Description
These Pizza Cupcakes are a fun and delicious twist on traditional pizza, perfect for parties or a unique snack. Made with a store-bought pizza crust and topped with classic pizza ingredients like mozzarella, pepperoni, and pizza sauce, these bite-sized treats are easy to prepare and bake in a muffin tin for about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Base
- Cooking spray
- 1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Toppings
- 8 medium cherry tomatoes
- 8 tablespoons pizza sauce (such as Classico)
- 8 teaspoons shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese (additional)
- 8 teaspoons finely chopped red onion
- 8 slices pepperoni, quartered
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare muffin tin: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease 8 cups of a muffin tin thoroughly with cooking spray to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of the pizza cupcakes.
- Prepare the dough cups: Roll out the refrigerated pizza crust and cut into pieces large enough to line each muffin cup, pressing the dough firmly into the cups to form a crust base and walls for the pizza cupcakes.
- Assemble the pizza cupcakes: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce evenly into each dough-lined muffin cup. Add a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce, followed by quartered pepperoni slices, finely chopped red onion, and a halved cherry tomato on top of each.
- Season and add finishing cheese layer: Sprinkle each cupcake with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt to taste. Then, top each with a final sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese for a bubbly, golden finish.
- Bake the pizza cupcakes: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and serve: Once baked, remove the pizza cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before carefully removing to prevent breaking. Serve warm as a delightful snack or appetizer.
Notes
- Make sure to grease the muffin tin cups well for easy removal.
- You can substitute pepperoni with other favorite pizza toppings like sausage or vegetables.
- If you prefer a spicier version, increase the red pepper flakes according to your taste.
- These can be made ahead and reheated in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
