Trust me when I say that these pizza appetizers will be the life of any party.
After all, who doesn’t love pizza?
And don’t worry, this isn’t just a list of regular pizzas with different toppings. Instead, I’ve found some super fun recipes for you to try out.
I think you’ll be floored by the number of ways you can reinvent pizza!
For example, have you ever tried pizza wontons? How about pizza pretzel bites?
I’m drooling already, and that’s only two of these scrumptious pizza appetizers! So we’d better get started!
23 Best Appetizer Pizza Recipes
1. Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza
Who doesn’t crave a big warm bowl of cheesy spinach and artichoke dip? It’s salty, slightly tangy, and hits all the right spots.
Now picture that on pizza! It has a built-in crust, so you won’t have to worry about dipping, and if you use ready-made dough, it’s a breeze to throw together.
Drain and chop the artichoke hearts before mixing with spinach, sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Once that’s blended, add mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
2. Wonton Pizza Cups
Wonton wrappers are ideal for appetizers because they’re wonderfully crispy, perfectly sized, and have a neutral flavor, so you can use sweet or savory fillings.
Since these will have pizza sauce and greasy cheese inside, you’ll want to pre-bake them for around 5 minutes.
That should keep them from turning soggy. You could also brush the inside with egg whites to help seal the dough.
3. Cheesy Hasselback Zucchini Pizzas
I think we can all agree that pepperoni is the most classic pizza topping.
That’s why you so often see it used in pizza-inspired dishes, like these yummy, low-carb zucchini pizzas.
In fact, they’re not only low-carb; they’re gluten-free and way lighter than dense pizza dough. Ideal for the keto-dieters in your life.
4. Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Have you ever made pizza rolls in the oven only to have them come out soggy and sad? Or worse, burned to a crisp?
The issue is that some ovens don’t use convection heat.
Heck, some don’t even cook at consistent temperatures, and many need to be cranked up way too high to get any kind of crunchy coating on your food.
That’s where the air fryer comes in! It uses convection heating to circulate hot air around every pizza pocket, cooking them all to perfection every time!
5. Phyllo Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes
Unlike puff pastry, which comes pre-laminated and loaded with butter, phyllo comes in paper-thin sheets that you have to layer yourself.
And since the pasty itself is made with little to no fat, instead of puffing up, it crisps as it cooks.
That added texture makes these yummy smoked mozzarella and tomato pizza bites to die for.
If you think you’ll miss that buttery taste, go ahead and brush melted butter between the sheets.
Otherwise, just use any neutral oil, or maybe sesame, for a nutty finish.
6. 15-Minute Easy Margherita Flatbread Pizza
Flatbread pizzas are much faster to make because, usually, flatbread doesn’t include yeast.
So, if you make the dough yourself, you won’t have to wait around for it to proof.
Instead, it uses baking powder and can be baked almost right away. However, I do like to let it rest for a few minutes just to make rolling easier.
Of course, for those in a rush, naan bread is the next best thing! You can even get it loaded with garlic for added taste.
7. Pizza Bites
Unlike slices of pizza, which are long, floppy, and hard to eat while mingling around a party, these pizza bites make perfect finger food.
Make your own or buy pre-made pizza dough, and then portion it into balls. One pound will make 16 of these, though you don’t have to be too precise.
Flatten the dough into small circles, fill it with your favorite pizza toppings, and then pinch the edges to seal all the goodness inside.
Don’t forget to brush the top with garlic butter!
8. Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls Recipe
This recipe is similar to the one above; only instead of hiding the toppings, these get rolled up like cinnamon rolls so you can see all the colors and flavors.
Like cinnamon rolls, you’ll start by rolling the dough out into a rectangle.
Then, spread plenty of BBQ sauce from edge to edge, leaving a slight lip on one side so it will seal.
Next, sprinkle over cheese, chicken, diced onion, red pepper flakes, and crispy bacon.
Tuck one end over, then roll into a log, slice into portions, and bake! I like to add a little extra cheese to the tops, but that’s optional.
9. Texas Toast Garlic Bread Pizza
If you have a box of Texas Toast Garlic Bread in the freezer, you’ll have the makings of one delicious pizza appetizer.
Texas Toast is thick and fluffy, and the frozen garlic bread comes bursting with amazing butter flavors.
Just add some pizza sauce and cheese, and it’s good to go. Plus, they only need around 5 minutes in the oven.
10. Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Are you a crust lover? Or do you think the best part of the pizza is the cheese? Either way, I’ll bet you’ll go nuts for this ultra-cheesy pizza dip.
Start by blending cream cheese with sour cream, oregano, and garlic salt.
Spread that into a baking dish and cover it with pizza sauce. You can add pepperoni at this point too.
Once it’s heated in the oven, top with mozzarella and bake until the cheese is bubbling. Serve it with chips or garlic knots.
11. Bruschetta Pita Pizza with Bacon
Where naan is thicker and fluffy, pita is flat and relatively thin. Still, it makes an excellent pizza base and can hold up to any toppings without going soggy.
I found the mix of tomatoes, pesto, Parmesan, and pepper to be more than enough, so I didn’t add extra pizza sauce. But that’s up to you.
Since the pita is already cooked, all you want is to warm it through and heat the toppings.
