Bake a batch of easy Pizza Muffins for the flavor kids love in an easy-to-eat (and reheat!) format. These healthy muffins have a dose of shredded carrots for extra nutrition and are an easy lunch option to pack or serve at home.
Pizza Muffins
My kids love pizza, like most kids, and we have it often—but I also try to use the flavors in other foods. These Pizza Muffins have many of the same ingredients as pizza and subtle pizza flavors, but are also easier to pack in a lunch and work really well to make ahead and freeze for future days for easy toddler meals.
They are a fun savory muffin to have in the mix, and there are so many options for how you can customize them for your own kids.
Clearly these do not taste exactly the same as “real” pizza, which my kids do like to point out, but they have similar yummy flavors—and are much less messy to eat.
Ingredients You Need
You’ll need these ingredients to make the muffin recipe for kids.
- Milk: I use whole milk in my baking, but any milk will work here.
- Grated carrot: This blends into the batter nicely and adds a dose of veggies. I prefer to shred the carrots myself on a box grater so they are finer, but you can also buy shredded carrots from the store.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: For classic pizza flavor.
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Melted and slightly cooled butter, or neutral oil
- Diced pepperoni: This is optional, but adds nice flavor.
- Eggs: This helps the batter bind together and be light and fluffy. (See the Notes at the end of the recipe for the egg-free option.)
- All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour: The mix gives a pleasantly fluffy texture with some of the fiber and whole grains from the whole wheat flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Pizza seasoning: This is found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets. You can use Italian seasoning if you can’t find it, but the flavor of pizza seasoning is excellent in the muffins.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Stir together the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Fold in the dry ingredients, reserving some of the pepperoni.
- Portion out into a greased muffin tin and top with pepperoni.
- Bake and serve or store.
TIP: You can make these as mini muffins. You’ll want to adjust the timing to 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
These easy pizza muffins are made with pantry staples like flour and baking powder, plus carrots, eggs, milk, cheese, and more. You can play with the optional ingredients to make them exactly how your kids like.
We prefer them warm and like to heat them briefly at home or pack them in a thermos if packing for school.
Sure, just omit the pepperoni.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Sure! Just be sure to let them cool completely, then store in a zip top plastic storage bag for up to 3 months. This is a great recipe for lunch to keep on hand since you can easily warm them up and tuck them into a thermos to go or serve for lunch at home.
How to Store
To store, let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat briefly for 15-30 seconds in the microwave to serve.
Best Tips for Success
- You can make these as mini muffins. You’ll want to adjust the timing to 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Egg-free: Omit eggs. Increase milk to 1 ¾ cups. Increase baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Proceed with the recipe as directed. (This works really well!)
- You can warm briefly and pack in a thermos for lunch.
- Substitute the carrots for broccoli if desired. Just use the tops of the broccoli, avoiding the stems, and finely cut up or chop.
- Use all of one type of flour if that’s what you have.
- Omit the pepperoni to make them vegetarian.
- Serve with warm marinara sauce if desired for dipping.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it with your kids, so please comment and rate the recipe below.
Pizza Muffins (with Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup melted and slightly cooled butter or neutral oil
- ¼ cup diced pepperoni, plus 2 tablespoons diced pepperoni (optional)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ teaspoons pizza seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Marinara or pizza sauce (warmed for dipping, optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard muffin tin well with nonstick spray.
- Add the milk, carrot, cheeses, butter, pepperoni (reserving the 2 tablespoons), and egg to a medium bowl. Stir together.
- Stir in the flours, baking powder, baking soda, pizza seasoning, and salt.
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin, using a heaping ¼ cup in each. Top each with pepperoni.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. (There may be some melted cheese on it, though!)
- Let cool in the pan for 2-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. You may need to use a paring knife around the edges of the muffins to help remove them from the pan.
- Serve slightly warm.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- To store, let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat for 15-30 seconds in the microwave to serve.
- To freeze, let cool completely. Transfer to a zip-top plastic storage bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Warm one at a time on a heat-safe plate in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds or until warmed through
- Egg-free: Omit eggs. Increase milk to 1 ¾ cups. Increase whole wheat flour to 1 cup. Increase baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Proceed with the recipe as directed. (This works really well!)
- Look for pizza seasoning in the spice aisle. McCormick and Tones make it, and there are specialty brands, too, like this one that is very good. It is widely available.
- You can make these as mini muffins. You’ll want to adjust the timing to 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- You can warm briefly and pack in a thermos for lunch.
