These savory, cheesy pizza bites are irresistibly spooky and bound to be a hit at Halloween celebrations. Better yet, they come together in just 30 minutes: A quick one-bowl batter is scooped into adorable skull-shaped molds, stuffed with ooey-gooey string cheese pieces and baked while a pizza sauce is whipped up for dipping. We added pepperoni to the bites, but you can customize them with your own favorite pizza-topping ingredients like peppers, onions or olives.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 20 pizza bites |
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 cup plus 5 teaspoons grated Parmesan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 24 pepperoni slices, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 mozzarella cheese sticks
- One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the pizza bites: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the butter into a small bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of the paprika. Brush the cavities of a 20-cavity nonstick aluminum skull bites pan with the paprika butter and sprinkle with 5 teaspoons of the Parmesan (about 1/4 teaspoon per cavity). Set aside.
- Put the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl. Add the flour, sugar, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 cup warm water and whisk until combined. Fold in the pepperoni. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each cavity in the prepared pan.
- Cut each cheese stick into 5 pieces, each about 3/4 inch long. Press a piece of cheese sideways into the batter in each skull cavity. Bake until the cakes are set and golden brown on top, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before unmolding the bites.
- For the pizza sauce: Meanwhile, whisk the tomato sauce, Parmesan, tomato paste, sugar, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the cheese has melted and the sauce looks smooth, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve the skull bites warm with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 20 servings |
| Calories | 153 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 45 mg |
| Sodium | 315 mg |
Reviews
Since I am here, these are great pizzas! Mike Stice.