50+ Creative Pizza Topping Ideas

Pizza crust is the ideal canvas for culinary creativity. While there’s nothing wrong with classic pepperoni or supreme, there are virtually unlimited topping options for pizza. Here, we are going to dive into 50+ creative pizza toppings ideas to help you enjoy the best, most unique pizza of your life.

While on vacation in Boston, I stumbled upon a pizzeria with a menu of “funky pizza toppings”. They served pizzas with all kinds of unusual topping combinations and flavors.

My curiosity was piqued, and I ended up with a slice of very funky pizza topped with spiced ground beef, maraschino cherries, jalapenos, and a cream cheese base. It was great.

If you’re also into creative pizza toppings, then this list is for you! Let’s dive in:

Creative Pizza Toppings

Here are some not-so-average pizza toppings that are totally worth exploring:

Kimchi pizza, with mushrooms, spinach, onions, and mozzarella

Mac and cheese pizza, with prepared Velveeta shells and cheese and cheddar

Charcuterie pizza, with tomatoes, salami, Kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, and basil chiffonade

Asparagus pizza, with bacon, red onion, and blue cheese

BBQ fried chicken pizza, with BBQ sauce, pickled red onions, fried chicken, jalapenos, and cabbage slaw

Dill pickle pizza, with cream cheese, chopped bacon or deli ham slices, dill pickles, mozzarella, and dillweed 

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink vegetable pizza, with fresh garlic, sweet corn, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and basil

Oktoberfest pizza, with chicken sausage, apple slices, sauerkraut, and a whole grain mustard/mayo sauce

Mashed potato pizza, with garlic mashed potatoes, bacon, chopped tomatoes, broccoli, and cheddar cheese

French onion pizza, with a cream cheese base, caramelized onions, and Swiss cheese

Internationally-Inspired Pizza Toppings

Some of your favorite international dishes can serve as inspiration for pizza toppings:

Greek pizza, with Kalamata olives, red onion, pepperoncini, red bell peppers, Feta cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes

Portuguesa pizza (Brazilian-style), with smoked ham, chorizo sausage, hard-boiled eggs, and black olives

Gyro pizza, with gyro meat, hummus, mozzarella, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and Feta cheese

Schwarma pizza, with tahini, Feta cheese, red onion, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, za’atar, and schwarma meat

Dabeli pizza, with masala peanuts, spiced potatoes, chutney, pomegranate arils, and sev

Mongolian BBQ pizza, with sliced beef, mushrooms, jalapenos, garlic, bell peppers, onions, topped with crispy wonton strips

Paneer veggie pizza, with a spiced yogurt sauce, paneer cheese, bell pepper, samosas, basil, mozzarella

Pizza With Fresh Toppings

These pizzas feature fresh salads and other uncooked toppings, which are added after baking the base:

Chopped salad pizza, with a simple mozzarella and tomato sauce base, topped with a fresh Italian-style salad with salami, chickpeas, Feta, Kalamata olives, parsley

Thai chicken pizza, with peanut sauce, grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese, topped with fresh carrot, red onion, bean sprouts, and cilantro

Big Mac pizza, with ground beef, Thousand Island dressing, cheddar cheese, topped with fresh lettuce and tomato

Taco pizza, with seasoned ground beef, cheddar, jalapenos, topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, avocados, and jalapeno-ranch

Unusual Pizza Sauces

You will find no basic marinara or pizza sauce on these pizzas:

Cheeseburger pizza, with burger sauce, ground beef, bacon, cheddar, pickles, and sesame seeds

Sweet and sour chicken pizza, with sweet and sour sauce, pineapple, chicken, sweet onion, bacon, and sliced almonds

Hummus pizza, with a variety of vegetables (hold the cheese)

Sweet chili Thai pizza, with shredded carrot, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, crushed peanuts, sriracha

Hot honey pizza, with red sauce, pepperoni, and chili oil

Pizza alla vodka, with a creamy tomato-vodka sauce, Italian sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan

Buffalo chicken wing pizza, with ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, mozzarella, blue cheese, and green onion

Chimichurri pizza, with steak and pickled red onions

Green pizza, with pesto sauce, mozzarella, broccoli, and arugula

Breakfast Pizzas

Denver omelet pizza, with egg, ham, and green peppers

Huevos rancheros breakfast pizza, with refried beans, corn, eggs, cilantro, and salsa

Breakfast pizza, with egg, bacon, and mozzarella

Pizza With Seafood

Crab rangoon pizza, with imitation crab, cream cheese, sweet chili sauce, and green onions

Tuna pizza, with crushed tomatoes, flaked tuna, fresh arugula, and lemon zest

Shrimp and grits pizza, with spiced shrimp, cherry tomatoes, sweet onion, bacon, red bell pepper on a polenta crust

Shrimp pesto pizza, with mushrooms, pine nuts, and mozzarella

Everything bagel pizza, with lox, cream cheese, capers, and chives

Peking duck pizza, with BBQ Peking duck, red onions, cilantro, and hoisin sauce

Fruit On Pizza

Adding a sweet element to pizza generally a great idea! If you’re a fan of pineapple on pizza (YUM!) then it’s time to explore some additional toppings ideas:

Gorgonzola pizza, with pear, prosciutto, mozzarella, gorgonzola, and fresh arugula

Grape flatbread, with prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh arugula

Peach and pulled pork pizza, with jalapeno, red onion, mozzarella, BBQ sauce, and cilantro

Goat cheese and apricot pizza, with apricot jam, fresh apricots, sliced almonds, green onions, microgreens, and honey for topping

Mango chicken pizza, with curry honey glaze

Pro tip: Try adding fresh lime zest or lemon zest to your cooked pizza. This ads a ton of flavor – and some uniqueness – to your pizza.

Dessert Pizza

Fruit pizza, with a sugar cookie crust, sweetened cream cheese base, and fresh fruit topping

Nutella pizza, with fresh strawberries

Nutella pizza, with fresh fruit and almonds

Pumpkin spice dessert pizza, with pumpkin spice icing and struesel topping

 

Alternative Pizza Crust Ideas

You don’t have to make homemade crust in order to enjoy homemade pizza at home. Here are several alternative pizza crust ideas that require little or no additional time – because the crust is already made (or prepped). Use one of these as a blank canvas for creative pizza toppings:

• Flour tortilla pizzas
• Corn tortilla pizzas (great for Mexican-inspired pizzas)
• Pita bread pizzas
• English muffin pizzas
• Bagel pizzas
• Naan bread pizzas
• Garlic bread pizzas
• French bread pizza crust
• Pizza with crescent roll crust
• Pizza with biscuit crust
• Pizza with lavash crust
• Pizza with polenta crust
• Pizza with black-eyed pea crust (gluten free)
• 2-ingredient oatmeal pizza crust (gluten free)