- Substitute the carrots for broccoli if desired. Just use the tops of the broccoli, avoiding the stems, and finely cut up or chop.
- Use all of one type of flour if that’s what you have.
- Omit the pepperoni to make them vegetarian.
- These have the most pizza flavor if served with warm marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published July 2020.
We are in the process of moving so muffin pans are packed. Is there a way to make this in bread or casserole format?
It would work in an 8×8 inch pan if you bake for about 18-22 minutes (or until the middle is set and a cake tester comes out cleanly). Good luck with the move!
I didn’t have any carrots so I used 1 cup of riced cauliflower instead and they turned out amazing! My 3 year old was excitedly yelling “mmmm!” with every bite.
We loved these! I made my own seasoning and added chopped pineapple in addition to chopped deli ham (my kids won’t eat pepperoni). I also added a few tablespoons of tomato sauce and made into mini muffins. These are a hit and we will make again with all sorts of favorite pizza toppings.
Could you make this as a small loaf as well to cut into dippers for the pizza sauce? Or flatter? Just wondering. These had my whole house smelling amazing! Yum!!
Ohhh my goodness! These are so so so good. Moist, tasty, and perfect. I did add the little extra cheese that I grated, because you can’t ever go wrong with extra cheese. Although, I’m 100% certain that’s not why they were so delicious! Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Excited to give this a try! Thoughts on adding tomato paste to the recipe rather than dipping in pizza sauce?
I bet you could add 1-2 tablespoons if you wanted to try that.
We LOVED these! What a great addition to my son’s kindergarten lunch! Thank you for all you do!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can’t speak on taste myself but my toddler is eating one in each hand right now! Excited to try some other ones for her.
Another winner, so delicious!
My 4yo ate 4 for dinner and my 2yo ate 2. Even my husband said it was good. Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious! My 4 year old liked these, and I think I liked them even more! ☺️
Can there be a substitution for the wheat flour?
You can use a 1:1 style of gluten-free flour blend.
So good! Huge hit with my picky eater
Another winner! Our family loves veggies in our pizza, so I actually added a half cup each of really tiny chopped tomatoes and bell peppers, used two tablespoons of olive oil instead of the butter, and dialed the milk back to a cup. I did them as mini muffins and 14 minutes in the oven had them perfectly done! I snitched one when they came out of the oven and YUM. We’ll have them with a big salad and homemade pizza sauce, and I’m pretty cheerful about an easy dinner and extra snacks for the week. Thanks for the idea!
Made them once and they were great! I can’t really find pizza seasoning in Belgium, so I just added other spices. I wanted to make them again but I am out of pepperoni, I was wondering, do you think canned tuna would work? Thank you!
I think that would primarily depend on whether you like the flavor. I would personally do cooked crumbled sausage or beef as options first.
These muffins were SUPER tasty. And I love all of the hearty/good for you ingredients in them. My 4 year old, 1 year old, and husband LOVED them! Family hit! Thanks so much, Amy!
I’m so glad to hear that and thank you for commenting!
Mine came out flat. Do you know why that would be? The only thing I changed was i subbed all purpose GF flour.
It could be or perhaps check the freshness of the baking powder or soda?
I just made these and both of my girls love them!!! Thank you! It is a yummy and easy recipe!!
I’m in Canada and can’t get pizza seasoning . Do you have a recommendation on herbs to use ? Or even better yet an at home pizza seasoning recipe ?😅 thank you !
It’s usually made of dried basil, dried oregano, onion flakes, garlic flakes, fennel, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper. You could use just oregano and some garlic powder if that’s what you have though. If you google it, you’ll see a few recipes. I would pick one that doesn’t start with fennel since that’s not a flavor I often recognize in the store bought ones!
Sorry I posted too soon! These were not a hit in my household, sadly. I did not have pizza seasoning, so I subbed in dried garlic, onion, basil, and oregano in a slightly higher amount than what was called for and subbed in Hormel turkey pepperoni because that’s what I had. Everything else was the same. I didn’t want to add red pepper flakes because I was fearful my son wouldn’t care for them, but as adults, we would’ve preferred them. They were very bland and really didn’t taste like pizza; I think some tomato or tomato sauce on top may have helped with adding more “pizza” characteristics. I know I made substitutions, but I don’t know that those changes would have resulted in this bland of a muffin. My toddler mostly refused to take a second bite (on multiple offers over 2-3 days). I feel like there is a lot of potential here, but unfortunately, they weren’t a hit for the toddler or the adults in our household. Maybe the pizza seasoning is the vital ingredient.
