Pizza is one of those foods that can be made a million different ways, with endless topping combinations. There are thousands of recipes and toppings, but there is one thing that they all have in common: pizza sauce! Pizza sauce is important because it adds flavor to the dish while keeping everything together. It also acts as a barrier between the dough and toppings.
There are so many different types of pizza sauce, it can be hard to know where to start. In this blog post, we will explore 14 of the best pizza sauce recipes out there. From basic tomato sauce to Alfredo sauce, there is something for everyone in this list. We will also discuss the difference between pizza sauce and pasta sauce, and why you might want to make your own pizza sauce at home.
Let's start with the most commonly asked question.
What sauce is the most often used to prepare a pizza?
The answer is tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is the most popular pizza sauce because it is a classic flavor that pairs well with cheese and bread. It also has a relatively mild flavor, which allows for other toppings to shine through. Pizza sauce made from tomatoes is healthy because tomatoes contain antioxidants. Tomatoes also have vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and potassium, which help the body function correctly.
Additionally, tomato sauce is easy to make and can be customized to fit individual preferences. Finally, it is affordable and readily available in grocery stores. Consequently, tomato sauce is the go-to choice for most pizza lovers on pizza night.
Many of us, on the other hand, enjoy experimenting with different sauces and like to stray from the typical pizza sauces. What should you do when you're in this situation? Make your own pizza sauce, of course. We've compiled a list of various homemade pizza sauce recipes that you can create at home.
Types of Pizza Sauces
The most popular types of pizza sauces are:
Other homemade pizza sauces recipes include:
Let's start with answering a couple of common questions:
Pizza sauce versus marinara sauce
A commonly asked question is "is marinara pizza sauce"? Pizza sauce is different than marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce in that it contains herbs and spices, such as basil and oregano. It also has a thicker consistency than marinara sauce. Some people like to use pizza sauce on their pasta dishes instead of marinara sauce.
Difference between homemade pizza sauce and store bought sauce
There is a big difference between the taste of homemade pizza sauce and store bought sauce. Store bought sauce is often loaded with preservatives, while homemade sauce is made fresh with natural ingredients. Homemade sauce also has a richer flavor than store bought sauce.
Pizza Sauce Recipes
If you're feeling really adventurous, why not try making your own pizza sauce from scratch? It's actually much easier than you might think and it's so much healthier too! The best part? You probably have all of the ingredients you need in your pantry and fridge!
Our curated collection includes the most popular pizza sauce recipes, as well as some unique variations to try out. These are all easy to prepare and can be made in under 30 minutes! So, get your ingredients ready because today we’re gonna learn how to make delicious pizza sauces from scratch.
1. Red Pizza Sauce
Red pizza sauce can be made with canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce or tomato paste. The differences between them are the cooking time, acidity and intensity of flavor.
a. Canned tomatoes are the easiest tomatoes to use for pizza sauce because they have already been cooked down and all you need to do is add your seasonings. San Marzano canned whole plum tomatoes from Italy are considered by many cooks as the best of the best when it comes to making tomato based sauces. They have a sweeter taste than other canned tomatoes, and less seeds. They are also available in the U.S., but you will pay more for them than regular canned whole plum tomatoes.
b. Fresh tomatoes are considered ripe when they are soft but not squishy. Ripe tomatoes have a sweet, intense flavor and can be used for pizza sauce as long as you cook them down to reduce the water content before using them in your recipe. If possible use meaty varieties of fresh tomatoes like Beefsteak or Roma that contain less water.
c. Tomato sauce is usually cooked for a short period of time while tomato paste is a concentrated form of tomatoes that have been cooked down which adds an intense tomato flavor to your recipe.
d. Tomato paste is a thick, smooth sauce that is made from tomatoes. The tomatoes are boiled until they are soft, and then they are put through a food mill or blender to create the desired consistency. Some people also add herbs or spices to the tomato paste to enhance the flavor. Tomato paste needs to be diluted with water or some other liquid like stock before using it in recipes.
