Mini Ghost Pizzas: Kid-Friendly Halloween Recipe

Okay, so my kids have been asking me to make these Mini Ghost Pizzas for weeks now, and honestly? I kept putting it off because I thought it would be some complicated Pinterest disaster waiting to happen. But turns out, I was totally overthinking it.

Last Tuesday, I finally caved and decided to try making these little ghost pizzas with my 6 and 8-year-olds. And wow, was I pleasantly surprised. Not gonna lie, the first batch looked more like… well, let’s just say they looked less like ghosts and more like sad melted cheese blobs with random black dots. But the kids ate them anyway and asked for more, so I figured I was onto something.

Here’s the thing about Mini Ghost Pizzas – they’re basically English muffin pizzas dressed up for Halloween, and my kids are absolutely obsessed. I mean, we’re talking about combining pizza (their number one food group) with spooky Halloween fun. It’s like I accidentally discovered the holy grail of kid-friendly recipes.

Why Mini Ghost Pizzas Work So Well

Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’ve tried making elaborate Halloween treats before. Remember those cake pop disasters from 2022? Yeah, we don’t talk about those. But these Mini Ghost Pizzas are different. They’re simple enough that even my disaster-prone cooking skills can handle them, and the kids can actually help without me having a complete meltdown about the mess.

The beauty is in the simplicity – English muffin halves, white mozzarella cheese, and black olives. That’s literally it. No fancy decorating skills required, no special tools, just regular stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.

And can we talk about how these actually taste? They’re not just cute – they’re genuinely delicious. The English muffin gives you that perfect crispy base, the melted mozzarella gets all gooey and stretchy (you know, that cheese pull that makes kids giggle), and the olives add just enough saltiness without being overwhelming.

Ingredients for Mini Ghost Pizzas

Here’s what you’ll need, and trust me, this is probably the shortest ingredient list you’ll see all Halloween season:

• 6 English muffin halves (I use Thomas’ because that’s what I always buy, but any brand works)
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (and please, for the love of all that’s holy, shred it yourself – pre-shredded cheese is weird and doesn’t melt right)
• 24-30 black olives, sliced (I prefer Kalamata because they’re bigger, but regular black olives work fine too)
• Optional: pizza sauce if your kids are sauce people (mine aren’t, which makes life easier)

That’s it. Seriously. I know it seems too simple, but sometimes simple is exactly what you need.

Quick shopping tip – I learned this the hard way – buy more olives than you think you need. My kids kept “testing” them while I was cooking, and I ended up short on ghost eyes. Also, if you’re making these for a Halloween party, double or triple the recipe because they disappear fast.

How to Make Mini Ghost Pizzas

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven Set that oven to 425°F. I know, I know, everyone says to preheat first, but I always forget until I’m halfway through prep. Don’t be like me.

Step 2: Prep the English Muffins Cut your English muffins in half if they’re not already (some come pre-split, which is convenient). Place them cut-side up on a baking sheet. If you want to use pizza sauce, spread a thin layer on each half. But honestly? My kids prefer them without sauce, and it makes the ghost effect more dramatic.

Step 3: Create the Ghost Shape Here’s where it gets fun. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on each muffin half, but don’t just dump it on randomly. Try to create a sort of ghost-like shape – wider at the top, narrower at the bottom. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Actually, the imperfect ones often look more ghost-like anyway.

I learned this trick by accident when I spilled cheese on one and tried to fix it – leave some little wispy bits of cheese hanging over the edges. It makes them look more… ghosty? Is that a word? It is now.

Step 4: Add the Ghost Features Take your sliced olives and press them gently into the cheese to create eyes and a mouth. Two olive slices for eyes, and either one larger piece or two smaller pieces for the mouth. My daughter insists on making surprised ghost faces (big round mouths), while my son prefers the classic “ooooh” ghost mouth.

Pro tip I discovered after making these about ten times: press the olives in just enough so they stick, but not so deep that they sink completely into the cheese. You want them to stay visible after the cheese melts.

Step 5: Bake the Mini Ghost Pizzas Pop them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just starting to get golden around the edges. Keep an eye on them because English muffins can go from perfectly toasted to burnt pretty quickly. Ask me how I know.

The cheese will puff up a bit and get all bubbly, which actually adds to the ghost effect. Sometimes the olive “eyes” will shift a little as the cheese melts, giving each ghost its own personality.

Tips for Perfect Mini Ghost Pizzas

After making these more times than I care to admit, here are some things I’ve learned:

Cheese Distribution Matters: Don’t pile all the cheese in the center. Spread it out toward the edges but leave the English muffin visible around the bottom. This creates that classic ghost silhouette.

Olive Placement Strategy: Place the eyes closer to the top of the ghost and the mouth lower down. If you put everything too close together, your ghost looks more like a confused emoji than a spooky spirit.

Size Variation is Good: Make some big ghosts, some little ones. It looks more natural, and kids love having options.

Don’t Overthink It: Seriously, some of my most perfectly planned ghosts looked weird, while the ones I threw together quickly turned out adorable.

Serving and Storage

These Mini Ghost Pizzas are best served warm, right out of the oven when the cheese is still all melty and stringy. But they’re also pretty good at room temperature if you’re packing them for a school party or something.

If you somehow have leftovers (which has never happened in my house), you can store them in the fridge and reheat in the oven or toaster oven. Don’t use the microwave – it makes the English muffins soggy and the cheese weird.

Making It a Family Activity

Here’s what I love most about Mini Ghost Pizzas – the kids can actually help make them. My 6-year-old is in charge of sprinkling cheese (with supervision because she tends to dump the entire bag on one muffin), and my 8-year-old handles olive placement. They love deciding what expression each ghost should have.

We usually make a whole bunch at once and freeze some for later. Just assemble them without baking, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and freeze. When you want them, bake straight from frozen – just add a couple extra minutes to the cooking time.

Why This Recipe Works for Halloween

Look, Halloween can be stressful enough without trying to master complicated recipes. These Mini Ghost Pizzas hit that sweet spot of being festive without being fussy, tasty without being too sugary, and fun without creating a kitchen disaster.

Plus, they’re actually nutritious enough that I don’t feel guilty serving them as a real meal. English muffins, cheese, olives – it’s basically a balanced snack with a Halloween costume on.

The kids love them, they’re Instagram-worthy if that’s your thing, and they use ingredients you probably already have. It’s a win all around.

So if you’re looking for something easy and fun to make this Halloween season, give these Mini Ghost Pizzas a try. Even if you mess up the first batch like I did, they’ll still taste like pizza, and isn’t that really all that matters?

Happy Halloween, and may all your ghosts be as friendly as these cheesy little guys!