Description
Delightfully festive and fun, these Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins offer a creative twist on classic pizza flavors. Soft biscuit dough encases a savory ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese mixture, baked to golden perfection. Finished with a garlic butter brush and topped with pretzel sticks to mimic pumpkin stems, these bite-sized treats are perfect for parties or cozy gatherings, paired beautifully with marinara sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Filling
- 2 cups (16 oz.) ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dough
- 1 (16.3-oz.) tube Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits
Garlic Butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Assembly and Serving
- 16 thin pretzel sticks, about 1 inch long
- Kitchen twine
- Marinara sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use to allow flavors to meld.
- Shape the dough rounds: Cut each biscuit into 16 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a small ball. Then, using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten each ball into a 3 1/2 to 4-inch round, suitable for wrapping the filling.
- Stuff and seal the dough: Place about 2 teaspoons of the ricotta cheese mixture in the center of each dough round. Gather the edges of the dough upwards around the filling and pinch firmly to seal the dough pockets completely. Gently press each filled dough ball on the bottom to flatten it slightly, creating a stable base. Transfer all stuffed dough rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once shaped, refrigerate the stuffed dough for about 20 minutes to chill and set.
- Tie the dough balls with twine: Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center. Cut sixteen pieces of kitchen twine, each about 17 to 20 inches long. Lay 1 piece of twine flat on a cutting board, place one stuffed dough ball in the center, and loosely tie the twine around it as if wrapping a gift, creating six evenly spaced sections that resemble pumpkin ridges. Secure with a loose knot and trim excess twine. Repeat with the remaining stuffed dough and twine strips, arranging the tied dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced 1 to 2 inches apart.
- Bake the stuffed pumpkins: Bake the dough balls in the preheated oven until they turn golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes, ensuring the dough is cooked through and the cheese filling is warm and melty.
- Prepare the garlic butter: While the dough bakes, melt the unsalted butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the finely chopped garlic, fresh parsley, and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the garlic butter cool slightly.
- Brush with garlic butter and cool: Once baked, remove the stuffed pumpkins from the oven and brush the tops generously with the prepared garlic butter. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. After cooling, carefully remove the kitchen twine from each dough ball without damaging their pumpkin shape.
- Finish and serve: Insert one pretzel stick into the top center of each cheesy stuffed pumpkin to serve as a pumpkin stem. Serve warm alongside marinara sauce for dipping, inviting guests to enjoy these charming, bite-sized savory treats.
Notes
- You can substitute Pillsbury biscuits with your favorite refrigerated biscuit dough or pizza dough if preferred.
- Ensure the dough balls are sealed tightly to prevent cheese from leaking during baking.
- For a spicier twist, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the cheese filling or garlic butter.
- These bites are best enjoyed warm but can be reheated in the oven for a few minutes to restore crispness.
- Kitchen twine can be found at most grocery stores; be sure it is food-safe.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pumpkin (approx.)
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: stuffed pumpkins, pizza bites, appetizer, ricotta, mozzarella, easy party food, Pillsbury biscuits, garlic butter, pretzel sticks, marinara dip
