. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Divide the bread dough into two halves and place each on a floured surface. Roll out one dough into a rectangle (you can also use your hands to stretch it out into a long rectangle). Cut up the dough into 2-inch squares. Place one cube of cheese in the middle of a square and wrap the dough around the piece of cheese, forming a ball. Place the ball on the baking sheet, ensuring the seam side is down.
  5. Repeat for the remaining squares, placing the balls on the baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree and making sure the balls are all touching.
  6. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. You should have about 30-35 balls.
  7. Cover the bread on the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise until puffy but not doubled, about 30 minutes to an hour.
  8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake the bread for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven when bread is done.
  9. Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter, Parmesan, garlic powder, and herbs for the topping. Brush on baked bread balls. For dipping, serve warm with an extra sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and marinara.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Delish.com

Alternatively

  • you can use premade pizza dough instead of making your bread from scratch.
  • You can use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 709Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 660mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 30g

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

© A Classic Twist
Cuisine: American / Category: Appetizers