Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones

from 3 votes

Turn store-bought pizza dough into a spooky snack or side with this easy recipe for Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones, complete with marinara “blood” for dunking.

Several baked, cheesy breadstick bones with a small bowl of marinara sauce beside the breadsticks. An end of one of the breadsticks is dipped in marinara.

I can hardly wait for the month of October to roll around every year because it signals many a good thing in the world of food. First and foremost, football season is in full swing, so chicken wings, pizza pockets and my go-to gameday beef chili enter the regular weekly rotation. And second, it’s finally acceptable to share the creepy, crawly creations I’ve been dreaming up all year.

I realize we are still a few days shy of October 1, but I have so many Halloween-inspired treats to share this year that I couldn’t wait another week to break out the first recipe: Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones.

This recipe can be as homemade or as store-bought as your heart desires. Opt for my Ultimate Homemade Pizza Dough paired with 10-Minute Marinara Sauce, or use your favorite supermarket alternatives. Regardless of what route you go, the result is the easiest, cheesiest breadstick bones complete with marinara “blood” for dipping.

Not sufficiently creeped out yet? Don’t miss my Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops, Red Velvet Pudding with Meringue Bones, Halloween Candy Bark and more Halloween dessert recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Super-fast. If you use store-bought pizza dough, this Halloween bread is ready in about 30 minutes.
  • Minimal ingredients. This recipe takes just 5 ingredients—and two of them are flour (for dusting) and pizza dough.
  • Festive. A simple snip with scissors takes these from cheesy breadsticks to Halloween breadsticks.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour: A dusting of all-purpose flour will keep the pizza dough from sticking to the countertop as you roll and shape the Halloween bread.
  • Pizza dough: You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough to make these breadsticks. 
  • Unsalted butter: Melted unsalted butter will help the grated cheese stick to the dough, but also help the breadsticks brown and add flavor. 
  • Parmesan cheese: Grated Parmesan adds cheesy goodness (and some nutty flavor) to this recipe. You can use pre-grated Parmesan if you prefer. 
  • Mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella cheese melts incredibly well, turning this Halloween bread from cheesy to CHEESY.
  • Marinara sauce: Dipping these breadsticks in marinara is totally optional, but entirely delicious. 

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions

  • Make it dairy-free. You could use your favorite dairy-free Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and vegan butter instead of their dairy counterparts. 
  • Make it gluten-free. Swap in gluten-free flour for dusting and gluten-free pizza dough.

How to Make Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Shape the breadstick bones. Divide the pizza dough into 10 equally-sized balls, then roll each ball into an 8-inch rope, keeping each rope’s end slightly larger than the middle. Place 5 ropes onto each baking sheet, spaced a couple of inches apart.
Three pieces of dough rolled out into ropes beside 7 balls of dough on a floured wooden cutting board.
  1. Snip the breadsticks. Using scissors, cut a slit 1-inch into each end of the breadstick and use your fingers to lightly stretch the ends.
A pair of kitchen shears snipping the end of a rope of dough. A snipped and shaped breadstick bone sits beside it.
  1. Brush with butter and cheese. Brush each breadstick with the melted butter and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Shaped breadstick bones topped with grated Parmesan cheese on a baking sheet lined with Silpat. Beside the baking sheet sits small bowls of grated cheese and melted butter, with a pastry brush balanced on top of the bowl of butter.
  1. Bake. Bake the breadsticks for 15 minutes, sprinkle with the mozzarella, then bake for 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from the oven and serve with marinara for dipping (if you want!).

Kelly’s Recipe Tips

  • Let the Pizza Dough Come to Room Temperature: Pizza dough is easiest to roll when it’s at room temperature, rather than chilled.
  • Use Kitchen Scissors: Kitchen scissors are the perfect tool for snipping these breadsticks into bones. Don’t try to use a knife: It will be much harder to cleanly cut through the dough.
  • Try a Different Dipping Sauce: While I love marinara sauce with these Halloween breadsticks, they’d also be great with Quick Beer Cheese Dip or Cowboy Butter.

