Every year I tell myself I am going to do some elaborate Halloween dinner, and every year I end up staring into the fridge at 5pm wondering how I got here. This year though, I actually pulled it off. We made three totally spooky, totally delicious Halloween pizzas that had both kids losing their minds in the best way. Carolynn was hovering over me the entire time asking if she could help, and Camden was just running laps around the kitchen island like he does. Totally normal Tuesday evening in this house.
The best part? These Halloween pizza ideas are completely customizable for allergy families. Camden is allergic to dairy, eggs, oats, barley, and flaxseed, so I made two of the three pizzas with dairy free cheese just for him and my sisters who also avoid dairy. Carolynn and Shane got the full cheese experience on the middle pizza. Everyone ate the same dinner, at the same table, without me cooking four separate meals. That is a win I am absolutely celebrating.
We used premade raw pizza dough from a can, which made the whole thing so much more manageable on a weeknight. Let me walk you through all three pizzas so you can pick and choose which ones work for your family.
Why We Love These Halloween Pizzas
- They are allergy friendly and easy to customize. Swap regular cheese for dairy free cheese on any of these and they work just as well.
- They use premade dough. No shame in that. The can dough is our best friend on busy October evenings.
- Kids can help with most of the steps. Carolynn placed toppings and thought she was basically a professional chef by the end of it.
- They look impressive without being complicated. You do not need to be a food artist. I promise.
- It makes Halloween dinner actually exciting. Both kids ate their entire slices, which is not always how dinner goes around here.
The Three Halloween Pizzas We Made
Pizza 1: The Ghost Pizza (Dairy Free)
This one is shaped like a ghost right from the start. You press and stretch the raw dough into a ghost silhouette before adding any toppings. Then you spread on your pizza sauce, add dairy free shredded cheese, and use two pepperonis for eyes with a sliced olive placed on top of each pepperoni to give them that extra spooky look. It is adorable and it takes about ten minutes to assemble.
Pizza 2: The Spider and Ghost Pizza (Regular Cheese)
This one is a rectangle shaped pizza loaded with shredded mozzarella, olive spiders, mozzarella slice ghosts, and mushroom skulls. It is the showstopper of the three.
Pizza 3: The Ghost and Skull Pizza (Dairy Free)
This is the same as the second pizza but made with dairy free cheese and without the olive spiders. It still had the mozzarella style ghost shapes cut from dairy free sliced cheese and the mushroom skulls, so it looked just as fun.
Ingredients You Will Need
All Three Pizzas:
- 3 cans of premade raw pizza dough
- Pizza sauce of your choice (check labels for allergens)
- Pepperoni slices
- Black or kalamata olives, whole and sliced
- Whole mushrooms
For the Regular Cheese Pizzas (Pizza 2):
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Sliced fresh mozzarella (for cutting ghost shapes)
For the Dairy Free Pizzas (Pizzas 1 and 3) Camden Safe:
- Dairy free shredded cheese * (we like Violife or Daiya shreds)
- Dairy free sliced cheese * (for cutting ghost shapes on Pizza 3)
Tools You Will Need:
- Toothpicks
- A straw
- A sharp knife or kitchen scissors
- A spooky shaped cookie cutter (optional for ghost shapes)
- Baking sheets or pizza pans
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep Your Dough
Open your cans of premade pizza dough. For Pizza 1, press and stretch the dough into a ghost shape. Think rounded head on top with two little feet bumps at the bottom. It does not have to be perfect. Ghosts are lumpy. For Pizzas 2 and 3, press the dough out into a rectangle shape on your greased baking sheets.
Step 2: Add Sauce and Cheese
Spread pizza sauce across all three dough bases, leaving a small border around the edges. For Pizza 1, top with dairy free shredded cheese. For Pizza 2, top with regular shredded mozzarella and on Pizza 3, top with dairy free shredded cheese.
Step 3: Make the Olive Spiders (Pizza 2 Only)
To make olive spiders, take a whole olive and slice it in half lengthwise. One half becomes the spider body. Take the other half and slice it in half again. One of those sections becomes the head. Now take another whole olive, slice it in half, and then slice each half into thin slivers for the legs. Arrange the body, head, and legs on your pizza in the shape of a spider. You can use a toothpick to help position everything. We fit two to three spiders on our pizza.
Step 4: Make the Mozzarella Ghosts (Pizzas 2 and 3)
Take your sliced mozzarella (regular for Pizza 2, dairy free for Pizza 3) and use a toothpick to trace and cut out ghost shapes. If you have a spooky shaped cookie cutter, that works great here too and takes out all the free hand guessing. Place the ghost shapes on top of pepperoni slices on the pizza. This helps the ghosts stand out against the shredded cheese below them and prevents the cheese from bubbling up too much under them during baking.
