Picture this – it’s the weekend and you have a few hungry friends over. What do you do to change up your snacks for entertaining? How about a Homemade Cheesy Hot Cheetos Pizza Recipe to feed a crowd?
Yes, please! With a little planning and preparation, you can make this easy Cheesy Hot Cheetos Pizza! It consists of homemade pizza dough infused with hot Cheeto crumbs.
The toppings are melty, gooey mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and even more crunchy hot Cheetos. The whole thing is baked in a screaming hot oven. This makes the perfect spicy, cheesy, crunchy pizza.
Here is how to make this simple Homemade Cheesy Hot Cheetos Pizza recipe. All you need are some staple pantry ingredients and a large bag of hot Cheetos.
Homemade Cheesy Hot Cheetos Pizza – The Recipe
This completely homemade pizza utilizes hot Cheetos inside the dough and on top of the pizza. It is a spicy, cheesy delight that your friends will love. Perfect for an appetizer, dinner, or snack!
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 1¼ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hot Cheetos crumbs, finely ground
- 1/3 cup olive oil
For the Toppings:
- 1 cup prepared pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups hot Cheetos
- Ranch dressing, for serving (optional)
Instructions:
- Begin by making the dough. In a glass measuring cup, measure out the water and microwave until the water is warm to the touch, but not too hot. Once warm, add the sugar and yeast. Mix and allow the yeast to activate for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the flour, salt, and Cheetos crumbs to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn on the machine to mix the flour and crumbs. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil and allow the machine to knead the dough. After a few minutes of kneading, the dough should come together to form a soft dough ball.
- Place some flour on your clean countertop and continue kneading with your hands, pushing the dough away from you and then folding it onto itself. Continue until you have a soft, bouncy dough ball.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow it to rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. You can refrigerate the dough and use it the next day, or you can begin rolling out your pizza. Be sure the dough is no thicker than 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Using a well-floured surface and a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 16-18 inches round. Transfer to a large pizza tray.
- Cover the dough in a thin layer of prepared pizza sauce. Top with half the cheese, then the Cheetos, then more cheese.
- Bake your pizza for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is crisp and browned on the bottom and sides of the pizza. The cheese should also become golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pizza to cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Slice into triangles and serve with ranch dressing to dip.
What Are Flaming Hot Cheetos?
Flaming Hot Cheetos are one of the most popular snacks among many. They are a spicy variety of the cheesy snack that are crunchy and addictive.
Many know hot Cheetos for the bright orange coating left on your fingers after eating. They are bright and acidic from citric acid and hot from cayenne pepper. The sweet/salty/crunchy/spicy/tart snack is beloved by adults and children who can handle the heat.
How Do You Make Hot Cheetos Into A Pizza?
To get hot Cheetos flavor deep into the pizza, you’ll need to be crafty. This pizza recipe uses hot Cheetos in the homemade dough and on top. This way, even without the toppings, the pizza tastes like a spicy chip.
Start by making your pizza dough. Add finely ground hot Cheetos crumbs to the flour and other ingredients. Do this by finely blending hot Cheetos in the blender using a tamper.
Once the dough has rested and risen, roll it out into a pizza shape. Top with your preferred toppings and tons of crisp hot Cheetos. Blanket the Cheetos in even more cheese before baking to perfection.
By putting hot Cheetos in the pizza and on top, the flavor is unmistakable. The Cheetos give a crunch and pretty red hue to the pizza. This pizza actually looks like a hot Cheeto based on the color.
How Many Does This Flaming Hot Cheetos Pizza Serve?
This hot Cheeto pizza recipe as written makes a 16-18-inch pizza. It serves 6-7 people for dinner. If you make this as an appetizer, it will feed more.
Because of its look and concept, this is the perfect party food. Cut it into squares for smaller bite-sized appetizer portions. You can even make this pizza for the next big game!
If you are having a party, serve the cut pizza squares on a platter with a side of ranch dressing. Guests can help themselves and dip if they desire.
What Do You Need To Make A Flaming Hot Cheetos Pizza?
Many of the pizza ingredients that you need are already found in the pantry. For the dough, you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Yeast
- Salt
- Sugar
- Olive oil
- Hot Cheetos
Once the dough is complete, the pizza is simple to assemble. To make your hot Cheetos pizza, you will need these toppings:
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- More hot Cheetos
Can I Add Other Toppings?
Absolutely!
The most beautiful part of cooking is interchanging ingredients for items you like. No recipe is set in stone. All ingredients are negotiable.
There are quite a few awesome toppings to add to this pizza. Feel free to top your hot Cheeto pizza with any of the following:
- Pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- Ham
- Bacon
- Green bell pepper
- Jalapeno
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Tomatoes
- Basil
- Cheddar
- Parmesan
- Pineapple
- Hot sauce
- Buffalo sauce
- Ranch
- Blue cheese
Any combination of your favorite pizza toppings will personalize this pizza to your preference.
Do You Need to Make Your Own Homemade Crust?
As written, this recipe calls for a homemade hot Cheeto pizza crust. It infuses the spicy flavors of this chip right inside the dough. In the end, making your own crust adds a lot of heat.
If you have never made pizza dough before, this can be daunting. Mixing a dough and allowing it to rise is not for everyone.
To cut on time and energy, you can use store-bought pizza dough instead. It will compromise the flavor, as it will lack hot Cheeto crumbs. Buying your dough is a great option if you are short on time.
To compensate, add a few more hot Cheetos to the top of your pizza. This will add a little more heat that would be found in the homemade crust.
Can I Change Any Of The Ingredients?
Again, cooking is an art form. The recipe is the canvas and you are in charge of painting the picture.
You can swap out any ingredient that you like. If you do not like pizza sauce, use buffalo sauce instead. Or, if you prefer cheesy bread to pizza, omit the sauce entirely.
Make any combination that your heart desires. For a sweet and spicy pizza, add pineapple and ham to the hot Cheetos crust.
For a simple and tasty addition, add a blend of cheeses instead of mozzarella. Cheddar cheese powder is found in hot Cheetos, so shredded cheddar is a great swap.
How Do I Cool Down This Hot Cheetos Pizza Recipe?
For some, hot Cheetos are very spicy. With heat in the crust and on top of the pizza, a cooling ingredient might be necessary.
College kids popularly dip their hot Cheetos in either cheese sauce or ranch dressing. This is smart because it cools down the chip and adds even more flavor.
It’s also a great way to cool down the pizza. By dipping your Homemade Hot Cheetos Pizza, you’re adding moisture and a cooling agent.
Ranch dressing is the perfect balancing ingredient. It has lots of creamy mayo, herbs, and acid. The creaminess offsets the heat much like buffalo wings.
Alternatively, you could simply add fewer hot Cheetos to your recipe. Omit them completely from the dough if it is too spicy for you.
Conclusion
Hot Cheetos are not only great for easy snacking. They are great for making homemade pizza! Your friends will be amazed by this Flaming Hot Cheetos Pizza.
If you are inexperienced in dough making, no big deal. This dough is super simple to assemble. If you do not want to make your own homemade dough, you can cut time by using store-bought.
Pizza is a recipe that can be personalized. Add whatever toppings you like to this pizza and it will come out delicious. As long as there is a sauce, cheese, and crust, this pizza is the perfect spicy pizza.
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My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.