Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas

Get the kids cooking with these Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas. Made with a few store cupboard ingredients, they cook in less than 10 minutes!

Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are the perfect spooky snack for your Halloween party!

They're a simple pizza dough, shaped into mini pizzas and topped with your favourite sauce and cheese. But it's the black olives shaped into spiders that make these pizzas special.

These easy-to-make pizzas are a great way to let the kids get creative, so set them up with the pizza dough and let them decorate their own!

To make your mini pizzas, you'll first make a simple dough using flour, yeast, salt and warm water.

Once the dough is kneaded and proved, you'll divide the dough into little balls and then squash them down with the flat of your hand to shape them into mini pizza bases.

You'll then top them with your favourite tomato sauce and pinch cheese. Cheddar works just fine, or you can go for mozzarella. You can even add in a little parmesan if you like.

I find it best for an adult to slice the olives unless your children are confident using a knife with supervision. Then you can let the kids take care of shaping the olives into spider toppings without any worries.

Once your Halloween Spider Pizzas are in the oven, you won't need to wait long! Simply bake for 5-7 minutes, and you're done.

Once the pizzas are cooked, I like to pop them onto a platter and serve them with a side of BBQ, hot sauce or marinara sauce for dipping. Then it's time for everyone to dig in!

So you see, with just a few ingredients, you can have these spooky Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas on the table in no time.

To help you get the spiders just right, I've included some clear pictures along with step-by-step instructions. So, follow the steps below for spooky spider pizzas in a flash!

Instructions

Instructions

Make the dough

Put the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl.

Mix together.

Measure 200ml (6.8floz) of lukewarm water and pour two thirds into the bowl.

Bring together with a wooden spoon or by hand. Add the remaining liquid little by little to mop up any remaining dry patches - you might not need it all.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and return to the bowl.

Cover with a wet tea towel or cling film for an hour until doubled in size.

Shape the dough

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan, 430F).

Knock back the dough by tipping it on a lightly floured surface and kneading briefly to remove any larger air bubbles.

Divide the dough into 20 balls. 

Arrange the balls on lined baking trays, lightly flour your hand and flatten with your palm.

Top the dough

Put a heaped teaspoonful of tomato sauce onto the centre of each pizza.

Top with a sprinkle of cheese.

Make the spiders

Slice 15 olives lengthways and place one on each pizza. These are your spider abdomens.

Now slice 15 olives through the middle to give rounder shapes and place them at one end of each spider abdomen. These are your spider heads.

To make the legs, slice an olive in half lengthways, then cut each half into 4 long slivers. Arrange them around the spider's body. It looks good if you have four legs curving up and 4 curving down.

Place the trays in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes until the dough is just taking on colour and is cooked through.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas easy to make?

Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are a quick and easy way to get the kids in the kitchen and cooking! Made with just a few store cupboard ingredients, they're a cheap and easy activity for the little ones this Halloween.

To make your dough, you'll mix flour, water, yeast and sugar, kneading it into a smooth dough. Plus, if you have a stand mixer, this recipe is even easier as a dough hook will save you the time and effort on kneading.

Most of the time taken in this recipe is waiting for the dough to rise and prove. So while your dough sits, you can get to work slicing olives into slivers for the kids to shape into spiders.

Lay the toppings out in bowls, bring out your dough and divide it into 20 even-sized balls. Then you can give everyone a ball to shape into their own pizza.

You'll probably need to bake the pizzas in two batches, but they only take 5 minutes, so it won't affect serving times too much.

And that's it! Spooky, simple, tasty Halloween pizzas that all the family can make together!

If you have any questions, I hope this section helps. If not, pop me a comment below and I'll reply as soon as I can!

Will I need any special equipment to make these mini pizzas?

To make your mini pizzas you'll only need a pair of hands and some standard bits of kitchen kit (weighing scales/ measuring cups, bowls, knife, board and a baking sheet).

If you aren't a fan of kneading, feel free to use a stand mixer with a dough hook to mix your dough.

There's always a complete list of suggested equipment on the recipe card below my recipes if you're in doubt. 

I also always include links to example products to show exactly what I used to make each recipe.

What is the best pizza sauce?

I used a classic tomato pizza sauce for my Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas, but you could get creative and try a different flavour. BBQ sauce or pesto would both work really well.

If you want to make your own pizza sauce, plenty of recipes use canned tomatoes, onions and some herbs and spices. Go for it if you feel confident enough in the kitchen to freestyle your own pizza sauce!

Can I make my own pizza sauce?

If you want to make your own pizza sauce, it's really easy!

All you need to do is sweat 1/2 a medium-sized chopped onion with a pinch of salt for a few minutes until translucent and slightly golden.

Then add 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add any herbs you prefer at this stage - I love thyme, basil and oregano. You can add more or less garlic.

