Description
Delightfully festive and savory, these Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins combine creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheese filling inside buttery biscuit dough shaped like little pumpkins, perfect for a fun appetizer or party snack. Finished with garlic herb butter glaze, pretzel stick stems, and served with marinara sauce for dipping, this recipe is a charming twist on traditional pizza flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Filling
- 2 cups (16 oz.) ricotta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Dough
- 1 (16.3-oz.) tube Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits
Butter Glaze
- 1 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. paprika
Garnish & Serving
- 16 (1″-long) thin pretzel sticks
- Marinara sauce, for serving
- Kitchen twine (for shaping)
Instructions
- Prepare the cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Shape the dough rounds: Cut the biscuit dough into 16 equal pieces. With your hands, form each piece into a ball, then roll out each ball into a 3 1/2″ to 4″ round.
- Fill and seal the dough: Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta cheese mixture in the center of each dough round. Gather the sides of the dough up and pinch to seal the filling inside. Gently press down on the dough balls to form a flat bottom. Transfer each to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all pieces. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to chill and firm up.
- Tie into pumpkin shapes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut sixteen 17″ to 20″ lengths of kitchen twine. Lay one strip flat on a cutting board, place a stuffed dough ball in the center, and loosely tie the twine around it. Flip and tie again to form a bow shape, then turn and tie once more around the dough to resemble a pumpkin. Tie a loose knot to secure and trim off excess twine. Repeat for all dough balls. Place the shaped dough pumpkins spaced 1″ to 2″ apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the pumpkins: Bake the dough pumpkins in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Make the garlic butter glaze: While baking, melt the unsalted butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add finely chopped garlic, fresh parsley, and paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Glaze and cool: Once the pumpkins are baked, brush them generously with the garlic butter glaze. Transfer to a wire rack and allow them to cool. Carefully remove the kitchen twine to reveal the pumpkin shape.
- Garnish and serve: Insert a thin pretzel stick into the top of each pumpkin to act as the pumpkin stem. Serve the pizza-stuffed pumpkins warm alongside marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Refrigerating the stuffed dough before baking helps them hold their shape better during baking.
- Make sure the garlic is finely chopped to infuse the butter without large chunks.
- You can substitute fresh parsley with dried parsley but use a smaller amount.
- Use kitchen twine that is food-safe and non-bleached to avoid unwanted flavors.
- Serve immediately for best taste and texture, as the biscuits taste freshest when warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pumpkin
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