I have made a bunch of your muffin recipes with gf flour – do you think I would be able to make these using gf flour too?
Yes, they work well with the 1:1 type of gf flour blend from King Arthur or Bobs Red Mill.
Really good. I followed the recipe, going half and half with broccoli and carrot. 1X recipe made 48 mini muffins!!! Will definitely put in my kids lunch muffin rotation
These are phenomenal and kid approved! Not only that but so easy to make as well. We made them in mini muffin tins and they baked up perfectly in 13 minutes. Dipping them in warm pizza sauce made them irresistible. Definitely putting these on my list to make regularly!
These are so tasty! I didn’t have whole wheat flour, so I used all purpose for all of it. I also used Trader Joe’s pizza seasoning. So, I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, but my family and I loved them! They are even better dipped in marinara sauce. Thank you so much for sharing this!!
These were so good! I grew up in Southern California and Trader Joe’s sold these amazing cheese scones and these muffins reminded me of them. I live in Massachusetts now and when Trader Joe’s came here I was so disappointed that I couldn’t find my favorite scones. Thanks for sharing!
With 4 kids ranging in age from 0-7, I’m always looking for quick, healthy & delicious fuel for the whole family (mom & dad included!) This recipe is just that! So many kid-friendly recipes are bland & boring but that is never the case for your recipes! Thanks so much!
This is my go to muffin recipe for my son (2.5 yrs old), and he loves it! I doubled the recipe and added shredded zucchini to it last time, just had to cook a little longer and came out perfect! Today I’m baking it with half carrots/half cooked quinoa-curious how they turn out! My son is autistic and very picky and this is one of his yes foods!
I’m so glad to hear that and love hearing about your additions!
My son loves these, my mom loves these, I love these!
I didn’t have pepperoni or pizza spice so I just used Italian seasoning and they taste AMAZING! They freeze well and thaw in just 30 seconds in the microwave!!!
Made these during nap time today and tried one straight out of the oven. I loved it! So quick and easy to clean up and I love that I can just pop them in the microwave for dinner tonight.
I do have one question. I thought about swirling in some pizza sauce before baking instead of serving alongside but wasn’t sure how much or if I need to omit some of anything else to make the consistency ok. Do you think they would still bake well if I added some sauce?
Curious to know if you tried this?
I had this same thought. Did you ever try this?
I veganized this recipe and it turned out really well. These will be great for kids lunches.
These are absolutely perfect. My daughter loves them and I’m going to make them again for her school lunches.
I’m so glad to hear it!
Planning on making these for my 1 year old. How do you suggest putting spinach in these in place of pepperoni?
I would roughly dice up about 1/4 cup and stir it into the batter.
These are really good. I think I added too many chili flake so they were a bit spicy which my son did not like, but I sure did! They froze very well too. They remind me of a pizza biscuit but in the shape of a muffin. Will make again even if it’s just for myself.
Could I put a bit ground turkey instead of pepperoni?
Sure, I think I would precook it though.
What is the best way to reheat after frozen?
You can do them in the microwave directly from frozen for about 30 seconds or let them thaw in the fridge or room temp and heat for about 15 seconds or so
I made these today for my 17 month old. She loved them! Thank you for another option that’s not too messy. I can send these for lunch at daycare.
These are so easy to make! They are still light despite all the savory ingredients. Perfect for my 2yo.
Do you think it would work with GF flour?
They work really well with a gluten-free cup for cup style of flour
These are so good! We subbed oat milk for the milk because it’s what I had on hand. I also used all all purpose flour, and oregano and basil for the pizza seasoning. I think next time I will add a little garlic powder. My cheese hater didn’t notice the cheese, and I didn’t point it out. Great recipe for travel. I’m packing some with veggies and fruit for a heavy car snack to tide over for a late dinner.
Hi there! These are SO good, but my preschooler doesn’t like the carrot / broccoli texture. Is it possible to omit? Also wondering if you had any ideas to transform these into a breadstick?
Hi- I think you could likely just omit the veggies. I haven’t made these in breadstick form so I’m not quite sure how the time would change though the baking time would be less. Let me know if you try that!
Thanks for explaining in simple words how to make these Simple Pizza muffins that kids will love so much.
These are so good! My toddler is hit or miss on eating them but my husband and I love them so much we made them for a brunch we hosted! Great recipe for adults too.
