Muffin Pan Pizza Bites Are So Much Easier With Store-Bought Ingredients

Muffin pan pizza bites are not just fluffy in the middle and crispy at the edges but a fun and approachable way to make some 'za. Featuring all the best bits of a full-sized pie, these portable pizzas are just as gooey with cheese and equally as fragrant when brushed over with some garlic-herb butter. But making the dough and pizza sauce from scratch is a time-consuming, albeit enjoyable, task. The next time you're craving a batch of cheesy, golden muffin pan pizza bites, use store-bought ingredients to make it even easier.

Buying your pizza dough is a baller move because it eliminates all the time you'd spend on measuring ingredients, waiting for your yeast to activate, kneading, and proving. Using shop-bought sauce also cuts out the time you'd be spending on chopping tomatoes and simmering your marinara. Even if you're into a fresh-tasting no-cook tomato sauce, you'll still have to faff around with opening cans and basic prep. With store-bought sauce, the sole requirement is to unscrew the jar before dolloping it over your balls of ready-made dough and topping the lot with cheese to assemble a fuss-free dinner. Plus, you don't even need to stick to the standard tomato sauce. Why not peruse the market shelves for a jar of pesto, olive tapenade, or even barbecue sauce to mix up your dozen. 

To prepare the muffin pan pizza bites, ball your dough up into small pieces, and mix them in a bowl with your sauce and toppings. Then you can transfer the mixture into the cavities of your greased tin and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes for fluffy, single-serve-sized pies. Alternatively, you could press a little dough into each hole of your muffin pan and add your sauce and toppings over it to create effortless deep-dish pizzas.

Another perk to using store-bought ingredients is that it gives you more bandwidth to be inventive with your toppings and seasonings. For example, you could add more flavor by incorporating chili flakes for heat, garlic powder for an appetizing aroma, or a drizzle of olive oil for a bright, slightly fruity taste. You could also experiment with different cheeses, like Gouda or Gruyere, or make a dipping sauce to dunk your bites into when they're golden and crispy from the oven. 

If you're serving mixed company, skip the veggies for kids who prefer a basic cheesy snack, and add spicy jalapenos for the grown-ups — all of this in a single muffin pan!