Mummy Pizzas in the Air Fryer (Easy Halloween Recipe)

These air fryer mummy pizzas are mini pizzas wrapped in string cheese bandages with two black olive eyes peeking out. They take about 35 minutes for a batch of 8, and kids can do most of the decorating. If you’d rather skip the dough, the English muffin and bagel versions below are even faster.

I first made these Air Fryer Mummy Pizzas for a Halloween party with my kids, and they were an instant hit! Now they’re one of our favorite spooky snacks to make every October because they’re quick, easy, and so much fun to decorate.

Why you’ll love these mummy pizzas

• Five ingredients. Pizza dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella, black olives and string cheese.
• Crisp bottoms. A quick pre-bake in the air fryer keeps the crust from going soggy under the sauce.
• A Halloween activity and dinner in one. Little hands can peel the cheese bandages and place the eyes.
• Flexible base. Use rolled pizza dough, English muffins or bagels, whatever you have on hand.

What is a mummy pizza?

A mummy pizza is a small round pizza decorated to look like a mummy’s face. Thin strips of mozzarella crisscross the top like bandages, with a gap left near the top for two olive “eyes.” Mummy face pizzas are a classic Halloween party food because they’re easy to make in batches and kids actually eat them.

Ingredients

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Pizza dough: 1 pound, store-bought or homemade. A refrigerated tube of pizza crust works well.
• Pizza sauce: jarred or homemade. You only need about 1 tablespoon per pizza.
• Shredded low-moisture mozzarella: for the base layer under the bandages.
• String cheese: this makes the bandages, because it pulls apart into long, even strips.
• Sliced black olives: two slices per pizza for the eyes.
• Italian seasoning: optional, a pinch over the sauce.

How to Make Air Fryer Mummy Pizza (Step-by-Step)

How to make mummy pizzas in the air fryer

1. Cut the crusts. Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out 4-inch circles with a biscuit cutter, re-rolling the scraps once. You should get 8 rounds.
2. Pre-bake. Place 2 or 3 rounds on parchment cut to fit your basket. Air fry at 320°F for 3 minutes, until just set. Repeat with the rest.
3. Sauce and base cheese. Spread about 1 tablespoon of sauce on each crust, leaving a ¼-inch border. Add about 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella and press it lightly into the sauce so it doesn’t blow around.
4. Bake. Air fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and the edges are golden. Work in batches.
5. Wrap the mummies. Let the pizzas sit for about 30 seconds. Peel string cheese into thin strips and lay them across each pizza at slight angles, leaving a gap near the top for the eyes.
6. Add the eyes. Press two olive slices into the gap.
7. Final melt. Air fry at 320°F for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the bandages soften and hold. Watch closely so the strips don’t melt flat.

Air fryer time and temperature chart

Step	Temperature	Time
Pre-bake crust	320°F	3 minutes
Bake with sauce and base cheese	350°F	3 to 4 minutes
Final melt with bandages	320°F	60 to 90 seconds

Times are for a 5.8-quart basket air fryer. Smaller or more powerful units may need 30 to 60 seconds less.

Quick English muffin mummy pizzas (no dough)

This is the fastest way to make mummy pizzas, and it skips rolling and cutting entirely.

1. Split 4 English muffins and air fry them cut-side up at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes to toast.
2. Add sauce and a little shredded mozzarella, then air fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the string cheese bandages and olive eyes, then give them a 60-second final melt at 320°F.

If your family likes these, my air fryer English muffin pizzas are the everyday version.

Bagel mummy pizzas

Mini bagels make thick, chewy mummy faces that hold up well on a party platter. Halve the bagels, toast them cut-side up for 2 to 3 minutes at 350°F, then sauce, cheese and decorate exactly like the English muffins. For the non-Halloween version, see my pizza bagels in the air fryer or these margherita pizza bagels.

Can you make mummy pizzas in the oven?

Yes. Bake the dough rounds on a parchment-lined sheet at 425°F for 5 minutes, then add sauce and cheese and bake 4 to 6 minutes more. Add the bandages and eyes, then return them to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. The oven is easier for a big batch, while the air fryer gives a crisper bottom.

Tips for the cutest mummy face pizzas

• Use string cheese for the bandages. Pre-shredded mozzarella is coated with anti-caking starch and won’t pull into clean strips.
• Let the pizzas rest before wrapping. If they’re too hot, the bandages melt flat and lose their shape.
• Don’t crowd the basket. Two or three pizzas per batch keeps the air moving.
• Messy is better. Uneven, overlapping strips look more like a real mummy.
• Pre-bake every time. Skipping it is the main cause of soggy centers.

Variations

• Pepperoni mummies: tuck mini pepperoni under the bandages.
• Naan mummies: cut naan into rounds. If you love naan as a crust, try my pepperoni naan pizza.
• Tortilla mummies: use small flour tortillas for a thin, crisp base.
• Hidden-veggie mummies: stir finely shredded zucchini into the sauce.
• Vegan mummies: use a vegan dough, a dairy-free sauce and a meltable vegan mozzarella.

Make-ahead, storage and reheating

• Make ahead: pre-bake the crusts up to 1 day ahead and store them airtight at room temperature. Top and decorate the day you serve.
• Store: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: air fry at 320°F for 2 to 3 minutes. The same method I use for reheating pizza in the air fryer keeps the crust crisp. Avoid the microwave, which makes the dough rubbery.
• Freeze: not recommended, because the bandages lose their shape.

What to serve with mummy pizzas

For a full mummy-themed spread, pair these with air fryer mummy hot dogs. Add a green salad with sliced cherry tomatoes, and finish with air fryer cinnamon sugar pizza for dessert.

Mummy pizza FAQs

How many mummy pizzas does this make? About 8 mini pizzas from 1 pound of dough. That serves 4 as a meal or 8 as a snack.

What can I use instead of string cheese? Slice a block of low-moisture mozzarella very thin, then cut it into ⅛-inch strips. Provolone slices cut into strips also work.

What can I use for the eyes besides olives? Candy eyes, small rounds of pepperoni, or tiny dots of pesto all work.

Why does my cheese fly around the air fryer? Press the shredded cheese into the sauce before baking, and keep the final melt short and at 320°F.

Can kids make these? Yes. Older kids can roll and cut the dough. Younger kids can peel the bandages and place the eyes.

Can I make them ahead for a party? Pre-bake the crusts the day before, then assemble and do the final bake just before serving.