Pizza Pumpkin Bombs
What are Pizza Pumpkin Bombs?
Pizza Pumpkin Bombs are festive, handheld stuffed dough balls shaped like mini pumpkins and filled with your favorite pizza ingredients. Made with pizza dough and stuffed with tomato sauce, cheese, and salami (or your favorite pizza toppings), these little bombs are shaped using cooking-safe string to resemble pumpkins. After baking, a small piece of fresh basil is added on top as the “pumpkin stem,” completing the adorable and savory presentation.
These pizza bombs are warm, cheesy, and packed with flavor — basically mini calzones in disguise. They’re fun to prepare, crowd-pleasing to serve, and absolutely perfect for Halloween, fall gatherings, or spooky dinner parties. While they look like a fancy seasonal appetizer, they’re incredibly easy to make and customize to your liking.
Whether you’re making them for kids, as a party snack, or for yourself on a cozy night in, these pizza pumpkin bombs bring all the comforting flavors of pizza in the cutest autumn form imaginable.
How to Make Pizza Pumpkin Bombs
Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients
Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F) and gathering your ingredients. You’ll need ready-made or homemade pizza dough, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese (or another meltable cheese), salami or pepperoni, cooking-safe string (like kitchen twine), and fresh basil for decorating.
If you’re using refrigerated pizza dough, let it rest at room temperature for 15–20 minutes to make it easier to roll and shape.
Step 2: Cut Dough Circles
On a floured surface, roll out your pizza dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a round cutter, bowl, or glass (about 4–5 inches in diameter) to cut out circles from the dough.
You can reroll scraps of dough to get more circles if needed — aim for an even number of rounds to ensure a consistent batch.
Step 3: Fill and Seal
In the center of each dough circle, add a small spoonful of tomato sauce, a generous pinch of shredded cheese, and a few pieces of chopped salami. Be careful not to overfill or the dough may tear during shaping.
Gather the edges of the dough and pinch them together at the top to form a sealed ball. Gently roll between your hands to smooth the seams if needed.
Step 4: Tie the Pumpkin Shape
Using kitchen-safe string, wrap each dough ball gently with string to create the appearance of a pumpkin. Tie the string around the dough ball six times, spacing the loops evenly to form “pumpkin ridges.” Tie a loose knot at the top and trim any excess string.
Do not pull too tight — the dough will expand in the oven. You want gentle indentation lines, not deep cuts.
Step 5: Bake
Place the shaped and tied dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12–15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and fully cooked.
Keep an eye on them in the last few minutes, as baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven and the size of your dough balls.
Step 6: Add Basil Stems
Remove the pumpkin bombs from the oven and allow them to cool slightly — just enough to handle. Carefully snip and remove the strings from each one.
Once the string is removed, place a small basil leaf or a piece of fresh parsley into the top of each roll to resemble a pumpkin stem.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Serve your pizza pumpkin bombs warm with extra tomato sauce or garlic butter on the side for dipping. These make an amazing appetizer, side dish, or even a playful dinner for kids.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Dough: Use a soft, pliable dough — store-bought or homemade both work great. Letting it rest at room temperature helps make shaping easier.
- Cooking string: Only use string that is marked safe for cooking. Avoid synthetic materials or dyed thread that could melt or leach chemicals during baking.
- Don’t overfill: It’s tempting to load them up, but too much filling will cause tearing or leaks during baking.
- Even size: Try to keep your dough balls uniform in size so they bake evenly.
- Make ahead: You can prep and shape the bombs a few hours in advance and store them (uncooked) in the fridge. Add the string just before baking.
- Customization: Not a salami fan? Try pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, or cooked sausage instead.
Enjoy!
Pizza Pumpkin Bombs are the perfect blend of cozy, festive, and totally delicious. They’re easy enough for weeknight fun but cute enough to bring to your next Halloween gathering or fall dinner party. With their golden-brown crust, cheesy filling, and whimsical pumpkin shape, they’re sure to disappear quickly — so consider making a double batch!
Enjoy them fresh from the oven, or pack them up for lunches, potlucks, or spooky snack boards. However you serve them, they’re guaranteed to bring a little extra joy to your table.
Pizza Pumpkin Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 sheet pizza dough or 450g / ~1 lb homemade dough
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped salami or mini pepperoni
- 8 –10 fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 6 feet kitchen-safe cooking string twine
- Optional: 1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the pizza dough to about ¼ inch thick. Use a 4–5 inch round cutter or bowl to cut out 8–10 circles.
- Place 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese, and 1–2 teaspoons of chopped salami into the center of each dough circle.
- Pinch the edges of the dough together at the top to form a sealed ball. Roll gently between your palms to smooth the shape.
- Cut your kitchen string into ~18-inch pieces. Wrap each dough ball 6 times around with string (not too tight), crossing evenly to create a pumpkin shape. Tie a loose knot at the top and trim excess.
- Place each dough ball seam-side down onto your prepared baking sheet. Optional: Brush with olive oil for a golden finish.
- Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and golden brown.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and gently snip away the strings.
- Place a fresh basil leaf into the top of each bomb to mimic a pumpkin stem.
- Serve warm with marinara or garlic butter on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Don’t overfill or your bombs may burst open while baking.
- Kitchen string must be natural fiber and oven-safe. Avoid synthetic or dyed materials.
- You can substitute the filling with mushrooms, ham, cooked sausage, or veggies for different variations.
- Make mini versions for party snacks or larger ones for dinner-sized servings.
- Best eaten fresh but can be reheated in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 5–7 minutes.
- To make ahead: Shape and refrigerate (without string) for up to 6 hours. Wrap and bake when ready.
