Caprese Pizza

Caprese Pizza is topped with all your summer favorites: basil pesto, fresh hunks of mozzarella, tomato slices, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

slice caprese pizza and fresh basil leaves

When I was little, I wouldn’t eat a cheeseburger if it had even the tiniest remnant of a tomato slice on it. Little seeds? A dribble of juice? No, thank you. I’m out.

I was also a dramatic child, but I’m sure that’s not related in any way.

Fast forward 20 some years and here I am willingly, no–EXCITEDLY–loading up a caprese pizza with fresh tomato slices.

Reconsidering Tomatoes

The older I get, the more I appreciate the art of reconsideration. It matters in the big stuff (our relationships, our faith, our politics), but it’s also a good practice for the silly and simple things (the music we listen to, the books we read, the food we eat).

There are many foods I’ve reconsidered as I’ve gotten older (onions, pickles, peas), but I’m most grateful I decided to give the tomato another try.

Were it not for that simple reconsideration, I’d be missing out on Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese, Veggie Pizza, Cucumber Tomato Salad, and this incredible Tomato Shallot Pan Sauce.

slice of caprese pizza taken out of the pizza

Caprese: The Best Summer Flavor

And perhaps most importantly, I’d be missing out on this incredible Caprese Pizza.

Caprese is the ultimate in summer flavors. I’ve said it before (see this Chicken Margherita), and I’ll say it again: the combo of mozzarella, basil, and tomato CAN’T LOSE.

All of those goodies piled on top of a chewy, crispy pizza might be caprese in its best form.

Luckily, it’s also easy to make. You can have Caprese Pizza assembled in just minutes, making it perfect for a lazy summer dinner.

slice of pizza with tomato slices and fresh mozzarella

Ingredients in Caprese Pizza

Here are the 6 ingredients you’ll need:

slice of caprese pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella

How to Make Caprese Pizza

  1. Before you start prepping anything, grab your pizza stone and put it in the oven. Preheat to 500 degrees or as high as your oven will go. Preheating the stone is the secret to a crisp crust, so don’t skip this step!
  2. Put a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel then place the crust on top.
  3. Brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle the outside with garlic salt. You could also add sesame seeds or grated Parmesan cheese to the outer crust. That’s the joy of homemade pizza–make it your own!
  4. Spread 1/4 cup of pesto over the bottom then layer with sliced tomatoes and sliced fresh mozzarella.
  5. Slide the parchment off the pizza peel onto the preheated stone and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melty and brown.
  6. Serve the caprese pizza with more fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
sliced caprese pizza with a bite taken out of one piece

Common Questions and Tips

Can you substitute shredded mozzarella cheese for fresh?

Definitely, and a mix of the two is also fantastic! I’m just especially fond of the taste and texture of fresh mozzarella.

What kind of tomatoes should I use for pizza caprese?

Traditional caprese salad uses slicer tomatoes. However, we’ve tested this with both slicer or heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. I liked them both. The Mr. slightly preferred the cherry tomatoes, I slightly preferred the slices–so do whatever works for you!

How to reheat pizza

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, don’t do them a disservice by reheating them in a microwave. Try one of these methods instead:

  • Reheat pizza in the air fryer– this takes just a few minutes and is excellent for bringing day old pizza back to its crispy gooey self.
  • Reheat on the stove top– Place a large pan or skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add pizza slices and sprinkle a little bit of water around them to create steam. Cover with a lid and cook until bottom is crisped and cheese is melted.
sliced caprese pizza with a bite taken out of one piece

Caprese Pizza

Yield: 2 12 inch pizzas
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

Homemade pizza dough topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Ingredients

Instructions

NOTE: This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas. Divide the ingredients in half for a single pizza.

  1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Remove pizza crust from fridge and allow to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes or if the crust was just made proceed to step 2.
  2. Spread out a piece of parchment paper on top of a pizza peel. Alternatively, sprinkle a pizza peel lightly with cornmeal or semolina. Lightly flour your hands. Transfer the pizza dough to the parchment paper and use your fingers to press the crust into a circle. If it continually springs back, cover it with a damp cloth for 5 or so minutes then try again.
  3. Brush the entire crust with olive oil and sprinkle the outer crust with garlic salt. Spoon half the pesto over the crust. Arrange half the mozzarella rounds evenly over crust and top with sliced tomato. Slide the parchment paper off the pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly.
  4. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Sprinkle fresh basil on top then sprinkle salt, pepper, and Parmesan on top if desired. Serve while hot and gooey!

Did you make this recipe?

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17 Comments

  1. The pizza looks delicious (my husband loves vinegar, so I bet he’d go bonkers for this!) and those tomatoes are gorgeous! Do you mind sharing what variety they are?

    Hope your surgery goes/went well!

    1. Thanks Becky! The tomatoes pictured are an heirloom variety called Genovese Tomatos. This is the first year we’ve ever planted heirlooms and it’s been really fun! They’re not a great tomato for sandwiches, because as you can see, they’re very “bubbly”, but they were absolutely delicious on this pizza! Thanks for stopping by Becky!

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