Gluten-Free Pesto Pizza

This homemade pesto pizza is a great recipe for your next pizza night! Made with fresh basil pesto, melty mozzarella, and a few fresh toppings, it’s light, easy, and MAJORLY delicious.

As much as I LOVE homemade pizza with red pizza sauce, there’s something so special about a delicious pesto pizza recipe.

And this easy pesto pizza is GOOD.

Starting with a homemade pizza dough, we combine fresh pesto, plenty of mozzarella cheese, some fresh tomatoes and a few simple finishes to make a stunning, wildly delicious pizza you’ll come back to again and again.

And best of all, this perfect pizza starts with just a few simple ingredients…

Gather Your Ingredients

This gluten-free pesto pizza recipe starts with simple ingredients that pack in BIG flavor. Let’s take a look:

• Our Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (Or Your Favorite). We’re gluten-free so we’re starting with our homemade gluten-free pizza crust, for best results. Otherwise, you’ll need a 12-inch pizza crust (store-bought, or homemade!)
• Olive Oil. We’ll use olive oil to shape the pizza dough, and brush a bit on the crust at the end for a prettier look.
• Basil Pesto. I’ll walk you through an easy homemade pesto recipe with GREAT flavor, but we’ve made this countless times with a jar of pesto from the grocery store. Use what makes sense for your schedule and budget!
• Mozzarella Cheese. I usually use part-skim mozzarella cheese, but slices of fresh mozzarella also work here!
• Tomatoes. For ease, I usually use sliced fresh tomatoes–campari, roma, or vine tomatoes work well here! Or, you can use roasted tomatoes for richer flavor.
• Fresh Finishes. These little touches at the end make all the difference when it comes to looks & taste! I like to use cracked black pepper, some parmesan cheese, fresh basil, flaky sea salt, and red pepper flakes.

How To Make Gluten-Free Pesto Pizza, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Pesto

1. Combine. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Pulse JUST until the basil is roughly chopped and the ingredients are pretty evenly combined. (You don’t want it fully pureed here, since we’re not done mixing! )
2. Drizzle In Olive Oil. Gradually pour in the olive oil, pulsing to incorporate it until the basil is very finely chopped and the mixture looks cohesive and evenly mixed. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper, if desired.
3. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away on pizza, or store in an airtight container or jar topped with a thin layer of olive oil in the fridge up to 1 week. Stir pesto before using if any separation occurs.

Then, Make The Pizza

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pizza pan or sheet pan with parchment paper, and drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil.
2. Par-Bake Pizza Crust. Pat the pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. (If using pre-made crust, you can skip this step.)
3. Spread With Sauce. Carefully, spread 1/3-1/2 cup pesto sauce onto the pre-baked crust, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough.
4. Add Toppings. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add tomato slices, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake Pizza in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the crust is just golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
6. Garnish. If desired, brush the freshly baked crust with a little olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt, and a little black pepper on top of the hot pizza. Feel free to add additional garnish, such as parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh basil, to taste. (You can also even add a few more dollops of pesto!)
7. Serve & Store. Cut pizza into 8 equal pieces and enjoy warm. Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Pesto Pizza

Try A Pizza Pan! Sheet pans will absolutely work, but if you make a lot of pizza, like we do, we can’t recommend these pizza pans enough. They’re easy to clean, cook evenly, and they’re easy to store. They make REALLY good pizza, even without a pizza stone. Win-win-win! 

Can I Use Another Gluten-Free Crust? Yes. While we recommend our homemade pizza crust any time you can make it, you can use store-bought gluten-free pizza dough (like Trader Joe’s or Manini’s), or you can use a pre-made gluten-free pizza crust, like Schar, Udi’s, etc. You can even use cauliflower crust, if you like it.

Can I Use Store-Bought Pesto? Absolutely! We do all the time! I just like using homemade pesto in the when I have plenty of fresh basil on hand.

More Gluten-Free Pizza Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Gluten-Free BBQ Chicken Pizza

Gluten-Free Hawaiian Pizza

Recipe Card

Pesto Pizza

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 1 (12-inch) pizza 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

The combination of fresh basil pesto, gooey mozzarella, and tomato is tough to beat in this easy pesto pizza. Pro tip: try it with our homemade crust! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For The Pesto Pizza

• 1/2 batch gluten-free pizza dough*
• 1/2–1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3–1/2 cup pesto
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1–2 fresh tomato, thinly sliced OR roasted tomatoes
• Flaky sea salt & black pepper
• Optional Extras: parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh basil

For Homemade Pesto:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or nuts*
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch fresh black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

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Instructions

1. Make The Pesto. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Pulse JUST until the basil is roughly chopped and the ingredients are pretty evenly combined. (You don’t want it fully pureed here, since we’re not done mixing!) Gradually pour in the olive oil, pulsing to incorporate it until the basil is very finely chopped and the mixture looks cohesive and evenly mixed. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper, if desired.
2. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pizza pan or sheet pan with parchment paper, and drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil.
3. Par-Bake Pizza Crust. Pat the pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. (If using pre-made crust, you can skip this step.)
4. Spread With Sauce. Carefully, spread 1/3-1/2 cup pesto onto the pre-baked crust, leaving a small border around the edge.
5. Add Toppings. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add tomato slices, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake Pizza in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the crust is just golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
7. Garnish. If desired, brush the freshly baked crust with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt, and a little black pepper on top of the pizza. Feel free to add additional garnish, such as parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh basil, to taste.
8. Serve & Store. Cut pizza into 8 equal pieces and enjoy warm. Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

Notes

• Gluten-Free Pizza Dough. We highly recommend our gluten-free pizza dough for taste and texture. If you’re using a store-bought gluten-free pizza crust, you can skip the par-baking step, unless it’s recommended on your crust packaging. Not gluten-free? Feel free to use regular pizza dough. .
• Can I Use Another Gluten-Free Crust? Yes. You can use store-bought gluten-free pizza dough (like Trader Joe’s or Manini’s), or you can use a pre-made gluten-free pizza crust. I do NOT recommend cauliflower crust for this recipe, since the toppings are a bit more substantial and heavy. I find that cauliflower crust can’t stand up to the toppings well.
• Extra Toppings To Try. Feel free to add extras, like Canadian bacon, ham or prosciutto or some chicken.
• Pesto. This recipe will make more pesto you need, so you can freeze the rest for later in a jar topped with a little drizzle of olive oil. Or, make two pizzas! (You *can* cut the pesto recipe in half, I just find it’s tricky to make a batch that small in a regular-size food processor.)

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American