Easy Jalapeño Popper Pizza on Sourdough Crust
Jalapeños on pizza are a match made in heaven! Add some pepperoni, and a secret ingredient (shhh) on sourdough pizza crust, and you won’t believe how delicious this homemade jalapeño popper pizza recipe is! I think it pairs perfectly with my homemade sourdough discard pizza dough, but you can make this recipe on any store-bought or homemade pizza crust. It’s fool proof and really hard to mess up.
This pizza gives jalapeño poppers vibes, but make it homemade in pizza form. It would make a really fun appetizer or star in your next movie night or game day. In my house this pizza is almost always on the menu for our family pizza movie nights. It’s that good!
Reasons To Love This Jalapeño Popper Pizza Recipe
Just The Right Amount of Spice: This pizza recipe has a little kick without being over the top. The secret ingredient (jalapeño cream cheese) balances out the spice with a really great creamy flavor.
Customizable – I love pizza because you can make it anything you want it to be. Mix and match your favorite cheese combinations, and you can use less spicy jalapeños if you prefer less spice.
Homemade is always better – You can’t beat homemade pizza. Especially if the dough is homemade. Try it for yourself and see why homemade pizza is the best pizza!
Health Benefits of Sourdough – Enjoy the health benefits of sourdough on this delicious pizza. Sourdough is easier to digest, and supports gut health, and has fewer preservatives than store-bought bread. Read more about the health benefits of sourdough bread here.
Ingredients in Jalapeño Popper Pizza
Pizza dough – go the extra mile and make your own sourdough pizza crust. The extra work is totally worth it, I promise. If you aren’t feeling sourdough or don’t have a starter, you can use store-bought pizza dough, or any other homemade pizza dough recipe that you like.
Pepperoni – I try and find less processed, uncured pepperoni if possible. I like this kind made by Applegate. If you are curious about the difference between cured and uncured pepperoni, I have a post about it!
Jalapeño slices – fresh, or from a jar work great for this recipe.
Jalapeño cream cheese – this is the secret ingredient that really takes this pizza to the next level! If you can’t find jalapeno cream cheese, plain cream cheese will work, or you could mix chopped jalapeños into your plain cream cheese!
Grated Cheese – Use your favorite cheese! We typically use whatever we have on hand. Mozzarella, cheddar cheese, or you can combine different cheeses. You can’t go wrong with cheese, you know? It’s all good!
Pizza sauce – homemade or store-bought work great.
Flour for rolling out the pizza dough
Other Things You Will Need
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone (if you are using a pizza stone you don’t need parchment paper)
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
How To Make Jalapeño Popper Pizza
Pizza is one of our favorite meals to make, because it’s easy and fun! I think that’s why we all liked those lunchable “homemade pizzas” when we were little… anyone else?
Step 1: If you want to make this recipe sourdough (highly recommended), start the night before by mixing up a batch of sourdough pizza dough. I’ve got the full instructions on this post, including timing schedules to set you up for success.
Step 2: When you are ready to start making pizza, prep the dough. If you are using my sourdough pizza recipe, take the dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to start making pizza. If you are using different dough, follow the instructions on your pizza dough for best results!
Step 3: Prepare a piece of parchment paper with a sprinkle of flour. Roll out the pizza dough to about a 10 inch circle on the parchment paper. Use flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Leave it a little thicker on the edges for a thicker crust. I like to use my hands and press from the middle out, while rotating the dough to get it even.
*If using a pizza stone, you don’t need parchment paper.
Step 4: Add your toppings – a light layer of pizza sauce, an even layer of cheese, some pepperoni, jalapeño slices, and then small “dabs” of cream cheese. I use a combination of a knife and my fingers to apply the cream cheese.
Step 5: Slide the parchment paper and unbaked pizza onto a baking sheet. Pizza bakes really well at high temperatures for short periods of time. Aim for at least 500 degrees, for 15-20 minutes. Your pizza should be bubbling and the crust should be golden brown. You can play around with the temperature and cooking time until you get your perfect pizza texture!
Step 6: Remove your pizza from the oven, and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Enjoy! It’s hard to eat just one slice of this pizza.
Jalapeno Popper Pizza on Sourdough Crust
Equipment
- Parchment Paper preferably unbleached
- Baking sheet, pizza pan or baking stone
- 1 Pizza Cutter or Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- pizza dough homemade, or store-bought, enough for 1 pizza
- 10-15 slices pepperoni
- 1/2 cup sliced jalapeños fresh, or from a jar. Add more or less to taste
- 2 oz jalapeño cream cheese or to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheese or to taste
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
Instructions
- Prep your pizza dough. If you are making this a sourdough recipe, you need to prep the dough the night before. Sourdough pizza dough recipe is in the notes!
- While your pizza dough is resting, prep your ingredients and preheat the oven to 500.
- Prepare a piece of parchment paper by sprinkling a little bit of flour on it. Next, work your pizza dough out onto the parchment paper, flattening it with your hands by pressing from the inside out and rotating it as you go. Use flour so that your hands don't stick to the dough. Aim for a 10-12" circle.
- Add a thin layer of pizza sauce to the dough, followed by an even layer of grated cheese.
- Next add pepperoni slices, evenly distributing them on top of the pizza.
- Add as many jalapeño slices as you like! Next using a knife and/or your fingers, put some small globs of cream cheese on the pizza.
- Slide the parchment paper and pizza onto a baking sheet, or pizza pan.
- Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is starting to turn golden brown.
- Let the pizza cool slightly before slicing, and enjoy!
Notes
How To Store Leftover Pizza
If you should happen to have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze homemade pizza for up to three months. This pizza warms up really well in a toaster oven, or regular oven.
