Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
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This Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree is pizza dough balls that are stuffed with a vegan jalapeño popper mixture. Perfect holiday appetizer!
We are getting Christmas ready with this super tasty Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree! I used pre-made pizza dough to keep this recipe simple. Each piece of dough is filled with a vegan cream cheese & jalapeño mixture and placed on a baking sheet in the shape of a christmas tree. Baked until browned, topped with vegan garlic butter and served with all of your favorite dipping sauces!
Step One: Make the Filling
The filling is super simple, but so delicious! Start by heating some oil in a skillet. Add a diced jalapeño and some sliced shallot. Cook down for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies start to get tender.
To a mixing bowl add a container of vegan cream cheese, the cooked veggies and a little garlic salt. Mix until everything is combined and set it aside.
Step Two: Prep the Dough
I used pre-made pizza dough for this recipe to keep it simple. You could always make your dough from scratch, but I wanted to make this recipe as easy as possible.
Be sure to let the dough come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes on a lightly floured surface. This will make it easier to cut and work with.
Once the dough is ready, cut it in half. Continue to cut each half into halves until you have 32 pieces. They don’t need to be perfect, just roughly the same size.
Step Three: Assemble & Bake
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven. Grab one piece of dough and gently flatten it into a small circle. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of filling to the center and pinch the edges of the dough closed over the filling.
Place the finished balls on the baking sheet until you have formed the tree – I like to start with the bottom row of the tree and work my way up, finishing with the stem.
Place the tree in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. The dough should be nicely browned.
Tip for Assembling: When placing the finished balls on the baking sheet, there is no need to press them together too tightly. As long as they are touching slightly, they will bake together.
Step Four: Serve
Once the tree is out of the oven, melt some vegan butter in a bowl. Add a pinch of garlic powder and garlic salt. Brush the garlic butter over the tree and sprinkle with fresh parsley & vegan parmesan.
When it comes to dipping sauces, you can use whatever your favorite is. I went for a vegan ranch (see recipe notes) and some warmed marinara.
This Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree is freaking adorable and tastes amazing! If your house is anything like mine, these won’t last very long!
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Cheesy Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough
- flour for rolling out dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot sliced
- 1 jalapeño diced, remove ribs & seeds for less spice
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt plus more for garlic butter
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter melted
- garlic powder to taste
- fresh parsley chopped
- vegan parmesan
- marinara, vegan ranch for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and allow to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- While the dough is resting, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot & jalapeño and cook down for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies start to get tender.
- Add the vegan cream cheese, cooked veggies and garlic salt to a bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Cut the dough into 32 pieces. Working one at a time, gently flatten the dough ball and add about 1/2 teaspoon of filling. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling and pinch to close the seams. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients to create a tree shape.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven.
- Combine the melted vegan butter and a pinch of garlic powder & garlic salt in a bowl. Brush the tree with garlic butter and top with parsley and vegan parmesan.
- Serve hot or at room temperature with marinara and vegan ranch on the side.
Video
Notes
- VEGAN RANCH: combine 1/4 cup vegan mayo, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried chives, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried dill, 1/4 teaspoon pepper & 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- The nutrition facts do not include any dipping sauces.
Can this be assembled the night before and refrigerated?
Yes! Just be sure to wrap it so it doesn’t dry out.
My family loved this recipe. I will definitely make this again. So easy and delicious.
Thanks Elizabeth!