Our Recipe of the Year, your creative spins (2024)

At King Arthur, we draw on a lot of inspiration for our baking, like faraway travels or childhood memories. But honestly, one of our biggest sources of inspiration is … you!

We love nothing more than to see the innovative spins our readers and customers put on our recipes to make them their own. And throughout the year, no recipe has been embraced more than our 2020 Recipe of the Year, Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza. While the original recipe is enticing all on its own, the thick, pillowy dough has turned into the ultimate blank canvas for all sorts of edible creativity.

Our Recipe of the Year, your creative spins (1)

Our original Recipe of the Year is a classic. But many people have takenthisbasic recipe and produced some truly incredible pan pizzas.

It’s been almost a year since Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza was crowned Recipe of the Year, so to celebrate, we’ve rounded up 10 of the most inventive, stunning, and mouth-watering variationsthat our customers have made. We hope they inspire your upcoming baking adventures. (They’ve definitely inspired ours.)

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1) Smoked salmon, cheddar, and Gruyère pizza

Smoked salmon might not be as common a pizza topping as, say, pepperoni ... but that's why this pizza bySimon of @bagtobowlis such fun. He uses the base of Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza (baked up in aDetroit-style 10" rectangle) as a vehicle for smoked salmon, cheddar, Gruyère, parsley-dill cream sauce, shallots, zucchini, and dried chili flakes. Mamma mia!

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2) Apple, blueberry, cream cheese, and honey pizza

We’re all about taking Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza for a ride on the sweet side, and this fruit-topped pie by Puspa of @cerita_puspa looks perfect for the brunch table. She even shares directions to make your own!

Here's how she does it: Whisk 4 ounces (113g) softened cream cheese with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar. Peel one large apple and slice thinly. Melt 1 tablespoon butterin a pan over medium heat, then add the apple slices, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Sauté until tender. Put aside tocool.

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. When the pizza dough is ready to bake, gently spread the cream cheese on top. Sprinkle cheese on the edge of the pan (Puspa uses grated Parmesan along with shredded asiago and provolone), then arrange the apple slices on top of the cream cheese. Add fresh blueberries and sprinkle with more cheese if you'd like. Lastly, drizzle honey over the pizza. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with more honey, then serve.

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3) Gobi Manchurian pizza

This flavorful, spicy pizza from @chaiandchillies is seriously special. In her post on the pie, she shares the following:“Indian Chinese food is a category unto itself on the subcontinent, and one of my fave celebratory dishes is Gobi Manchurian —battered and fried sweet/spicy cauliflower.”

For this pizza, she bakes garam masala, cumin, and other paratha spices directly into the crust. She sauces the pizza with a spicy tomato base spiked with Manchurian sauce, then tops it with shallow-fried cauliflower florets tossed with Manchuriansauce, chopped onions, green pepper, and some Parmesan. The result? A pizza that will definitely heat up the kitchen — in more ways than one!

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4) Squash, pesto, and burrata pizza

Fun fact: everything is better with burrata. Especiallypizza! For this spring-inspired take, Joy of @jlims tops her pan pizza crust with squash, tomatoes, burrata, mozzarella, pesto, and crispy capers. She also calls Crispy Cheese Pan Pizza “one of the best things in 2020,” and though the competition was pretty scarce in a year like the one we’ve all been through, we’ll take it.

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5) Bacon elote pizza

A popular Mexican street snack, elote consists ofgrilled corn on the cob topped with a mixture of mayonnaise, crema, lime juice,and chili powder and sprinkled with cheese. It’s divine. And you know what Ian of @culinarycrescendo had the brilliant idea to do? Put it on pizza.

And he doesn’t just stop there —as if things aren’t already tempting enough, he also adds bacon. Because too much of a good thing can actually be great.

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6) Crispy cheese-less pan pizza

Crispy cheesy pan pizza … without the cheese?! It may sound oxymoronic, but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious.

Rule-breaker Stephanie of @stephanie.gyl, who came up with this pioneering pie, says, “Revoke my Wisconsinite card now ... I prefer this to the cheesy version.” Gasp! Instead of cheese, she topsher pizzawith toasted tomatoes, garlicky dairy-free pesto, and lots of olive oil. “Yes, it’s focaccia, not pizza,” she admits. We say, who cares?

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7) Chicken Marsala pizza

In a way, it makes complete sense to take chicken Marsala for a pizza spin. After all, the comforting meal is a classic in Italian American red-sauce joints. So why not servethiscreamy, hearty dish over crispy pan pizza dough? That's what Rebecca of @the.practical.kitchen does, resulting in acheesy, decadent,delicious-looking dinner.

And bonus! She shares the recipe on her blog, so you can recreate this pizza in your own kitchen.

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8) French onion soup pizza

One of the world’s most comforting soups meets one of King Arthur’s most comforting recipes, and the world will never be the same. Shelley of @ironchefmom uses her favorite French onion soup recipe for the topping, while the interior remains, in her words, “soft, light, and airy.”

It’s the soup + pizza mashup you’ll never be able to stop thinking about.

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9) BBQ Chicken pizza

Topped with chicken, onions, and BBQ sauce, this pizza by Jamie of @wayofthedamis a hearty, flavorful spin that proves BBQ sauce really can be great on everything. And check out those beautifully crisped edges! Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza alwaysdelivers, no matter how you decide to dress it up.

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10) Basil and prosciutto pizza

In a post full of downright innovative pizzas, we’re finishing off with a simpler pie adorned with two can’t-miss Italian ingredients: basil and prosciutto. There’s a reason they’re classics: bright, pungent basil alongside rich, decadent prosciutto. Liz of @lstern608 knows that keeping something simple doesn’t mean it can’t be revelatory.

