Imagine a pepperoni pizza made into a bite-sized muffin and you’ve got Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza Bites. They’re perfect for lunch, snack or appetizer and can be made ahead too!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
I first started making these pepperoni pizza bites about ten years ago when my kids were younger. I changed up the original recipe I had and swapped out some of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour to make them a tad bit healthier.
They are like a little piece of pizza wrapped up in a mini-muffin sized snack. They are made from just a few simple ingredients which makes them so much better than the store-bought pizza bites, especially with the addition of whole wheat.
With just a handful of ingredients, most of which we usually have on hand, I love that they are so simple to make! They are perfect for lunches, an after school snack or as an appetizer for just about any occasion. They’re always a huge hit whenever I serve them.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Here’s what you need to make these easy Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza Bites.
What ingredients go into Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza Bites?
Whole Wheat Flour – my original recipe called for only all-purpose flour but I like the addition of whole wheat. No one seemed to mind the change and they’re just as tasty.
All-purpose Flour – I like to use the unbleached all-purpose flour
Baking Powder – this helps them puff up and rise into their muffin like shape
Pizza seasoning herb blend – you can usually find this in the herbs and spices aisle of your grocery store. If not, you can substitute equal parts oregano, basil and garlic salt.
Skim milk – it works just fine in this recipe but if you prefer, you can use 1% or 2% also
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese – I like to buy my cheese in blocks and shred it myself in the food processor. This is a bit cheaper but if you prefer, the pre-shredded variety is ok too
4 ounces turkey pepperoni – You can usually find the turkey pepperoni slices next to the regular pepperoni in the grocery store. It has a lot less fat which means less grease and my family does not have a preference. But if you do, regular sliced pepperoni is ok too.
What are steps for making these Pepperoni Pizza Bites?
You won’t believe how easy these are to make! I use my handy chopper to chop up the pepperoni but a chef’s knife works just as well.
Then it’s just a matter of combining the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls before mixing together. Whisking egg and milk together makes it easier to blend it all but if you want to keep it all to one bowl, it’s totally okay to skip that step. Stir in the shredded cheese and chopped pepperoni and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
I do also spray my non-stick muffin pans because these can get a little stuck in the pan if not!
I LOVE my mini scoops for all kind of things but it is so handy to use with this recipe so that your batter mixture is evenly distributed between the mini muffin cups. And in just 20 short minutes of baking, your pepperoni bites are ready to enjoy!
TIP: I sometimes need to use a mini rubber spatula around the edges to pop them out. Don’t let them sit too long in the pan and cool before removing otherwise they will be tougher to remove all in one piece!
WHOLE WHEAT PEPPERONI PIZZA BITES MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Can you prepare these ahead of time?
Yes! They are super easy to make ahead and perfect for that because then you can always shave some on hand for whenever you want to enjoy them.
Can you freeze them?
If we are not going to enjoy them right away, I will store them in labeled freezer safe container. You can use a ziptop bag. If you are using another container, use wax paper in between layers so they don’t stick together.
How do you reheat them?
My family like sto enjoy these pepperoni pizza bites for lunch or snacks. We just pull out the amount we want and warm up in the microwave for a couple of minutes. If you have more than four or five per serving, increase the time accordingly. I usually put it on 80% power setting so they don’t get tough when reheating.
HOW SHOULD I SERVE THESE?
We like to serve these pepperoni pizza bites with a simple pizza or marinara sauce or sometimes ranch dressing too. Maybe that’s a Texas thing! If you want to make up a batch of homemade ranch dressing, check out this post for Homemade Ranch Dressing.
The sauce for dipping is optional as I think they are good just on their own, too.
We sometimes like to dip them in ranch dressing too (I think that’s a Texas thing—I learned it in college to dip pizza in ranch dressing!) Just a few ingredients and so much better for you than the store-bought stuff!
My kids also liked packing these pizza bites in their lunches. We would just heat it up in the morning and send it in a pre-heated Thermos food jar and it will stay warm until lunchtime at school.
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Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pizza seasoning I buy mine from Penzey’s. If you do not have that you can substitute equal parts oregano, basil and garlic salt
- 1 ½ cup skim milk
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces turkey pepperoni chopped into small pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
- Prepared pizza sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees .
- Grease a 24-cup and one 12-cup mini-muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and seasoning. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add this to the flour mixture.
- Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Re-stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.
- Bake until puffed and golden, 22 to 25 minutes.
- Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
WHOLE WHEAT PEPPERONI PIZZA BITES MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Can you prepare these ahead of time?Yes! They are super easy to make ahead and perfect for that because then you can always shave some on hand for whenever you want to enjoy them. Can you freeze them?
If we are not going to enjoy them right away, I will store them in labeled freezer safe container. You can use a ziptop bag. If you are using another container, use wax paper in between layers so they don’t stick together. How do you reheat them?
My family likes to enjoy these pepperoni pizza bites for lunch or snacks. We just pull out the amount we want and warm up in the microwave for a couple of minutes. If you have more than four or five per serving, increase the time accordingly. I usually put it on 80% power setting so they don’t get tough when reheating.
HOW SHOULD I SERVE THESE?
We like to serve these pepperoni pizza bites with a simple pizza or marinara sauce or sometimes ranch dressing too. Maybe that’s a Texas thing! If you want to make up a batch of homemade ranch dressing, check out this post for Homemade Ranch Dressing. The sauce for dipping is optional as I think they are good just on their own, too.We sometimes like to dip them in ranch dressing too (I think that’s a Texas thing—I learned it in college to dip pizza in ranch dressing!) Just a few ingredients and so much better for you than the store-bought stuff! My kids also like packing these pizza bites in their lunches. We would just heat it up in the morning and send it in a pre-heated Thermos food jar and it will stay warm until lunchtime at school.
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