Pizza Tarts

Easy Pizza Tarts are a fun tailgating snack that are perfect for any super bowl party or game day noshing. These appetizer tarts are made with puff pastry so they’re light and crispy with all the flavors you love in pizza.

Incredible flaky crust puff pastry pizza tarts made with thick rich pizza sauce or creamy sour cream and loaded with your favorite toppings are sure to be a hit at any gathering!

They also make a fantastic after school snack for the kiddos, an after-work snack for the adults, or a potluck addition!

This mini pizza tarts recipe is from the first Tailgating snacks month back in 2014!

It’s also been one of my most popular tailgating snacks ever. But it was time for an update. So, I’ve updated the pictures and information for a better user experience. And I’ve included it in 2023’s tailgating snacks month, the 10^th annual!  Wow!  

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Tailgating Snacks Month

Happy October! And all things fall including football and game day snacks!

It seems fitting that on this 10^th annual tailgating snacks month I would remake one of my most popular and one of the earliest recipes.

These pizza snacks have lots of possible variations. I give suggestions for Classic or Traditional with red pizza sauce as well as a Pizza Blanco (white pizza) with sour cream.

But, you know, you could make these with other sauces as well.

Customize your pizza tarts

Make these mini pizzas you own, just as you would a regular pizza from a pizzeria. Here are some suggestions for you:

• Sauce: Besides red pizza sauce or sour cream, you can try homemade basil pesto for a puff pastry pesto pizza. Or sun-dried tomato pesto. Alfredo sauce or Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce would also be delicious.

• Cheese: Mozzarella is the classic pizza cheese. But I often mix up the cheese on my pizza depending on what’s in the fridge. Really, just about any cheese is great: cheddar, pepper jack, Parmesan, or any of your favorite cheeses will work.
  
• Veggies: Use any vegetable pizza toppings like green pepper, black olives, mushrooms, or your favorite.
  
• Meat: Yes, you can even add pepperoni or cooked sausage.
  
• Herbs: I like to make my own homemade Italian Herb seasoning blend and keep it on hand in the cupboard. It’s budget friendly and easy to mix up your own mix.
  
• Extra spicy: Sprinkle the tarts with red pepper flakes just before baking to bump up the heat. You can also add a dash of hot sauce to the sauce if you want. Or, go sweet and spicy with a drizzle of hot honey after they have baked.

Measurements for recipe

The sauce measurements in the recipe below are basically 1 teaspoon sauce per tart. And, the cheese is 1 tablespoon per tart.

I always prefer to know a total amount needed in a recipe. Of course, if you’re a big cheese or sauce fan, you can add more. My husband prefers more of both, so when I make these for him, I double the amount of both the sauce and cheese.

Just don’t overload the tart squares too much with toppings, or they won’t puff up and get all flaky. Which is my favorite part of puff pastry!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

I highly recommend my homemade pizza sauce. The little bit of extra time it takes to make your own is nothing compared to how super yummy this sauce is!

Since my sauce is nice and thick it doesn’t overload the tarts like a thin watery sauce would.

And, my pizza sauce is super easy to make. Simply open a can of tomato paste, toss in some spices and a little water, and mix. That’s it! No cooking involved!

It’s rich and thick, slightly sweet and slightly spicy. It’s everything you want in a Pizza Sauce. Besides, this sauce doesn’t even require any cooking!

How to make

These are made with just 3 simple ingredients plus your choice of toppings and baked to crispy, cheesy perfection.

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Place oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven to 400° F.

defrost & prepare puff pastry

Remove frozen pastry sheets from box and paper wrappings. Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature for about 40 minutes or until pastry unfolds easily, but pastry is still cold. Unfold pastry on a lightly floured surface, and remove any additional paper wrappings.

Cut each sheet into 9 pieces by cutting down the fold lines, then cutting each row into three equal pieces.

