Quick and easy mini pizza cupcakes, perfect for parties 🇮🇹

Mini pizza cupcakes, made by baking pizza dough in a cupcake or muffin tin, topped with pizza sauce, cheese, and a mix of creative toppings.

Recipe Intro

These classic pizza cupcakes are a fantastic option for kids or parties. The dough, infused with fragrant oregano and rich olive oil, gives each bite an extra burst of flavour.
What makes these pizza cups even better is that they’re made without yeast, so they’re quick and easy to prepare, perfect for when you’re short on time but still want something delicious.
Whether you’re serving them as a fun snack or a unique party treat, these mini pizzas are sure to be a hit with everyone!

Mini pizza cupcake ingredients

This quick, no-yeast dough is versatile – use it for a mini pizza or a classic-size pizza, not just for these pizza cups. Infused with olive oil and oregano for great flavour, you can also swap the oregano for dried basil for a different twist.

How to make mini pizza cupcakes

1. Dough

• In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and mix it with the baking powder and oregano. This will evenly distribute the baking powder and oregano throughout the flour, ensuring the dough has a consistent flavour and texture.

• Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the oil into the well, followed by the warm water. Stir gently with a fork, gradually bringing in the flour from the edges. As the dough begins to come together, switch to using your hands to knead. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and soft, making sure everything is well combined.

• Once the dough is smooth, cover it with a cling film and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. This resting time allows the dough to relax, making it easier to shape and work with when you’re ready.

2. Shape and pre-bake

• Divide the dough into small pieces and roll each one between your palms to form a smooth ball. For this recipe, I ended up with 12 dough balls.
• Next, flatten each ball and roll it out into a thin circle, about 3-4mm thick. If you’d prefer a quicker method, you can roll out the entire dough into a large sheet and then use a round cutter to cut uniform circles.
• Place each circle of dough into the wells of a muffin or cupcake tin, pressing down slightly to fit the shape. This will create the base for your mini pizza cups.

• Put the pizza cupcakes in the preheated oven at 200°C and bake for about 3 minutes, just enough to set the dough. This step helps the dough firm up slightly, ensuring it holds its shape and doesn’t become soggy when you add the toppings.

• If the dough puffs up during baking, simply press it down gently with a teaspoon before adding the toppings.

3. Add topping

• Fill with your favourite toppings, according to your taste.

Topping ideas: I filled my mini pizza cups with a variety of toppings, including;
– red and green peppers with two types of cheese (buffalo mozzarella and plain)
– pancetta, black olives, cheddar
– ham and mushrooms with cheddar
– herbal cheese with mushrooms
Feel free to experiment with your favourite ingredients to create a personalised flavour combination!

4. Bake mini pizza cupcakes

• Place the filled pizza cupcakes in the oven at 200°C and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the toppings are heated through. This quick bake ensures the dough crisps up and the flavours meld together, creating a delicious, bite-sized pizza. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-baking
• Remove the pizza cups from the muffin tin as soon as they’re done baking to prevent the dough from becoming soggy. Allowing them to sit in the tin for too long will cause moisture to build up, making the base lose its crispness.
• Once they’ve cooled down a bit and aren’t too hot, transfer them to cupcake paper holders for a tidy and appealing presentation.

Recipe Card