Pumpkin Pizza Bites

Pumpkin pizza bites are stuffed pizza dough rolls tied with twine into mini pumpkins, ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes. They make 6 rolls with a vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomato and basil filling.

Why This Recipe Works

Tying twine around each dough ball creates the pumpkin ridges. Keep the loops loose, because the dough puffs up in the oven. A slight dent is all you need, and the ridges deepen as it bakes.

Oil the twine before you use it. The oil keeps it from sticking to the baked crust, so you can snip it and slide it off without tearing the bread. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes first, too, since cold dough fights you and can tear around the filling.

Cook the garlic and shallot until the edges brown a little before they go into the filling. That mellows their bite and adds sweetness, so the cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes don’t taste flat inside plain dough.

Pumpkin Pizza Bites Ingredients

For the dough and filling

• 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for the twine and work surface
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill works well)
• 2 heaping tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 basil leaves, roughly torn, plus more for serving

For the butter brush

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

How To Make Pumpkin Pizza Bites

Prep the dough and twine

1. Rest the dough: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the dough on a lightly oiled surface for 30 minutes, so it relaxes and stretches without tearing.
2. Oil the twine: Cut 6 pieces of cooking twine, each 24 inches long. Put them in a bowl and drizzle with oil, so they slip off the baked rolls later.

Make the filling

3. Cook the aromatics: Warm 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned, then set aside to cool.
4. Mix the filling: Stir the cooled garlic and shallot together with the vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and torn basil. Taste and add salt if it needs it.

Shape the pumpkins

5. Fill the dough: Cut the dough into 6 pieces. Gently pull one piece into a circle and spoon 1/6 of the filling in the middle. Pinch the edges together to seal it into a ball.
6. Tie with twine: Take a piece of oiled twine and wrap it around the ball like a gift ribbon, making 8 sections. Tie it loosely, since the dough will puff up in the oven. Trim the extra string and set the ball on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

Brush and bake

7. Brush with butter: Mix the melted vegan butter with the smoked paprika, turmeric and garlic powder. Brush it over the dough, skipping the bottoms.
8. Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is golden. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes.
9. Finish: Snip the twine and gently pull it off each roll. Set a small basil leaf on top of each one as the pumpkin stem.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the twine loose: Tight loops cut into the dough as it rises and can tear the crust. A slight dent is enough.
• Seal the pinch well: Pinch the seam firmly and set the roll seam side down. A weak seal lets the cream cheese leak out in the oven.
• Don’t overfill: Stick to 1/6 of the filling per roll. Extra filling pushes through the dough when it expands.
• Pick small basil leaves: Tiny leaves look like real pumpkin stems. Add them after baking so they stay green.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Pizza Bites

Serve these warm as a party appetizer or a fall snack. A bowl of marinara for dipping fits well, and a simple arugula salad rounds out a light dinner.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep leftover rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes, until hot all the way through.
• Freezer: Freeze baked, cooled rolls without the twine for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

FAQs

Can I use homemade pizza dough?

Yes. Use about 16 ounces of dough. Let it rest at room temperature until it stretches easily before you fill it.

Are pumpkin pizza bites vegan?

They can be. The filling uses vegan cream cheese and the brush uses vegan butter. Check that your store-bought dough has no dairy or honey.

Can I make them ahead?

Yes. Bake the rolls, cool them and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot all the way through.

Why did my pumpkins lose their shape?

The twine was probably tied too tight, or too loose to leave ridges. Aim for a slight indentation, and let the dough puff up around it as it bakes.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 290 kcal
• Total Fat: 8g
• Total Carbohydrate: 44g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 8g

Pumpkin Pizza Bites

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

85

minutes

Mini pumpkin-shaped rolls made from pizza dough, tied with twine and stuffed with vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Makes 6 golden bites for a fall party or Halloween table.

Ingredients

• For the dough and filling

• 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough

• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for the twine and work surface

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, sliced

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill works well)

• 2 heaping tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 4 basil leaves, roughly torn, plus more for serving

• For the butter brush

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

• Rest the dough: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the dough on a lightly oiled surface for 30 minutes, so it relaxes and stretches without tearing.
• Oil the twine: Cut 6 pieces of cooking twine, each 24 inches long. Put them in a bowl and drizzle with oil, so they slip off the baked rolls later.
• Cook the aromatics: Warm 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned, then set aside to cool.
• Mix the filling: Stir the cooled garlic and shallot together with the vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and torn basil. Taste and add salt if it needs it.
• Fill the dough: Cut the dough into 6 pieces. Gently pull one piece into a circle and spoon 1/6 of the filling in the middle. Pinch the edges together to seal it into a ball.
• Tie with twine: Take a piece of oiled twine and wrap it around the ball like a gift ribbon, making 8 sections. Tie it loosely, since the dough will puff up in the oven. Trim the extra string and set the ball on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.
• Brush with butter: Mix the melted vegan butter with the smoked paprika, turmeric and garlic powder. Brush it over the dough, skipping the bottoms.
• Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is golden. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes.
• Finish: Snip the twine and gently pull it off each roll. Set a small basil leaf on top of each one as the pumpkin stem.