Below are recipes using all four tomato methods:
1a. Red Pizza Sauce Recipe with Canned Tomatoes
Classic red pizza sauce is made with canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the tomatoes to a medium saucepan. Crush them by hand as you add them.
- Add the sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.
- Take off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Use immediately or let cool completely before storing in a jar in the fridge.
1b. Red Pizza Sauce Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
This is an easy pizza sauce recipe with only two ingredients.
Directions
- Cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato.
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes for 30 seconds then transfer to a bowl of ice water. The skin will easily peel off after being in the ice bath.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and peeled tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes or longer if desired. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- For serving, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
1c. Red Pizza Sauce Recipe with Tomato Sauce
Directions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and darkened in color.
- For serving, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
1d. Red Pizza Sauce Recipe with Tomato Paste
Directions
- In a sauté pan over medium heat
- add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.
- Add sugar and garlic and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Cook for one minute more then add in tomato paste.
- Mix well until combined and the sauce has thickened slightly, about two minutes longer.
- Remove from heat immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
2. White Pizza Sauce Recipe
Alfredo sauce is one of the richest, most decadent sauces you can make. It's made with butter and heavy cream, which combine to create a velvety smooth sauce that clings to noodles or chicken.
While the true white pizza sauce classic uses just three ingredients - butter, heavy cream, and white pepper - there are many different variations on Alfredo sauce with some even using garlic and Parmesan cheese like the recipe below.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the cream until it begins to thicken. Stir in the garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese, and continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes in the can.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.
- Servings: Makes enough sauce for one 12-inch pizza.
3. BBQ Pizza Sauce Recipe
Here is an easy recipe to make bbq pizza sauce.
- To make bbq pizza sauce, simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and spread on top of your pizza dough before adding any other toppings.
If you're looking for a sauce with a bit more of a kick, try this buffalo chicken pizza sauce recipe:
- To make, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- You can either spread it on top of your pizza dough before adding any other toppings, or use it as a dipping sauce for chicken strips or buffalo chicken dip.
4. Pesto Pizza Sauce Recipe
You can use Pesto instead of traditional pizza sauce. It’s a little bit more expensive to make than other sauces, but it has a strong flavor and is very good on pizzas with light toppings like pine nuts or goat cheese. You can also use homemade Pesto as the sauce for pasta dishes, or as a spread for sandwiches.
Sauce using store bought Pesto Sauce
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it out.
Sauce using homemade Pesto Sauce
- Add the basil, garlic and nuts to a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste is formed.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing and add salt if desired.
- For serving, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
5. Marinara Pizza Sauce
Can you use marinara sauce on a pizza? Yes, you can! Marinara sauce is made from tomatoes, garlic and herbs. It's simple enough to make your own marinara pizza sauce recipe at home or buy a jar of pasta sauce from the store. You'll need about half cup for each 12 inch pie (or one big serving). If buying store bought tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes, then use two cans of tomato puree and add more fresh herbs as needed.
If you're looking for an easy way to make marinara pizza sauce at home, try this recipe! It takes just 15 minutes from start until finish so it's perfect when time is tight or if you want something quick on hand all week long.
Marinara Pizza Sauce Recipe
The ingredients for a Marinara pizza sauce recipe are simple: tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, and herbs. Homemade Marinara pizza sauce is easy and tastes great.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for about one minute, or until it is fragrant but not browned (browning will make it bitter).
- Then add the canned tomatoes and herbs. Stir to combine.
- Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it does not stick or burn.
- When the sauce has cooked down and thickened, add salt to taste (if using).
- This makes about two cups of pizza sauce. If you don't need that much for your pizza, freeze any leftovers in an airtight container or jar for later use.
6. Low Carb Pizza Sauce Recipe (Sugar Free Pizza Sauce Recipe)
The reason you want a low carb pizza sauce is because sauces like marinara, tomato sauce, and pizza sauce tend to be fairly high in sugar. Since carbohydrates are sugars this means that they may have a lot of hidden carbs!
