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Creamy Bacon Jalapeno Pizza
Impress your guests with this crowd pleasing Jalapeno pizza! It’s got all the flavors of the popular jalapeno poppers appetizer in pizza form.
This simple jalapeno pizza appetizer is sure to be popular among kids and adults alike. It’s made with a basic homemade pizza crust but you can use premade if you want. A flavorful cream cheese spread replaces the pizza sauce, and it’s topped with grated Mozzarella, bacon and jalapeno slices.
I love that you can customize your jalapeno pizza and make it as spicy or as mild as you want. Plus, you can use the pizza crust recipe to make other kinds of pizza!
Table of Contents
Jalapeno Pizza Ingredients
There are two parts to this pizza. The crust, and the toppings.
Pizza Crust
- Warm water – the water should be around 105-110℉ for best results.
- Dry active yeast – 1 packet, or 2 tablespoons from a larger jar of yeast.
- Sugar – just a little to balance the flavor of the crust.
- Olive oil – adds moisture to the crust.
- All Purpose Flour – the base of the crust.
- Olive oil and cornmeal – both keep the dough from sticking to the pan.
Toppings
- Bacon – cooked until crispy, then chopped or crumbled.
- Jalapeno peppers – fresh, sliced into thin rings. Remove the seeds and membrane for less heat.
- Cream cheese – full fat, brick style cream cheese.
- Mozzarella cheese – freshly grated off the block. Pre-shredded will not melt as nicely. Sometimes I’ll use a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
- Seasoning – garlic powder and onion powder.
How to Make Bacon Jalapeno Pizza
- Make the pizza crust. Follow the directions to make a yeast dough for the crust, or buy the dough premade. Form the crust onto a pizza pan or a rectangular baking sheet.
- Top the pizza. Mix cream cheese and seasonings. If the mixture seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of sour cream until you are happy with the consistency. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the crust. Sprinkle with bacon, jalapenos and shredded Mozzarella.
- Bake. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
FAQs
What type of jalapenos go on pizza?
I just use fresh, sliced jalapeno peppers. You could use pickled jalapenos or diced and canned jalapenos. The pickled ones add a nice salty, briny flavor.
How do you prepare jalapenos for pizza?
Wash the peppers, then slice off the stem end, then slice in half. If you want, you can remove the seeds with a small spoon or knife. I recommend wearing plastic gloves if you have them, and make sure not to touch your face until you’ve washed your hands really well. The heat from the pepper will transfer and burn your eyes, nose and mouth.
Variations
Spicy: Don’t remove any of the seeds or membranes from the jalapenos. Add a third for extra heat, and sprinkle on some red pepper flakes.
Deluxe: Add some additional vegetables, like diced tomatoes, artichokes, corn or spinach.
Kid Friendly: Reduce the number of jalapenos to 1, and remove all of the seeds and membrane. This will give you jalapeno flavor, without so much of the heat.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving some ranch dressing on the side, along with some carrot and celery sticks for cooling off after a spicy bite.
This is a great handheld appetizer to add to your selection and should be enjoyed warm. Some refreshing snacks would be perfect to serve this with, like a fruit tray, some toasted ravioli or for a hearty spread, some bbq chicken sliders.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Pizza should be stored within 2 hours for safety. Place cooled pizza in a plastic storage bag or container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing – Freeze your pizza in a single layer for up to 6 months. Double wrap to protect from freezer burn.
Reheating – My favorite way to reheat any kind of pizza is in the air fryer. It only takes a few minutes at 400℉. You can also bake in the oven at the same temperature. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t want to make your own dough, feel free to use a refrigerated pizza dough or even a premade crust.
- Use a round pizza pan, or a baking sheet for a rectangle shape and a thinner crust.
- Depending on the heat level you’re going for, you can remove some or all of the seeds. I like it kind of medium heat, so I’ll remove about 2/3 of the seeds.
- Cut your pizza into sticks, squares or traditional triangles for easy serving.
- There are a lot of variables, including amount of toppings and height of your dough, that could alter the bake time. Watch how your pizza looks more than the timer. If it looks done, take it out.
More Easy Appetizers to Discover
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Jalapeno Popper Pizza
This Jalapeno Pizza is a spicy take on the classic poppers appetizer. Cut into sticks, squares or triangles for an easy appetizer.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- 1 cup very warm not hot water
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups flour
- Extra olive oil for greasing the pizza stone or pan
- Cornmeal for dusting the stone or pan (optional)
Toppings
- 4 slices cooked bacon crumbled or chopped
- 2 jalapenos thinly sliced remove the seeds for less heat
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
For the crust
- Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and the warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast. When it's frothy, it's ready.
- Whisk in the olive oil and the salt. Stir in 2 cups of flour and mix well. Mix in an additional ½ cup of flour.
- Put the other ½ cup of flour on a large cutting board and knead into the dough. (You can also make the dough in a stand mixer, making sure to switch to the dough hook after mixing in the first two cups of flour)
- Cover and let rise in the bowl until doubled in size; about 45 minutes. If you are in a pinch for time, you can also just roll it out and use it right away.
- Once dough is risen, punch it down.
- Lightly brush your pizza stone or pan with olive oil and then sprinkle corn meal over it. This will help the dough not to stick.
- Put all of the dough on the pizza stone and roll to the edges. If you roll it slightly over the edges, you can take the overlapping dough and lift it back onto the pan, making a higher crust edge.
For the toppings
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the garlic powder and onion powder. Spread your the cream cheese mixture onto the dough, leaving a little space at the edges.
- Top with the bacon and sliced jalapenos, then sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. You can also do the cheese first and then the bacon and jalapenos if you prefer.
- Bake in a 450-degree oven for about 15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly. Watch pizza carefully. Pay more attention to the appearance of the pizza than to the timer.
- Cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
This pizza will make 8-10 appetizer size servings. To serve as a meal, it will make about 4 servings.
Storage – Food should be stored within 2 hours for safety. Place cooled pizza in a plastic storage bag or container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing – Freezer your pizza in a single layer for up to 6 months. Double wrap to protect from freezer burn.
Reheating – My favorite way to reheat any kind of pizza is in the air fryer. It only takes a few minutes at 400℉. You can also bake in the oven at 350℉. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 11gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 566mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 370IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 2mg
