Stuffed Pizza Bites With Garlic Butter

Anything pizza-inspired is bound to be a winner. Zucchini pizza bites? Yes. Pizza burgers? Of course! Pizza baked pasta? Oh heck yeah! These stuffed pizza bites are also impossible to resist. They’re coated in garlic butter, taking this cheesy app to the next level, and baked until they’re nice and toasty brown!

They’re a great snack for parties although you’ll want to double the recipe because they will be devoured! I’m more likely to make a batch for an easy, kid-friendly weeknight dinner. (English muffin pizzas are another big hit with kids.)

Stuffed Pizza Bites

Quick and easy to make. The pizza bites are made from regular pizza dough (store-bought dough is fine!), divided into 16 parts and rolled flat. You don’t have be fancy with this; they can be pretty rustic-looking. My husband calls them pizza “balls” if that gives you a picture of how fancy they are.

Endless possibilities for the filling. While I went with the ever-popular combo of mozzarella and pepperoni, you can switch things up and make this recipe with your favorite pizza toppings. Sometimes I make a vegetarian version with spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan; try swapping the pepperoni for sausage or add diced green peppers and onions. Anything goes!

A crowd-pleaser! Kids flip for this recipe, adults go wild for it at a party, and no one will realize how easy it was to make these homemade pizza bites!

Ingredient Notes

• Frozen Pizza Dough: Fresh pizza dough is great, too, if your grocery store or local pizzeria sells it. Another option is to make your own with my easy pizza dough recipe. (I like to double or even triple the recipe and freeze some for later!)
• Mozzarella Cheese: If you have time, I recommend shredding your own, as it melts more smoothly. Of course, if you don’t have time, a bag of shredded mozzarella is just fine too!
• Pepperoni: You’ll need to chop the slices so the pepperoni mixes with the cheese and can be portioned by the tablespoonful.
• Butter: Melt the butter in the microwave or a saucepan. 
• Italian Seasoning: I add just a bit of dried Italian seasoning to the garlic butter topping.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds lots of garlic flavor to the butter without the bite of freshly crushed garlic cloves.
• Parmesan Cheese: Either shredded or grated Parmesan cheese will work, depending on what kind of look you want your pizza bites to have. (The photos show shredded cheese.)
• Marinara Sauce: Buy a jar of marinara sauce or pizza sauce, or use a batch of my homemade pizza sauce. You may want to try a different sauce, maybe ranch dressing.

How to make Pizza Bites

Preheat your oven to 375ºF and coat a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Cut the pizza dough into 16 pieces, roughly equal in size.

In a small bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. 

In a second bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Stretch a piece of dough into a 3-inch round (roughly) and place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Bring the dough around the filling and press the edges to seal. You don’t have to fuss with these; just make sure the edges are sealed well so the filling doesn’t leak out.

Place the finished roll in the pan with the seam side down and repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

Brush the tops of the mini pizza rolls with the butter mixture, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve the pizza bites with marinara sauce.

Serving Ideas

Other Appetizers: When I make pizza bites for a party, I like to pair them with another appetizer option that can be made in advance like edamame dip or seven layer dip. That way, I’m not juggling two recipes at once. Cheese and pesto stuffed zucchini can be baked in the oven with the pizza bites.

Salads: If you’re serving cheesy pizza bites for dinner, pair them with a simple side salad like arugula salad or an easy vegetable. Try roasted green beans or roasted sugar snap peas. They can bake at the same time as the pizza bites.

Soups: Pizza bites go well with soup, too, like smoky roasted tomato soup or easy hamburger soup.

Pizza Bite Variations

• Add pesto: Skip the pepperoni and add a quarter teaspoon of pesto to each pizza bite before wrapping them up. Pesto adds bright flavor and gives your pizza bites gourmet flair.
• Make it gluten-free: Swap in your favorite gluten-free pizza dough and you’ve got gluten-free pizza bites!
• Go plant-based: Use vegan cheese, pepperoni, and butter to make these pizza bites plant-based. (You can also use regular cheese and swap in vegan pepperoni for vegetarian pizza bites.)
• Make dessert pizza bites: Follow the overall blueprint of this recipe with a second batch of pizza dough, but fill them with a teaspoon of Nutella and diced bananas or strawberries. Brush the dessert pizza bites with butter and sprinkle them with coarse sugar.

Make Ahead Ideas

Make a batch of pizza bites, cover the pan tightly, and refrigerate them to bake later. They’ll keep in the fridge up to 24 hours. Take them out of the fridge while you’re preheating the oven. Add 5 minutes extra baking time since they are chilled.

Unbaked pizza bites can be frozen, too. After forming the rolls, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze them until they’re solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake them according to the recipe instructions.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Store leftover pizza bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Freeze: You can also freeze leftover pizza bites. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature before reheating. (Thawing them first allows them to reheat more evenly.)

Reheat: For best results, reheat pizza bites in 350ºF oven (preheat oven first) or air fryer until warmed through. They can be reheated in the microwave but they won’t be as good.