Introduction

Celebrate Halloween with this fun and festive Spider Web Pizza! The tangy sour cream spider web on a gooey mozzarella canvas, crowned with olive spiders, makes it both spooky and delicious. It’s a delightful treat that’s perfect for parties or a family night in.

The image shows a round pizza with a golden-brown crust on a black pan, topped with melted cheese that is bubbly and slightly browned in spots. There are lines of reddish tomato sauce creating a spiderweb pattern across the whole surface, dividing the cheese evenly into triangular sections. Three small black plastic spiders rest on the pizza as decoration, adding a Halloween feel. The background is a white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 pound (about 16 ounces) store-bought or homemade pizza dough
¾ cup of your favorite pizza sauce or marinara
2 ½ cups low-moisture, whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup full-fat sour cream
1 can (6 ounces) jumbo black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, for brushing the crust)
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional, for dusting the pizza pan)

Instructions

Step 1: Position an oven rack in the center and preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat. Lightly grease a 12- to 14-inch pizza pan or baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal if using.
Step 2: On a floured surface, press and stretch the dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle, letting it rest if it resists. Transfer it to the prepared pan and pinch the edges to form a thicker crust rim. Brush the rim with olive oil if desired.
Step 3: Spread the pizza sauce thinly and evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce to create your cheese canvas.
Step 4: Place the sour cream in a squeeze bottle or plastic bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe a continuous spiral from the center outward, stopping about an inch from the edge. Using a toothpick or skewer, drag straight lines from the center to the crust edge 6 to 8 times, spacing them like spokes to form a spider web pattern.
Step 5: Create spiders by placing whole olives for bodies and slicing olive halves into thin strips for legs. Arrange 3 to 5 spiders across the web. Bake on the center rack or pizza stone for 12 to 18 minutes until crust is golden and cheese bubbly. Let the pizza rest before slicing and serving.

Tips & Variations

Use low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella shredded fresh from a block for the best melt and white canvas.
Avoid low-fat or fat-free sour cream to keep the spider web design sharp during baking.
For a gluten-free version, substitute with a gluten-free pizza crust.
Add sliced mushrooms or bell peppers for extra toppings under the cheese, but keep the cheese layer thick to maintain the web effect.

Storage

Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 8 to 10 minutes to preserve the crust’s crispness. Avoid microwaving to keep the web design intact and prevent a soggy crust.

How to Serve

A close-up of a round pizza with a golden-brown cheese layer and a spider web pattern made with a dark sauce spread across the top. Small plastic spiders are placed on the cheese surface, adding a spooky touch. The pizza is shown on a white plate that sits on a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use regular cream cheese instead of sour cream for the spider web?

Sour cream is best because it holds shape and melts nicely without running. Cream cheese is thicker and won’t pipe or spread the same way, so it’s not recommended for the web design.

What if I don’t have a squeeze bottle for piping the sour cream?

A small plastic sandwich bag with a tiny corner cut off works great as an alternative to pipe the sour cream in a controlled way for the web pattern.

Spider Web Pizza Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 114 reviews

This Spider Web Pizza is a fun and spooky Halloween-themed recipe featuring a crispy pizza crust topped with a thin layer of tangy pizza sauce, a generous blanket of low-moisture mozzarella cheese, and a striking spider web design created with full-fat sour cream. Black olives are transformed into creepy spider decorations crawling over the web, making it both visually captivating and delicious. Perfect for festive gatherings or a Halloween party, this pizza combines classic flavors with a creative twist.

Author: Toney
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1 12-14 inch pizza, serves 4-6 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

Scale

Pizza Base

1 pound (about 16 ounces) store-bought or homemade pizza dough
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional, for dusting the pan)
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, for brushing the crust)

Pizza Sauce & Cheese

¾ cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
2½ cups low-moisture, whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese

Spider Web Design

¼ cup full-fat sour cream
1 can (6 ounces) jumbo black olives, pitted

Instructions

Prepare the Oven and the Canvas: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and position a rack in the center for even cooking. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat. Lightly grease a 12- or 14-inch round pizza pan or baking sheet and optionally sprinkle with cornmeal for a crispier crust and easy pizza release.
Shape the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, press and stretch the pizza dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle, starting from the center. If it resists, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to relax the gluten. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and pinch the edges to form a slightly thicker crust rim. Optionally brush the rim with olive oil after baking for a golden finish.
Lay the Foundation of Flavor: Spread ¾ cup of pizza sauce in a thin, even layer over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border for the crust. Sprinkle 2½ cups of shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce, going nearly to the edge of the sauce.
Weave the Web: Place the ¼ cup of full-fat sour cream into a squeeze bottle or plastic bag with a tiny cut corner. Starting at the center of the pizza, pipe a continuous spiral outward about an inch from the edge of the cheese. Using a toothpick or knife tip, drag lines radially from the center outward 6 to 8 times, wiping the tool clean between drags, creating a spider web pattern by pulling the sour cream into lines.
Unleash the Spiders and Bake: Create spiders by placing whole pitted black olives on the pizza as bodies. Slice additional olives into thin strips for legs and arrange four legs on each side of each olive body. Make 3 to 5 spiders, positioning them creatively across the web. Bake the pizza on the center oven rack or pizza stone for 12 to 18 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned at the edges. Watch carefully to prevent sour cream from browning.
Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest on the pan for a few minutes to set the cheese. Slice and serve hot for a delicious and spooky Halloween treat.

Notes

Use low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella for the best melt and minimal moisture release.
Full-fat sour cream is crucial for the web design to hold shape and not run during baking.
Let the dough rest if it springs back when shaping to relax the gluten.
Optional olive oil brushed on the crust after baking enhances golden color and shine.
Adjust the number of spiders to your preference for decoration.
Keep an eye on the pizza in the last minutes of baking to prevent the sour cream web from browning excessively.

Keywords: Halloween pizza, spider web pizza, spooky pizza, pizza recipe, black olive pizza, sour cream pizza topping, creative pizza design