If you love pizza, then you will love these keto-friendly mini pizza pepper poppers. These are a bit like the well-known jalapeno pepper popper in that they are bite-sized and full of flavor.
However, pizza pepper poppers are sweet and mild, making them more appropriate for children and those who prefer milder cuisine. Try this recipe for an appetizer or a simple meal when your garden produces peppers in abundance.
Why I Love Pizza Pepper Poppers
Sweet peppers have a fruity and zesty flavor. They come in various colors: yellow, orange, red, purple and green. Sweet peppers usually have a mild heat, which adds just the right amount of flavor to our meals.
We plant many varieties of peppers because of the diversity of flavors and colors that peppers add. Fresh sweet peppers complement some of our favorite recipes, such as fajitas, garden stir fry, curtido, apple jalapeno sauerkraut, and sweet pepper hash.
When fall comes, we always have an abundance of peppers, using some to make fermented hot sauce.
Our favorite way to use them is fresh, so this pizza pepper recipe is sure to be on the menu. With what we have left over, we put up our peppers by using methods such as freeze-drying or fermenting for long-term preservation.
Ways to Use Pizza Pepper Poppers
Pizza pepper poppers are so versatile and can be incorporated into any meal, from breakfast to dinner. Make scrambled eggs in cast iron, and serve with pizza pepper poppers to liven up your breakfast.
Combine an assortment of finger foods such as pizza beans, dream cheese with crackers, and herbed flatbread with your pizza poppers for some fun party snacks. Don’t forget to add fudgy from-scratch brownies and homemade sparkling apple cider for some sweet treats.
You could serve pizza pepper poppers as an appetizer for a homemade roasted chicken to make a more formal meal. Or, for a simpler fare, try pizza pepper poppers served with a skillet dinner or a slice of freshly baked 5-minute no-knead bread slathered with homemade butter.
In the Homestead Kitchen
This recipe was featured in the In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine from the September 2022 issue. You can subscribe here if you would like access to more recipes like this.
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Supplies Needed
- Oven – Preheating your oven to 375°F or 400°F is ideal.
- Baking Sheet – A large sheet pan works best to accommodate all 24 poppers at once.
- Parchment Paper – A silicone baking mat can also be used, or try this DIY cooking spray to help keep your sweet pepper poppers from sticking to your baking sheet.
Ingredients
- Mini Sweet Peppers – Remember that once cut in half, the number of sweet peppers you use will be doubled.
- Marinara Sauce – We like to use this raw fermented marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Did you know you can make cheese from store-bought milk?
- Favorite Toppings – Turkey pepperoni, homemade bacon or sausage, mushrooms, olives, and onions all go well with peppers. Pro-Tip: For the most flavorful onions, learn how to grow onions from seed.
- Fresh Basil – Minced fresh-picked basil is best, but you can always use your preserved basil.
How to Make Sweet Peppers Poppers
- Preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Slice the mini peppers in half through the stems. Remove the seeds and membranes inside but keep the stems on.
- Arrange your pepper halves, cut side up, on the prepared baking pan.
- Carefully spoon two teaspoons of tomato sauce into each pepper, then sprinkle with two teaspoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle toppings of choice over the cheese.
- Bake stuffed peppers for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown lightly.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo of your pizza pepper poppers and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
Other Homesteading Recipes You May Enjoy
- Bread Soup – Quick and Easy Lunch
- Pork Rillette Recipe
- Curtido Recipe
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
- Zucchini Blossoms Recipe
- How to Make Corn Beef in a Crock Pot
- Fermented Ketchup (Easy, Homemade, Probiotic & Kids Love It)
- Easy Meatloaf Recipe (Freezer Meal Prep)
Pizza Pepper Poppers (Keto-Friendly)
Ingredients
- 12 mini sweet peppers
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded
- toppings pepperoni, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, etc.
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Slice the mini peppers in half through the stems. Remove the seeds and membranes inside but keep the stems on.
- Arrange your pepper halves, cut side up, on the prepared baking pan.
- Carefully spoon two teaspoons of tomato sauce into each pepper, then sprinkle with two teaspoons of shredded mozzarella.
- Sprinkle toppings of choice over cheese.
- Bake stuffed peppers for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown lightly.
- Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are calculated without additional toppings. What you choose to add will alter nutrition facts.
- Some great topping ideas are turkey pepperoni, homemade bacon or sausage, mushrooms, olives, and onions
