This Garlic Parmesan Pizza is so creamy, cheesy, and garlicky. Made with a homemade parmesan garlic pizza sauce and topped with plenty of mozzarella cheese, you'll love how quickly and easily it comes together. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or pizza party.
I absolutely love making pizza at home - it’s such a fun and delicious way to get creative in the kitchen.
One of my all-time favorites is this garlic parmesan white pizza. It's rich, creamy, and packed with garlicky goodness, making it the perfect base for toppings like fresh spinach, mushrooms, or crispy bacon.
And when paired with my sourdough discard pizza crust (or whole wheat sourdough crust for a healthier twist), you've got one of the best homemade pizzas ever.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this garlic parmesan pizza is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. To make it even easier, you can freeze my sourdough pizza dough in advance and simply thaw and bake when you're ready.
I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I do!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are some notes on key ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Pizza Dough- You can try my sourdough discard pizza dough, whole wheat sourdough pizza dough, or grab a fresh dough ball from the store.
- Mozzarella Cheese- I recommend using a block of part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese that you grate yourself at home. Freshly shredded mozzarella melts better than the pre-shredded stuff in the bag.
- Parmesan Cheese- Similarly, you'll want to grate your own parmesan cheese for this recipe. Not only does it blend more easily into the sauce, but it also tastes fresher and is more flavorful.
- Roux- A mixture of butter and flour in equal parts helps thicken the parmesan garlic pizza sauce. Cooking the roux for a few minutes before adding the milk gives the sauce a richer flavor.
- Milk- I used 2% milk for the sauce in this recipe.
- Garlic- You can't have parmesan garlic sauce without garlic. I prefer to use fresh garlic, which I cook for a few minutes in butter to help release its flavor.
- Basil- Add basil after the pizza is done cooking for a pop of herby freshness.
Equipment Notes
Here are some notes on any special equipment I used to make this recipe.
- Pizza Stone- A large pizza stone is a game-changer for making pizza at home. The stone gets ripping hot when preheated in a 550°F oven, which leads to a crispy pizza crust. I love my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone.
- Pizza Peel- A good pizza peel is super helpful for building and transferring your homemade pizza to the oven. I use a bamboo pizza peel, but metal ones work great too.
Tips for Success
- Get your oven as hot. Don’t be afraid of high temps! A hot oven is key to achieving a crispy crust.
- Use homemade pizza dough. Fresh dough tastes better and is easier to work with. Try my sourdough discard pizza dough or whole wheat sourdough pizza dough. Don't have a sourdough starter? Try making one using my small-batch method.
- Grate your own cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts and tastes better, and is often less expensive than pre-shredded.
- Transfer with a baking sheet. No pizza peel? Use the back of a baking sheet to slide your pizza onto the stone.
- Don't have a pizza stone? Use an upside-down baking sheet, preheated to 550°F, as a substitute.
- Make ahead. Prepare the dough and sauce a few days in advance to save time on pizza night.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Pizza
Here is how to make this parmesan garlic pizza recipe.
Preheat the Pizza Stone
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Place your pizza stone on a rack inside the lower third of the oven while the oven is still cold. Preheat the oven to 550°F (or as high as your oven will go). Once the oven has reached temperature, allow the pizza stone to preheat for an additional 30 minutes or so.
Note: Don't have a pizza stone? See the "Notes" section of the recipe card below for tips on how to use a baking sheet instead.
Make the Parmesan Garlic Sauce
Step 2: Make the roux. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux just begins to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Finish the parmesan garlic sauce. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps from forming. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Mix vigorously until the cheese has fully melted into the sauce. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and set aside to cool slightly.
Note: The recipe makes approximately ¾ cup of garlic parmesan sauce. If you prefer a pizza that's light on the sauce, just use less.
Make the Garlic Parmesan Pizza
Step 4: Stretch the pizza dough. Stretch the pizza dough to the desired size and place it on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper on a pizza peel or on the back of a baking sheet for easy transfer to the hot pizza stone.
