Make these EASY mini pizzas at home in under 1 hour (no long rising needed)! Let everyone in the family customize the deliciously chewy crust with their favorite toppings for a fun weeknight dinner. An easy pizza recipe for kids that adults will love too!
What makes this the best pizza recipe for kids?
- Easy dough! This pizza dough comes together in less than 30 minutes (no overnight rise!) and can be on the table in under an hour. It's a fun way for kids to learn about making dough, too. No need to buy the store-bought Pillsbury pizza dough when it's this easy to make your own!
- Affordable! Those frozen mini cheese pizzas at the grocery store are expensive! This pizza recipe for kids will save so much money (and have a lot more fun!) when you make your own pizza at home. Plus, you can freeze the leftovers and have individual pizzas ready to go for easy lunches and dinners.
- Picky-eater approved! Can't agree on which toppings to order for delivery? Make your own pizzas for a fun family pizza night and everyone can choose their own toppings. We've got lots of pizza night ideas for family night pizza below!
Tip: If you don't want to make individual pizzas, you can whip up my Fluffy Sheet Pan Pizza in under an hour! It's another great kids pizza recipe, as you can split it into sections and have each person top their own.
What You'll Need to Make Individual Pizzas
Here's our pizza ingredient list! You'll need all of the ingredients for the pizza dough for kids, then choose the toppings your family likes.
For the personal pizza dough:
- Active yeast - Make sure you use active yeast, not instant! It works differently.
- Water
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Olive oil
- All-Purpose Flour
Pizza Toppings for Kids
For the sauce: Use a classic store-bought or homemade pizza sauce, or switch things up with alfredo, barbecue sauce, or pesto for those adventurous eaters.
For the cheese: Mozzarella, an Italian blend, provolone, and parmesan are the classics! If you want to make a kids cheese pizza, try using a combination of a few of these for maximum cheesiness.
For the rest: Pepperoni, crumbled sausage, bacon, roasted chicken, ham, black olives, pineapple, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, red onions, bell peppers, roasted red peppers-the world is your oyster here! For a healthy kid-friendly pizza recipe that's also fun to assemble, put together a rainbow of vegetable options and let your kids use them to create funny faces or designs on their mini pizzas.
How to Make Homemade Pizza for Kids:
Step 1: Start the Dough
Combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir them all together, then let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Tip: You're proofing the yeast here, which basically means making sure it's still good-because if it isn't, your dough will be "tough" and the crusts will be flat! You'll know the yeast is good-to-go when it's creamy and has small bubbles on top.
Step 2: Finish the Dough
To the yeast mixture, add the salt, olive oil, and flour. Stir until everything is incorporated and the mixture forms a ball. Turn this out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a minute or two, or until it feels smooth and elastic.
Rub a teaspoon of olive oil all over the dough ball, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the mixing bowl for 5 minutes.
Tip: If you were wondering what makes this a pizza recipe for kids, this right here is what sets it apart from so many other from-scratch pizza recipes. There's no waiting around for hours for the dough to rise, which makes it perfect for impatient cooks (no matter their age)!
Step 3: Form the Mini Pizza Crusts
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll them into balls. One at a time, place each ball of dough onto your floured work surface (or individual parchment paper if you have little helpers!) and use a rolling pin or clean hands to roll, pat, or pull the dough into a pizza crust shape.
Tip: There's no need to stick with circles for the crust! Make mini heart-shaped pizza for Valentine's Day, triangle Christmas tree pizzas for the holidays, or come up with your own unique mini pizza ideas!
Step 4: Top the Individual Pizzas
Have everyone spoon sauce and sprinkle cheese onto their pizzas, then top them with their favorite pizza toppings. (See above for our list of easy pizza toppings!) When kids make pizza, it can get messy, so be sure to have some paper towels on hand for spills and saucy fingers!
Tip: If you're doing a make your own pizza family night and 8 mini pizzas is too many, you can bake some of the crusts plain, then slather them with Nutella and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Dessert pizza for the win!
Step 5: Bake
Place the pizzas on two greased baking sheets (or lined with parchment paper) and pop them in a 425ºF oven for about 16 minutes, or until the edges are puffy and golden and the cheese is melted and browned in spots.
Tip: This recipe makes a perfect thin, chewy crust when it's done, but you can roll it out thinner if you prefer your crust crispy on the edges.
Storing & Reheating
Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the baked pizzas and then pull them out when ready to eat. Use the reheating instructions below for best results.
Reheating: Because pizza dough often gets tough & rubbery when microwaved, I'd recommend reheating this in the oven or air fryer until warm. If you do use the microwave, I recommend defrosting the pizza first and then only microwaving it until heated through (microwaving too long will make the crust too chewy & tough).
Helpful Tips
Tips for making pizza with kids:
- Separate toppings into bowls: Offer an array of kid-friendly pizza toppings and put them all in bowls so kids can top their own pizzas. They can have fun making a fun pizza face with their toppings.
- Prep the workspace: You'll also want to set up a safe workspace. If you're working at the kitchen counter, have a stool for them to stand on; make sure sharp knives are out-of-reach, and keep paper towels at the ready.
- Give each child a piece of parchment: To make their topped pizzas easier to transfer to your baking pan, have each kid make their pizza on a piece of parchment.
- Make tiny bite-sized pizzas! You can use this mini pizza recipe for toddlers or smaller children by making them more bite-sized (3-4"), then cutting them into small slices or pieces! This simple pizza recipe for kids will become your new go-to dinner!
