Kids can be frustratingly picky eaters. They can also have highly entertaining quirks. My niece used to ask for pepperoni pizza and then proceed to discard all of the pepperoni. But don’t you dare suggest that she order plain cheese pizza! She did not want plain cheese pizza. She wanted pepperoni pizza. But without the “icky” pepperoni.
Un-Pepperoni Pizza.
But when you wrap pepperoni pizza into a fun, savory, pull-apart style bread, it’s no longer “icky” pepperoni pizza. And it’s quite difficult to un-pepperoni 
I’ve had these Pizza Bites bookmarked for ages, so when I finally found an excuse to make them, I wanted to take it in a slightly different direction: a savory monkey bread.
A very light coating of garlicky butter-covered pepperoni pizza bites, piled into a bundt cake pan, makes for a very fun Pepperoni Pizza.
Or Pepperoni Un-Pizza.
Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread
You can take the long route and make your favorite pizza dough and marinara sauce, or the short route and pick up your favorite pizza dough and red sauce from the store.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 lbs pizza dough (I used this recipe because it makes enough for two pizza)
- 6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (you'll need ~48 pieces)
- 48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)
- 2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving
Instructions
- Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.
- Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.
- Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (~2/3 of an ounce, a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.
- Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.
- Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).
- Repeat until all of the dough is used.
- Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.
- Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
Yields: 48 pieces
Estimated time: 1 hour 45 minutes
{ 107 comments… read them below or add one }
Haha, your niece sound so funny! Yum! This bread sounds perfect for a bbq!
This recipe looks like so much fun! Definitely going to make it for my family soon. How funny, my daughter is the same way. She always wants pepperoni pizza, but then she takes the pepperoni off.
Silly kids.
HA! “unpepperoni” pizza!
LOVE the idea of making this into monkey bread!
Oh wow that would be amazing! I made traditional monkey bread the other day but I’ll definitely be making this one soon. Yum.
What an awesome idea! I’ve done the pizza bites, but I’ll do them this way next time for sure!
I’m a new reader, but I got so excited about this I just had to comment – this is going to be *perfect* for potlucks (and since it doesn’t advertise itself as pizza, maybe the adults can enjoy it, too)!
Yum! I make something similar, but I call mine a Pizza Bubble Ring and I roll the bites in a mixture of olive oil and Italian seasonings.
Oh. My. Gosh. This is the coolest!
This would be great to serve when friends come over to watch a football game. Can’t wait to try it!
Holy cow! My husband will go CRAZY for this. Aaaaaand I know what we’re doing for dinner on Friday night. He’s going to freak out. Thanks
What a great idea! I’ve made the pizza bites with rave reviews in their traditional form before but this brings it to a whole new level of fun. Love it!
That looks awesome
I think I need to make this soon!
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing! I’m in love:-)
Kids can be so funny when it comes to food! I am making this, but I really wish that I had some right now!
Yum, they look delicious! I am with your friend except I order non-pepperoni since I am not a meat eater. Cheese and sauce only please!
Oh my! This is going in my binder for future use (dieting right now). This is fabulous! My husband will even love this!
I love your blog, this is my first time here. I subscribed to your RSS to keep up with your fabulous posts!
What a fun idea! Make a great appetizer for when football season rolls around again!
Oh my gosh, this looks incredible! I’ll be bookmarking this one : )
I used to take all of the sauce of pizza when I was a kid. therefore, basically stripping it of any nutritional value. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Maybe your niece just wanted the spiciness that the pepperoni leaves ON the pizza? Kids do the darndest things.
Love that you turned these into monkey bread! So much more fun to eat.
This looks amazing!
This looks yummy! I have a toddler, so I might have to try this!!
I love monkey bread and have never thought of making a savory version…I guess because I love the cinnamon/sugar version so much. This is awesome!
I cannot WAIT to make this! In fact, I think I’ll make it tomorrow. I’m thinking you could even add a little surprise element to these bites by filling some with pepperoni, some with sausage, some with roasted peppers, etc. Fun!
this looks awesome! will do for sure!
Great idea! This will get the kids going for sure.
What a great idea! This sounds fabulous! I have not yet made pizza dough, and this recipe might just be the one to get me to try it. Yum!
Um WOW!! That looks fantastic. AAAAAND the best part is that my kids are old enough to be able to help with making the little balls of… er… pizza. Which means – they are even more likely to eat it. Although, with pepperoni pizza, that’s hardly a problem.
I admit, I almost skipped over this post because I saw Monkey Bread and thought, “Not another monkey bread recipe!” Then I saw pepperoni pizza and it stopped me in my tracks! Yum!
You seriously just described my daughter! She will not eat cheese pizza…it has to be pepperoni pizza with the pepperonis picked off. She proudly offers up her pepperoni to the highest bidder. lol I will have to try this one on her and see if she still tries to pick out the pepperoni. ;o)
I thought this was going to be about just monkey bread.. LOL
just stumbled upon your blog and i’m your newest follower via bloglovin’! this recipe seems like so much fun. i can’t wait for the next family bbq or to have friends over to make this.
