Air Fryer Pepperoni Pizza Bombs Recipe (2024)

What Do I Need to This Pizza Bombs Recipe?

Featuring a cheesy filling and crispy breadcrumb coating, these pizza bombs are a delicious combination of pepperoni pizza and mozzarella sticks. And when you cook them in your air fryer, you can prepare these delicious appetizers without the need for messy oil. In fact, these delicious snacks are made using just a handful of simple ingredients. To make your own air fryer pizza bombs, you’ll need:

• Cream cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Breadcrumbs
• Egg
• Milk
• Flour
• Salt and pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray

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How Do I Make Pepperoni Pizza Bombs?

These flavor-filled pizza bombs are so easy to make with your air fryer! Simply follow these three quick steps to make these delicious appetizers for your next get-together.

Step One: Make the Filling

Add the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, peperoni, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder to a medium bowl. Stir the ingredients together until the mixture is well combined. Scoop out the filling mixture and roll it between your hands to form a ball. Place each ball on a lined baking sheet and freeze until the cream cheese filling is solid.

Step Two: Coat the Pizza Bombs

After the filling balls are frozen, prepare the breading by combing the panko breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg, milk, salt and pepper. Add the flour to a third bowl. To coat the pizza bombs in breading, start by dipping each frozen ball in the milk mixture, then dip it in the flour. Return the ball back to the milk mixture, then dip it in the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs in the ball to ensure they stick.

Step Three: Fry the Pizza Bombs

Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees and continue coating the remaining cheese balls in breadcrumbs. When all the pizza bombs are coated, place them in the basket of the air fryer and coat all sides of the balls with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the pizza bombs in the air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Pizza Bomb Recipe Tips & Tricks

Since this air fryer recipe is so easy to make, you’ll want to whip up these pizza bombs for every party! And with these recipe tips, you can cut your prep time down to just a few minutes. Try these tricks for preparing your cheese balls at home for your next party.

• Start with room temperature cream cheese. Using softened cream cheese is the best way to mix all the filling ingredients together. You can bring your cream cheese to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator and allowing it to rest on the counter for around one hour. Or place the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds to quickly soften it.
• Chop the pepperoni for a smooth filling. To ensure your bite-sized pizza bombs are easy to eat, try chopping your pepperoni pieces before you mix them into the filling. You could also use miniature pepperoni pieces in your pizza bombs to cut down on your prep work.
• Use a cookie scoop for even cooking. To make sure all your pizza bombs are the same size, try using a cookie scoop to scoop out the filling. A one-inch scoop is the perfect size for a bite-sized pizza bomb.
• Grease your hands to prevent sticking. Since the filling is made with softened cream cheese, it will be sticky. To keep the filling mixture from sticking to your hands as you’re rolling the cheese balls, try spraying both hands with a small amount of nonstick cooking spray. Rub the spray into your hands, then roll out the filling balls. If you notice the filling is starting to stick, simply spray more cooking spray on your hands and continue rolling.

Ideas for serving the Pizza Bombs

• Serve with sauce for dipping. The filling of these pizza bombs is made with cheese and pepperoni, which means you’ll need some marinara sauce to give these appetizers their full pizza flavor. Serve your pizza bombs with your favorite marinara sauce so your party guests can dip as they eat.
• Try different fillings. Pepperoni is a classic pizza topping, making it a great choice for your filling. But you can easily add other pizza toppings to the filling mixture to add even more pizza flavor. Sausage, bacon, ham, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and banana peppers are all great options for adding to your filling. Before you add any additional ingredients to your filling, make sure to finely chop the ingredients. And make sure not to overload your pizza bombs with too many toppings, which may make them fall apart as you roll the filling into balls.