Description
Celebrate Halloween with these fun and festive Cheesy Halloween Pizza Skulls. Made with pre-made pizza dough filled with classic pizza toppings like mozzarella, Parmesan, and your favorite meats or veggies, these mini skull-shaped pizzas are perfect for a spooky party appetizer or a kid-friendly meal. They bake quickly to golden perfection and are served with marinara sauce for dipping and fresh herbs for garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough
- 13 to 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough (boxed or fresh)
Fillings
- 3/4 to 1 cup pizza sauce
- 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
- Prep the Baking Pan: Spray the mini skull baking pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking during baking.
- Prepare the Dough: Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll, pat, or stretch the pizza dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 6 rectangles, one for each skull.
- Assemble the Skulls: Press each dough rectangle into a skull cavity of the baking pan, shaping it into the mold. Fill each cavity with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if using, and any desired optional fillings such as cooked sausage, pepperoni, or veggies. Add a small spoonful of pizza sauce on top of the fillings for extra flavor.
- Seal the Skulls: Fold the dough over the fillings in each cavity and pinch the edges well to seal each pizza skull securely, ensuring no fillings leak during baking.
- Chill the Skulls: Refrigerate the filled skull molds while the oven preheats to 400°F (200°C). Chilling helps the dough hold its shape during baking.
- Bake the Pizza Skulls: Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes or until the dough turns golden brown and is fully cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pizza skulls to cool in the baking pan for about 5 minutes before carefully unmolding them. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping and garnish with chopped parsley or fresh basil.
Notes
- You can customize the fillings with any favorite pizza toppings to suit individual tastes.
- Using a non-stick spray or lightly greasing the skull mold is essential to prevent sticking.
- Ensure the edges are sealed tightly to avoid leaking during baking.
- Let the pizza skulls cool briefly before unmolding to keep their shape intact.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to maintain crispiness.