This simple low carb pizza sauce recipe has only four ingredients: tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano and salt/pepper. If you want to make it a bit sweeter, you can add in some stevia or xylitol.
It tastes like the real deal! So don’t deprive yourself of pizza just because you’re trying to eat low carb – make your own with this easy recipe!
- -Mix the tomato paste, garlic powder and oregano in a small bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you like your sauce sweeter, add sweetener of choice (stevia/xylitol) until it’s at the sweetness that you prefer!
- Spread onto pizza dough.
- Add your desired toppings. Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown and crispy!
7. Keto Pizza Sauce Recipe
The reason you want a Keto Pizza Sauce Recipe is because most store bought sauces have added sugar in them. It turns out that a Keto Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe is really easy to make and can be done with just a few ingredients that are already lying around in the house. In this recipe, you will learn how to make your own low-carb pizza sauce at home without the carbs!
- Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until smooth.
- If you find that your sauce is too thick, add more water until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning and salt/pepper according to taste.
8. Garlic and Olive Oil Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.
If you're looking for something a little different than your average pizza sauce, give this garlic and olive oil version a try! It's simple to make and packs a lot of flavor.
9. Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Stir together all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
10. Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pizza Sauce Recipe
- In a mortar and pestle, crush olive oil, salt and pepper until well mixed together. The goal is to make this into a paste-like texture for best results in your pizza sauce recipe.
- Begin layering your pizza with the goat cheese, crushed black pepper and olive oil mixture, roasted red peppers.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown to your liking.
11. White Wine and Mushroom Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until tender, about five minutes.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper then add the wine to deglaze; scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about five minutes.
- Stir in the cream and Parmesan then remove from heat and stir in parsley leaves.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
This sauce is perfect on your favorite white pizza! Try it with chicken, mushrooms and spinach or with sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers and red onions.
12. Red Wine Vinaigrette Pizza Sauce Recipe
This is an interesting take on the classic tomato sauce that uses red wine vinegar instead of tomatoes. It is a great way to add some acidity into your pizza without adding too much sweetness from sugar or honeyed fruits like pineapple chunks would do (which is a popular pizza topping).
- In a glass jar or small bowl, add all ingredients. Cover with a lid and shake well to combine, about 30 seconds.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Notes: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Shake before using. This can be used on pizza crusts or flatbreads.
13. Bacon and Blue Cheese Pizza Sauce Recipe
If you’re looking for a decadent and delicious pizza sauce, then this is the one for you.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Add the olive oil to the bacon fat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook until both are soft, about five minutes.
- Stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juice, and blue cheese crumbles. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon bits. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to one week.
14. Pesto Cream Pizza Sauce Recipe
If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional tomato sauce, then this is a great option. The amount of pesto depends on how strong you want to make the pizza taste like pesto. This recipe does not require any fresh tomatoes which makes it easier if you don’t have access to them!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together until there are no lumps.
- Mix in ¼ cup of pesto sauce (or more, to taste), garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on top of pizza dough.
- Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
15. Mushroom Cream Pizza Sauce Recipe
The last alternative we’ll look at today is this mushroom cream. This recipe does not require any fresh tomatoes which makes it easier if you don’t have access to them!
- In a food processor, puree together all ingredients until smooth while adding water as needed to achieve desired consistency (about ⅓ cup).
- Spread sauce over pizza dough before baking or use it in another recipe like lasagna!
What's Next?
Ready to try out some of these delicious pizza sauce recipes?
No matter which pizza sauce you choose, cooking your pizzas in an outdoor wood pizza oven using high temperatures will create a crispy crust and delicious toppings.
Be sure to check out our homemade pizza dough recipe to make the perfect base for your sauce. And if you come up with your own favorite homemade sauce combination, be sure to share it in the comments below. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
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