Pizzas come in all shapes and sizes. Some are Some come with traditional red sauce. Some come without. Heck, …at least not in the traditional American definition of pizza. But this Jalapeno Popper Pizza is the first time I’ve ever used cream cheese as a “pizza sauce.”
And guess what? It was amazing! I had my doubts about spreading cream cheese all over pizza dough, but that creamy base was surprisingly delicious. In fact, Laura commented that it would be a great base for all sorts of white pizzas. I want to try a garlic version next!
The idea to use cream cheese as a pizza base came about when I wanted to channel the flavors of jalapeno poppers in a pizza form. A classic jalapeno popper starts with a hollowed-out jalapeno that gets stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and sometimes bacon.
Ok, so I needed to incorporate those flavors into a pizza. I thought about dropping spoonfuls of softened cream cheese around the top of the pizza, but then I realized a big bite of cream cheese might not be the best. So I backed up, eliminated the traditional red sauce and spread a layer of cream cheese on top of the unbaked pizza dough.
From there, the rest was a piece of cake! I used a combination of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar along with a bit of Parmesan, garlic, onions and of course jalapenos. Oh, and bacon! Jalapeno poppers are often wrapped in bacon (or bacon is diced and mixed into the filling). I couldn’t leave the bacon out, so I crumbled several slices of cooked thick-cut bacon on top of the pizza. This was seriously one of my favorite homemade pizzas in quite some time!
I used two large jalapeños for the top of this pizza, and both Laura and I agreed that I could’ve used three. I did take the time to remove most of the ribs and seeds in the jalapenos. That eliminated most of the heat while still leaving the actual jalapeno taste.
For a spicier pizza, feel free to leave the seeds and ribs in the sliced jalapenos. Next time, I’m thinking I might leave half of the seeds and ribs in – we’ll see. But I can assure you there will be a next time with this jalapeño popper pizza! And I suspect that next time will be coming soon.
If you’re looking for a fun appetizer for gameday or a way to mix up pizza night at home, then I highly recommend putting this pizza on the list. The cream cheese base might sound different, but trust me on this one. It makes for a great creamy base for pizza! (This recipe only uses 4 oz cream cheese. A full block of cream cheese would be too much.) I hope you enjoy this pizza as much as we do!
Love jalapeno poppers? Then put this Jalapeno Popper Pizza on the menu! It's a tasty way to mix up Friday night pizza night!
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 398 kcal
Preheat oven to 460°F.
Using a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Pat dry with paper towels and crumble into a bowl; set bacon aside.
Working on a lightly-floured surface, roll pizza dough into a 16” circle. Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper with cornmeal; lay pizza dough on top.
Spread softened cream cheese evenly on top of pizza dough, leaving a 1” circle around the edge of the pizza to form a crust.
Top pizza with Parmesan, Monterey Jack, cheddar, jalapenos, onions, garlic and cooked bacon.
Using a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Italian seasonings, salt and garlic powder. Brush this mixture around the outer 1” of the dough. (This will become the crust for the pizza.)
Bake at 460°F for 12-13 minutes, or until pizza crust is golden brown in color.
For a spicier pizza, leave the seeds in the jalapenos. For a less spicy version, remove the seeds with a paring knife.
