Description
Celebrate Halloween with these fun and spooky Cheesy Halloween Pizza Skulls! Made with pre-made pizza dough and loaded with gooey mozzarella, flavorful pizza sauce, and your choice of fillings, these skull-shaped mini pizzas are perfect for a festive party treat or a kid-friendly dinner. Crisped golden in the oven and served with marinara for dipping, they’re as delicious as they are adorable.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough and Sauce
- 13 to 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough (boxed or fresh)
- 3/4 to 1 cup pizza sauce
Cheeses
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
Optional Fillings
- 8 oz cooked sausage
- 6 oz mini pepperoni
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped ham
- Crumbled crispy bacon
- Mini Italian meatballs
- Cooked corn kernels
- Baby spinach
- Fresh basil
To Serve
- Marinara sauce for dipping
- Chopped parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Spray the mini skull baking pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray to ensure the pizza skulls don’t stick during baking.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll, pat, or stretch the pre-made pizza dough out evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 6 rectangular pieces, each sized to fit into the skull cavities of your baking pan.
- Fill the Skulls: Press each dough rectangle gently into a skull cavity. Fill each with a spoonful of pizza sauce, a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan if using, and any of the optional fillings you like. Top each filled cavity with a small spoonful of pizza sauce for extra moisture and flavor.
- Seal the Pizzas: Carefully fold the dough over the fillings to enclose them completely. Pinch the edges tightly to seal each pizza skull, preventing the fillings from leaking out.
- Preheat and Chill: Place the filled skull pan into the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Chilling helps the dough hold its shape better as it bakes.
- Bake: Bake the pizza skulls in the preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is puffed, golden brown, and fully cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pizza skulls to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before carefully unmolding them. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping and sprinkled with chopped parsley or basil for a fresh finish.
Notes
- You can customize the fillings to your preference—vegetarian options like spinach and basil complement the cheese nicely.
- Ensure the edges are well sealed to prevent sauce and cheese from leaking during baking.
- If you don’t have a skull-shaped baking pan, any mini muffin or baking pan will work, though the look will differ.
- Refrigerating the pan with dough before baking helps maintain the skull shape and gives a better crust texture.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to keep the crust crispy.
