These Cheesy Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizzas are fun, easy to make, and great for a festive weeknight dinner. Try smaller versions to serve as appetizers at your next holiday party. The naan-bread crust cuts down on prep time and makes for a delicious thin-and-crispy crust. Add your favorite veggies to make these cute Christmas tree pesto pizzas come to life.
If you like adding some holiday flare to your regular weeknight meals, be sure to make these fun and festive Cheesy Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizzas. They’re quick and easy to throw together and are so much fun to decorate. These festive naan pizzas taste delicious and go great with a side salad.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizzas!
- Fun and festive – Pesto is great to enjoy all year round, but it’s especially fun to use on these Christmas tree-shaped naan pizzas. The pesto gives the pizza a nice green color, and colorful veggies serve as decorations for the tree.
- Easy to make – Since store-bought naan bread is used as the pizza crust, this recipe comes together really fast, and you don’t need too many additional ingredients, The naan is nice and thin, so it takes about 15 minutes to bake in the oven.
- Customizable to everyone’s liking – Prepare a plate of optional toppings, and each person can make their own pizza, based on what veggies they enjoy. Children love to decorate their own pizza trees.
Cheesy Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizza Recipe Ingredients
- Naan Bread – Use whatever size naan you like for this recipe. I used large pieces that I bought in a two-pack at the grocery store, but I’ve also seen medium- and even small-sized naan bites sold. It may be harder to cut the bread into a tree shape with the smaller options, but they would make cute little appetizers. If you can’t find naan, use pita or flatbread.
- Cheese – This recipe uses shredded mozarella cheese. It’s important to use shredded cheese because it is mixed in with the pesto sauce. Your pizza will have a more vibrant green color if you use white cheese, but yellow cheese can also be used if you have it on hand.
- Pesto – Homemade or store-bought pesto sauce both work well in this recipe. I like making my own pesto because it’s fresh and vibrant in color compared to some store-bought options. For this recipe, I made a pesto using basil and kale. Let me know if you’d like more info on that!
- Toppings – You can use whatever pizza toppings you want for these Christmas tree pesto pizzas. I went simple and used bell peppers and onions. Other topping ideas include black olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh herbs, pineapple, or any other pizza ingredients you like!
How To Make Christmas Tree Pesto Pizza with Naan Bread
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (optional). I like to use a little tree stencil to help cut the naan bread, but you can go free-hand as well. I sketched a quick tree shape on some cardstock and placed it over the naan before cutting around it with a small knife. Cut your naan bread into tree shapes, however you like, and place them on the baking sheet.
- Add the shredded cheese to a medium-sized bowl, pour in the pesto, and mix until completely combined. If using large-sized naan like I did, place half of the cheese and pesto mixture on each piece. Use the back of a small spoon to spread out the cheese mixture until it fully covers the entire piece. You can also use your fingers to ensure it spreads fully to the edges.
- Decorate the naan trees with your favorite pizza toppings. You can decorate them in a pattern or design, or sprinkle them on. Place pizzas in the oven and bake until cheese is completely melted and the edges are light brown and crispy.
- Allow pizzas to cool for a few minutes before eating. Top with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs, if desired.
Pesto Pizza Is A Great Way To Pack In Extra Veggies
Pesto is traditionally made using just basil, but there are so many versions out there, and you can pack tons of healthy veggies in. I like to use a cup or so of fresh herbs, like basil or cilantro, and then a few cups of fresh kale or baby spinach as a filler. These fresh herbs flavor the pesto enough to where you don’t taste a strong kale or spinach flavor, but you still benefit from all of their nutrients!
I also like to go veggie-heavy on my pizza toppings. You can use traditional toppings like onion, mushroom, olives, and peppers, or you can add fun things like green peas, broccoli, tomato, or jalapeño. The more colors you can add, the more antioxidants you will consume, which is great if you’re trying to reduce inflammation inside your body.
Pesto Pizza Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can this recipe be made vegan? Yes, use a shredded vegan mozzarella cheese. You may need to turn the oven to broil for a minute to get the cheese melty.
- Can these naan pizzas be made gluten-free? I’m not sure how easy it is to find gluten-free naan bread at the grocery store, but you can certainly make your own. You can also look for a store-bought gluten-free flatbread to use in place of the naan.
- Can other toppings be used? Yes! I went pretty simple with the Christmas tree toppings, but you can use whatever ingredients you like. Let me know if you have any questions about that.
- Can mini naan bread be used? Yes, you can make this recipe into party appetizers using mini naan bread to make these pesto pizzas.
- How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an airtight container, leftovers should last for about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Easy Vegetarian Pizza Recipes?
Mini Tortilla Pizzas with Roasted Vegetables
Vegetarian French Bread Pizzas with Pesto
Easy Thai Vegetable Pita Pizzas
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Cheesy Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizza
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Cheesy Christmas Tree Naan Pesto Pizzas are fun and easy to make and great for a festive weeknight dinner, or make smaller ones to serve as appetizers at your next holiday party! Using naan bread as a crust cuts down on prep time and makes for a delicious thin and crispy crust. Add your favorite veggies to make these cute Christmas tree pesto pizzas come to life!
Ingredients
- 1 (8.8 oz) package naan bread, 2 in the pack
- 1 1/5 cups shredded mozarella cheese
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
- Pizza toppings of choice (bell peppers, onion, olives, pineapple, tomato, mushrooms, etc…)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (optional). I like to use a little tree stencil to help cut the naan bread with, but you can just go free-hand as well. I just sketched a quick tree shape on some cardstock and placed it over the naan and then cut around it with a small knife. Cut your naan bread into tree shapes, however you like, and place them on the baking sheet.
- Add shredded cheese to a medium sized bowl, pour in the pesto and mix together until completely combined. If using large sized naan, like I did, place half of the cheese and pesto mixture on each piece. Use the back of a small spoon to help spread out the cheese mixture until it fully covers the entire piece. You can also use your fingers to make sure it gets fully to the edges.
- Decorate the naan trees with your favorite pizza toppings. You can make a special design or you can just sprinkle them on. Place pizzas in the oven and bake until cheese is completely melted and the edges are light brown and crispy.
- Allow pizzas to cool for a few minutes before eating. Top with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes or fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
Uses for the part of the naan that you cut off: toss with olive oil and spices and roast at 425 for 5-10 minutes, until crispy. Dip in marinara or pesto sauce.
I used two large pieces of naan bread for this recipe, but you could also make cute little appetizers using the packaged naan bread bites.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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