Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza Sliders (Printable Version)
Pepperoni and mozzarella sliders drizzled with sweet-hot honey glaze, baked until golden and gooey.
# What You Need:
→ Breads & Bases
01 - 12 slider buns or Hawaiian rolls, unsliced
→ Cheeses
02 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
03 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Meats
04 - 36 slices pepperoni
→ Sauces & Condiments
05 - 1 cup pizza sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 tablespoon honey
08 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as sriracha or hot chili oil)
→ Seasonings
09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
11 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Toppings (optional)
12 - Fresh basil leaves, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Using a bread knife, slice the slider buns horizontally in one piece to create a top and bottom slab, keeping the individual rolls attached. Place the bottom slab into the prepared baking dish.
03 - Spread the pizza sauce evenly across the bottom buns. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella over the sauce in an even layer.
04 - Arrange the pepperoni slices in a single, even layer over the mozzarella. Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella.
05 - Place the top slab of buns over the assembled filling, pressing down gently to compact the layers.
06 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, honey, hot sauce, garlic powder, and dried Italian herbs. Stir until well blended. Generously brush the mixture over the tops and sides of the buns using a pastry brush.
07 - Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the glazed tops. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired for extra heat.
08 - Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the bun tops are golden brown.
09 - Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil if desired. Slice along the individual roll seams and serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey butter glaze is the kind of trick that makes people ask what your secret is, and you get to decide whether to tell them.
- They come together in about half an hour, which means you can decide to make them at the last second and still look like you planned it.
02 -
- If you skip greasing the dish, the bottom buns will glue themselves to the pan and you will be scraping cheese off instead of serving beautiful sliders.
- Letting them rest for even three minutes before slicing makes the difference between a neat plate and a cheese avalanche.
03 -
- The single biggest improvement comes from using Hawaiian rolls instead of plain slider buns, because their slight sweetness plays perfectly against the hot honey glaze.
- Brush the glaze right before baking, not earlier, or the buns get soggy before they even hit the oven.