You could add some vegetables to get some extra goodness. Diced carrots and red peppers would add some extra sweetness and vitamin C. If you add vegetables, add a little extra liquid - as long as the mixture is loose but not like a broth.

Next, add 1 can of chopped or whole tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Fill half of the empty can with vegetable or chicken stock and add it to the pan. Then turn off the heat and let it cool.

Once it's cool, pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend it into a smooth sauce. If it's too thick, add a little water or stock - but remember you don't want it to be too liquid, or you'll have soggy pizzas. It should have a consistency similar to a store-bought pizza or pasta sauce.

Feel free to use red or white onion and any herbs you prefer. Some people like to add chilli to their sauce for a kick. Or you could even add some olives and capers for an extra layer of salty, savoury flavour.

This is just a rough guide. As long as your homemade pizza sauce has the right consistency and taste, there's no wrong way to make it! It's a quick (and cheap) fix if you can't get to the store.

What kind of olives should I use? 

For this recipe, you'll need to use black olives, so they look like spiders.

I much prefer the taste of black kalamata olives, but for a really dark black colour, black hojiblanca olives are best. They're the kind you find on classic takeaway pizzas.

Can I use a ball of mozzarella on my pizzas?

Grated mozzarella is best for pizzas, as it doesn't make your pizza too soggy because it's not quite as wet as a ball of mozzarella.

That doesn't mean you can't use a mozzarella ball - just that the results might differ slightly. To avoid a soggy pizza, you might want to slice your mozzarella ball and leave the slices on a plate lined with some kitchen paper in the fridge to dry out a little.

How can I tell if my mozzarella cheese has gone off?

When mozzarella cheese goes bad, it will develop dry patches and will start to harden. The texture will also become dry and crumbly. If it starts to smell sour or cheesy, it has gone bad, and you should throw it away.

How can I tell if my yeast isn't working?

If your yeast isn't working, your dough won't rise, and your pizzas will be dense. There are a few things you can do to troubleshoot this:

• Make sure your yeast is still active by blooming it before you use it. To do this, mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with 1/4 cup of warm water and add 1 tablespoon of yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes - if it doesn't start to foam up, your yeast is no longer active, and you'll need to get some new yeast.
• Make sure you're using the right amount of yeast. If you use too much yeast, your dough will rise too quickly and then collapse. So it may be that your yeast is effective, just ineffectively used.

Can I use fresh yeast?

Yes, you can use fresh yeast in this recipe. Just make sure to bloom it first, as described above.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas suitable for vegetarians?

Yes! Though make sure that your mozzarella is vegetarian. Sometimes cheese can contain rennet, an animal-derived product unsuitable for vegetarians.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas suitable for vegans?

The mozzarella is the only ingredient in this recipe that is unsuitable for vegans. So, if you use vegan cheese, your pizzas will be suitable for vegans.

Vegan cheese has been reviled for years, and usually for good reason. However, in recent years some great plant-based cheeses have entered the market. Here are a few of my favourites:

• The Melty One from Purezza - Created by vegan pizza restaurant, Purezza, it's perfect for pizza!
• Violife Original (Grated) - This one isn't strictly a mozzarella, but it works well enough on pizzas. I find it best to heat it with a spoonful of cashew cream or vegan cream cheese to kick start the melting process before spooning it onto pizzas.
• Nutritional Yeast - This one isn't technically a cheese but has a cheesy flavour. It's essential for sprinkling on top of vegan cheese to give it a realistically cheesy flavour!

Animal-derived products can be used to thicken, colour or flavour sweet and savoury food, so it sneaks into the most surprising ingredients! So always make sure that you double-check all of your ingredients labels to ensure that they are vegetarian.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas gluten-free?

This recipe uses wheat flour, so it isn't gluten-free. However, flour is the only ingredient you would need to substitute for a gluten-free version. So you could use a gluten-free pizza dough mix or premade gluten-free pizza bases.

Pizza typically relies on gluten for its texture, so a gluten-free flour wouldn't be effective at replicating that. I think a gluten-free pizza mix will produce the best results rather than using gluten-free flour.

Many supermarkets sell their own brand of gluten-free pizza dough mix or premade bases. I've heard good things about Schär's Gluten-Free Pizza Base Mix.

I haven't tried making a gluten-free version of this recipe, but

Double check all of your ingredients labels to make sure that they are gluten-free.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas keto-friendly?

No, Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are not keto-friendly. This is because they contain wheat flour, which is a type of carbohydrate.

If you want to make a keto-friendly version of this recipe, you could use a low-carb pizza dough mix or premade low-carb pizza bases. There are many commercially available.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas suitable for those on a FODMAP diet?

Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are not suitable for those on a FODMAP diet. This is because they contain mozzarella, which is high in lactose.

