Cheesy Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread (String Cheese and Pizza Dough)

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This Christmas tree pull apart bread is two things you probably already have in your fridge: string cheese and a tube of pizza dough. 🎄

This truly is an easy snack you could use at anytime of the year (just arrange it into a different shape). Right now, our toddler is simply obsessed with bread and anything in an easy ball shape- so this is what we got, because I was tired of meatballs!

You wrap a cheese bite in every square of dough, line the balls up into a tree, brush on egg wash and bake. Then everyone pulls off a piece and dips it in marinara. No yeast, no rising, no mixer. Honestly, it looks way harder than it is.

Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread at a Glance

• What it is: string cheese bites wrapped in pizza dough, baked into a Christmas tree you pull apart and dip in marinara
• Ingredients: just five
• Time: about 25 minutes of work and about 20 in the oven
• Makes: 32 cheesy bites
• Great for: Christmas parties, a Christmas movie night, or the appetizer table at family Christmas
• Little helpers: setting a cheese bite on every square is an easy job for them

You can use any type of dough or cheese if you want.

What You Need for Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

• 1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough (the 13.8 oz size)
• 8 string cheese sticks
• Italian Seasoning, 1 to 2 teaspoons
• 1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash
• Marinara sauce for dipping, about 1 cup, warmed

You’ll also want a cutting board, a sharp knife, a pizza cutter, a baking sheet with parchment paper, and a brush for the egg wash.

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How to Make Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

Step 1: Cut the string cheese

Line up all 8 string cheese sticks and cut each one into 4 bites. Lining them up first means you cut them all at once.

Step 2: Unroll the pizza dough

Unroll the dough right onto your board and gently press it out into a rectangle. The corners don’t have to be perfect.

Step 3: Cut it into squares

Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 32 squares, 4 across and 8 down. One square for every cheese bite.

Step 4: Add the cheese and oregano

Set a cheese bite on every square, then sprinkle the oregano over the whole thing.

Step 5: Wrap them into balls

Pull the corners of a square up over the cheese, pinch it closed and roll it into a ball. Keep going until every square is a little cheesy ball. Pinch the seams tight so the cheese stays inside.

Step 6: Build the tree

Heat your oven to 375°F. On a parchment lined baking sheet, line the balls up into a Christmas tree: a wide row at the bottom and one less each row up, close enough that they touch. A few under the bottom row make the trunk, and the last one goes on top.

Step 7: Brush on the egg wash

Brush every ball with the beaten egg. That’s what makes them golden and shiny.

Step 8: Bake, pull and dip

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool for a few minutes, slide it onto a board and set out a bowl of warm marinara. Then let everyone pull off a piece. That cheese pull though.

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Tips for Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread

1. Line up the cheese first. Cutting all 8 sticks at once is so much faster.
2. Pinch the seams tight. A little cheese melting out is cute, but you want most of it inside.
3. Keep the balls touching. That’s what bakes them into one tree you can pull apart.
4. Don’t skip the egg wash. It’s what gives you that golden color.
5. Warm the marinara while it bakes, so it’s ready when the tree comes out.
6. For toddlers, let it cool and tear it into small pieces. Hot, stringy cheese can be a choking risk.
7. Leftovers? Keep them in the fridge and warm them back up in the oven or air fryer.

Here’s Your Sign to Make the Tree

It looks like you tried so hard, and it’s string cheese and a tube of dough. I’m not mad about it. 🤍

Want to see us make it? Here’s the reel.

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Follow along on Instagram for more easy Christmas foods, and if you make it, tag me. Tell me if you want more Christmas appetizers!

Hosting this year? Our Christmas breakfast donut wreath takes no baking at all, our Christmas mimosas with cranberry rosemary ice cubes are just three steps, and our reindeer food is the easiest treat on the table.

Pin this Christmas tree pull apart bread so it’s ready for your Christmas party!