Christmas Veggie Pizza

Easy Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza Recipe

Christmas is right around the corner. And one of my favorite ways to celebrate is with this Christmas veggie pizza. 

I know. Cold pizza for Christmas? But hear me out on this one. This veggie pizza is layered with chive cream cheese, then decorated with veggies to look like a Christmas tree. How cute is that? And it tastes great too! 

The best part about this recipe is that it doesn’t take much time at all! Just grab whatever fresh veggies you have in your fridge and you’re halfway there. 

What is Veggie Pizza Made Of?

Fresh veggie pizza is made with just a few super simple ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Crescent Roll Dough – Crescent roll dough forms the crust for this cold veggie pizza.
• Cream Cheese – The base of our spread. I like to use whipped chive cream cheese to enhance the flavor of the green onions. 
• Sour Cream – A little bit of sour cream mixed into the cream cheese helps thin it out and cuts the richness with a subtle tangy flavor. 
• Veggies – Our veggie pizza toppings include, of course, a ton of fresh veggies. We’re decorating with a combination of red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, broccoli florets, carrots, tomatoes, red onion, and green onion.

How to Make Cold Veggie Pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF, then lay the crescent roll dough sheets onto a baking sheet. Pinch the seams closed, tuck any excess around the edges, then bake until golden-brown. Cool completely.
2. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and sour cream until fully combined. Spread over the cooled dough. 
3. Use a vegetable or cookie cutter to cut the peppers into star shapes, prep the rest of the veggies, then use a butter knife to draw an outline in the shape of a Christmas tree in the cream cheese. 
4. Fill in the tree with broccoli florets, then use cauliflower to dot “ornaments” all around the tree. Sprinkle carrots all over, then add a big star on top and smaller stars throughout. Finish with halved tomatoes, red onion, and green onion.

Tips for Christmas Veggie Pizza

Here are a few things to keep in mind when I make this cream cheese veggie pizza! 

• Be sure to pinch the seams of the crescent roll dough closed so it bakes into a single sheet.
• Cool the dough completely before you add the cream cheese mixture and the veggies. If you put the spread on before the crust is cooled, it will get runny.
• When you add the cream cheese spread, make sure you leave roughly an inch of space around the edges. This is the “crust” and makes each piece easier to grab.
• Cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces to create the perfect balance in each bite. We don’t want big chunks!
• Making this during another season? Feel free to skip the Christmas tree design and just sprinkle the veggies over the crust as you would any regular pizza. 
• If you happen to have any leftover cream cheese spread, serve it as a dip with sliced veggies or crackers. You could even mix a couple of seasonings in there to spice it up a bit!

Variations

• Make it cheesy. A hard cheese like shredded parmesan or pecorino romano gives the pizza a delicious layer of bold flavor. Shredded cheddar cheese would also be a delicious addition. You can’t really go wrong with a little bit of cheese. 
• Looking for something sweeter? Try a fruit cream cheese spread and swap the veggies for berries or other sliced fruit. You could also check out my Fruit Pizza Recipe!
• Make it meaty by ditching the veggies and adding mini pepperoni for a meat and cheese appetizer.
• Give it a Southwestern flavor twist by mixing a sprinkle of taco seasoning into the cream cheese mixture, then topping the pizza with shredded cheddar, cilantro, avocado, and even some cooked taco meat. 

Storage and Reheating

Storage: For the best flavor and texture, I recommend serving fresh veggie pizza immediately after assembly. If you do have leftovers, they will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheating: No reheating necessary! This fresh veggie pizza is served cold!

Freezing: I definitely do not recommend freezing cream cheese veggie pizza. The texture of the spread and veggies will not hold up when thawed.

What Veggies Go Well on Pizza?

Our veggie pizza toppings include fresh red and yellow bell pepper, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and green onion. In my opinion, this is the perfect blend of colors, flavors, and textures for this pizza. 

However, you can totally customize your pizza to your liking. If there’s another veggie you think sounds good, feel free to give that a go. Try it with diced zucchini, cucumber, radishes, you name it.  

Do You Cook Veggies Before Putting on Pizza?

Nope! Well, not for cold veggie pizza anyway. The veggies are added to the pizza fresh which provides a delicious crunch in each bite.

How Do You Make Veggie Pizza Not Soggy?

There are a couple of things you can do to make sure your pizza doesn’t end up too soft or soggy:

• Fully bake the crust. Make sure you let the crescent roll dough bake until it’s golden-brown. We want it to be baked enough that it holds up well under the toppings.
• Cool the crust first. If the crust is hot when you spread the cream cheese/sour cream on it, the spread will just melt and make the crust soggy.
• Serve immediately. I recommend serving right away after assembling the pizza. It will naturally soften up as it sits.