10-Minute Pita Pizza
Take care of hangry kiddos (and adults!) with these tasty and quick 10-minute Pita Pizzas! Pita pizzas make for an easy meal, lunch, or snack that the whole family will devour.
Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Pita Pizzas
These adorable little pita pizzas are your new secret weapon for getting a meal on the table in record time. No bake crust = no problem! And they’re just as easy to freeze and reheat as they are to put together.
Plus, these pita pizzas are the perfect game plan for giving everyone in your family a little bit of what they want when it comes to pizza. They’re even a helpful strategy if you want to encourage any picky eaters to try a bit of something new.
One more bonus – these pizzas are healthier than most store-bought or restaurant pizza, so you’ll feel no mom-guilt about including them in your weekly meal plan.
Did someone say pita pizza, pretty please? 🙂
Feeding kids can be tricky! But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Here you can find 40 Family Dinner Ideas, over 100 Kid Snack Ideas, great Hidden-Veggie Recipes, 50 Cooking with Kids Recipes, and so much more! And for even more family-friendly recipes, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Reasons to Love these Easy Pizzas
- toddler, kid and adult-friendly
- easy to make
- hidden veggies
- can customize with favorite fillings
- great for school or packed lunches
- healthy
- freezer-friendly
- great for lunches, snacks or dinner
- can be made gluten and dairy-free
Ingredients
- Pita: we are using a piece of pita bread as the pizza base, but you can use whichever type of pita you prefer – whole wheat, regular, gluten-free, etc.
- Pizza Sauce: You can use any store-bought or homemade sauce you prefer.
- Mozzarella: you can shred your own or use pre-shredded mozzarella from the store. I used pre-shredded cheese. You can also use an Italian cheese blend.
- Parmesan: optional, but it is great to sprinkle on top.
- Toppings: you can use any toppings you prefer. See below for lots of fun options and combinations.
Health Benefits of Pita Pizzas: Just because it’s pizza, doesn’t mean it’s not healthy! The pita provides carbohydrates, an important macronutrient needed for energy. Pizza sauce is full of nutrients like vitamins A and C and potassium, and the cheese provides the calcium needed for healthy bones. Depending on what toppings you choose, you can boost the health factor even more with fiber and other nutrients from vegetables and protein from meats.
Allergy Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: use a trusted brand of gluten-free pitas and gluten-free toppings.
- Dairy-Free: vegan cheeses have come a long way in their replication of taste, texture, and behavior (Melty! Bubbly! Stretchy!) so try plant-based mozzarella or parmesan-style shreds. If that doesn’t appeal, you can absolutely still have delicious pizzas sans cheese!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Toast Pita Bread: for a crispier crust, place the pita in the oven for a few minutes before adding your toppings.
- Spread Sauce: Add a few spoonfuls of sauce to the top of the pita and spread around, leaving a small circle of pita for a crust.
- Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
- Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese.
- More Cheese: Sprinkle with a pinch of parmesan.
- Bake: Pop the pita pizzas into the oven and bake until golden.
- Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.
Pita Pizza Variations
One of the best things about these pita pizzas are all the choices you can make for toppings! Veggie or meat lovers, extra cheese or bbq-style pizza, it can all be done!
Sauces
- Hidden Veggie Pizza Sauce, Veggie Loaded Pasta Sauce or Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Any store-bought pizza or pasta sauce
- Spinach Basil Pesto
- Barbecue Sauce
- Spinach + Artichoke Sauce
- or just brush with olive oil!
Toppings
- Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
- Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
- Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles
Combos
- Classic: Hidden Veggie Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella
- Veggie: Tomato Sauce + Bell Peppers+ Onions + Mushroom + Mozzarella
- BBQ: Barbecue Sauce + Shredded Chicken + Cheddar Jack
- Italian: Pesto + Ground Sausage + Bell Peppers + Provolone
- Greek: Olive Oil + Tomato + Black Olives + Feta Cheese
Cooking with Kids
Both toddlers and kids will have a blast making these mini pizzas!
Toddlers
- Can help spoon and spread on the sauce.
- Toddlers love to sprinkle on the cheese and to add their toppings.
Kids
- Kids can preheat the oven.
- They can spoon and spread the sauce.
- Kids love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.
- With an adult’s help, kids can place the baking sheet into the hot oven and set the timer.
How to Store and Freeze
You can store cooked pita pizzas in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezer for 2 months. Make sure to let them come down to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
To reheat, simply pop them into the microwave for 30-second intervals until warm (my microwave takes 90 seconds). Or place them on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Less is more, when it comes to toppings. Putting on too many toppings, especially sauce or ones with more water content, like tomatoes or pineapple, can create a soggy pita pizza that’s difficult to pick up and eat.
- If you’re watching sodium content for toddlers and younger kids, use cheese like fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta, and goat cheese, as they contain less sodium than some traditional cheeses, like parmesan or pecorino romano. You might also want to serve ham, sausage, and pepperoni sparingly for toddlers, as these meats can be saltier.
- If you’ve got picky eaters, try setting up the toppings for these pita pizzas ‘buffet-style’ so that kids can make their own creations in a low-pressure setting.
- Kids love to be creative and eat food that looks like something familiar – encourage them to use toppings to decorate their pizza with a smiley face, different shapes or letters, veggie rainbows, you name it!
Get the recipe: Easy Pita Pizza (10 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 pitas
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce, pasta sauce or pesto
- 1 cup shredded cheese,
- 1/2 cup toppings of choice (optional)
- 2 tbsp parmesan
Instructions
- Prep: preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Toast Pita: add the pitas to the baking sheet. For a crispier crust, place the English muffins in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Spread Sauce: spread the toasted pita with the sauce of your choice.
- Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
- Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of parmesan.
- Bake: Place the pita pizzas into the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
- Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.
Notes
- Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
- Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
- Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles
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3 Comments on “10-Minute Pita Pizza”
My grandson is 16 months…. How should I cut (what size pieces) the pita pizza??
Hi! You can cut it into smaller wedges or strips. You could also do 1 inch by 1 inch cubes which will help with the pincer grasp. xo, Michele
You can cut it into smaller wedges or strips. You can also cut it into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. Just make sure it’s cool to the touch. xo, Michele