English Muffin Pizza – A Lovely Mess

We LOVE pizza and this English Muffin Pizza recipe is the perfect shortcut to a quick and easy family dinner. Try this recipe next time you’re not sure what to make. Making pizza using English muffins takes just a few minutes to prepare. It’s a one of our go-to kid-friendly meal ideas.

Related: Pizza Sauce, Pizza Dough, Detroit-Style Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza, Cast Iron Pizza, Cookie Pizza.

Ingredients in English Muffin Pizzas

• English Muffins – A time saving option when you don’t have time to make pizza dough. You can use original, whole wheat or sourdough English muffins. Simple halve the English muffins and they are ready to go.
• Pizza Sauce – Choose a store bought option or make your own homemade pizza sauce using our simple recipe.
• Butter – Regular salted butter, or oil-based butter will work just fine.
• Cheese – Use the cheese of your choice. We also love a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese, mozzarella pearls, cheddar cheese, parmesan (really you can use any cheese you have on hand).
• Toppings – We love to top our pizzas with pepperonis, fresh basil and fresh thyme.

You can bake these pizzas on a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out English muffins, split into halves with the center facing up. Butter each piece.

Bake the buttered English muffins (with no sauce or toppings) for about 3-4 minutes or until they begin to turn golden.

Remove the muffins from the oven. Add a tablespoon of sauce to each muffin, then add cheese and toppings.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and the edges are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

Alternative Cooking Methods

This recipe is written for oven cooking, but you can also use a toaster oven or an air fryer to cook your English Muffin Pizzas.

• Toaster Oven – Heat your toaster oven to 400 degrees and follow the above instructions. The only difference is a toaster oven may need a few extra minutes to bake, so give it up to 13 minutes on the final toast and watch for melted cheese and toasted edges.
• Air Fryer – Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Place your buttered muffin halves inside for one minute. Remove them and add sauce, cheese and toppings. Place them back into the air fryer for 4 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
• Microwave – I don’t recommend using the microwave, except for reheating leftovers. While you absolutely can cook this recipe in the microwave, you will not have the crispy edges that the other methods can achieve.

Tips For Making

• Avoid Soggy Pizza – The key to avoiding soggy English muffins is to toast them before you add sauce, cheese and toppings. 
• Sauce Ideas – If you’re not a fan of pizza sauce, try pesto, bbq sauce or alfredo sauce. 
• Topping ideas – There are endless topping ideas for pizza. Choose pepperoni slices (I love mini-pepperonis), bacon, sausage, ham, olives, pineapple, bell peppers or mushrooms. If you can dream it, you can do it!
• Seasoning Ideas – We love to add some Italian seasoning, fresh oregano and fresh garlic.
• Sauce as Dip – My children love to have their pizza with some extra pizza sauce in a dipping bowl.

Make Ahead Instructions

You can prep these pizzas ahead of time and have a freezer bag of them waiting in the freezer for you to reheat. Here is the best method for making these pizzas ahead. Begin by pre-toasting your buttered muffin for 3-4 minutes, then add toppings. Freeze the muffins with toppings on the top. Once they have frozen for 2 hours, stack them with a layer of parchment between each pizza and store in a freezer bag or airtight container.

When it comes time to bake your frozen pizzas, simply bake them from frozen at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes (until cheese is fully melted and the edges are golden brown).

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can use the microwave or the oven until the cheese has remelted.

More easy recipes

• Pasta – Easy Vodka Sauce, Manicotti, Spaghetti Bolognese, Baked Ziti.
• Casseroles – Tater Tot Casserole, Breakfast Casserole, Tuna Casserole.
• Dips – Buffalo Chicken Dip, Rotel Dip, Corn Dip, Taco Dip, Oreo Dip.
• Bubble Tea – Boba Milk Tea, Strawberry Boba, Matcha Boba, Taro Milk Tea.
• Drinks – Agua Fresca, Arnold Palmer, Orange Julius, Butterbeer.