Description
These festive Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks combine cheesy, garlicky spinach dip sandwiched between layers of pizza dough, twisted into a beautiful tree shape and baked to golden perfection. Perfect as a holiday appetizer or party snack, they are buttery, flavorful, and fun to make and share.
Ingredients
Scale
Breadsticks
- 12 oz Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (13.8 oz)
Butter Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the breadsticks.
- Prepare Spinach Dip: In a mixing bowl, beat together the thawed, dried chopped spinach and softened cream cheese until smooth. Add minced garlic, salt, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. Beat until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Shape Pizza Dough: Unroll the refrigerated pizza crust onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use a pizza cutter to cut out one large triangle shaped like a Christmas tree and two smaller triangles. Move the smaller triangles to a second sheet of parchment paper, aligning their straight edges together to form a second, identical tree-shaped triangle of dough.
- Assemble Layers: Spread the prepared spinach dip evenly across the second triangle of dough. Carefully flip the first triangle over this layer, creating a sandwich of pizza dough with the spinach dip in the middle.
- Cut Tree Slices: Make vertical cuts from near the center out to the sides every inch or so on both left and right sides of the dough, leaving about an inch in the center intact. These will form the branches of the tree.
- Twist Branches: Grab each sliced section and twist it upwards to create twisted breadstick ‘branches.’ Shorter pieces at the top should be twisted about halfway around, while longer pieces near the bottom can be twisted two or three full turns to add texture and appearance.
- Bake: Place the shaped breadstick tree on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the breadsticks are golden brown on top and cooked through on the bottom. Avoid undercooking for best texture.
- Prepare Butter Topping: While baking, melt the butter in a small bowl and stir in Italian seasoning and garlic powder or garlic salt until well combined.
- Brush and Serve: Immediately after removing breadsticks from the oven, brush the seasoned melted butter over the entire breadstick tree. Serve warm for a festive and delicious appetizer.
Notes
- For detailed guidance on shaping the tree, watch the accompanying video tutorial provided in the original recipe post.
- Ensure spinach is thoroughly squeezed to avoid excess water making the dough soggy.
- Use fresh or good-quality shredded cheeses for best flavor and meltability.
- Serve with marinara or ranch dip for added flavor options.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 breadstick
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
