The easiest Halloween pizza is one you dress up after it comes out of the oven: olive spiders, pepperoni faces and a drizzle of basil “slime” turn a simple Margherita or Pepperoni into something properly spooky in just a few minutes. No special tools, no tricky dough, just a few ingredients you’ve probably already got lying around in the fridge.
Pair it with a scary film (or not-so-scary, if the little ones are in charge!) and you’ve got a Halloween night in sorted. Here’s everything you need to know, as part of our wider guide to pizza night ideas.
Why decorate after the oven?
Our WFS Finish At Home pizzas only need 5 to 8 minutes in your home oven, and that’s not long enough to cook extra toppings properly. Pile things on before baking and you risk a soggy middle and toppings that are either burnt or barely warm.
So cook the pizza as normal, following our guide to cooking a part-baked pizza at home, then decorate. Everything below goes on cold, straight onto the hot pizza.
Let’s get into our favourite Halloween pizza ideas
Olive spiders
A classic, and dead easy. You’ll need a handful of pitted black olives.
1. Cut an olive in half lengthways. One half is the spider’s body.
2. Slice the other half into thin strips. These are the legs.
3. Place the body on the pizza and arrange four legs on each side.
Scatter a few across a Margherita, and it looks like they’ve crawled straight out of the oven!
Pepperoni faces
Perfect for a Pepperoni pizza, which already has the round “faces” built in. Grab a few extra slices of pepperoni from the fridge and a sharp knife.
1. Cut small triangles from the extra slices for eyes and noses.
2. Cut thin crescents for grinning mouths, with a few jagged teeth if you’re feeling extra brave.
3. Lay them over the pepperoni on the cooked pizza to make a patch of little jack-o’-lanterns.
Basil “slime”
This one looks gruesome and tastes brilliant. Blitz a big handful of fresh basil with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt until you’ve got a bright green, gloopy oil. Drizzle it over the pizza in wiggly lines and let it drip down the sides. It goes especially well with the San Marzano tomato and fior di latte on a Margherita.
Which pizza should you pick?
For a classic spooky look: the Margherita. Its red and white base is the perfect blank canvas for spiders and slime.
For jack-o’-lanterns: the Pepperoni. The faces are half done already.
For the two of you: our Pizza Night Box is the perfect choice.
For the whole gang: our Stock Up Box keeps everyone’s bellies full.
How to plan a Halloween pizza and film night
Here’s a simple running order for the night.
Earlier in the day: check your pizzas are in the fridge or freezer, and get your olives, extra pepperoni and basil ready. Make the basil slime in advance and keep it in the fridge.
An hour before: pick your film. For families, something like Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family or Hotel Transylvania. For grown-ups, Shaun of the Dead is a classic choice for laughs and jump scares.
20 minutes before: preheat the oven to 220°C (fan) and let it fully come up to temperature.
Showtime: cook the pizzas directly on the top rack, decorate them straight out of the oven, then lights off and press play.
Want some sides and drinks to go with it? Our guide on what to serve with pizza has plenty of ideas.
Eating out this Halloween?
Our monthly special has gone over to the dark side this October: a spiced butternut squash cream base with smoked provola, mozzarella, caramelised red onion and coppa, wafer-thin slices of air-dried Italian pork shoulder. Smoky, spicy and a little bit spooky, it’s on the menu until the end of October, so catch it at our Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Congleton or Sale restaurants while you can! Miss it, and there’s always next month’s special to look forward to.
Bringing the little monsters along? Here’s something scarily good… over half term, kids eat half price!
What about Bonfire Night?
Pizza is one of the easiest Bonfire Night food ideas going. Get back in from the fireworks, put the oven on, and you’ll have hot Neapolitan pizza on the table in minutes. Our WFS Finish at Home pizzas are freezer-friendly, so order a few now and keep them in for 5th November.
Ready to order for Halloween?
There’s no minimum order. Our pizzas are wood-fired by us, finished by you, so you can order one for a quiet night in or a boxful for the whole gang. Freeze any spares on arrival and they’re ready whenever you need them.
Order by Thursday 29th October for Halloween weekend. Order here.
Halloween pizza FAQs
How do you make a Halloween pizza?
The easiest way to make a Halloween pizza is to cook it as normal, then decorate it straight out of the oven with olive spiders, pepperoni faces, or a drizzle of green basil oil.
How do you make olive spiders for pizza?
Cut a pitted black olive in half lengthways for the body, then slice the other half into thin strips for the legs. Arrange four legs on each side of the body.
What’s the best pizza for Halloween?
A Margherita is the best blank canvas for Halloween decorations, while a Pepperoni is ideal for making jack-o’-lantern faces.
What food is good for Bonfire Night?
Pizza is a great Bonfire Night food, as it’s warm, easy to share and quick to cook when you get in from the fireworks.