Are you looking for the ultimate fun, spooky, and unbelievably easy dinner to kick off your Halloween festivities? A kid-friendly meal that is so cute and creative, it will have everyone’s spirits rising? This incredible, super-easy “Ghost Pizza” recipe is the perfect festive meal! We’re talking a chewy, crispy pizza crust, cleverly shaped like a spooky ghost, and topped with a rich, creamy, and super-cheesy white garlic sauce with two little olive eyes peeking out.
This isn’t just another pizza recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite Halloween tradition. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a flawless, crispy crust using store-bought dough and how to create these adorable, edible ghosts. This is a guaranteed, crowd-pleasing hit that is as fun to make as it is to eat, and it’s perfect for a Halloween party or a simple dinner before a night of trick-or-treating.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Fun & Spooky Halloween Dinner
What makes these Ghost Pizzas so spectacularly fun is their brilliant, easy-to-make design and their classic, crowd-pleasing flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive simplicity. The “ghost” is made from a simple, store-bought pizza dough, which is stretched into a spooky, tapered silhouette. The crust is then par-baked with a fragrant garlic oil for a crispy, flavorful foundation. The “sauce” is a rich and creamy white pizza sauce, made from a simple blend of ricotta and Parmesan cheese. The entire ghost is then covered in a gooey blanket of melted mozzarella cheese and finished with two spooky black olive “eyes.”
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 personal pizzas |
The Haunted Pizzeria: The Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic party treat uses just a handful of smart shortcuts and fresh ingredients to create its signature spooky look and delicious flavor.
- The Ghostly Crust:
- Prepared Pizza Dough: The secret to a fast and easy meal is to use a 1-pound ball of your favorite store-bought, refrigerated pizza dough. Be sure to let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before you start, which will make it much easier to stretch without tearing.
- The Creamy White Sauce:
- The Cheeses: A classic and delicious white pizza sauce is made from a simple combination of creamy, whole-milk ricotta cheese and salty, nutty freshly grated Parmesan.
- The Spooky Eyes:
- A few pitted black olives, thinly sliced into perfect little rounds, are the key to the simple and cute spooky ghost faces.
The Pizza Masterclass: The Secret to a Crispy, Non-Soggy Crust
The number one, non-negotiable secret to a homemade pizza that has a beautiful, crispy crust (and not a sad, soggy bottom) is to par-bake the dough. By baking the shaped pizza dough on its own with just a little garlic oil for about 10 minutes before you add your wet toppings, you are creating a firm, sealed, and golden foundation. This is the key that prevents the moisture from the sauce and the cheese from soaking into the dough, guaranteeing a final crust that is perfectly crisp and cooked through.
Step-by-Step to the Best Ghost Pizzas
This fun and festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Step 1: Shape Your Spooky Ghost Crusts
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to a hot 450°F (230°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Divide your 1-pound ball of pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the dough into an 8- to 9-inch oval.
Step 3 (The Fun Part!): Transfer the oval to your prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to gently pull and stretch the end of the dough to one side to create a tapered, wavy “tail” for your ghost shape. Repeat this with your remaining dough, putting two ghosts on each baking sheet. Don’t worry if they all look a little different—it just gives them more personality!
Part 2: Par-Bake for a Crispy Foundation
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the 1 finely grated clove of garlic. Evenly brush this mixture over your 4 ghost-shaped crusts. Sprinkle them with a total of 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
Step 2: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through, until the crusts are set and a beautiful, light golden brown.
Part 3: Top and Bake to Cheesy Perfection
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together the 1 cup of ricotta cheese, the 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan, and the 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning. Step 2: Spread this ricotta mixture over your par-baked ghost crusts, stopping about 1/2-inch from the edge. Step 3: Sprinkle the 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella evenly over the tops. Step 4: Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 more minutes, until the ghosts are hot and the cheese has completely melted and is bubbly. Step 5: Place two of your black olive slices on each ghost to create the “eyes.”
Transfer your finished ghost pizzas to individual plates and serve immediately.
Ghost Pizzas (An Easy Halloween Dinner!)
An easy and festive recipe for individual, ‘scary’ ghost-shaped white pizzas, perfect for a fun Halloween meal. The recipe uses prepared pizza dough, which is stretched and shaped into a ghost form. The dough is first par-baked with a simple garlic-oil spread. It is then topped with a creamy mixture of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, followed by a layer of shredded mozzarella. The pizzas are baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and finished with two black olive slices for the ghost’s eyes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound prepared pizza dough
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 6 ounces)
- Pitted black olives, sliced, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch each piece into an 8- to 9-inch oval.
- Transfer the ovals to the prepared baking sheets (2 per sheet). Pull one end of each oval to one side to create a tapered, ghost-like tail.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and grated garlic. Brush this mixture over the 4 ghost-shaped doughs. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the crusts are golden and set.
- While the crusts bake, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl.
- Remove the par-baked crusts from the oven. Spread the ricotta mixture over the ghosts, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the ricotta mixture.
- Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Place two black olive slices on each ghost for the eyes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a fun, creative recipe that is very easy to make using store-bought pizza dough.
- Par-baking the crust before adding the wet cheese toppings is a key step to ensure the dough is cooked through and not soggy.
- Rotating the baking sheets during the bake helps the pizzas to cook and brown evenly.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive party meal, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in adranvance. The pizza dough can be shaped, and the ricotta sauce can be mixed up to a day in advance. Store everything in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover pizza, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The absolute best way to reheat the pizza and bring back its original crispy crust is on a baking sheet in a hot 400°F oven for about 5-8 minutes, or in an air fryer.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a crispy pizza crust that isn’t soggy?
The secret is to par-bake your crust! By baking the empty, shaped crust for a few minutes first before you add your wet toppings, you are creating a firm, sealed barrier that will prevent the moisture from the sauce and the cheese from soaking into the dough and making it soggy.
Q2: Can I make these Halloween pizzas ahead of time for a party?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead appetizer! The best method is to par-bake your ghost-shaped crusts completely a day in advance. Then, when your party starts, you can simply let your guests top their own pizzas and give them a final, quick 5-minute bake to melt the cheese.
Q3: How do I shape my pizza dough without it tearing or shrinking back?
The most important trick is to let your store-bought dough come to room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before you try to work with it. Cold dough is very elastic and will constantly snap back. A room temperature dough will be much more relaxed and easier to stretch and shape. Be sure to also work on a lightly floured surface.
Q4: Can I make these with a red, “bloody” sauce instead of a white sauce?
Yes, absolutely! For a spookier, “bloody” ghost, you can simply substitute the white ricotta sauce with an equal amount of your favorite store-bought marinara or pizza sauce.
Q5: Can I make these in an air fryer?
Yes, an air fryer is a fantastic way to make these! You will just need to make your ghosts a bit smaller to fit. Par-bake your shaped crust in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for about 5-6 minutes. Then, add your toppings and air-fry for another 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.