Quick Tip: Don't use a rolling pin to stretch out your pizza dough. Doing it by hand keeps the gluten relaxed and prevents the dough from completely deflating.
Step 5: Assemble the pizza. Spread a ½ to ¾ cup of the parmesan garlic sauce all over the pizza dough, leaving about a ½-inch border for the crust. Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Season with Italian seasoning.
Step 6: Bake the pizza. Carefully slide the pizza with the parchment paper off of the peel and onto the pizza stone in the oven. Try to do this quickly to allow as little heat to escape as possible. Bake the pizza for approximately 8-10 minutes or until all of the cheese is bubbling and beginning to turn golden brown.
Step 7: Allow the pizza to rest. Using oven mitts, lift the pizza stone out of the oven and slide the pizza off onto a cooling rack. Garnish with fresh basil. Allow the pizza to rest for about 10 minutes prior to slicing.
Serving Suggestions
For a light side, pair this garlic parmesan white pizza with a refreshing spinach Caprese salad. If you’re in the mood for something more filling, sourdough garlic bread, breadsticks, or garlic knots make a perfect match.
You could also pair it with vegetable sides like roasted maple balsamic Brussels sprouts or sautéed green beans.
How to Store
Store leftover garlic parmesan pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the pizza in the oven at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is bubbly.
For longer storage, wrap the pizza tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven for the best results.
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Let's Connect!
Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions. You can also connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or via email at [email protected].
📖 Recipe
Garlic Parmesan Pizza
Equipment
- Pizza stone *see notes if you don't have a pizza stone
Ingredients
For the Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Garlic Parmesan Pizza
- 1 large sourdough pizza dough or whole wheat pizza dough
- 8 ounces (approximately 2 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture, part-skim
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade (thinly sliced)
Instructions
Preheat the Pizza Stone
- Place your pizza stone on a rack inside the lower third of the oven while the oven is still cold. Preheat the oven to 550°F (or as high as your oven will go). Once the oven has reached temperature, allow the pizza stone to preheat for an additional 30 minutes or so.
For the Parmesan Garlic Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux just begins to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps from forming. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Mix vigorously until the cheese has fully melted into the sauce. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and set aside to cool slightly.¾ cup 2% milk, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
For the Parmesan Garlic Pizza
- Stretch the pizza dough to the desired size and place it on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper on a pizza peel or on the back of a baking sheet for easy transfer to the hot pizza stone.1 large sourdough pizza dough
- Spread a ½ to ¾ cup of the parmesan garlic sauce all over the pizza dough, leaving about a ½-inch border for the crust. Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Season with Italian seasoning.8 ounces (approximately 2 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Carefully slide the pizza with the parchment paper off of the peel and onto the pizza stone in the oven. Try to do this quickly to allow as little heat to escape as possible. Bake the pizza for approximately 8-10 minutes or until all of the cheese is bubbling and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Using oven mitts, lift the pizza stone out of the oven and slide the pizza off onto a cooling rack. Garnish with fresh basil. Allow the pizza to rest for about 10 minutes prior to slicing.¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Notes
- Don't have a pizza stone? No problem! You can use an upside-down baking sheet in a similar way you would a stone. Just place the baking sheet upside down on the oven rack and preheat it to 550°F. Then, use a pizza peel or another baking sheet to slide the assembled pizza onto the hot baking sheet.
- Note: The recipe makes approximately ¾ cup of garlic parmesan sauce. If you prefer a pizza that’s light on the sauce, just use less.
- Storage: Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Chelsea says
Hi! Would you happen to have the nutrition facts without the pizza dough?
Ashley Petrie, RDN, LDN says
Hi Chelsea! Yes, when I remove the pizza dough from the ingredients, it gives me 139 calories, 5 grams of carbs, 2 grams of sugar, 9 grams of fat (5.5 saturated, 2.5 monounsaturated, and 0.5 polyunsaturated), and 9.5 grams of protein per slice. Hope this helps! 🙂