If you want to make a FODMAP-friendly version of this recipe, you could use a FODMAP-friendly cheese like goat's cheese or feta.

Wheat flour is also high in FODMAPs, but not because of gluten. Wheat flour contains fructose which is high in FODMAPs. So you would need to consider that if you look for a low FODMAP flour alternative.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas healthy?

Pizzas aren't considered super healthy, but this homemade version is probably much lower in sugar and fat than a storebought or takeout pizza.

Are Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas safe to eat while pregnant?

Yes, Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are safe to eat while pregnant. However, you should always check your ingredient labels to ensure that the cheese is pasteurised.

Pregnant women are advised to avoid unpasteurised cheeses and foods containing them. This is because raw dairy can contain Listeria, a bacteria causing Listeriosis.

Make sure that all of your ingredients are in good condition and that you prepare this meal safely and hygienically.

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional if you need further information or have any concerns.

Is Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas suitable for babies and toddlers?

If your baby is eating solids, you could feed them small pieces of this pizza so long as you leave out the salt and olives. The NHS explains why you shouldn't feed babies and toddlers salt here. 

Always give food at an appropriate size and shape for your baby or child. Cut small, round foods, like grapes and cherry tomatoes, into small pieces. Remember to keep babies supported upright while eating and supervise your baby when they’re eating in case they start to choke.

A Mummy Too does not give medical advice. Please speak to a health professional if you have any questions or concerns.

The NHS has some fantastic resources on their website on what to feed babies and young children.

What goes well with these mini pizzas?

These Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas are great on their own as part of a make-your-own pizza station. Or they would go well with my Halloween Salad for a bit of freshness.

Pizza always needs a good dip, so why don't you serve your mini pizzas with this Vegan Pumpkin Dip or my Red Pepper Dip?

Can I make the Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas without olives?

If you or your little ones don't like olives, you could always leave them out.

You could use toppings like bell peppers or mushrooms to create some creepy-crawly shapes on top.

Or you could make this recipe at any time of year or for birthday parties using:

• Ham, chicken or thinly sliced sausage
• Pineapple, peppers and onions

How should I store these mini pizzas?

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can enjoy them cold, or if you reheat them, make sure they are piping hot.

How long will Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas keep?

Homemade pizza tends to go stale more quickly than storebought pizza, so it's best to enjoy your leftovers within 1-2 days of making them.

They should still be just as tasty for up to 2 days if you keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll still be safe to eat for longer, but they will most likely become soggy or stale or somehow both at the same time.

Can I leave Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas out on the counter?

You shouldn't leave Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas out on the counter. They will become unsafe to eat within a couple of hours. So if you're serving them at a party, keep them in a warm oven until it's time to serve them.

Can I make Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas ahead?

Yes, Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas can be made ahead. You can prepare the dough and sauce up to a day in advance and store them in the fridge until you're ready to use them. Assembling the pizzas can also be done ahead of time, but they will need to be cooked before serving.

Can I keep Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas in the refrigerator?

Yes, Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out or becoming soggy.

Can I freeze Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas?

Yes, you can freeze your Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in cling film or aluminium foil, or place them in a freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to 3 months.

You can also freeze the uncooked pizza dough and defrost it in the fridge the day before you want to cook your pizzas. If you freeze your pizza after letting it rise, it's best to portion the dough into individual portions wrapped in cling film or freezer bags. Spray or roll the balls in some cooking oil so that they're easy to remove from the freezer bag at a later date.

When freezing pizza dough, make sure you label the bag with the stage you froze it. This helps you know whether it needs to prove or if it can be shaped straight away.

What is the best way to defrost these mini pizzas?

It might be better to cook your mini pizzas from frozen to keep them crisp. You may need to cover the top with foil to protect the toppings from burning.

They should take around 15 minutes at 180-200C (fan). However, this may vary depending on the thickness and amount of cheese - so test one pizza first and adjust the time or temperature accordingly.

If you froze the dough before it had a chance to rise, you'll need to defrost it in the fridge overnight. Then let it sit in a covered bowl or container until it reaches room temperature. Once it's fully defrosted, allow it to rise or double in size as the recipe steps state.

Or, if you let the dough before freezing it, you'll need to let it come to room temperature and then go straight to the shaping steps.

Can I make these Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas in a different quantity?

If you want to make more or less mini pizzas, then it's very easy. This recipe produces 20 mini pizzas, which sounds like a lot - but don't worry, they're so small that it won't feel like too much.

However, feel free to half or double the ingredients as you prefer. The cooking time won't be affected, as they cook individually.

It will take longer to get a very large amount of the dough to rise. You would probably struggle to get a doubled recipe in a mixing bowl, too. So you might need to make your pizzas in batches if increasing the recipe size.

