Description
Delightfully cute and delicious mini heart-shaped pizzas perfect for Valentine’s Day, parties, or kid-friendly meals. These bite-sized pizzas feature a crispy crust topped with classic pizza sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni, and Italian seasoning, all baked to bubbly perfection with an optional fresh basil garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough and Base
- 1 pound pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- Flour for rolling
- Olive oil for brushing
For the Toppings
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 slices pepperoni or mini pepperoni
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the pizza dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a 3–4 inch wide heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes from the dough and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush with Olive Oil: Lightly brush each heart-shaped dough piece with olive oil to encourage browning and add flavor.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Spoon about 1 teaspoon of pizza sauce onto each heart, spreading gently to cover the surface. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce, then add a light sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top.
- Top with Pepperoni and Season: Place one slice of pepperoni on each mini pizza, then sprinkle the Italian seasoning evenly over all the pizzas to enhance flavor.
- Bake: Bake the mini pizzas for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and Garnish: Let the pizzas cool slightly before serving to avoid burns. Optionally garnish with fresh basil leaves for a burst of fresh herbal flavor and color.
Notes
- Perfect for Valentine’s Day, parties, or as a fun dinner for kids.
- Let kids customize their pizzas with different toppings like olives, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
- For make-ahead convenience, assemble the pizzas and freeze them before baking.
- If preparing ahead, bake directly from frozen adding a couple extra minutes to cooking time.