A year full of pizza

When we namedCrispy Cheesy Pan Pizza our 2020 Recipe of the Year, we knew we had a special recipe on our hands. But there was no way we could have anticipated the outpouring of love for this dish; the enthusiasmhas spilled out from kitchens all over the country.

We’re unbelievably thrilled this recipe has been embraced byso many of you —that it’s spiced up weekly pizza night, inspired you to make your own homemade pizza, or presented an opportunity to showcase your wildest pizza dreams. Thank you for taking our recipe and making it your own. We hope it holds a special place in your kitchen for years to come.

Have you made Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza? We'd love to hear about any variations you've made in the comments below! Any ingredients, flavor combinations, or styles you'd recommend?

Our Recipe of the Year, your creative spins (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you forgot to put butter in muffins? ›

By adding the fat product to the recipe, you make the cupcakes light and fluffy. If you leave the butter out, it will affect the taste slightly and will cause the cupcake to stay smaller and more dense, as you noted, but it will still be perfectly edible and probably quite tasty.

Why did my Yule log cake crack? ›

If you overbeat the batter or bake the cake too long, it could become dense, gummy, or dry — and thus more likely to crack. Our yule log recipe has 1/4 cup (25g) oil in it, which provided some helpful moisture.

What happens if you forgot vegetable oil in cake? ›

You definitely should not skip the oil when making boxed cake mix. Oil is the only fat in the cake mix and fat is needed to make your cake nice and tender. Without some kind of fat, the flavor of the cake would fall flat and the cake would not have that soft texture you crave.

What happens if you dont add baking soda? ›

You could opt out of adding baking soda, depending on what you make. For example, pancakes and cookies are generally flat and don't require a lift in volume—leaving baking soda out may not affect their appearance much, but they may taste slightly chewier than when baking soda is present.

What if I don't have enough butter for recipe? ›

A good rule of thumb for this substitution: Replace about ¾ of the butter in a recipe with olive, canola, or vegetable oil (if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil). If the recipe calls for melted butter, though, you can swap the ingredients in equal amounts — there's no need to adjust your ratios.

What happens if you use butter instead of oil in muffins? ›

You can swap in 125g butter for the oil but the muffins may be a little dry and will possibly stale more quickly as the fat content of butter is lower than that of oil. For better results you may have to make some minor adjustments to the amount of fats and other liquids used.

Can I freeze a Yule log cake? ›

Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe. It's best to decorate with sugared cranberries, meringues, and a dusting of confectioners' sugar (step 13) closest to serving. Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries, not frozen.

Is a Yule log a cake? ›

A Yule log or bûche de Noël (French pronunciation: [byʃ də nɔɛl]) is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lebanon, Switzerland, Vietnam, and Quebec, Canada.

Can I use sour cream instead of oil in cake mix? ›

There are quite a few dairy products that you can use in place of oil, and some of them may surprise you. We mentioned using some skim milk with your applesauce, but other good dairy substitutes include: Buttermilk. Sour cream.

Can I use mayo instead of oil in cake mix? ›

1 box of chocolate cake mix 1 cup of mayo Sub mayo in place of the oil and eggs called for on your box of chocolate cake mix, add water as instructed, and bake as instructed. Top with frosting of choice (I made a chocolate glaze) and enjoy! It does not taste like mayonnaise but it is incredibly rich and moist!

Can I use applesauce instead of oil? ›

Applesauce is a 1:1 replacement for oil, so if your recipe calls for half a cup of oil, use half a cup of applesauce instead. If you find yourself in the middle of a recipe and out of oil, use applesauce instead! This trick works in cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, and any kind of sweet baked good.

Why can't you touch baked baking soda? ›

You'll lose about a third of the soda's weight in water and carbon dioxide, but you gain a stronger alkali. Keep baked soda in a tightly sealed jar to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air. And avoid touching or spilling it. It's not lye, but it's strong enough to irritate.

Why yeast is not used in cakes? ›

Why Is Yeast Not Used in Cakes? Cakes don't benefit from the long fermentation process of yeast, and the extra moisture can make them dense. In fact, it can overwhelm the delicate taste profile of most cakes.

Why avoid baking soda? ›

Baking soda contains sodium, which, in high amounts, can affect the heart. One 2016 case study notes that overdosing on baking soda has caused heart arrhythmias for some individuals. There have also been cases of baking soda overdoses causing cardiac arrest.

Can you skip butter in muffins? ›

Yes, oil or applesauce can be used as a substitute for butter in muffin recipes. Both oil and applesauce can help to add moisture and structure to muffins, but they may affect the final texture and flavor of the baked goods.

What is the purpose of butter in muffins? ›

The job of butter in baking (besides being delicious) is to give richness, tenderness and structure to cookies, cakes, pies and pastries. We alter the way butter works in a recipe by changing its temperature and choosing when to combine it with the other ingredients.

Can I skip butter in baking? ›

OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL

Olive and vegetable oils can be swapped out for butter in many recipes and can help create moist, tender baked goods. Cookies and cakes baked with olive oil have a light, fruity flavor, while vegetable oil is neutral oil so it doesn't impart any flavor.

What are some mistakes to avoid when making muffins? ›

Common Muffin Making Mistakes To Avoid
  1. Over mixing the batter.
  2. Overfilling the muffin tray.
  3. Leaving the muffins in the pan after they have baked.
  4. Berries, nuts, and chocolate chips sink to the bottom.
Mar 12, 2019

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