A free recipe scale conversion calculator is a good option if you want to make a specific amount i.e. 32 pizzas. You simply copy and paste in the recipe ingredients/ existing size (20 pizzas) and then enter your desired portion.

The calculator will work everything for you at the touch of a button and give you an adjusted ingredients list. Simple!

Can I make these Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas as one big pizza?

Sure! I haven't made this as a large pizza, but it should work just fine.

A large pizza might take a few more minutes to cook, but there shouldn't be much difference in it if you don't make the pizza too thick.

For example, my full-sized Soda Bread Pizza takes just 10 minutes to cook at 180C (fan)/390F. So that could be a good method to try.

Can I make Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment would be a great way to save your arm strength, as it will knead the dough for you.

Any stand mixer should do the job, but something like a KitchenAid or Kenwood is ideal as the motor can handle kneading dough without overheating.

Can I make Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas with a food processor?

The dough is much too dense for a food processor. So if you used a food processor to mix your dough, the food processor would probably seize up and break.

How can I make sure my Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas turn out perfectly?

I've given some basic tips and troubleshooting ideas above - but here are a few more things to consider for the perfect Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas:

• Make sure your baking tray or pizza stone is preheated properly. This will help to get a crispy base on your pizzas. You could try preheating the oven for 30 minutes at 220C or your highest oven temperature. Then cook your pizzas for less time, similar to using a real pizza oven. I would only recommend this if you feel confident and can see through your oven door, as you'll need to judge this by sight.
• If your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour - 1 tablespoon at a time - until it's no longer sticky. Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add a splash of water.
• Try not to be too quick to add extra flour/water. Different kinds of flour can take longer to hydrate than others, so sometimes it just takes a little longer for the dough to come together. If you've been mixing/kneading for a few minutes and it just isn't happening, try adding extra flour/water as above.
• Make sure you use olives in brine or oil, not cooking olives. Cooking olives are slightly dried and are much saltier. They're more suitable for use in stews and pasta sauces.
• If you're using precooked alternative toppings (like meat or roasted veg), but the base isn't as crispy as you like, try cooking the pizzas for a few minutes without the toppings. Then add the toppings and cook for a minute or two more.

What kind of flour should I use for my pizzas?

Flour can vary in protein levels from 6-18% depending on factors like the type of wheat used, growing conditions, and fertilizer/ nitrogen levels.

Dough made with high protein flour is much more stable than dough made using flour with low protein, but it might need a little more kneading and extra water.

I used strong white bread flour from the UK, which has a higher protein content than plain flour. Though, confusingly strong white flour has a similar protein content to US all-purpose flour (12-13%).

So if you're in the UK, you should use strong white bread flour or 00 pizza flour. But all-purpose flour or pizza flour should work if you're in the US.

Why did my Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas turn out dry/crumbly?

If your Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas turned out dry, there could be a few reasons:

• You didn't use enough water, or your dough was too dry. This could happen if you live in a particularly dry climate, as flour can absorb moisture from the air.
• Or it might have been that your measuring cups/spoons were not level, resulting in too much flour being used.
• You kneaded the dough too much. Kneading develops the gluten in the flour, which makes the dough tougher. So if you kneaded for longer than directed, this could have made your Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas dry and tough.

Why did my Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas turn out wet/soft/dense?

There are a few potential reasons for this:

• You used too much water, or your dough was too wet. This could happen if you live in a particularly humid climate, as flour can absorb moisture from the air. It can also happen if you use flour which has been left open in the cupboard, where it's likely to absorb moisture.
• Or it might have been that your measuring cups/spoons were not level, resulting in too little flour.

Why didn’t my Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas rise?

If your Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas didn't rise, it might be that your yeast was no longer active. Check the 'use by' date on your yeast packet/jar and make sure it hasn't expired. If it has, the yeast won't be active enough to make your dough rise.

You should also check that you used the right amount of yeast. Too much or too little can both prevent your dough from rising.

You can do a' yeast test' if you're unsure if your yeast is still active. Mix the yeast with a little sugar and some of the water called for in the recipe. Then wait 10 minutes. If the mixture starts to foam, your yeast is still good to use. If not, it's time to get some new yeast!

Another reason your Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas might not have risen is because the dough was too cold.

If it's winter or you live somewhere cold, you might need to keep the dough somewhere like a boiler room or in an oven set at 25C-30C. Though take care not to keep it somewhere so warm that it begins to cook.

How can I add/change the flavours in these mini pizzas?

There are lots of ways you can change the flavours in these Mini Halloween Spider Pizzas. Here are a few ideas:

• Add garlic or other herbs to the dough for a flavourful base.
• Try different combinations of cheese – why not try smoked cheese or goat's cheese?
• Use alternative pizza sauce, like BBQ or even something like a creamy garlic and herb sauce.
• You could even let the kids use familiar ingredients, like Babybels, Dairylea Triangles or Cheesestrings.

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