Dessert pizzas take finesse to make, market
Desserts are a hard sell for pizzerias, where that extra slice most customers don’t want but just can’t say no to can mean a sweet finish won’t be added to the check total. But when made right, advertised well and priced nicely, some dessert offerings can be a point of differentiation for your pizzeria.
Warm cookie pizzas aren’t ground-breaking material, but they’re especially eye-catching as they travel through a dining room topped with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream and a dash of hot fudge. While many customers agree that recommending desserts before they’ve even placed their order borders on pushy upselling, this is one dessert you’ll want to let customers know needs a little extra time for prep.
You can also make these ahead of time by pressing into the pizza pan and freezing. Allow to thaw a bit before baking.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza
Few ingredients are as romantic as chocolate and strawberries, which is why this easy and sweet dessert pizza is such an easy offering. If a double boiler is too time consuming, consider using a chocolate hazelnut spread, which is quicker and less labor intensive.
Chocolate and Strawberry Pizza
Although it’s not yet fall, good apples are pretty easy to get from your distributor –– or even your local farmer’s market. The best part of this recipe is the warm caramel topping, which should be added just before serving to keep it from seizing up.
Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza
I’m a sucker for anything red velvet flavored, and will admit to trying red velvet Oreos and even red velvet lip balm. This “pizza” is actually constructed from boxed cake mix and can be made ahead and topped at service. The “sauce” is made with cream cheese, an important red velvet component. Blueberries and strawberries make great toppings around the fourth of July, but I like crushed sandwich cookies for some crunch.
Red Velvet Cookie Pizza
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is managing editor at Pizza Today.
