Halloween is nearly here and I’m hosting a small gathering for friends with a spread of vegan Halloween bites. I hesitate to call this a formal recipe—think of it as a quick inspiration post. I want to spend time with friends, not chained to the stove, so the menu focuses on simple, tasty dishes like these effortless mini pizzas. There’s no need to make dough when pre-made pizza crusts do the trick; I used mini crusts to skip slicing. If you’re in the Netherlands, you can find similar mini crusts in the Albert Heijn freezer aisle.
I’m not one to get carried away by commercialised holidays, but I’ll take any chance to bring people together. Cooking for friends has become a favorite hobby of mine, and I also enjoy a good horror flick—so a Halloween get-together felt right.
These mini pizzas are great for kids to help make and require fewer than five core ingredients. They’re easy to customize—add vegan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or any topping you like. On a few I layered hummus under the tomato before baking for extra creaminess; that variation is worth trying.
Fun fact: Spider season is my least favorite time of year. When I was a child I saw an old black-and-white movie at my grandparents’ house that frightened me. An elderly woman in the film helped a little girl, only to lure her into a room, transform into a giant spider, and eat her. For a long time after, I had recurring nightmares about spiders. The memory left me with a lasting arachnophobia—so when I spot a spider now, I freeze and wait for it to leave rather than dealing with it directly.
In short, I still carry a bit of arachnophobia thanks to that film. I prefer to let spiders be and hope they move on. That said, I love the Halloween theme and the chance to add playful touches—like olive “spiders”—to party food.
“You’ll Float Too” (major kudos if you get that reference).
If you try these mini pizzas, feel free to tag me on Instagram as I’d love to see your versions, and you can also find me on Facebook.
One Love,
A.J.
Mini Creepy Crawler Pizza’s – Halloween Edition
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- mini pizza crusts or use larger crusts and cut into equal slices
- tomatoes
- black olives
- basil
- jalapeño (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven. If you’re using pre-made pizza crusts, spread a thin layer of tomato passata or sauce on each crust (don’t overload them). Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and bake according to the crust package instructions or until the tomatoes and edges are slightly golden.
-
While the pizzas bake (or beforehand), prepare the olive “spiders”: halve the black olives lengthwise. Use one half for the spider body and slice the remaining halves into thin strips to form legs. Make one spider per mini pizza or more if you prefer.
-
When the pizzas come out of the oven, top each with a fresh basil leaf, add jalapeño slices if you like some heat, and arrange the olive spiders on top. Serve warm and enjoy!
