Healthy Pizza Recipes

Less assertive and more nuanced than red pepper flakes, Aleppo pepper makes a terrific pizza seasoning—a little spicy and a little fruity to complement the tangy sauce and rich cheese. Find it at spice stores, gourmet grocers, or Middle Eastern markets. A sprinkle of briny kalamata olives adds a touch of umami. 

We gave a crowd-pleasing classic like barbecue chicken pizza a Korean spin. Fresh mozzarella is mild enough to complement the caramel and chile notes in the sauce and is a great canvas for the fresh carrot and radish salad on top. Roll out and build the pizza on a large sheet of parchment paper so you can place both directly on the hot pizza stone. The bottom of the crust will still be crisp, and you’ll avoid any potential flops from counter to oven.

There’s no better place to slip in some extra leafy greens than on a pizza. Peppery arugula adds a burst of tangy freshness that pairs perfectly with deeply savory toppings. Mushrooms are the ideal stand-ins for traditional cured meat toppers that are laden with sodium; a mix of cremini and portobello adds meaty, umami-rich flavor and earthiness.

When a classic sandwich gets reincarnated as a cheesy pizza, rave reviews are bound to follow. Sweet, crisp Fuji apple provides a great balance to the rich, gooey cheese and savory ham, and everyone knows there's no better place to slip in some extra leafy greens than on a pizza. To get julienne-cut apple pieces, cut into thin slices; then stack and cut lengthwise into matchsticks.

Red tomatoes are richer in antioxidants when cooked, giving you better access to lycopene (a disease-fighting antioxidant). The higher-quality ricotta you use, the creamier, and more delicious the pizza; we prefer Calabro brand.

If you're craving extra protein, try cracking two eggs over the cheese just before baking.

This springtime pie taps into some of the season's superior produce for a vibrant, fresh take on pizza.

The supreme pizza take a virtuous U-turn here as a hearty, veggie-loaded pizza. By skipping the sodium-laden meats, we pack one full serving of vegetables into each square, thereby doubling the fiber of most pizza chain offerings. Still every bit as satisfying as its meaty counterparts, our pie will delight even the most devout of carnivores. The dough develops a focaccia-like texture from a 24-hour resting period in the refrigerator, and our version saves 5g saturated fat and 300 mg sodium over popular pizza chain supreme pizzas.

The sweet, tangy, spicy barbecue topping comes together in a snap with the help of supermarket rotisserie chicken.

Microwave-in-the-bag fresh vegetables help this meal come together lickety-split. A hot cast-iron skillet helps to crisp the bottom of the crust while the surface gets golden brown under the broiler—no baking required. Slice in the skillet and remove each piece for mess-free serving.

Ribbons of zucchini and bright cherries bursting with flavors are the perfect pair for this creamy ricotta base.

A vegetarian’s delight, this pizza is piled-high with flavorful summer produce, two types of cheese, and fresh oregano and basil.

Related: 37 Celebrity Chef-Inspired School Lunch Ideas

Our take on this guaranteed family favorite saves more than 200 calories, 16 grams of fat, and nearly 670 milligrams of sodium over the leading fast-food cheeseburger pizza.

Freeze an extra pie tonight for a convenient dinner later that's way better than boxed. Partially baking the pizza before freezing helps draw moisture out of the vegetables and set the crust so it stays nice and crisp. Use any hearty vegetables you like, but skip more delicate items like fresh tomatoes, as they won't hold up as well in the freezer.

This installment of our Let's Cook! curriculum, designed to empower busy folks to cook healthier meals at home, is a real kid-pleaser. We use whole-wheat tortillas as quick pizza crusts—a trick inspired by our friends at seriouseats.com.

The classic combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and thinly sliced basil never disappoints. Try it on our caprese pizza, for a bright combo of two Italian favorites, ready in just 45 minutes. An ending drizzle of balsamic vinegar brings out wonderful flavor and makes for a beautiful presentation. 

Pizza for breakfast is always a delicious possibility. This cast-iron pizza develops a warm, fluffy crust that surrounds a cheesy and bacon-topped interior. Using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet eliminates the need for using extra oil which keeps this recipe as light as possible. As a tip, placing the pan over high heat on the cooktop before transferring it to the oven helps heat it up quickly and yields a perfectly crisp crust.

No "knead" for bread—this cheesy veggie crust has half the carbs and double the fiber of traditional pizza dough.

Look for queso fresco in Mexican markets or at your local cheesemonger's. This beefy pie delivers all the zingy flavors of a street taco: tangy lime, pungent onion, fragrant cilantro, and smoky, spicy chiles. The three-cheese blend offers extra meltiness.

Here's a super simple grilled pizza your kids will love. Don't feel like grilling? No problem: Bake them. Cook the dough on a hot pizza stone at 500° for 4 minutes, add toppings, and bake an additional 8 minutes or until done.

It's easy to skip delivery when pizza is so much fun to make at home. Load up the pie with as many veggies as you want.

Time: 40 minutes
Prep Pointer: A sprinkling of cornmeal keeps the dough from sticking to the pizza stone and gets the bottom of the crust extra crispy.
Flavor Hit: Balsamic vinegar adds a sweet and tangy dimension to the mushrooms and rounds out the marinara sauce.

Pair with Shaved Carrot and Parsley Salad: Combine 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 3 cups thinly shaved carrot and 1½ cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves to vinaigrette; toss to coat. SERVES 4 (serving size: ¾ cup) CALORIES 91; FAT 5.5g (sat 0.8g); SODIUM 196mg

Try swapping out the goat cheese for feta or Gorgonzola to switch up the flavor profile.

Ricotta cheese is dreamy and our homemade version is simply the best you'll ever taste. It's silky and creamy, milky and slightly sweet, moist and never grainy. The cheese is delicious eaten by the spoonful, and once you've had your fill of it unadorned, you can turn it into an array of dishes that are as healthful as they are delectable.

Thinned out a little and made creamier, ricotta can be used as both the sauce and the cheese for pizzas and flatbreads. Top pizza dough with a ricotta cheese mixture, figs, onion, and ham to make this quick weeknight meal.

Cooking pizza in a skillet is a revelation: guaranteed dough success for even the most timid pie makers—just pat the dough out to size, and the pan shapes it into a perfect circle. 

Marinara, mushrooms, and sauteed onions make this cheesy deep-dish pie a true stand-out.

Arranging the dough on a hot pizza stone or skillet will get the crust nice and crisp. Keep an eye on the pizza after you add the eggs so they don’t overcook.

Smoky bacon, rich walnuts, and woodsy thyme give depth to these quick personal pizzas.

A leggy cousin of broccoli, the delicate purple florets and thin stems of purple sprouting broccoli make an ideal topping for grilled pizza—perfect for sharing.

Both children and adults will love the flavor of this homemade pizza. Grilling the ham gives it a nice smoky flavor, and the pineapple adds sweetness.

A balance of flavors is the key to this recipe. The bitter arugula, sweet artichoke, salty prosciutto, and creamy mozzarella are in perfect equilibrium atop a crisp-and-chewy crust and pesto sauce. Not only is the combination of tastes more satisfying than pepperoni and red sauce, this pizza takes just 11 minutes to bake―no longer than a frozen one.