Keto Spinach Christmas Tree Bread

Keto spinach bread shaped like a Christmas tree, cooling on a wire rack beside a bowl of marinara Save to Pinterest
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Introduction

A friend used to bring a spinach Christmas tree to our annual Christmas party, and it was always a hit. That’s what inspired this one. Don’t tell her, but we think this version is just as good — if not better — than the original.

The shape really is half the appeal. Garlicky spinach goes between two layers of dough, the whole thing is cut into a tree, and then each branch gets a twist. It looks like you spent far longer decorating it than you actually did, which is a pretty good holiday trick.

It is also the savory one in our holiday collection, alongside the Low Carb Keto Peppermint Cookies and the Keto Eggnog — useful when everything else on the table is sweet.

Dough for Keto Spinach Christmas Tree

The traditional version is built on pizza or croissant dough, which is where all the carbs are. This uses Fat Head dough instead — basically cheese and almond flour.

Cheese and almond flour do not sound like dough, but once mixed and baked they get us much closer to the taste and texture we want here. We use the same kind of dough for our Keto Cinnamon Pretzels and Low Carb Keto Italian Garlic Breadsticks too.

One Thing to Do Before You Shape the Tree

Cook the spinach first and let it cool before you sandwich it between the two pieces of dough.

Then comes the fun part: cut the tree shape, make the branch cuts, and twist each branch. This is one of those recipes where the final shape looks more intimidating than the actual process.

And do not throw away the scraps. The recipe uses the extra dough and filling to make little balls that can bake alongside the tree. Holiday appetizer, plus bonus snacks. Hard to argue with that.

Keto Spinach Christmas Tree Bread

Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
American

Ingredients

All Ingredients

Nutrition Facts

6 servings per recipe
Trans Fat 0g 0% 0g 0%
Sugar Alcohols 0g 0% 0g 0%
Allulose 0g 0% 0g 0%

About these numbers: We are home cooks, not certified nutritionists. Nutrition is shared as a courtesy. We pick a representative product for each ingredient, and our recipe system works out the totals from the amounts in this recipe, so please treat them as a helpful estimate rather than a guarantee. The brands you buy, any swaps you make, and how generously you portion the recipe will all move these numbers.

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, large enough to take the whole tree in one piece.

  2. Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat.

  3. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

  4. Mix in the spinach, and cook until wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool.

  5. In a bowl that is microwave safe, combine the mozzarella and cream cheese.

  6. Heat for 30 seconds at a time until melted and well combined into a dough.

  7. Add the cheese dough to a mixing bowl with the almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, ¼ tsp of the garlic powder, ¼ tsp of the Italian seasoning, pinch of salt, egg and flaxseed meal. Beat on high until well combined.

  8. Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a rectangular shape that is roughly the same size as the other.

  9. On one half of the dough, spread the spinach mixture all over the surface.

  10. Place the other layer of dough over the first, and press the edges closed.

  11. Cut the tree freehand, leaving a spine down the middle.

    With a knife or a pizza wheel, cut a tall triangle out of the layered dough — the whole width of the rectangle at the base, tapering to a point at the top — leaving a small rectangular stub below the middle of the base for the trunk.

    Leave a band of dough about two fingers wide running down the center from tip to trunk, uncut. That spine is what holds the tree together once the branches are twisted; cut through it and it falls apart into separate breadsticks.

  12. Cut the branches in from each side.

    Working down from the tip, cut in from each edge towards the spine and stop short of it, making pairs of strips roughly a finger wide. They get longer as the triangle widens, which is what gives the tree its shape.

  13. Twist each branch.

    Take each strip and turn it over on itself a couple of times, so the spinach spirals through it and the cut faces end up on top.

    Gather the offcuts and any leftover filling into small balls and bake them alongside the tree, so nothing is wasted.

  14. Top with the remaining garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

  15. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Notes

  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
  • Reheat them in a low oven or an air fryer rather than the microwave. The microwave is quicker, but the dough comes out a little too doughy.

How To Serve It

Serve it warm, while the cheese is still melty and the dough still has some flake to it.

The branches are meant to be pulled off by hand, which is half the fun and half the problem if you are feeding a crowd. If you would rather not have everyone reaching over one another, pre-cut the branches before the tree goes on the table.

We eat it with Rao’s marinara for dipping. Put a bowl next to the tree and let people pull, dip, and keep going.

Can You Make It Ahead?

Partly. The spinach has to be cooked and completely cooled before it goes between the layers, and that part keeps perfectly well in the refrigerator — so cooking the filling the day before is a real head start, and it is the step that holds you up on the day.

Shape and bake the tree on the day you plan to eat it. The recipe is written to be assembled and baked in one go, so the dough and filling should meet only when you are ready to bake.

Please rate the recipe below and tell us how it went in the comments — and the hashtag is #buttertogetherkitchen if you post a photo of yours.

Updated — September 18, 2026: The opening leads with the tree itself, and the make-ahead section says which part can genuinely be prepared a day ahead.

Correction — September 18, 2026: The oven temperature is 350°F, which the card previously omitted, and there is now a preheat step at the start of the method.