I think this looks like a great Sunday football party treat. How much does a single ball weigh on the scale? Thanks so much!
Approximately 2/3 of an ounce each.
Thank you so much!!
Great, thanks for clarifying!
Oh, your niece sounds just like my children!! This monkey bread is a fantastic idea, I think my kids would love it!
Shawnda-Thank you so, so much for posting this great recipe. I made this yesterday at the request of my other half and we loved it. He even helped me in the kitchen when it was time to make the balls for the monkey bread. I used the same pizza dough that you used and it was the best dough recipe that I’ve ever used. Being a Texan myself, I know that there is sometimes better pizza in other parts of this country
and this would make a wonderful deep dish pizza!
keep up the amazing work!
The pepperoni monkey bread was AMAZING! I used turkey pepperoni and made my own marinara because I find jarred too salty sometimes.
Thanks again for the great recipe. Your website is wonderful!
Thanks, Danielle! And glad you enjoyed the dough and monkey bread!
A pepperoni pizza without the pepperoni, now thats something new. Ohh, and this looks yummy also, I will definitely try this on my sons birthday on sunday and tell you the outcome.
“Un Pepperoni Pizza” is so cute! Reminds me of my 4 year old nephew who used to ask for a “Quesadilla with NO Cheese”. We could never suggest the fact that he just wanted a warmed tortilla. I gotta make this for him.
I totally understand the pepperoni pizza without the pepperoni! I used to do that, as it would leave the flavor and oils from the meat, but wasn’t as strong as the meat itself.
I love monkey bread recipes, so I’m excited to try this (my family calls them pullaparts).
The is much more fun than the ordinary DIY flat pizza! Thanks for the great recipe.
This looks so delish! I’m 22- don’t have kids, unmarried etc. and I CAN’T wait to try this out! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe I am JUST now seeing this! What a great idea, Shawnda! I’ve made the regular pizza bites in a pie pan and also made them into pizza pops, but shaping them into a bundt pan…brilliant!
I made this. My hubby loved it. He talked about it on his morning radio show. So many people called in for the recipe he linked your blog to his website. South Jersey loves monkey bread and pizza. Thanks!
oh, wow…i’m totally making this for dinner this week!
made this but changed up the recipe a bit! i used refrigerated muffins (i already had them in the fridge) that i rolled flat and quartered and after dunking them in the garlic butter put them into a muffin pan to make poppers! delicious and great idea!
What a great idea! Perfect for kids or for a fun appetizer/conversation piece at a party. I definitely want to try this out!
Yum! I made some little pizza balls like these a few years ago and loved them. Making them into monkey bread is a great idea!
Thanks to show us I really like this!
I made this tonight for my family’s dinner and it was insanely delicious! We used Pillsbury pizza dough and Ragu Homemade Pizza Sauce which were great. Thank you so much for sharing this – my mom showed her gratitude by posting a link on her blog!
Just tried making these tonight. Why do you leave them out for half an hour before baking? Oh, and def use the cheese cubes. Shredded mozz as a backup does not a substitute make. They puff up real big!
I let them rise a bit before baking because I didn’t want all that handling (pinching, flattening, shaping, closing) to make dense dough. A short rise = puffy dough.
This is will be one of my “go to ” appetizer recipes for gatherings. I cheated and bought some dough from a local pizza shop. It was so simple, easy and delicious! Thank you!!
Made these tonight. They are tasty, but I made our dough pieces too big, so there is a lot of bread and just a tease of pepperoni and cheese. It was my first attempt at making my own bread and I am impressed with myself.
Yours are far prettier though!
These lok so yummy. I’m going to put these in my must try recipes. Once I try them I’ll link back to you in my Menu Monday post. Thanks for the great idea.
Another one of your recipes I think my little guys will love!
Thanks for this recipe , i would try this on this weekend
I just made this today, and it was a hit!! I had 5 hungry little kids devour this on their own. I counted the pieces left, and there were 8. Thank you so much!
in the oven right now. my mom and i made these after all we had for dinner was a salad (we needed MORE!) can’t wait to try these, my mouth is watering as i watch them brown!
IM GONNA SHOVE THIS IN MY FACE
Just made this. Goddamn the little doughballs kept opening up. But fuck did it cone out tasty!
This recipe looks so good, I just bought all of the ingredients to make it for a friend’s party. I was wondering, can I bake it half way and then finish baking it when I bring it to the party, I want to serve it warm and I don’t want to have to bake it for that long at the party, my friends can’t wait haha. What do you suggest? Thanks
I made this for teenage kids and they loved it! They did tell me that they like regular monkey bread better lol – kids and sugar!! Thank you for sharing this recipe it was easy to make. I added mushrooms, olives and turkey sausage pieces.
My husband, whom I tasked with buttering duties
, and I absolutely loved these! We’re already discussing our plans for making Mystery Pizza Monkey Bread by filling each dough ball with different toppings. I am looking forward to trying even more of your incredible recipes!
What a fun idea!
