Festive Candy Cane Pizza Breadsticks (Printable Version)
Fluffy twisted dough shaped like candy canes with garlic butter, mozzarella, and pepperoni stripes—perfect holiday party finger food.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
→ Toppings
02 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
03 - 24-32 slices pepperoni
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 1 clove garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
→ To Serve
08 - 1 cup marinara sauce for dipping
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.
03 - Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal strips lengthwise.
04 - Take one strip, twist it slightly, and shape it into a candy cane. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips, spacing them apart.
05 - Brush each breadstick with melted butter mixed with minced garlic.
06 - Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over each breadstick.
07 - Arrange pepperoni slices diagonally along each breadstick to mimic candy cane stripes.
08 - Sprinkle with Parmesan and Italian herbs.
09 - Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
10 - Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The way melted cheese and pepperoni create those perfect candy cane stripes makes everyone smile before they even take a bite
- These disappear faster than you can bake them, so consider making a double batch if your house is anything like mine
02 -
- Twisting the dough too tightly makes it snap when you try to shape it into candy cane hooks
- Overfilling with cheese causes it to melt off onto the baking sheet instead of staying on the breadsticks
03 -
- Let the dough come to room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling, it makes shaping much easier
- Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking so all the breadsticks brown evenly