Festive Candy Cane Pizza Breadsticks Recipe
Festive Candy Cane Pizza Breadsticks are a fun and delicious holiday appetizer featuring twisted pizza dough shaped like candy canes, topped with swirled marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect as a festive treat, these breadsticks are aromatic with oregano and olive oil, baked to golden perfection, and optionally garnished with fresh herbs for an extra pop of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Total Time: 22-25 minutes
- Yield: 8 breadsticks 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Components
- 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh thyme or basil (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing it to prevent the breadsticks from sticking.
- Shape Dough: Unroll the refrigerated pizza dough and cut it into strips about 1 inch wide. Gently twist each strip and curve one end to form a candy cane shape, giving a festive and fun look to your breadsticks.
- Add Toppings: Lightly spoon marinara sauce over each candy cane-shaped dough strip, creating a swirled pattern that mimics the red stripes of a candy cane. Then place small dollops or thin strips of shredded mozzarella cheese between the sauce swirls to replicate the white stripes.
- Season and Prepare for Baking: Brush the exposed dough edges with olive oil to ensure a golden, crispy finish. Sprinkle dried oregano evenly over the breadsticks for added herbaceous flavor.
- Bake: Bake the breadsticks in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the dough turns golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and lightly caramelized.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally, garnish with fresh thyme or basil leaves. Serve the warm breadsticks with extra marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- For a crisper crust, bake the breadsticks directly on the baking sheet without parchment paper.
- Add a sprinkle of garlic powder to the dough or topping for enhanced flavor depth.
- Try different cheeses like provolone or Parmesan to switch up the taste profile.
- Incorporate a pinch of red pepper flakes into the marinara sauce for a spicy kick.
- You can prepare these breadsticks in advance; refrigerate and reheat in the oven before serving.
Keywords: festive breadsticks, candy cane breadsticks, pizza dough breadsticks, holiday appetizer, mozzarella breadsticks, baked breadsticks, marinara breadsticks, Italian appetizer