Kids pizza party ideas:
Making homemade pizza with kids is a great party activity, as they can make and top their own personal pizzas! If you want to go all out, you can outfit your little guests in their own aprons and chef's hats, which will double as a cute party favor.
Rather than working at the counter, throw a disposable tablecloth on your kitchen or dining room table and arrange all the pizza toppings in the middle. Give each kiddo a ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper so they can shape their crust, then top it as they see fit. This makes it easier to transfer the pizzas to the baking sheet! Mom or dad can trim any excess parchment so multiple pizzas can fit on each baking sheet.
Clean off the workspace while the pizzas bake and cool, then let everyone enjoy their creations!
Frequently Asked Questions
You could do a takeout-style family pizza night and pair your pizzas with breadsticks, or round things out with a simple salad. Other pizza night side ideas for a pizzeria-inspired meal include garlic knots, garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, baked zucchini fries, or minestrone soup. A chocolate chip cookie cake or sugar cookie fruit pizza makes an excellent dessert pairing, too!
I always use 425ºF, which bakes the crust all the way through. This temperature generally works for most pizzas, including my sheet pan pizza!
A chewy crust that's easy to shape is key for a kid-friendly pizza recipe. You'll also want a good sauce-I like Rao's homemade pizza sauce, which is a bit pricier, but worth it. Some experts say that grated Parmesan is the secret to perfect pizza sauce. Whether you're using homemade pizza sauce or store-bought, try adding some Parm and see what you think!
Mini Pizza Recipe for Kids (in 30 minutes!)
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast, 1 cup warm water (not hot!), and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir, then let sit for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and has small bubbles on the top.
- To the yeast mixture, add the 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Stir until everything is incorporated and the mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a minute or two, or until it feels smooth and elastic.
- Rub a teaspoon of olive oil all over the dough ball, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the mixing bowl for 5 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and form them into balls. One at a time, place each ball onto the floured work surface and use a rolling pin or clean hands to roll, pat, or pull the dough into a pizza crust shape.
- Spread pizza sauce and sprinkle shredded cheese onto the pizzas, then top with desired toppings.
- Place the pizzas on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 14-16 minutes, or until the edges are puffy and golden and the cheese is melted and browned in spots.
Notes from Melissa
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I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! Leave a review & photo of your creation and be sure to mention @DesignEatRepeat or tag #DesignEatRepeat on Instagram!If you make this pizza recipe for kids, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
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Fantastic recipe! I make this with my kids all the time and it’s always a hit. Even my two picky eaters love it! We usually make half the pizzas with pesto sauce and cheese and they turn out perfectly every time. The kids love being involved in the whole process. This has become a staple in our rotation! Absolutely recommend!!
Love that it's become a staple, Annie!
I made this recipe with my 2 year old granddaughter. It was easy and quick. Not too long that I couldn’t keep her attention, for the most part. And the end result was even parent approved! Very yummy! Thank you! We are about to make it again today!
So happy to hear that, Sheri! Thank you so much for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!
Quick and easy, my 5 year old son was involved in the whole process. End result was delicious.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the Mini Pizza recipe, Kathy! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a review!
Easy and turned out really well!
Hi
I’m a culinary teacher for middle school 6-8 grade. Do you have a video of this recipe? Would love to show them the recipe to study prior to allowing them to cook.
Rachel
Hi Rachel! I don't have a video for this one yet unfortunately!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Shaan!
This by far is the best pizza base recipe for my family. It’s easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Alisha! I really appreciate it!
Dear Melissa,
We used this recipe as for a lesson in Chemistry in cooking with our 4H club.
It was a hit! The kids enjoyed getting their hands messy in the dough.
The best part of the day…. The kids took their dough home and made a pizza dinner for their families.
Thank you for an easy to follow recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear, Pru! I am so glad to hear you and the kiddos had such a good time making this recipe! I really appreciate you leaving a review, I appreciate it so much!
This pizza crust recipe was so easy to make with kids! The crust was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Jen!
If I make the dough tonight and want to make the pizza tomorrow, do I refrigerate it? What do I do the next morning? Do I need to knead it or let it sit out to warm up? Or can we go from refrigerated dough to rolling it out right away?
You can refrigerate it adn then let it sit out to warm up/rise a bit more, then roll it out!
Made this with my 5 year old daughter but we cheated and used the kitchenaid. Barely any work, super simple ingredients, and quick. Cleanup was easy and pizza was good!
Was my first time making pizzas for my toddlers , i really liked the recipe dough was really soft all ingredients were just The right amount
Thank you so much
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Somaya - I really appreciate it!
Best pizza dough I have made. So yummy and so easy. Thank you
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Varnamala! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Made this for my family and they LOVED it...
So glad the fam loved this recipe! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Sherry!
This recipe was super easy and the kids in our summer lunch program loved them! A couple of them commented that the cooking pizzas smelled like a major pizza chain and tasted even better!
Couldn't ask for a better review from the kiddos! :) Thank you so much for leaving a review, Andrea!
Simple and easy to make. The kids and husband ate them up. Tho next time I'm gonna try using warm water vs cold.
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Brittany!
These are really cute. Gonna make them this week.
It was super easy to make but it was super sticky. I had to add alot more flour to make it manageable. I'll try it again, maybe I did something wrong.
Hi Lindy! I'm glad you were able to still make it work by adding more flour. Doughs can be finicky due to climate, type of flour, etc. so adding more or less flour is typically needed. Let me know if you try it again!
I made this pizza recipe today with my kids. It was so soft and they loved it much. It is a great recipe. Just I added a lot of flour though. Thank you for sharing this recipe.