You know those days when you just can’t with dinner? Like, full-on stare-at-the-fridge-hoping-food-magically-appears mode? These easy pizza cups are here to save you from the depths of dinner despair—no rolling dough, no waiting, just pure, cheesy gratification in a muffin tin.
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: how to make pizza cups
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
It all starts with refrigerated biscuit dough, because let’s be honest, homemade dough is a commitment we are not making today. You pop it into a muffin tin, load it up with sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings your heart desires (yes, even pineapple—we won’t start that fight here), and bake until the edges are golden and the cheese is a bubbling masterpiece.
The result? Perfect little pizza pockets that are crispy, cheesy, and so dangerously snackable, you might just need a second batch. Whether you're feeding kids, picky eaters, or just yourself on the couch with a Netflix marathon, these pizza cups prove that good things really do come in small, delicious packages.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This recipe is quick, fun, and reminiscent of deep-dish pizzas without any of the fuss.
- Serve pizza cups straight outta the oven for game nights, lunches, or whenever you need a meal that wows with zero effort.
- Press the biscuit dough into the muffin tin 'til it’s not too thin or thick to help it bake up just right.
Y’all, these easy pizza cups are perfect little bites of heaven—flaky biscuit dough loaded up with zesty pasta sauce, melty cheese, and all your favorite toppings. They’re so simple, even your kids can help whip ‘em up, and they’ll disappear just as fast!
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: how to make pizza cups
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Press the biscuit dough into the muffin tin.
Fill with ground beef and pasta sauce.
Add the toppings over the sauce.
Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake.
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
If you actually have leftovers (miraculous, really), stash them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat:
- Oven (350°F, 5-7 min) = crispy perfection.
- Microwave (30-45 sec) = fast but slightly less crispy.
- Air fryer (350°F, 3-4 min) = the best of both worlds.
Freezing? Cool completely, flash-freeze on a baking sheet, then toss them in a freezer bag—they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen at 375°F for 10-15 min or microwave in 30-second bursts until hot and gooey again.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Pressing the biscuit dough into the muffin tin just right makes all the difference—too thick, and they won’t cook through, too thin, and you’ll have a sauce explosion!
- Remember, you must precook your ground beef! Raw beef won’t cook through in just 15 minutes.
- Resist the urge to overload your dough with too much sauce or fillings—if you do, you’ll end up with soggy bottoms and messy, overflowing pizza cups, and nobody wants that.
- My rule of thumb with cheese is always, always, always grate it from a block. Store-bought, pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting into the gooey deliciousness you crave.
- I know you’ll wanna dig into these savory treats right away, but let them cool a bit first. They’ll set up better and won’t burn your mouth—you’ll thank me later!
Marye's Tip o' the day
If the biscuit dough shrinks back down after you press it into the muffin cups, let it rest for a few minutes and try again. Sometimes, the gluten in the dough just needs to relax a little. (Don't we all?!)
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Swap the biscuits with crescent roll dough or puff pastry for a different texture.
- Try alfredo sauce, pesto, BBQ sauce, or buffalo sauce for a tasty twist.
- Mozzarella is the obvious cheese choice for all things pizza, but cheddar, provolone, gouda, or spicy pepper jack are delicious, too.
- Switch up the protein from ground beef to grilled chicken, ground Italian sausage, diced ham, or shredded brisket.
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- Muffin tin
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up
Drizzle your pizza cups with spicy honey, sprinkle with tongue-tingling red pepper flakes, or add fresh basil for a gourmet touch. Who said simple can’t be fancy?
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Go easy on the sauce, precook watery toppings like mushrooms, and bake on the lower oven rack for a crispier bottom!
Yep! For homemade pizza bites, use smaller dough pieces, less filling, and reduce baking to 10-12 minutes.
Absolutely! You can assemble them a few hours in advance, store them in the fridge, and bake them when ready. Or, bake them fully and reheat them later for a quick snack.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
I get it—chopping fresh veggies for topping is an extra step you may not have the time or energy for. Instead, use a frozen veggie mix of peppers and onions to speed up meal prep. No need to let it thaw!
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- This easy, no-knead pizza dough can be kept in the fridge for about 5 days and you can just use it as you need it! Chewy, puffy, crispy pizza perfection!
- Pizza or a casserole? Why choose? Meatlover's Pizza Tater Tot casserole has the cheesy, gooey best of both!
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Garlic breadsticks are the perfect sidekick to pizza cups, doubling down on that cheesy, buttery goodness while giving you an extra excuse to dunk into marinara or ranch.
A crisp cucumber salad balances things out with a refreshing crunch, tangy dressing, and a light contrast to all the rich, melty flavors.
My chocolate chip cookie delight adds a sweet indulgence to any meal. Chocolate chip cookie dough is layered with cream cheese, chocolate fudge pudding, whipped topping, and mini chocolate chips on top—so decadent and so easy!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Easy Pizza Cups
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 32.6 ounces refrigerated biscuits, 2 cans
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 pound ground beef , or Italian sausage, cooked and seasoned
- 4 ounces pepperoni, chopped
- 1 ½ cups pasta sauce
- onions, green peppers, olives, whatever else you like
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Spray muffins tins with no stick cooking spray.
- Add biscuits to each muffin cup and push and flatten to make a shell.
- Add cooked ground beef to the shell.
- Add about 2 tp 3 tablepoons of sauce on top.
- Sprinkle with chopped pepperoni and vegetables.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the cheese (more or less).
- Bake for 15 minutes or until shell is done and cheese is bubbley.
Notes
- Oven (350°F, 5-7 min) = crispy perfection.
- Microwave (30-45 sec) = fast but slightly less crispy.
- Air fryer (350°F, 3-4 min) = the best of both worlds.
-
- If the biscuit dough shrinks back down after you press it into the muffin cups, let it rest for a few minutes and try again. Sometimes, the gluten in the dough just needs to relax a little. (Don't we all?!)
- Pressing the biscuit dough into the muffin tin just right makes all the difference—too thick, and they won’t cook through, too thin, and you’ll have a sauce explosion!
-
- Resist the urge to overload your dough with too much sauce or fillings—if you do, you’ll end up with soggy bottoms and messy, overflowing pizza cups, and nobody wants that.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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