Table of Contents:
A Sweet Surprise: Dessert Pizza with Leftover Halloween Candy
As Halloween night fades into sweet memories and your trick-or-treat bucket overflows with an assortment of fun-sized candy bars, what’s the best way to ensure those sugary treasures don’t go to waste? The answer is simple: transform them into a delightful and indulgent dessert pizza!
For today’s easy dessert recipe we’ll show you how to create a mouthwatering dessert pizza that combines the goodness of leftover Halloween candy with the comfort of a delicious sugar cookie crust. Let’s dive into this heavenly treat that gives “pizza night” a new meaning!
We use affiliate links on our blog. We earn commissions when you shop with us. For complete information visit our legal page.
What You’ll Need to Make This Dessert Pizza Recipe
This is one of those incredibly simple recipes that will satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth in a hurry. It’s a delicious dessert pizza that takes almost no effort at all. Let’s make this pizza pie, shall we?
Ingredients:
- 1 tube of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough (You could make your own “homemade pizza dough” with any sugar cookie recipe you want. I like the convenience of pre-made.)
- 10 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 fun-size chocolate bars (assorted)
- 1/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
- 1/2 cup broken pretzels (or salted nuts)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or your choice of melted chocolate)
Other Supplies:
- One 13-inch round pizza pan or baking sheet (be sure to spray it with cooking spray)
- Large bowl for mixing your cream cheese frosting layer
- Small bowl for melting your chocolate chocolate
How to Make Dessert Pizza With Leftover Halloween Candy
1. Prepare the Cookie Base:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) as the first thing you do.
- Take your 13-inch pizza round or pizza pan and generously spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Press your Pillsbury cookie dough evenly onto the pizza round or pan (you could use a rolling pin if you wish), leaving a 1-inch space from the edge for an easy pizza dough (so to speak).
- Place the cookie crust in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 16-20 minutes or until the edges turn a beautiful golden brown. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
- Once done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving. If you get anxious for that first bite and load it up with your toppings too soon, it could crumble.
2. Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture:
- While you wait, soften the cream cheese by briefly microwaving it. It should be easy to mix without any lumps, but not so runny that you can’t easily spread it.
- In a mixing bowl, combine your sugar, the softened cream cheese, and the vanilla extract. Mix these ingredients until they are well blended. This creamy mixture will serve as the “sauce” base for your dessert pizza.
3. Assemble the Dessert Pizza:
- Once the cookie crust has cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the entire surface, leaving a 1/2-inch (give or take) edge for a beautiful presentation and less mess while eating.
- Now, the fun part begins – choosing your leftover Halloween candy! Select approximately 20 fun-size chocolate bars of your choice and cut them into quarters.
- Spread the candy bar pieces evenly over the cream cheese mixture. Feel free to get creative and mix and match different chocolate bars for a diverse flavor experience.
- Add a colorful touch with 1/4 cup of Reese’s Pieces. These vibrant candy-coated peanut butter treats not only taste fantastic but also provide a playful contrast to the chocolate bars.
- For a delightfully salty-sweet balance, scatter approximately 1/2 cup of broken pretzel pieces on top of the candy. The pretzels add a satisfying crunch that complements the creamy and sweet elements of the pizza. We do not recommend skipping the salty step! Salted peanuts or pistachios could also be used if you are not a pretzel fan.
4. Drizzle with Dark Chocolate:
- To elevate your dessert pizza to the next level, melt approximately 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips. You can do this in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between until the chocolate is smooth and liquid. Be very careful with this step, as chocolate can burn very easily.
- Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the whole thing. This not only adds a rich chocolatey flavor, but also enhances the visual appeal of your creation.
5. Serve and Enjoy:
- Once you’ve added the final touch of dark chocolate, your dessert pizza is ready to be devoured. We think it’s best enjoyed while the toppings are still slightly warm, gooey, and irresistible.
- Slice your dessert pizza just like you would a regular pizza, plate it, and listen to your guests ooh and aah over your lovely dessert creation.
- This is optional, but we highly recommend a scoop of vanilla ice cream to really finish it off beautifully.
- If you have leftovers, store them on the counter in an airtight container for a few days.
Equipment
- 1 13" round pizza pan or baking sheet
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small bowl for melting chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
- 10 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 fun size chocolate bars
- 1/4 cup Reese's Pieces
- 1/2 cup crushed pretzels
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Prepare the cookie base
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Generously spray your pizza pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Press your Pillsbury cookie dough evenly onto the pizza round or pan (you could use a rolling pin if you wish), leaving a 1-inch space from the edge for an easy pizza dough.
- Place the cookie crust in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 16-20 minutes or until the edges turn a beautiful golden brown.
- Once done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before adding toppings.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture
- While you wait, soften the cream cheese by briefly microwaving it. It should be easy to mix without any lumps, but not so runny that you can't easily spread it.
- In a mixing bowl, combine your sugar, the softened cream cheese, and the vanilla extract. Mix these ingredients until they are well blended. This creamy mixture will serve as the "sauce" base for your dessert pizza.
Assemble the Dessert Pizza
- Once the cookie crust has cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the entire surface, leaving a 1/2-inch (give or take) edge.
- Spread candy bar pieces evenly over the cream cheese mixture.
- Add Reese's Pieces and crushed pretzels.
Drizzle with Dark Chocolate
- Melt approximately 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips in the microwave.
- Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the pizza.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Can I Use Other Toppings?
We think that a chocolate dessert pizza is the best dessert pizza, but maybe you disagree. The good news is, you can use the cookie crust and cream cheese spread as your base for many different styles of dessert pizza. We recommend you keep these elements the same for best results, but you can change the toppings as you like. Here are some ideas:
Apple Dessert Pizza
This is a yummy dessert for any season, but especially the fall! Try topping your pizza this way:
- Thin apple slices (sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning)
- Dash of ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar
- Caramel sauce drizzle over the whole pizza
Fresh Fruit Pizza
You can always go classic and make a traditional fruit pizza! Fruit toppings could include:
- Fresh strawberries
- Tropical fruits like pineapple
- Slices of bananas
- Fresh raspberries
- Drizzled chocolate
Whichever option you choose (we think our leftover Halloween candy option is the most delicious), this dessert pizza is sure to please. It’s a dessert that appeals to kids and adults alike, and it’s perfect for gatherings, parties, or simply indulging in a cozy evening at home. Happy baking and enjoy every delicious bite!
You may also like:
How to Make a Fresh and Fulfilling Fruit Pizza with Lemon Glaze
In this post I’m sharing a beautiful and delicious fruit pizza recipe that is easy to make using fresh fruit, a cream cheese layer, and a soft sugar cookie crust. You can really let your creativity shine through with this treat! It’s versatile and you can make it fit your color scheme for any party or special occasion.
Fun & Fearsome! How To Make Haunted Halloween Candy Bark
If you or your kids will be throwing or attending a Halloween party, an easy Halloween dessert is an absolute must. Today we are sharing a super easy Halloween candy bark recipe that would work this Halloween season as a classroom treat, party favor or party dessert!
