Every single summer, I tell myself I’m only going to plant two zucchini plants. Just two. And every single summer, by the third week of July, I have a countertop, a porch step, and at least one neighbor’s doorstep buried in zucchini. It turns out two is always more than enough! So this time of year, I’m always looking for new ways to use it up before it takes over the kitchen entirely, and these little Zucchini Pizza Bites might be my favorite solution yet. They’ve got all the cheesy, saucy, pepperoni-studded joy of a real slice of pizza, but they’re built on rounds of zucchini instead of dough. They bake up in a muffin tin, pop right out, and disappear off the plate in about four bites flat. These are way more delicious than they have any right to be!

What Ingredients Do You Need for Zucchini Pizza Bites?

This is basically just your favorite pizza toppings, minus the crust! You’ll need:

• Zucchini: 2-3, sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Thin enough to cook through, thick enough to hold its shape.
• Marinara sauce. Your favorite jarred variety or homemade! (Maybe you grew too many tomatoes too?)
• Pepperoni. The smaller rounds that will fit in a muffin tin.
• Mozzarella.
• Italian seasoning..

That’s it. Five ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand, and no pizza dough required.

How Do You Make Zucchini Pizza Bites?

This is about as low-effort as a “wow, these are delicious!” recipe gets. First you want to grease up a muffin tin (don’t skip it, those cheesy bites can get a little sticky). Then, right in each muffin well, you basically build a tiny pizza: a slice of zucchini, a little dollop of marinara, a slice of pepperoni, a sprinkle of cheese, and a pinch of Italian seasoning.

Repeat those layers until the cup is filled up; most will get two or three layers, depending on how thick your zucchini rounds are.

Once your muffin tin is full of these little stacked towers, they go into the oven until the tops are beautifully golden and the cheese is bubbling (about 18-20 minutes). Let them rest in the pan for a couple minutes before you try to pull them out — this lets everything set up so they don’t fall apart — then use a fork or an offset spatula to gently lift them out.

That’s genuinely all there is to it! They may not look like much, but they are truly delicious! Serve them warm, dip them in extra marinara if you’re feeling fancy, and watch them vanish.