Best Pizza Toppings for Homemade Pizza

If you've gone to the trouble of making your own homemade pizza dough, you're going to want to use the best pizza toppings! There are literally hundreds of combinations of pizza toppings you could use, so I thought I would put them all together in one place so you can get some inspiration next time you need the best homemade pizza toppings for family pizza night!

And don't just take my word for these! I have surveyed thousands of people in my Facebook Group to find out what they like (and don't) on their homemade pizza! So you can be sure that these suggestions are tried and tested!

There's no need to visit Pizza Hut ... make some pizza bases and let's get baking!

If you're looking for the most delicious sourdough pizza crust recipe - check out this recipe! And to take your sourdough pizza to the next level, why not make your own homemade pizza sauce.

Best pizza toppings for homemade pizza - this photo shows 6 homemade pizzas all with different toppings.

Most Controversial Pizza Toppings

While Canadian Bacon, BBQ Chicken and Pepperoni are among cult classics when it comes to topping a homemade pizza, you can bet there are some pizza toppings that are somewhat divisive! Here are the most controversial pizza toppings - loved by some and avoided by many:

Pineapple (but I admit I'm team pineapple!!!)
Artichoke Hearts
Anchovies
Black Olives
Green Olives
Oysters (seriously I cannot deal with this on a pizza)

Homemade pizza topped with pineapple and ham — Pineapple is such a controversial pizza topping! I'm definitely team pineapple and ham and pineapple pizza always features on family pizza night!

What is the Best Cheese for Pizza?

In most cases, mozzarella is touted as the best cheese for pizza because it has the perfect amount of stretchiness when melted. Elasticity, water and fat content are all important factors when it comes to pizza cheese. And mozzarella has all 3, making it a key ingredient on top of the pie, along with a good pizza sauce.

Mozzarella cheese browns nicely, without getting too crispy. It's not overly greasy either - nothing worse than big pools of grease on your freshly baked pizza!

Cheddar cheese is often blended with mozzarella for a more flavorful pizza, but you don't necessarily want to use just cheddar cheese on your pizza as it is often quite greasy.

Different Cheeses to Top Homemade Pizza

While mozzarella cheese is the best cheese top top your pizza with, there are also other cheeses you can use either in combination with mozzarella cheese or instead of.

Here are some of the most popular cheeses to add to your homemade pizza:

Parmesan Cheese (try adding a handful of parmesan to your mozzarella for a tasty blend)
Ricotta Cheese (why not trying making ricotta cheese at home)
Goat Cheese (great if you're looking for dairy free options)
Blue Cheese (but only if you really love it!)
Colby Cheese (can be great in combination with mozzarella cheese)
Feta Cheese (I like using a soft Feta like Danish Feta on pizza for a creamy topping).

Homemade pizza topped with ricotta, fresh tomato, red onion — I love topping my homemade pizzas with fresh ricotta (I make it myself) along with fresh tomato, rosemary and tomato.

Best Pizza Sauces (That Aren't Tomato)

Other than tomato and barbecue sauce, which are probably the most classic pizza topping when it comes to pizza sauce, what else can you top your pizza with? Here are some ideas to get your taste buds salivating (that aren't red sauce!):

Classic White Sauce (goes great with bbq chicken).
Sour Cream
Peri Peri Sauce
Curry Sauce (great for using up leftovers)
Pesto Sauce - you can use red pesto or green pesto. This is a great option for veggie pesto pizza.
Caramelized Onions (seriously just try this, it's delicious)
Red onions jam
Olive tapenade
Hummus (try this roasted vegetable hummus)
Buffalo Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Hot Chilli Sauce
Leftover spaghetti sauce
Garlic Sauce

Best Seafood Pizza Toppings

Hands up if you love seafood? Well then you're going to love these seafood pizza topping ideas! Which one is going to be your favorite?

When serving a seafood pizza, mozzarella cheese is not always used as it can clash with some of the seafood flavors. It's really personal choice whether you leave the cheese off or not. Or perhaps try a different type of cheese. Parmesan can be a great sub as it's not as heavy and a little salty.

Calamari (Squid)
Garlic Prawns
Anchovies
Smoked Salmon
Firm white fish pieces
Scallops
Chilli Mussels

Does Salad Belong on Pizza?

Ok so this might sound crazy ... but a small salad served on the top of a pizza can really elevate it to the next level! I love a handful of rocket dressed in olive oil or a red wine vinaigrette served on top of my pizza - especially a margherita or pizza with goats cheese. It is really refreshing and can cut through the fattiness of the cheese.

Other salads that work well on top of a pizza include butter lettuce, baby spinach, finely sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber or diced celery.

Have fun and experiment on your next homemade pizza!

Sweet Pizza Toppings

If you really love pizza, chances are you might also like a sweet pizza! We make pizza most Friday nights in our home (using this sourdough pizza base recipe). If there is a bit of dough leftover, my 3 sons love to experiment with sweet dessert pizzas! Some of their favorite combinations so far have been:

Chocolate Fruity Pizza - Nutella, sliced bananas and strawberries and then drizzled with white chocolate once baked.
Banoffee Pie Pizza - Caramel sauce, sliced bananas and crumbled walnuts.
White Chocolate Raspberry - Cream cheese, fresh raspberries and a drizzle of white chocolate.
Apple Pie Pizza - Caramel sauce, thinly sliced apples and pecans.
Smores Pizza - Nutella for the base, marshmallows and crumbled salty crackers.

Best sweet pizza topping - pizza with nutella, marshmallows, cherries and walnuts about to be baked in a gas pizza oven. — This sweet pizza has been topped with nutella, marshmallows, cherries and walnuts.

Best Pizza Toppings List

There are literally so many different ways to top a pizza! And the best way is whatever you like to eat! But of course, experimenting is so much fun! So here's some of the pizzas that I enjoy making for my family on "Friday Pizza Night" when we make a tonne of sourdough pizza bases and cook them in our outdoor pizza oven. It's a great way for everyone to get what they love to eat and so much fun doing it all together as a family.

Garlic Cheese Pizza - spread the base with fresh minced garlic and then top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or basil. Drizzle with olive oil once its baked.
Simple Cheese Pizza - no tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese (or a blend of your favorite cheese).
Vegetarian Pizza - classic tomato sauce base, red peppers, roasted pumpkin or sweet potato, green olives, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms.
Zucchini & Ricotta Pizza - classic tomato sauce base, homemade ricotta cheese, ribbons of zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
Cheeseburger Pizza - classic tomato sauce base, ground beef, pickles, diced onion, mozzarella/burger cheese blend, drizzle of mustard.
Mexicana - tomato salsa, refried beans, mozzarella/cheddar/red cheese blend, ground beef, jalapeños, green onions - top with sour cream once baked).
Breakfast Pizza - bbq sauce base, mozzarella cheese, rashers of bacon, tomato slices, pour over some scrambled egg right before baking or crack a few whole eggs on top to bake.
Pizza Bianca (White Pizza) - no sauce - just top your pizza base with good quality olive oil, fresh rosemary and salt. Bake and then drizzle with more olive oil. I've put together a step by step on how to make sourdough pizza bianca here.
Potato Pizza - no sauce - just sprinkle a little mozzarella then top with thin slices of potato, drizzle with olive oil, fresh rosemary and parmesan. Sprinkle salt once baked.
"Aussie" Pizza - classic tomato sauce base, rashers of streaky bacon, sliced white onion, mozzarella cheese.
Satay Chicken Pizza - satay sauce, mozzarella cheese, bbq chicken, red peppers, white onion (and hot peppers if you love some spice).