by Bottom Line: The Spicy Lover’s Double Pepperoni Pizza delivers a nice twist on a Pizza Hut favorite along with a bit of a kick.
Just in time for the Super Bowl, Pizza Hut has come up with a spicy new twist on their classic pie that should interest those that like some heat added to their slice. The Hut has tinkered with spicy recipes in the past, but apart from the option to add jalapenos to your pie, they have not had much on the regular menu that brings the heat (even their wings do not tip the scale too much). But hopefully this new addition will prove popular and become a fixture for the franchise.
The Spicy Lover’s Double Pepperoni Pizza is a new entry in their Lover’s line that comes with two types of pepperoni: their standard and “crispy cupped” (which, true to its name, bakes up into crispy little roni cups on the pie). It also includes a spicy marinara, sliced red chilis (which are fresh red jalapenos), and “Fiery Flakes” seasoning. You can get it on any of their featured crusts and I went with the stuffed crust option.
For those who typically order the hand-tossed, pan, or thin crust pizza from the Hut, this pie will offer a notable difference taste-wise. That spicy marinara brings a sweetness that is familiar to those of us who usually order the stuffed crust pizza (it comes standard with that), and it delivers a richer, bolder, tomatoey taste with a bit of a kick. The sliced red peppers amp things up as well as they add a bit more sweetness along with the taste of roasted peppers. I also detected some herbs on the pizza, probably coming from the Fiery Flakes. I did not notice much difference between the two types of pepperoni (other than one being a bit more crispy), but the abundance of that topping was certainly nice and bumped up the heat as well.
So just how spicy is this pie?
It’s not going to set any mouths on fire, but it does have a kick. I would place it between Mild and Medium heat depending on the slice. Some slices had more of the sliced red peppers and Fiery Flakes and that amped up the heat. (I really like those sliced red chilis and hope they become a regular menu option as they bring more heat and more taste than the pickled jalapenos.) The average mortal may stop at one slice of this pie, but that just means more for us chiliheads! And even though this tops out at Medium heat, it tips the flavor scale with all the yummy toppings, especially those that are new to the menu.
Sadly, this one is headed back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville, likely some time after the Super Bowl. But hopefully sales will be good enough to convince the Hut to bring it back. This pizza should have pretty broad appeal, and spicy food lovers will almost certainly be buying it up on a regular basis while it is available (I know I have been). If nothing else, Pizza Hut should keep the ingredients on the menu so that we can reconstruct it as needed (though that will likely bump up the cost a few bucks since it won’t have a deal attached to it). Be sure to order yours while you can, because this is one of the better pizzas I have had from the Hut and it’s a darn good pie for one of the major chains. The Spicy Lover’s line also includes a Spicy Hawaiian Chicken and a Spicy Veggie.
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: 1 Slice
Calories: 340
Fat: 15g (7g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 36g
Sodium: 810mg
