Pepperoni Pizza Bites
Soft fathead dough wrapped around melty mozzarella and pepperoni, brushed with garlic butter and baked golden. Dunk them in warm marinara.
Nutrition per serving
2 bites + 1 tbsp marinara- Net carbs
- 3.3g
- Calories
- 257kcal
- Protein
- 13g
- Fat
- 21g
- Total carbs
- 4.6 g
- Fiber
- 1.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Sausage & pepper: Browned Italian sausage and a little green bell pepper in place of the pepperoni, like a mini supreme pizza.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains (160°F/71°C), about 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper for the last 2 minutes, then drain and cool before filling the bites.
Vegetarian (mushroom & olive): Sautéed mushrooms and black olives replace the pepperoni for a meat-free bite with plenty of savory pizza flavor.
- Cook the mushrooms in a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they start to brown. Cool, mix with the olives and use as the filling. Wet mushrooms make soggy bites, so cook them until they’re dry.
Nut-free (coconut flour): Coconut flour replaces the almond flour in the dough. It’s a little firmer and less stretchy but just as cheesy.
- Knead the coconut flour into the melted cheese and let the dough rest 5 minutes before shaping. It cracks more easily, so press any splits closed with damp fingers.
- Fathead dough
- Filling
- Garlic butter topping
- To serve
- Fathead dough
- Filling
- Garlic butter topping
- To serve
- Also add
- Fathead dough
- Filling
- Garlic butter topping
- To serve
- Also add
- Fathead dough
- Filling
- Garlic butter topping
- To serve
Estimated cost $8.07 for 8 servings ($1.01 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
-
Microwave the shredded mozzarella and cream cheese in a large bowl for 60–90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until completely melted and smooth.
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Stir in the almond flour, baking powder and Italian seasoning, then the egg. Knead with damp hands into a smooth dough. If it gets too stiff to work, microwave it for 10 seconds; if it’s too sticky, chill it for 10 minutes.
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Divide the dough into 16 pieces and flatten each into a 2½-inch (6 cm) round. Put a mozzarella cube and a few pieces of pepperoni in the center, pinch the dough up and around the filling to seal completely, then roll into a ball. Set seam side down on the pan.
-
Mix the melted butter with the garlic powder, brush it over the bites and sprinkle with Parmesan.
-
Bake 12–15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes (the centers are molten), then serve with warm no-sugar marinara.
Tips for success
-
Seal the seams carefully, because any gap lets the cheese leak out. Pinching with lightly oiled fingers helps. - The same dough makes a whole pie: see fathead pizza dough and pepperoni fathead pizza.
- Kids can help fill and roll. Set out the fillings like a pizza bar and let everyone build their own.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes (12–15 from frozen).
Prep tip: Freeze baked bites on a tray, then bag them; a handful reheats from frozen in about 15 minutes.
Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze baked bites up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes (from frozen, 12–15).
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosSausage & pepper
ProteinBrowned Italian sausage and a little green bell pepper in place of the pepperoni, like a mini supreme pizza.
- sliced pepperoni → Italian sausage
- + ¼ cup green bell pepper
3.8 g net · 263 kcal · 14 g protein · 21 g fat · ≈$1.03 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegetarian (mushroom & olive)
DietSautéed mushrooms and black olives replace the pepperoni for a meat-free bite with plenty of savory pizza flavor.
- sliced pepperoni → mushrooms
- + 8 black olives
3.6 g net · 228 kcal · 12 g protein · 18 g fat · ≈$1.04 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Nut-free (coconut flour)
DietCoconut flour replaces the almond flour in the dough. It’s a little firmer and less stretchy but just as cheesy.
- blanched almond flour → coconut flour
3.4 g net · 214 kcal · 12 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$0.85 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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