Storage and Freezer Tips

Leftover breadsticks will last in the fridge for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container.

You can also freeze the baked, cooled bread. Placed in a zipperlock bag, the knots can be stored this way for up to 3 months. You can reheat the breadsticks at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes (or until warmed through).

FrequentlyAsked Questions

Can you dye bread black? 

While my Halloween bread isn’t dyed black, you can easily do so by adding activated charcoal powder. (Spooky!)

Can you use any cheese for cheesy Halloween breadsticks?

You can substitute pecorino romano for the Parmesan (though it’ll be a bit funkier-tasting than Parmesan) and another good melting cheese for the mozzarella, like cheddar.

More Spooky Treats

Cheesy breadsticks in the shape of bones next to a small bowl containing marinara sauce.
Craving more? Subscribe to Just a Taste to get new recipes, meal plans and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Side Dish

Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones

Add a spooky snack to your Fright Night bash with a quick and easy recipe for Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones.
Author: Kelly Senyei
5 from 3 votes
Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 10 breadsticks

Ingredients 

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting work surface
  • 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Lightly flour your work surface.
  • Divide the dough into 10 equal balls. Roll each ball into an 8-inch rope slightly larger on the ends. Arrange five breadsticks on each baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Using scissors, cut a 1-inch slit on the ends of each breadstick and gently stretch each of the cut pieces apart to form the ends of the bones.
  • Brush the breadsticks with the melted butter then sprinkle on the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake the breadsticks for about 15 minutes then remove them from the oven and top them with the mozzarella cheese. Return the breadsticks to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove the breadsticks from the oven and serve them warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

Kelly’s Notes

  • Pizza dough is easiest to roll when it’s at room temperature, rather than chilled.
  • Kitchen scissors are the perfect tool for snipping these breadsticks into bones. Don’t try to use a knife: It will be much harder to cleanly cut through the dough.
  • While I love marinara sauce with these Halloween breadsticks, they’d also be great with Quick Beer Cheese Dip or Cowboy Butter.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 475mg, Potassium: 15mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 189IU, Calcium: 112mg, Iron: 1mg

Shoutout

Did you try this recipe?

Share it with the world! Mention @justataste or tag #justatasterecipes!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.


Feeling social?

Share this recipe!

Categories

Related Recipes

Check out more crave-worthy favorites

Kelly Senyei holding a copy of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook

love the recipes on just a taste?

Check out my cookbook!

Order your copy of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook featuring 125 brand-new family-friendly recipes with surprisingly tasty twists!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Join the Conversation

Rate and Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

    1. Hi Shelly – I’ve never tried freezing them so I’m not sure what the texture would be like once they’re defrosted. Definitely let me know if you give it a shot!

    1. I made these for my grandchildren and mine were also “fatty bones” lol. But they smell amazing. We’ll see what the grandchildren think
      p.s I originally had these at 8 inch lengths, but they kept shrinking back, which why I think they turned out fat bones

      1. Hi Natalie! I haven’t tried that so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be, but I think it *should* work!

    1. Hi Trish! I’ve never tried freezing them so I’m not sure what the texture would be like once they’re defrosted. Definitely let me know if you give it a shot!

  1. I would make meringue bones but didn’t think to do breadsticks! I make pizza dough all the time so this is perfect for this year’s halloween party. Thanks! :)

  2. Oh, here comes my favourite holiday of all. I love Halloween so much, it’s all about creativity on this holiday. I already started to stash and try some recipes and this one looks really promising. The idea is really simple and I love that it looks quite safe to eat xD Not that the other recipes are not, it’s just most of them look packed with chemicals and this one is more natural, which is rare these days.

  3. LOVE these! Not only are the perfect for a Halloween party but they look delish as well – pinned!