Christmas Tree Pull Apart Pizza Bites- Easy Party Appetizer
If you are in the mood for this festive season and want to make something interesting, then definitely make these Christmas tree pull apart pizza bites.
These are easy to make and aesthetically pleasing; this appetizer will be the crowd favorite.
It is one of the best ways to get your Christmas parties started, and not only will it be in theme with your party, but it is super easy to make, prep, and store.
Table of Contents
Why make this recipe?
1. Festive Appeal: The Christmas tree shape adds a visually appealing and festive touch to your Christmas party table, making it a fun and great appetizer or snack for family and guests. This is great for gatherings.
2. Versatile Ingredients: Pizza is a crowd-pleaser, and you can customize the ingredients or the filling to suit various tastes. It allows flexibility in catering to different preferences among your guests.
3. Ease of Preparation: The recipe has simple steps. You can make pizza dough beforehand and keep all the essential ingredients ready. It’s a convenient option for busy holiday preparations.
4. Creative Presentation: Presenting food in the shape of a Christmas tree makes it visually appealing, Instagram-worthy, or Snap-worthy. I think this recipe nails it in the aesthetic department.
5. Minimal Cleanup: The pull-apart style minimizes the need for individual plates or serving utensils, simplifying the cleanup process after the meal.
Ingredients:
1. Pizza dough- I have used 20 grams of dough to make each pizza dough ball. Make sure you measure the dough and use the same quantity in each pizza ballball so that they are the same size and do not look uneven while making your Christmas tree with these pizza dough balls.
2. 1 cup of Pizza sauce- Even though you use a bit of pizza sauce in each pizza bomb, you go through a lot of it at once, so make sure you have at least one cup of pizza sauce for this pull-apart pizza bites recipe.
3. Mozzarella cheese- I like some gooey mozzarella cheese that works best with this pull-apart recipe, as when you break apart a pizza bite, you get that nice cheesy stretch or pull. You can use string cheese cubes instead of mozzarella cheese to make this appetizer gooier and more delicious. I have used dried mozzarella cheese in this recipe and not fresh mozzarella cheese that goes on Neapolitan pizza.
4. Melted butter- This is a melted butter mix I make and brush after the pizza bombs have been made to give them some flavor and a nice glossy look, which is only possible by brushing the butter.
5. Garlic powder
6. Pepper
7. Salt
8. Fresh parsley (chopped)
How to make Christmas Tree Pull apart Pizza Bites
1. Prepare Dough Balls: Roll out 20g pizza dough balls and flatten them into small discs. Press down in the center with your thumb to make a small well to hold the pizza sauce we will add in the next step.
2. Fill and Seal: Add a dollop of pizza sauce to each dough and ensure you do not overfill any of these. Add some mozzarella cheese and fold the dough over to create sealed pockets.
3. Tree Formation: Arrange the filled dough balls as a Christmas tree on a baking sheet as shown in the image below. Start with six balls to form the tree’s base, and add one less on each line until you get the Christmas tree shape. Once you have arranged all the dough balls as a Christmas tree, it is time to bake them inside an oven.
4.Bake: Bake in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes until golden brown.
5. Butter Mix: Mix melted butter with garlic powder(or minced garlic), pepper, salt, and chopped parsley. Brush this butter mix on the Christmas tree and pull apart pizza bites.
6. Finishing Touch: Generously brush the butter mixture over the tree. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley for a festive touch.
7. Serve: Serve these Christmas tree pull-apart pizza bites with White Pizza Sauce or some Marinara sauce and enjoy with friends or family.
Tips on making Christmas Pull Apart Pizza Bites
1. Prepare Ingredients in Advance: Ensure all your ingredients, such as pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and fillings, are prepped and ready to go before you start assembling. This makes the process smoother and more efficient.
2. Consistent Dough Size: Use a kitchen measuring scale to measure and divide your pizza dough into equal-sized balls. This ensures uniformity in both appearance and cooking time.
3. Evenly Spread Fillings: Distribute the pizza sauce, cheese, and other fillings evenly across the dough circles. Make sure not to put excess pizza sauce in each pizza bite as that can create problems with closing the pizza dough balls.
4. Effective Sealing: Press the edges firmly to seal when closing the dough pockets. A well-sealed pocket prevents the fillings from leaking out during baking. Also if you have used too much sauce, closing the pizza dough balls become difficult so dust some flour to dry the surface to make sealing these pizza dough balls easier.
5. Arrange with Care: Arrange the filled dough balls like a Christmas tree. This gives it that festive presentation and makes it a pull-apart appetizer so that when it bakes, the dough sticks to each other.
6. Experiment with Fillings: Feel free to get creative with fillings. Whether you prefer classic flavors or want to experiment with unique combinations, this recipe allows for personalization
Storing and leftover
Place the leftover pizza bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for short-term storage (within a few days).
For longer-term storage, freeze the pizza bites by laying them in a single layer on a flat surface like a plate until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag or container—label and date for future reference.
Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Pizza Bites
Equipment
- 1 Convention Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pizza Dough
- 1.5 Cups Pizza Sauce
- 1 Cup Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Dried Parsely
- Freshly chopped Parsely(for garnishing)
Instructions
- Roll out 20g pizza dough balls, flatten them into discs, and create a small well in the center for pizza sauce.
- Add pizza sauce, mozzarella, and toppings to each disc, folding to seal and form small pockets.
- Arrange filled dough balls on a baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree shape, starting with six at the base and reducing by one on each line.
- Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Brush the butter mix over the baked Christmas tree pizza bites and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.
- Serve and enjoy the Christmas tree pull-apart pizza bites with friends or family.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to measure and divide the dough into equal-sized balls so all the balls are the same size and cook within the same time.
- Distribute sauce and fillings evenly; avoid excessive sauce in these dough balls so that the closing of the balls is easier.
- Press the edges of the bites firmly to seal, preventing leaks during baking; dust with flour if needed for easier sealing.
- Arrange filled dough balls in a Christmas tree shape for a festive look. You can also create other shapes for different occasions like birthdays and Valentine’s Day, so this recipe can be modified, and you are limited by your cerativity.