Step 5: Make the Mushroom Skulls (Pizzas 2 and 3)
Take a whole mushroom and hold it so the front is facing you. Use a straw to press and punch out two small eye holes on the front of the mushroom. Then flip it and do the same on the back so both halves will have eyes. Use a toothpick to press and drag small indent lines across the lower portion of the mushroom to create the look of a skull mouth. Now slice the mushroom straight down the middle lengthwise. You will have two mushroom skull halves. Place them on your pizza with the flat cut side down so the skull faces are visible on top.
Step 6: Add Ghost Eyes to Pizza 1
Place two pepperoni slices on your ghost shaped pizza for the eyes. Then take sliced olives and place one on top of each pepperoni to make the eyes look dark and a little spooky. That is all it takes.
Step 7: Bake All Three Pizzas
Follow the baking instructions on your specific can of pizza dough for time and temperature. Every brand is slightly different so stick to what the package says. Keep an eye on the cheese toward the end of baking so it does not over brown. When the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly, pull them out and let them rest for a couple minutes before slicing.
Tips and Variations
Allergy Swaps
- For Camden and any dairy free guests, use Violife, Better Goods or Daiya shredded cheese and their sliced cheese alternatives. They all melt reasonably well.
- Always check your pizza sauce label for hidden dairy, egg, or oat derivatives.
- Pepperoni can vary by brand. Check labels if you are serving someone with specific meat additive sensitivities.
Getting Kids Involved
- Preschoolers can help place pepperoni and olive eyes with supervision.
- Older kids like Carolynn can help trace the ghost shapes in the cheese with a toothpick.
- Let them pick where the spiders go on the pizza. This is their moment of power and they will take it very seriously.
Variations to Try
- Use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut bell peppers into jack-o-lantern toppers.
- Add black bean “eyes” instead of olives if your kids are not olive fans.
- Shape your dough into a pumpkin or bat instead of a ghost for a different vibe.
- Use mini pizza dough rounds and let each kid decorate their own personal Halloween pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some easy Halloween pizza ideas for kids?
Some of the easiest Halloween pizza ideas for kids include ghost shaped dough with pepperoni eyes, olive spiders on top of shredded cheese, mozzarella ghosts cut with a cookie cutter, and mushroom skulls made with a straw and toothpick. All of these use simple ingredients and come together quickly on premade pizza dough.
Can I make Halloween pizza dairy free?
Yes, you can absolutely make Halloween pizza dairy free. Swap regular shredded mozzarella for a dairy free shredded cheese like Violife or Daiya, and use dairy free sliced cheese for any ghost shapes you want to cut out. The toppings like olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, and sauce are naturally dairy free, so you only need to swap the cheese.
How do you make olive spiders for pizza?
To make olive spiders for pizza, slice a whole olive in half lengthwise for the body. Take one of the halves and cut it in half again for the head. Then slice another olive in half and cut each half into thin slivers for the eight legs. Arrange the body, head, and legs on your pizza in the shape of a spider before baking.
How do you make mushroom skulls for Halloween pizza?
To make mushroom skulls, use a straw to poke two small circular eye holes into the front and back of a whole mushroom. Use a toothpick to press small lines into the lower portion to create a mouth. Then slice the mushroom down the middle lengthwise. Each half becomes a mushroom skull that you place flat side down on your pizza so the skull face shows on top.
Can I use premade pizza dough for Halloween shaped pizzas?
Yes, premade raw pizza dough from a can works really well for Halloween shaped pizzas. It is pliable enough to press and stretch into shapes like ghosts or rectangles. Just let it rest for a few minutes after opening the can so it relaxes and is easier to shape. Follow the baking instructions on the specific can you use for best results.
Spooky Halloween Pizzas (Allergy Friendly)
Equipment
- 1-3 sheet pans
- 1 knife and cutting board
- 1 tooth pick
- 1 straw
Ingredients
- 3 cans premade raw pizza dough
- 1 to 1.5 cups pizza sauce divided
- 1 package pepperoni slices
- 1 can or jar black olives whole and sliced
- 6 to 8 whole mushrooms
- For Pizza 1 and Pizza 3 Dairy Free, Camden Safe:
- 1.5 to 2 cups dairy free shredded cheese such as Violife or Daiya
- 2 to 3 slices dairy free sliced cheese for ghost shapes on Pizza 3
- For Pizza 2 Regular Cheese:
- 1.5 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 to 3 slices fresh mozzarella for ghost shapes
Instructions
- Remove dough from cans or package
- Shape Pizza 1 dough into a ghost silhouette. Shape Pizza 2 and Pizza 3 dough into rectangles. Place on greased baking sheets.
- Spread pizza sauce evenly across all three dough bases, leaving a small border at the edges.
- Top Pizza 1 and Pizza 3 with dairy free shredded cheese. Top Pizza 2 with shredded mozzarella.
- For the olive spiders on Pizza 2: slice a whole olive in half for the body, cut one half into a smaller piece for the head, then slice another olive into thin slivers for legs. Arrange on Pizza 2 in spider shapes.
- For mozzarella ghosts on Pizzas 2 and 3: use a toothpick to trace and cut ghost shapes from sliced mozzarella (regular for Pizza
Notes
Nutrition
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