Skip to Content
Menu

Pizza Cupcakes

  • Jump to Recipe
  • Save
By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Jun 24, 2024
  • Save
  • Share
  • Jump to Recipe
Individual pizzas in cupcake form? Bring ‘em on! These adorable mini pizza cupcakes (or pizza muffins) are made in a muffin tin/cupcake pan in practically no time at all. Since they start with easy and delicious Pillsbury™ crescent roll dough, they'll cook up even faster than you might imagine.

Everyone loves pizza and these irresistible cuties are stuffed with pepperoni, sausage and cheese, for a classic flavor. Inexpensive, satisfying, and easy to make…they’re a great way to say “yes” to pizza any night of the week! Plus, why not play with your food? Everyone in the family gets included when it comes to creating their own customized pizza cupcakes, with their favorite ingredients. All you need to do is set up a TYO (top your own) bar, where you set out the toppings for everyone to use—it’s fun for the family and less work for you! No more fighting over who gets the biggest slice or the most toppings—all those arguments disappear when the pizza is your very own.

You may already have the pizza toppings on hand, or they are a snap to pick up whenever you’re in the mood for pizza. If you already have them on hand then there's never a night when you'll have to ask, “what’s for dinner?”.

On the table in just 30 minutes, it’s no wonder these individual pizzas get a five-star rating! They are so quick and delicious, why not make them for a quick snack after school or for watching a movie together? They are great for busy nights and being portable, you could even eat them while the family is on the run.

How to Make Pizza Cupcakes

Here’s the overview of how to put together our easy pizza cupcake recipe, but be sure to read the recipe, too, for all the detailed directions:

Press Dough into Cups

Be sure to purchase the original crescent rolls with 8 in the can--not biscuits. Unroll and pull apart the dough pieces at the perforations. Each triangle of dough gets pressed into one of the muffin cups. Press the triangle around the edge of each cup, using the remaining “point” to press into the bottom of the cup (the photo will help you visualize this easily). This recipe makes 8 pizza cups, so you’ll leave 4 of the muffin cups empty.

Mix the Pizza Toppings

Your favorite pizza sauce, mini pepperoni, cooked sausage, and some of the cheese. It’s quicker and less messy than adding each topping to the cups individually. If you don’t have any cooked sausage on hand, be sure to cook some before adding to the other ingredients. This cooking time isn’t reflected in the total time it takes to make this recipe.

Here’s a great opportunity to get a jump on the next pizza cupcakes or pizza you make—cook an entire package of sausage at one time. Then store the cooled, unused portion in a freezer storage container in the freezer for the next time you make pizza! You can pull it out of the freezer whenever making these pizza muffin recipes and it will be ready to use!

Spoon and Top

Spoon the filling mixture into the cups and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. You might be tempted to use more topping…but trust us…these are the amounts you’ll need to fill the cups nicely and get the dough done.

Bake, Loosen, and Enjoy

Bake the cups, watching for when they are lightly browned. When finished, use a small metal spatula or the tip of a butter knife to loosen the cups from the muffin pan while the cheese is still soft and gooey. That way, they can be lifted out of the cups with ease. Then sink your teeth into these delightful pizza muffins!

How To Store and Reheat Pizza Cupcakes

For the best texture of the dough and the cheese, it’s best to make our pizza muffin recipe and immediately bake it.

Refrigerator Storage: You can make the pizza cupcakes (before baking) up to 2 hours in advance. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to bake, uncover, and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes of bake time, due to the pizza cupcakes being cold.

Freezer Storage: You can freeze baked pizza cupcakes to reheat later for a quick meal or snack, however the quality won’t be as optimal as when they are baked and enjoyed fresh. Place cooled pizza cupcakes back into the muffin pan and freeze for about 1 hour. Remove them from the pan and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pizza cupcakes in a resealable freezer food-storage bag. Freeze up to 3 months.

Reheat Directions: Unwrap frozen pizza cupcake; place on microwavable plate. Cover loosely with the plastic wrap, being careful not to rest it on the cupcake. Microwave on Medium-High (70%) 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until cupcake is thoroughly heated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Pizza Cupcakes Fall apart?

There are a few simple reasons why your pizza muffins might have fallen apart:

Spray Muffin Cups: If you didn’t spray the muffin cups with cooking spray, the pizza cupcakes can stick to the pan, causing them to break when removed from the pan.

Press Dough into Cups: Be sure the dough covers the entire side and bottom of each muffin cup, so that there is no place the fillings could leak underneath the dough and cause sticking or tearing of the pizza cupcakes.

Amount of Toppings: If more sauce or other toppings are used than called for, the dough may not properly bake through. This will make the pizza cupcakes less sturdy and harder to remove from the pan.

Loosen Cupcakes from Pan: Be sure to loosen the cupcakes as directed as soon as they are done baking, so that the cheese is melty and easily comes away from the side of the pan. This will help hold the pizza cupcakes intact when removing them from the pan. For the best results, use a small metal spatula to have them come out of the pan in one piece.

Pizza Cupcakes

  • Prep Time 15 min
  • Total 30 min
  • Ingredients 5
  • Servings 8
  • Save
  • Share
  • Print
  • Keep Screen On

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Press into muffin cups.
  • Step 
    2
    In small bowl, mix sauce, pepperoni, sausage and 1/4 cup of the cheese.
  • Step 
    3
    Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture into each dough-lined cup; sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon additional cheese.
  • Step 
    4
    Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. With thin metal spatula or sharp knife, gently loosen around edges to remove from pan and serve.

Nutrition

220 Calories
14g Total Fat
9g Protein
14g Total Carbohydrate
4g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
220
Calories from Fat
130
Total Fat
14g
21%
Saturated Fat
6g
28%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
30mg
10%
Sodium
560mg
24%
Potassium
170mg
5%
Total Carbohydrate
14g
5%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
4g
Protein
9g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
4%
4%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 1 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tips from the

Pillsbury Kitchens

© 2024 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved