You don’t have to be in Chicago to get a piece of pizza pie. Mini Deep-Dish Chicago Pizzas can be made in the comfort of your own kitchen and I can’t wait for you to try these little cuties for yourself.
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Anytime I visit the windy city I have to have at least one piece of iconic Chicago deep dish pizza. There is something so special about the way the ingredients are stacked and baked together.
While a large deep dish pizza is awesome, a mini version is even more fun. Serve these Chicago style mini pizzas for an easy dinner, quick lunch, after school snack or game day appetizer. They truly are the perfect finger food. So is this pizza pull apart.
What goes into this Recipe
- Pizza Crust Dough: Using ready made dough allows you to make mini deep dish pizzas in minutes.
- Pepperoni: Use a good quality sliced pepperoni or mini pepperonis. You could also go with turkey pepperoni to save a few calories. You can also try this Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Skillet for dinner!
- Tomato Sauce: A good pizza sauce or marinara is what I always go with.
- Mozzarella Cheese Slices: The sliced cheese helps to keep the layers nice and distinctive but shredded cheese also works great.
- Parmesan Cheese: It is the perfect finishing touch to the top of the little mini pizzas.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions/Variations
Crust- I like to use the tube of dough you find next to the canned biscuits because it is already rolled out and ready to go. BUT you could also use a homemade pizza crust recipe, biscuits rolled thin or even crescent roll dough.
Toppings- While round pepperoni slices work perfectly, go with your favorite pizza toppings. Italian sausage, salami, sliced olives, chopped bell pepper, sliced red onion and mushrooms would all be delicious.
Sauce- Buffalo sauce, Alfredo sauce, pesto and ranch would all be great alternatives to traditional red sauce.
How to make Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
1.Take your pizza dough and roll out onto a flat surface. Cut out 12 circles using the top of a drink cup, a wide mouth Mason jar lid or cookie cutter.
2. Take the circles of dough and press them into the bottom of each cup in a 12-cup muffin tin that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Be sure to press the crust up the sides of the muffin cups.
Next, begin layering. Unlike pizza from other parts of the world, start with a circle of cheese.
3. The next layer is two rounds of pepperoni. Then another round of mozzarella cheese.
4. Finally a teaspoon {or so} of pizza sauce. Spread it out over the top of the cheese and to the crust edge and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
6. Allow the deep dish mini pizzas to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before removing and serving. Look at those gorgeous layers of goodness!
Expert Tips
- If you are working with a thicker pizza crust be sure to roll it out thin on a lightly floured surface. To get a great combination of ingredients you don’t want the crust to be too thick.
- Make sure you have pressed the crust up the sides of the muffin pan. It is important that the crust is as high as the fillings stacked in the middle.
- Get creative with your toppings. While I am a fan of pepperoni pizza, there are so many other options that are sure to make the whole family happy.
- Serve tiny pizzas with a side of ranch dressing for dipping. Having a good dip for this simple dish allows everyone to use their fingers and enjoy every last bite.
- Double this recipe and freeze the leftovers. There are so many times that it is great to have a fun snack and these mini deep-dish pizzas are the best.
Storing, Reheating and Freezing
Store- Leftovers can be refrigerated in a good airtight container for a couple of days.
Reheat- The easiest way to reheat the individual pizzas is to microwave them for a couple of minutes. You can also reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze- These mini pizzas freeze well in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
The reason for the unconventional order of ingredients is because deep dish pizzas are thick and require a longer baking time.
If the cheese and other toppings were on the top, then they would burn. So the sauce is put on at the end and over the toppings to protect them.
Serve them with a good side salad for a complete meal on a busy weeknight. This Bruschetta Salad and Caprese Salad would both go with them perfectly.
They can also be added as an appetizer on pizza night with a regular pizza. Add extra parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to the table and allow everyone to add them as they like.
Yes! They would be so much fun. In that cake use a smaller cookie cutter {or glass} to cut 36 circles of dough. Press them into the prepared pan and top accordingly.
I suggest using mini pepperoni or cutting your pepperoni slices into quarters to keep the fillings the correct size. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-13 minutes.
Do you love pizza and pasta recipes? Try these…
Did you try this recipe?Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Easy Mini Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 tube Pillsbury pizza dough
- 8-10 slices mozzarella cheese {cut 2-3 circles from each slice}
- 24 slices pepperoni
- ¼ cup pizza sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Lay pizza dough out onto the countertop and press or roll out to make it a little thinner. Using a large cookie cutter to {or the rim of a glass} cut out 12 circles. Press each circle into a muffin cup, being sure to press it up the sides.
- Put a circle of mozzarella cheese into the bottom of each crust. Top cheese with 2 pieces of pepperoni and another circle of cheese. Then add a teaspoon of sauce on top of each pizza and spread out to cover the toppings. Sprinkle each pizza with a little Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them sit for a minute or two. Remove pizzas from the pan and serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- If you are working with a thicker pizza crust be sure to roll it out thin on a lightly floured surface. To get a great combination of ingredients you don’t want the crust to be too thick.
- Get creative with your toppings. While I am a fan of pepperoni pizza, there are so many other options that are sure to make the whole family happy.
- Serve tiny pizzas with a side of ranch dressing for dipping. Having a good dip for this simple dish allows everyone to use their fingers and enjoy every last bite.
- Double this recipe and freeze the leftovers. There are so many times that it is great to have a fun snack and these mini deep-dish pizzas are the best.
Nutrition
