Everything you love about pizza in a perfectly portioned little cup that you can grab with one hand and eat in two bites without a plate. These garlic butter pizza cups are the game day appetizer that make everyone in the room immediately stop what they are doing and reach for one before they have even cooled down. Premade pizza dough pressed into a muffin tin, layered with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and mini pepperonis, brushed with garlic butter, and baked at 450 until the edges are crispy and golden and the centers are gooey and bubbling with cheese. Individual pizza bites that taste better than delivery and take about twenty five minutes from start to finish.
The mozzarella on the bottom is the technique detail that makes these so special and so much better than just pressing toppings into dough. A layer of cheese goes in first before the sauce so as it bakes it creates this beautifully crisp, golden, slightly caramelized cheese crust along the edges of each cup that gives you that perfect pizza shop crunch on the outside while the middle stays completely gooey and molten. It is the same reason a Detroit style pizza has those incredible crispy cheese edges and it works exactly as well in muffin tin form. Do not skip this step and do not be shy with the cheese layer.
The garlic butter brush right before it goes in the oven is the finishing detail that takes these from really good pizza bites to something that tastes like it came from a really good pizza place. Melted butter, garlic, and a pinch of Italian seasoning brushed generously over the exposed dough edges so they bake up golden and fragrant and herby in a way that makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible for the entire fifteen to twenty minutes they are in the oven. The 450 degree temperature is important so keep it high and let the oven do the work of getting those edges properly crispy.
These garlic butter pizza cups are the game day appetizer that earns the most compliments of anything on the spread every single time. Serve them straight from the muffin tin, set out a little bowl of warm marinara or ranch for dipping, and watch them disappear in minutes. They are kid friendly, completely customizable with any toppings you love, and so easy to make ahead and reheat in the air fryer for five minutes if you want to prep them before guests arrive. Make a double batch and plan accordingly.
Garlic Butter Pizza Cups
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 package premade pizza dough, proofed/ready to bake
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperonis
- ½ cup pizza sauce
For the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 3 tbs butter, melted
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450℉ and generously spray a muffin tin.
- Add a small amount of mozzarella cheese to the bottom of each muffin tin.
- Divide your pizza dough into 24 equal pieces.
- Flatten and stretch 12 of the pizza dough balls into the shape of the muffin tin cavity and press one in each cavity over the cheese.
- Spoon a small amount of pizza sauce on top of each of those dough circles and spread it out.
- Sprinkle the tops with mini pepperonis and more mozzarella cheese.
- Flatten and stretch the remaining 12 pizza dough balls and place them on top of each of the muffin tin cavities, pressing slightly to connect it to the layer of dough beneath it.
- Top dough with more sauce, pepperonis and mozzarella.
- Melted butter in a microwave safe dish and stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt. Brush tops of pizza cups with the garlic herb butter.
- Bake for 15-20. minutes until golden brown and oozing.
- Let cool for a few minutes before removing from muffin tin. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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