Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup olive oil (or melted butter)
- ½ cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
Mix-Ins:
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices (or regular pepperoni, chopped)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional: ½ cup diced vegetables (bell peppers, mushrooms, olives)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or generously spray with cooking spray. If using spray, make sure to coat the sides well to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. This ensures even distribution of the leavening and seasonings. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil until well combined and slightly frothy. Stir in the pizza sauce until evenly distributed. The mixture will look slightly lumpy from the sauce—this is normal!
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold together until just combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy—do not overmix! Overmixing creates tough, dense muffins. It’s okay if you see a few flour streaks.
- Add pizza toppings: Gently fold in 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, half of the pepperoni slices (reserve the rest for topping), and the Parmesan cheese. If using vegetables, add them now. Fold just until distributed throughout the batter.
- Fill muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ to ¾ full. An ice cream scoop or large spoon works great for this. The batter should be fairly thick.
- Add toppings: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese over the tops of the muffins. Press the remaining pepperoni slices gently into the top of each muffin—they’ll sink slightly as the muffins bake, which is perfect.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown on top, the cheese is melted and bubbly, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. This cooling time allows them to set and makes them easier to remove. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are delicious both ways!
Notes
- Don’t overmix: Stir the batter just until ingredients are combined. Overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, rubbery muffins.
- Customize toppings: Feel free to use your favorite pizza toppings! Cooked sausage, Canadian bacon, diced vegetables, or jalapeños all work wonderfully.
- Cheese options: While mozzarella is traditional, feel free to experiment with cheddar, Italian blend, or even pepper jack for a spicy kick.
- Sauce substitution: If you don’t have pizza sauce, use marinara, plain tomato sauce with Italian seasoning, or even pesto for a different flavor profile.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Lunchbox tip: These are perfect at room temperature, making them ideal for packed lunches without reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 428mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 46mg