Pizza Toppings

There’s almost no end to the choices you have for pizza toppings! This is one of the most exciting parts of making your own pizza! Explore and enjoy with us…

Pizza Toppings

Whether or not you want to stick to the classic Margherita pizza, try something wild like an umami (savory) pizza, or you want to get in on the debate of whether pineapple belongs on pizza, you are certainly going to enjoy this rabbit hole of experiments and experience!

Cheese

Many believe cheese and sauce are the two ingredients no pizza can be without. Although not entirely true (a Marinara pizza does not have cheese), cheese is one of the most delightful pizza toppings and one well worth exploring to the fullest!

Mozzarella

Mozzarella cheese isn’t just the kind you buy pre-shredded in the cheese aisle. A pizza connoisseur from Naples (or probably just anyone from Naples) will tell you how important it is to have mozzarella di bufala campana (which is mozzarella made from water buffalo’s milk) or fior di latte (which is made from cow’s milk) and has different fat content and therefore flavor. Both are approved by the AVPN.

Given wet cheese doesn’t keep very long, it’s not going to be easy to find mozzarella from Italy in North America. But great alternatives are available here!

Fresh-Mozzarella-Cheese
Although not from Italy, this is a delicious fresh mozzarella choice for your pizza

Fresh Herbs (On Top)

Fresh basil

What can we say? The better the ingredients, the better the pizza! When topping a pizza with an herb (like basil), choosing fresh herbs will certainly have a more dramatic effect on the flavor than a dried option. (That being said, dried herbs are often the preferred choice for use in the pizza sauce itself – Oregano in particular).

Vegetable/Vegetarian Options

Again, where a fresh option is available (such as tomatoes or mushrooms), they will be worth the effort over something from a can.

This is especially true for simpler pizzas like a Margherita, which has only tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil (technically, some variation is allowed).

That being said, some vegetable pizza toppings may be better from a jar or can if their preparation is a lot of work – such as olives, artichoke hearts, or sun dried tomatoes.

Vegetable pizza toppings

And we couldn’t possibly fail to mention how amazing a simple olive oil pizza can be!

Olive Oil Pizza

Carnivorous Options

Italian meats platter

Beyond the ubiquitous pepperoni pizza, there is a large array of meat options for pizza. Amazing Italian deli meats like Parma Ham and Speck as well as ground meat (hamburger and bacon) and sausage options – and of course anchovies. These will quickly add a lot of fat and salt to your pizza, so you may want to explore some healthier options like turkey pepperoni!

Unique Pizza Ingredients

If you’ve ever tried a “Californian Pizza” you’ll know that it’s signature is simply the use of some very uncommon pizza toppings (or at least unusual from the perspective of an Italian)! If you want to get some inspiration to try something unique, we have a whole page on the joy of unique pizza ingredients!

Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza

Choose Your Own Adventure

Now go forth and choose your own pizza adventure! If you’re not sure where to start, pick one of our recipes for pizza toppings inspiration!