Great idea! I can’t wait to try! Love your blog – lots of great ideas!
Such a cool idea
The bread looks like an evil monster hah. Looks wonderfully delicious!
I added Italian seasoning to butter for outside, very, good and easy way to make homemade pizza for grandchildren!! love it.
love the idea and its cheaper than buying pizza bites.
I like the monkey bread idea as well!!!!
Made these tonight, my kids ate every last bite. All of them! An amazing thing for us. We loved them. We will make these again for sure! They were a little time consuming but worth it!
We love this recipe at our house! We call it “monkey pizza.” It’s much beloved for several reasons: 1) it involves dipping, which is apparently a feature of the most awesome meals, 2) it’s pizza, which is just great and 3) my 2.5 year old can actually help, really help, wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese. This is the first recipe we’ve done where she’s actually HELPING when she’s “helping.” Yes, it was simply destined to be a fast family favorite. Thanks for sharing the idea with us!
Wow my heart is touched by such acake bread pizza thing.^^ Thx for sharing. more more more
I just made this today for my sisters birthday party. It was such a hit that she never even got to try one before they were all gone! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh My! Must make this!!! We love monkey bread, but this is a whole new level of yumm!! Thanks
Cooked this last night for my husband and I… Made it with Smart Grounds, pre-made whole wheat dough from Earthfare, and red wine marinara. It was so d*** good; thanks for the recipe!!
I would to make this for a party at a friends – do you think it could be assembled ahead? Or would everything just go icky? Thanks! Either way – Brilliant!!
I haven’t had to assemble it ahead of time, but this would be my strategy: Make the recipe, turn out the monkey bread to cool. Once it has completely cooled, put it back in the bundt pan, cover it with foil, and transport. I’d also try to warm it up in the oven for ~10 minutes if you can but it’s just fine at room temp. Good luck!
I made mine the night before upto the baking part then covered with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. Baked them off in the morning for a potluck! They were great and everyone loved them!
I found this through Pinterest and made for a football tailgating party……huge hit! Very yummy!
just put this in the oven with my 10 yr old twins. It was fun and gave us time to talk about the day. I also added a dab of pizza sauce in each pizza bite. Cant wait to try it. If this turns out well I will be taking it to a Halloween party tomorrow…..
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just put the pepperoni and cheese in the dough, which isn’t as cool but less time consuming for me. I linked to this post and put my spin on it at http://bethannecreates.blogspot.com/2011/10/pepperoni-parmesan-monkey-bread.html
Great idea!! I made it the other night and loved it!!!
Love this idea, have made monkey bread alone. But there are many variations, using monkey bread with cinnamon and sugar and nuts to make a sweet bread, or I guess anything you want to add to this bread to make what you want. It’s always a hit around my family!
This is such a fantastic idea!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
I featured this on my blog this past week, stop on by and grab a featured button if you’d like
http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/11/pinteresting-features-n-shtuff-8.html
If you cut the recipe in half how long would you bake it for? I can’t imagine a marble size piece of dough wrapping around a piece of pepperoni and a chunk of cheese. Pizza dough just doesn’t stretch. Sounds delicious though.
Sure it does! Just make sure it’s the “large marble” and not the little one
If you make half this recipe, it will fit in a pie pan/plate and you can bake for ~20 minutes, until golden brown.
Um… this will be in my belly tomorrow. Great recipe, thanks!
Made these for a movie night tonight, HUGE hit with everyone! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank-you for sharing this on Pinterest! I made this for my family last night and they loved it! I am a new follower. Love for you to visit me@http://www.mommiesandbeyond.com
If you made this the night before & left it uncooked in the fridge & then cooked it the next morning, would it still turn out okay? (wondering for a brunch potluck)
I did, and they turned out perfectly!
If making these as a finger food for an all day family Christmas party can they be left out for a few hours to munch on or do they need to be eaten while warm??? We like cold pizza so just curious…
They’re just fine at room temp!
just wrote down the shopping list for these, the guys and the kids are going to love these can not wait awesome idea
This looks so delicious! Baking mine now…I can already smell the “yummy-ness”
They are in the oven right now! Can’t wait to take them to Bunco tonight.
This has got to be the best recipe I have ever seen….. Grandkids love it….
Thanks for sharing this! This delightful idea made my Friday Five Foodie Finds this week!
http://www.semihealthnut.blogspot.com/2012/01/friday-five-foodie-finds-12.html
I LOVE this! And you can stuff the bites with basically anything; spinach & ricotta, italian sausage… the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to try it for my family
Amazing recipe, thank you so much. I love it! Also love your photos.
Keep on blogging!
This looks amazing! I’m definitely keeping this one up my sleeve for when I’m lacking inspiration!
I so need to make this. It looks so good!
Do you think these would freeze well??? Thinking about doing this for the freezer club I’m in. Thoughts anyone?
Turkey pepperoni has some crazy-ass sodium content. May as well stick with the real stuff. And fold a little crushed red pepper in there, too.
sorry. what is heat in celcius degree?