Pizza Cupcakes Recipe- Food Meanderings

Name: 🍕 Pizza Cupcakes Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pizza dough recipe (* 15 minute pizza dough); 3/4 cup pizza sauce (* your favorite store-bought or homemade pizza sauce- I use Primo's traditional); 3/4 cup bacon (or any meat) chopped (* you can use ham, pepperoni, turkey bacon, sausage ); 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 1/3 cup red onion, chopped; 200 ml -can sliced black olives

These Pizza Cupcakes are like individual deep dish pizzas, baked in a muffin tin. They are not only delicious, but easy to make and the perfect snack for game day, movie night, and packing along in a lunch bag! And they can be made Weight Watchers friendly by using 2 ingredient WW pizza dough or lactose-free or dairy-free! I was intrigued when I first heard about Pizza Cupcakes, so obviously, I had to create my own version.

Pizza cupcake on a white plate with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese sprinkles on plate

How can you go wrong with pizza in the form of a cupcake? You get to have your very own little handheld pizza that's not only delicious, but easy to make, a great snack for game day, movie night, and perfect for packing along in a lunch bag. And you can fill them with your favorite pizza toppings!

🍒Reader Review

"Everyone loves these cupcakes! We do many variations, and they're always a hit. They freeze, then reheat very well. The latest variation was Queso, then taco meat then mexican cheese - divine. And the 15 minute pizza dough is a recipe I use frequently - it's perfect as well!!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jump to:

🍒Reader Review
🍕🧁What are Pizza Cupcakes?
🥘Ingredient Notes
📖 Variations & Substitutions
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Pizza Cupcakes
Expert Recipe Tips
🍽 Equipment
🥗 What to Eat with Pizza Cupcakes
🌡️Storage
👪 Serving size
🔢WW Points: Make them Weight Watchers Friendly
❔ Recipe FAQs
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🍕 Pizza Cupcakes Recipe

Since cupcakes are often associated with sweet, I'll admit it's not easy for me to get my head around savory cupcakes. If you feel the same, I can guarantee that when you try these Pizza Cupcakes, you'll have no problem making that mental shift!

🍕🧁What are Pizza Cupcakes?

They are made with pizza toppings, in the form of a filling (much like deep dish pizzas), encased in a quick and simple pizza dough (because homemade is always the best.) Although, you can use store-bought pizza dough if you prefer or are really pressed for time. Essentially, these guys are mini pizzas, in the form of a savory cupcake!

Pizza cupcake on a white plate with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese sprinkles on plate and muffin tin in the background

But pizza cupcakes are different than pizza muffins because they are not a muffin! These are made with a rolled pizza crust that's molded into a muffin tin and filled with pizza toppings, then topped with cheese. Pizza muffins are made with a batter and have the texture of a muffin.

🥘Ingredient Notes

Pizza dough recipe or refrigerated pizza dough from the grocery store. I use my 15 minute pizza dough recipe for these pizza cupcakes.
Pizza sauce. Use your favorite brand- I use Primo's traditional.
Bacon (or any meat). You can use ham, pepperoni, mini pepperonis, turkey bacon, sausage.

*See recipe for full list of ingredients and quantities

📖 Variations & Substitutions

🍕Which Pizza Dough to use?

You could also use any pizza dough you wish with this recipe, such as my Bread Machine Pizza Dough Recipe, or lighten it up and make it WW friendly with my 2 ingredient Weight Watchers Pizza Dough. If you're in a hurry, store-bought pizza dough will also work! But I love this pizza dough because it's so quick and easy!

Dairy-free: I love this pizza dough recipe and I've been using it for years! It's super quick and easy, and it's also dairy-free! We recently discovered that my daughter is lactose intolerant so I've been trying to make as many lactose and dairy-free recipes as possible. This pizza dough is dairy-free and I used a lactose-free cheese in this pizza cupcake, although you could use any type of cheese if you don't need the recipe to be lactose free.

Toppings/Fillings:

And you can make these pizza cupcakes with your choice of toppings (fillings) you have on hand. I made them with red onion, bacon and sliced black olives (my kids LOVE it when they get REAL bacon!)

meat: bacon or turkey bacon, ham or pepperoni (or turkey pepperoni) NOTE: *If I'm using bacon, I use the Costco pre-cooked bacon because you can take it out of the freezer in individual pieces, microwave it and it's so much less messy and greasy!
make them vegetarian/meatless
onion (green, red or white onion)
cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, marble, feta
black olives
jalapenos
green peppers
mushrooms

Spicy:

You can make these spicier by adding crushed red pepper in the filling or sprinkling it on afterwards. You can also use jalapenos in the filling to spice it up!

🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Pizza Cupcakes

PREP: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Prepare pizza dough according to the recipe you are using. I use my quick and easy, naturally dairy-free 15-minute pizza dough (see my other recommendations in notes).

dough on lightly floured surface with rolling pin in background

Step 1: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Step 2: Roll out the dough to about ⅛ inch thick.