Winner! We used a pizza spice recipe we made due to an allergy to capsaicin in red pepper flakes. Due to another issue, gluten intolerance, we used Cup4Cup gluten free flour. We made no other changes, and they are delicious.
The cheese- is that for flavor or does it help bind it together? I also need to make it dairy free so was thinking to just skip the cheese and use nutritional yeast, but didn’t know if I needed to figure out a binder.
It’s a little bit of both but I don’t think there will be an issue with them holding together if you omit it. You could use a df shredded cheese too if you wanted to.
Finally had every ingredient and didn’t substitute (except I’ve always done salami as pepperoni is too spicy for my 3 year old) and it’s AMAZING!! Snuck a few bites despite being pregnant… May have to eat a whole one and not tell the doctors 🙂 thank you!!
Yummy! We use dairy free milk and vegan cheese, and are egg free, and they’re still a hit with everyone! Love an easy lunch that can be pulled out of the freezer last minute.
Hi Amy! I made this and the whole family loved them. I have one question… we live in Mexico City and are really above sea level (more than 2000 meters) and I think that is why my muffins were a little flat, do you know any change I can make in the ingrdients? Maybe mire o less of something? Thank you very much!!!
Hi- I would first make sure that the baking soda is fresh. That would be the most likely explanation at any altitude. If it is, you could possibly add 1/4 teaspoon more to help?
Could you make these dairy free? Do you think vegan cheese and milk alternative would work ok? Thanks!
I think it probably would!
How could I make these dairy free?
I really enjoyed these (my 18mo is still learning to like them). I made the mistake of using muffin papers so the cheese stuck to them when they first came out of the oven. But once they were cool in the fridge I could remove the papers and the reheat no problem.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I modified it according to our family but it was still so delicious and soft. I used 1 cup all purpose flour and half and half of almond flour and wholemeal spelt flour. Used sausages instead of pepperoni as well. It still came out beautifully.
Great idea and recipe. I don’t keep “pizza seasoning” so I improvised with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and an add’l tsp of salt. I also used a combo of 1 cup wheat flour, 1/2 cup ap and 1/2 cup buckwheat flour and the muffins were still very light!
Do you mind sharing approx measurements for your homemade pizza seasoning!? Thanks!
Hi- I usually buy it, but you could do 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
This is a great recipe, my daughter loved it and the froze/reheated so easily!
When I originally made this recipe, I read through the comments and noticed someone talking about how they adapted it to be taco muffins. I came back today to re-read that comment to see about adapting these myself, but for some reason I can only see one comment from April 21 on here. It says 42 comments at the top, but when I click that (or when I click “older comments”) nothing happens. Any chance you can help me out with accessing the comments?
Thanks again, and I’ll be trying other muffin recipes soon!
Hi! I’m sorry that’s not working—not sure what’s happening with the comments, but I’m trying to get it fixed. In the meantime, here’s what that comment said: “Attention all taco lovers…made these with taco seasoning instead of pizza, taco cheese instead of mozz, omitted the Parmesan and added peppers instead of pepperoni. BIG HIT for my taco-loving -2-year old! I love how versatile these muffins are! Thanks for the recipe!”
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate you responding (and so quickly). Thanks much, Amy! 🙂
Ok, the flavor of these reminds me of the Pizza Hut breadsticks and personal pan pizzas of my childhood! Back when Pizza Hut was a special treat for completing a “Book It” assignment! I used frozen riced cauliflower in place of the carrots, and King Arthur flour pizza dough flavor, and about 1/2 t of Italian seasoning in place of the “pizza seasoning”. Thanks for another really yummy recipe!
Book it was the BEST! What a fun flavor memory.
Did you use 1 cup of riced cauliflower- that actually sounds better than the carrots!
My daughter absolutely loves these. I put a little tomato sauce on top when I serve them to her. Great recipe and they freeze very well.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Great recipe! I will definitely be making these quite a bit for the little one 🙂 thanks.
These were really tasty. I used Target’s Good & Gather brand salt-free Garlic & Herb seasoning blend which is very similar to pizza seasoning. I bought mini pepperoni there too so I didn’t even have to chop!
Have you tried them cold? I usually pack lunches the night before (my kids hardly ever, if ever, get a hot lunch!)
I haven’t tried them cold but I assume they are much better warm. I often simply warm it up in the morning and pop it into a thermos if that’s an option!
