Description

Celebrate special occasions with these delightful Heart-Shaped Pizzas. Made with tender pizza dough and topped with rich tomato sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings like pepperoni and fresh veggies, these mini pizzas are as fun to make as they are delicious to eat. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or a creative family meal, this recipe is simple to prepare and bakes in just minutes to bring a cute and tasty twist to a classic favorite.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough and Sauce

1 pound pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
½ cup pizza sauce

For the Toppings

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup mini pepperoni or sliced regular pepperoni
optional toppings like sliced olives, bell peppers, or fresh basil

Seasonings and Others

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
flour for dusting

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Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) to ensure it is hot enough to create a crispy crust and properly melt the cheese.
Prepare the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface to prevent sticking and roll out the pizza dough to about ¼ inch thickness. This thickness helps achieve a perfect balance of crustiness and chewiness.
Cut the Shapes: Using a knife or kitchen scissors, cut the dough into heart shapes either freehand or by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter for uniformity.
Place on Baking Sheet: Arrange the heart-shaped dough pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza stone to ensure even baking and easy cleanup.
Season the Dough: Brush the tops lightly with olive oil. Then sprinkle garlic powder and Italian seasoning evenly to add aroma and flavor to the crust.
Add Sauce: Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over each heart-shaped dough piece, leaving a small border around the edges to prevent sogginess and maintain structure.
Add Cheese and Toppings: Generously top each pizza with shredded mozzarella cheese, then add pepperoni or your choice of optional toppings to personalize your mini pizzas.
Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Cool and Serve: Remove the pizzas from the oven and allow them to cool slightly, making them easier to handle and enhancing flavor before serving.

Notes

Perfect for festive occasions such as Valentine’s Day or anniversaries.
Great activity to involve kids in cooking and creativity.
Make ahead by preparing the pizzas and reheating them in the oven just before serving.
For a gluten-free option, substitute regular pizza dough with gluten-free pizza dough.
Customize with your favorite toppings for variation.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 mini pizza
Calories: 260
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 520mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 12g
Cholesterol: 25mg