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If you love pesto but want something a little richer, creamy pesto pizza is the perfect upgrade. By mixing pesto with heavy cream, you get a silky, flavorful sauce that coats the crust beautifully and balances the saltiness of the cheese. It’s simple to make at home and delivers a vibrant green twist to classic pizza.
Choosing Your Dough
The creamy pesto topping works best on a soft, airy Neapolitan-style crust. If you don’t have a go-to recipe yet, check out one of mine:
- Neapolitan Pizza Dough With Poolish – Easy Guide
- Neapolitan Pizza Dough No Poolish – Perfect for Beginners
Both doughs are perfect foundations, just pick the one that fits your schedule.
Creamy Pesto Pizza Toppings (My Recipe)
Here’s what I used for this pizza:
- Creamy pesto sauce – mix equal parts pesto and heavy cream (whipping cream), or adjust to your liking depending on how rich or bold you want the flavor. Spread this over the stretched dough.
- Grated Parmesan – for nutty, salty depth.
- Fresh mozzarella – cut into cubes or small slices, about 1 cm thick.
- Optional extras – cherry tomatoes, arugula (added after baking), or goat cheese for a tangy twist.
This base combination is rich, silky, and full of flavor.
How to Bake Creamy Pesto Pizza at Home
To get the best results in a home oven, you’ll want to use the same two-stage baking method I recommend in my guide to pre-baking pizza dough.
- Preheat
Heat your oven as high as it will go (480–550°F / 250–290°C). Place a pizza stone or steel inside and let it heat for 45–60 minutes before baking.
👉 Read my full guide on how to preheat a pizza stone or steel. - Stretch the dough
Lightly flour your surface, press the dough ball from the center outward, and leave the rim (cornicione) untouched. Gently stretch to about 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) using your hands only—no rolling pin. Transfer to a lightly floured pizza peel. - Pre-bake with sauce
Spread a thin layer of your creamy pesto sauce on the dough and launch onto the preheated stone/steel. Bake 2–3 minutes, until the base sets and the rim starts puffing while staying pale. - Add toppings and finish
Remove the base, add Parmesan and mozzarella, then return it to the oven. Bake another 3–5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden.
(Tip: Switch on the broiler for the last 30–60 seconds for extra color—watch closely!)
If you’re using a dedicated pizza oven (like Ooni or Gozney), you can bake it all at once in 60–90 seconds at high heat.
Tools Mentioned in This Recipe
Final Thoughts
This creamy pesto pizza is proof that small twists can lead to big flavor. By blending pesto with cream, you get a sauce that’s smooth, vibrant, and indulgent all at once. Add a few simple toppings and you’ll have a pizza that feels both comforting and unique.
Next time you’re making pizza night at home, give this one a try—you might find it becomes your new favorite variation.