I modified it according to the ingeedients i had available and they still came out amazing! It really smelled like a pizza was baking! My 2 year approved it.
I’m so glad to hear that!
So I tried these muffins did everything except the pizza seasoning because I couldn’t find it anywhere and didn’t have time to order it. So I used Italian seasoning. I wanted to love them but they didn’t taste like anything. I tasted more of the flour than anything. And I measured perfectly. Do you think because I didn’t have the pizza seasoning that’s why I didn’t enjoy them? Sad
Hi Leah- It’s hard to say and I’m not sure. I know many people who have made them with Italian seasoning and they were still good and had flavor.
These look great! Question – do you squeeze out the water from the carrots before adding? Also, do you think they would work with like a half cup of added veggies on top of the 1 cup carrots?
Thanks!
If your carrots seem really well, you can pat them dry with a paper towel. They usually are fine without that though. I haven’t added more veggies than what’s in the recipe so let me know if you try that!
The whole family loves these! Due to an allergy we use the egg free version and it works amazingly well. Still puffy and light. We like to add some sliced olives as well.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Do you mind sharing what you used in place of eggs?
The egg-free option is at the end of the recipe in the Notes!
Looking forward to trying this recipe, but I don’t have baking powder!! Substitute suggestion?
It’s possible that 1 teaspoon baking soda would be fine though I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. I wouldn’t make them without one of the two as they won’t rise properly.
Attention all taco lovers…made these with taco seasoning instead of pizza, taco cheese instead of mozz, omitted the Parmesan and added peppers instead of pepperoni. BIG HIT for my taco-loving -2-year old! I love how versatile these muffins are! Thanks for the recipe!
This was quite tasty! I made it without the pepperoni since we don’t have that (subbed with more carrots) and Italian seasoning instead of pizza seasoning. Unfortunately, my 1 year old did not like it, but I made them into mini muffins so will have many more attempts. These were slightly difficult to get out of the pan so grease well!
They also freeze well if you want to freeze some and try later too!
I have made these a few times and tbey are a hit with both my 2 year old and my husband!
I have tried with different kinds of cheese depending on what i have on hand (mozzarell, harvarti, marble), otherwise i stick to the recipe and they have turned out great everytime!
These came out great! I used Italian seasoning instead of pizza seasoning, but that’s it. Next time I will add some more “toppings.” The added carrots were great. They were easy to whip up and taste really good while remaining healthy. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad and they are good with more toppings!
These muffins are delicious! I used gluten free flour and almond mozzarella shredded cheese. I keep a bag in the freezer!
They are really good for lunch!
All three of my kids (5,3, almost 1) LOVED these!! Thank you!
I am so glad to hear that!
LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!! Husband and I gobbled up a few of the mini ones at home (before getting the kid). I used zucchini (undrained) and omitted 1/2 cup of milk, but could probably have omitted less than 1/2 cup of milk… and salami because that’s what I had on hand. I’m sharing with all my mom friends now!! Thank you!
Hooray! And I’m glad to know that zucchini worked well.
Turned out AMAZING my girls loved them!
I’m so glad!
Hi Amy
Could I be ambitious and use carrot, broccoli AND Zucchini, to compensate for weeks of not eating veggies??? 😉 A mom can dream, right?
Would the zucchini make it too watery?
You could use zucchini but shred it, squeeze it, and then squeeze it again in a kitchen towel to make sure it’s super dry. Let me know how it goes!
Hello Amy, excited to try this recipe. I do not have the pizza seasoning, any other spice mix I can try?
You could try 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning if you have that on hand.
Loved your recipe.
Didn’t have the pizza seasoning, so you used suggestion the Italian herbs mix.
Thank you so much for all your recipes.
Looking forward to more savoury muffins.
Cheers Jelita ❤️
Wow I would love to make this for my little one! Just a quick question though, if I were to omit the eggs, what do you recommend substituting them with?
I haven’t had a chance to try them without eggs yet but I suspect that one flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp water) would work. You may need 1-2 additional tablespoons of milk if the batter seems too thick. Or you could try omitting them and increasing the baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon and adding 1/2 cup additional milk for 2 cups total. I may have time later today or tomorrow to try it out if you prefer not to experiment yourself!
I had a chance to test them and they work so well. I have the egg-free version in the Notes of the recipe or: Omit eggs. Increase milk to 1 3/4 cups. Increase baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Proceed with the recipe as directed. Enjoy!
Amazing! Thank you so much, I will try that out!!