So, after adding the mozzarella, bacon, and green onions, just bake until the cheese is melted.
12. Hawaiian Pizza Sliders
Love it or hate, pineapple on pizza is here to stay. It’s got such a cult following at this point that I believe: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
I enjoy Hawaiian pizza, even if it isn’t my go-to. But these sliders are something else!
Start with a pack of Hawaiian bread rolls and slice them horizontally until you have a top and bottom piece. Be sure to keep the rolls together to make this easy.
Spread the pizza sauce over the base, followed by the ham, cheese, and pineapple (which I suppose you could leave out if you want).
13. Appetizer Veggie Pizza
One issue with serving pizza appetizers is that they need to be heated last minute, so they’re as hot as possible for the party starts.
This recipe, on the other hand, is designed to be eaten cold. That means you could even make it hours in advance to help save time.
Crescent rolls are ideal for this, but you could also use naan or cooked pizza dough. Just be sure it’s in a shape you can easily cut into portions.
Then spread cream cheese blended with ranch dry mix over the top and layer plenty of colorful veggies.
14. Pretzel Pizza Bites
This is one of the most unique recipes on the list, and I have to admit that I still haven’t tried it. But I will very soon!
It’s actually super clever and just what you need for snacks at a party. Just top crunchy pretzels with cheese and pepperoni and bake until the cheese melts.
Then, they can be served hot or cold. Another great addition would be to add a layer of grated Parmesan underneath, which should turn crisp in the oven.
15. Zucchini Pizza Bites
The recipe at the top of this list used whole or half zucchini and sliced them like Hasselback potatoes. They’re meant to be served whole.
This recipe is similar but more snack-friendly because they’re individual bites.
Pepperoni minis look adorable here, but you could always add chicken or bacon if you wanted to.
16. Pizza Kabobs
This recipe uses the word pizza a bit liberally if you ask me.
Sure, it has cheese, tomato, and pepperoni, but then there’s also bell pepper and tortellini.
However, they’re great little snacks, and I actually enjoyed the cheese filling in the pasta. I wasn’t such a massive fan of the cold marinara, though.
So, when I made them again, I used toasted garlic naan in place of tortellini and lightly grilled the whole thing, so it paired better with hot marinara.
17. Margherita Pizza Phyllo Bites
If playing around with thin sheets of phyllo sounds like too much work, these pre-made phyllo cups are for you!
They’re already molded and come lightly baked so they can then be filled. But they’re light enough that you can bake further without burning the edges.
As I mentioned above, to keep them from going soggy, brush with egg whites and bake for a few minutes to seal the pastry. Then, add the fillings.
18. Pizza Monkey Bread
Tear and share breads are a big hit in my house, be it sweet or savory. We just like it covered in flavor, soft, and warm.
I find canned biscuits work best for these (when you don’t have time to make your own dough) because they’re light, buttery, and puff up wonderfully.
Just cut the biscuits into quarters and mix with pepperoni, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, Italian seasonings, and garlic.
Bake until golden and serve with lots of warm marinara sauce.
19. Italian Pizza Bites
These pizza bites are kind of like mini pizza muffins, so you won’t use flatbread or Texas Toast.
Instead, you’ll make a quick batter using flour, baking powder, basil, oregano, eggs, and milk.
Once the batter ingredients are fully incorporated, stir in diced pepperoni, salami, and mozzarella cheese, then leave the rest for about 10 minutes.
Since these will be heavy (due to the fillings), I think they work better as mini muffins.
If you try to make them too big, they might struggle to rise and become dense.
20. Low-Carb Eggplant Pizza Bites
If zucchini isn’t your thing, hopefully, you’ll enjoy these eggplant pizza bites instead.
Start by drawing out any excess moisture in the eggplant by sprinkling with salt and leaving for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat them dry, then continue with the toppings
If you’re not worried about them being low carb, I highly recommend adding a crunchy breadcrumb coating before the toppings.
Dredge them in egg and breadcrumbs, then fry or bake until they’re golden and crisp. Then, add your toppings and bake until the cheese melts.
21. Easy Pizza Sticks
We all love mozzarella and breadsticks, right? But what about pizza sticks?
All you need is Crescent rolls, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese sticks. Carefully unroll the dough and press the seams a little, so nothing spills out.
Brush with melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and garlic before baking.
22. Mini-Bagel Pizzas with Pepperoni
Bagels are already a big weak spot for me, so when they’re covered with cheese and pepperoni, I’m powerless to resist.
Buy mini bagels, or try this recipe for skinny bagels, which is surprisingly good. If you make your own, you can add any coating you like.
Sesame works wonders with pizza flavors, and, of course, garlic and onion salt would be ideal.
23. Mini-Fruit Pizza Recipe
Like any decent meal, I had to end with something sweet!
These are basically just sugar cookies topped with sweet whipped cream and fresh fruit, but they look so tasty and fresh.
You could even make chocolate cookies and top them with raspberry compote for a more pizza-like color.
23 Easy Pizza Appetizers
Make these pizza appetizers for your next gathering, and watch how fast they disappear! From rolls to bites to dip, pizza takes center stage in these starters.
Ingredients
Mini Fruit Pizza Recipe
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a pizza appetizer in 30 minutes or less!