Step 3: Cut with a round cutter (a mug or anything round about 4 inches in diameter).

Step 4: Press each circle into the muffin tin.

Step 5: In a small bowl, mix toppings (sauce, onion, olives, meat, and only ½ cup of the cheese, reserving the other ½ of the cheese for topping). Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture into each dough-lined cup, dividing evenly among all 12. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese on top, dividing evenly among all 2.

Step 6: Bake in a preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

Expert Recipe Tips

Don't overload with sauce. Use just enough to coat the filling and keep the flavors balanced, because too much sauce can make the bottoms soggy.
Pre-cook watery toppings. Vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, or spinach release moisture while baking, so sauté them first to remove excess liquid and prevent soggy cupcakes.
Cut dough rounds slightly larger. Roll the dough thin and cut rounds a bit larger than your muffin tin openings so they press in easily and fully cover the sides, creating a "cup" that holds the filling without shrinking back.
Add a barrier layer. Sprinkle a little mozzarella at the bottom before adding the filling, which helps absorb moisture and keeps the crust crisp.
Let them rest before removing. Allow the cupcakes to sit in the pan for 2-3 minutes after baking so they firm up and are easier to remove without tearing the crust.
Cool on a wire rack. Place the pizza cupcakes on a cooling rack once removed, instead of leaving them in the muffin tin or on a flat surface, to prevent steam from building up underneath and making the bottoms soft.
Experiment with cheese blends. Using a mix of mozzarella with a sharper cheese (like provolone or cheddar) adds depth of flavor and melts beautifully.
Make extra and freeze. These freeze and reheat really well, so consider doubling the batch. Freeze them individually on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag to prevent sticking.

🍽 Equipment

You'll need a rolling pin, a muffin pan and a cutting board/pastry board (affiliate links)for this easy pizza cupcakes recipe.

one pizza cupcake sitting on muffin tin with other pizza cupcakes in the muffin tin

If you love muffin tin recipes, check out my Easy Mediterranean Chicken and Wild Rice Cups, my Gluten-free Ham & Rice Benedict, my Greek Lasagna & Garlic Toast cups, and Mini Cherry Cheesecakes.

I've always been a fan of individual servings, especially when it comes to party food. I've personally had some bad experiences with 'communal food, ' hence the reason I also created these Individual Cheesy Party Pull Aparts! Plus it's like having a mini pizza all to yourself!

Pizza cupcake split in half on a white plate with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese sprinkles on plate

🥗 What to Eat with Pizza Cupcakes

It's not that you need a side dish with pizza, but I think it's always good to get some veggies with any meal. I serve these with cucumber slices and/or baby carrots and maybe some fruit or a side salad, especially if they're going in the lunch box!

2 pizza cupcakes in a clear bento box with blue dividers, with baby carrots in one section and fruit cup in a small container in another

If you're making them to eat at home, I recommend serving them with a salad such as this Strawberry Spinach Pecan Salad or a veggie side like Quick Cucumber Kimchi

🌡️Storage

They are just as tasty cold as they are warm. Just keep leftover pizza cupcakes refrigerated (but only for up to 4 days).

👪 Serving size

You can also cut this recipe in ½ by adjusting the serving size on my recipe card. Just click on the serving size. But you'll probably end up wanting to double the recipe. My kids couldn't get enough, so I made sure to make double the next time. As I noted, they freeze and reheat really well and are also great cold!

🔢WW Points: Make them Weight Watchers Friendly

2 ingredient Weight Watchers Pizza Dough
Use turkey bacon, turkey sausage, or turkey pepperoni
Use low-fat cheese

* Using turkey bacon and low-fat mozzarella cheese, they are instantly WW friendly!

❔ Recipe FAQs

Can these pizza cupcakes be frozen and reheated?

Yes! They freeze really well and taste freshly baked when they are reheated. Remove them from the muffin tins after they are baked, allow them to cool for 10 minutes, then place them in a freezable airtight container, or in a plastic freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you go to reheat them, 30-40 seconds is about the right amount of time, but that will also depend on the wattage of your microwave.

Can I use puff pastry or crescent roll dough instead of pizza dough?

Yes, both puff pastry and crescent roll dough will work for a fun twist, though the texture will be different. Puff pastry will be flakier, while crescent roll dough will be softer and more bread-like.

How can I keep the bottoms from getting soggy?

Make sure not to overload the filling with too much sauce or watery vegetables. You can also sprinkle a little shredded cheese at the bottom before adding the filling to create a barrier.

Can I make pizza cupcakes ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare them a day in advance, store them in the fridge, and reheat them in the oven or microwave. They also freeze well, so you can bake them, cool completely, then freeze for quick grab-and-go snacks.

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My kids LOVED these Pizza Cupcakes. Seriously, they even fought over them. Since they are picky teenagers, I always feel pretty flattered when they think my food is fight-worthy. And if there's one thing we know, teenagers love, it's pizza! So if you love mini pizzas too, then give these a try!

Enjoy!

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