Really you can use any brand of puff pastry you like. Often my grocery store is out of the regular brand, so I occasionally buy different brands. The different brands will have different weights. It’s ok, you can use whatever brand is available. Just adjust the recipe accordingly, using the recipe as a guide.

• Pro tips: when using puff pastry, if the pastry cracks when unfolding, sprinkle the crack with water and press the edges together to seal.

• If thawed puff pastry sheets become warm or sticky after thawing, place them in the freezer for 5 minutes or the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. Ten use in recipe as directed.

Line two cookie sheets or baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper, and place 9 pastry squares on each baking sheet.

top the pizzas

Spoon about 1 teaspoon pizza sauce or sour cream into the center of each pastry square, and spread to a thin layer, leaving about a 1-inch space along each side.

Feel free to use more sauce if you like your pizza saucy. My husband likes a bit more sauce that I do on his pizza. I went on the light side with the recipe because you can always add more.

Sprinkle each square with about 1 tablespoon shredded cheese (again use more if you like), and top with sliced red onion and red pepper.

Add your favorite toppings. Pepperoni and sausage are toppings I would add for my family. Feel free to get creative.

Generously sprinkle each with Italian Seasonings.

I didn’t do an egg wash on these tarts, but you can if you would like. The egg wash will get a shiny golden lacquered look on the edges of the puff pastry. To do the egg wash, lightly beat an egg in a small dish and brush it on the crust.

Other fun pizza recipes

We love pizza around here, and it’s the perfect tailgating snack. Be sure to check out my Pizza Rolls, Pizza Sticks, Pizza Puffs, Waffle Iron Pizza, and Pizza Pull Apart Bread.

Storage

If you have any leftover puff pastry tarts, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat them in the oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes at 350° F.

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Pizza Tarts Recipe

Pizza Tarts

Debi

Incredible flaky crust puff pastry pizza tarts made with thick rich pizza sauce or creamy sour cream and loaded with your favorite toppings are sure to be a hit at any gathering!

5 from 47 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep.

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 18 servings

Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 17.3 ounces frozen puff pastry
• ½ cup Pizza sauce or sour cream
• 9 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• thinly sliced red onion and red pepper
• Italian Seasonings
• fresh oregano or basil to garnish

Instructions

 

• Place oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven to 400° F.
• Remove frozen pastry sheets from box and paper wrappings. Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature for about 40 minutes or until pastry unfolds easily, but pastry is still cold. Unfold pastry on a lightly floured surface, and remove any additional paper wrappings. Cut each sheet into 9 pieces by cutting down the fold lines, then cutting each row into three equal pieces.
  17.3 ounces frozen puff pastry
• Line two cookie sheets or baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper, and place 9 pastry squares on each baking sheet.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon pizza sauce or sour cream into the center of each pastry square, and spread to a thin layer, leaving about a 1-inch space along each side. Sprinkle each square with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese, and top with sliced red onion and red pepper. Generously sprinkle each with Italian Seasonings.
  ½ cup Pizza sauce or sour cream, 9 tablespoons shredded mozzarella, thinly sliced red onion and red pepper, Italian Seasonings
• Bake in 400° F oven for 13-17 minutes, rotating trays halfway through baking time, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Carefully remove from oven, place on a serving tray, and garnish with fresh herbs.
  fresh oregano or basil to garnish

Notes

Feel free to add more sauce and cheese if you like saucy and cheesy pizza!

I didn’t do an egg wash on these tarts, but you can if you would like. The egg wash will get a shiny golden lacquered look on the edges of the puff pastry. To do the egg wash, lightly beat an egg in a small dish and brush it on the crust before baking.

If you have any leftover puff pastry tarts, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes at 350° F.

Pizza Tarts can be prepared in advance. Defrost and cut the puff pastry. Add the toppings. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap of foil. Make sure to keep them covered in the fridge so the puff pastry doesn’t dry out.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 146mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 80IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword pizza, puff pastry, tart

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