Vodka sauce pizza is richer, creamier, and spicer than traditional pizza! Inspired by penne ala vodka, vodka pizza features all of the same flavors but is eaten on homemade pizza dough with lots of melty mozzarella cheese!
Skip the takeout and serve this vodka sauce pizza for your next pizza night!
I recently made spicy vodka sauce for dinner and had lots of leftovers so I thought why not use it on a pizza?
The vodka sauce is deliciously bright and creamy with a hint of spice that brings so much more flavor than traditional pizza sauce.
Top it with fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, or any of your favorite toppings for the best dinner ever!
For more homemade pizza ideas, try focaccia pizza and cast iron skillet pizza.
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why this recipe is the best
- This pizza is made with my award-winning vodka sauce and homemade dough, then baked to golden brown perfection in your oven!
- With just a few ingredients and little time to rise, it is ready to eat in just one hour.
ingredients & substitutions
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
- San Marzano whole tomatoes: These tomatoes are sweeter, less acidic, and hold less water than traditional tomatoes. You will need to strain them from the extra sauce before using them. You can also use crushed tomatoes if you can't find whole ones.
- Yellow onion: You can substitute a sweet or white onion.
- Vodka: The brand of vodka isn't super important, I use Kirkland Vodka in my sauce.
- Fresh mozzarella: Aim for a low-moisture, pre-sliced mozzarella. Too much water or liquid can make the crust soggy!
- Pizza dough: This recipe uses my favorite homemade pizza dough but you can use storebought in a pinch! If you choose to buy it, let it come to room temperature before use.
recipe instructions
You will need a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, a baking sheet or pizza stone, and a rolling pin to make this pizza recipe.
STEP ONE: Make the dough. In a stand mixing bowl, mix the warm water, honey, and yeast together and set it aside for 5 minutes to activate. When the yeast looks foamy, add the all-purpose flour, salt, and olive oil.
Knead with the dough hook for 9-10 minutes. The dough should look smooth and feel tacky when it's done kneading.
STEP TWO: Let the dough rise. Form the dough into a dough ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise until doubled. In my kitchen, this takes about 25-30 minutes.
STEP THREE: Cook the onions and garlic. While the dough is rising, cook the diced onion and garlic cloves in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Then stir in the red pepper flakes.
STEP FOUR: Mix in the vodka and tomatoes. Stir vodka and tomatoes into the sauce and use a spoon to break up the tomatoes into small chunks. Season well with salt and fresh black pepper.
STEP FIVE: Cook the vodka sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid in the sauce has completely evaporated and the sauce is thick and on the drier side.
STEP SIX: Blend the sauce. Scrape the sauce into a blender and blend on high until the sauce is super smooth. Transfer it back to the pan and stir in the heavy cream. Set aside until ready to use.
STEP SEVEN: Roll out the dough. Portion the dough into two 10-ounce dough balls. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper to your desired thickness. Then transfer it to a baking sheet. If you are using a pizza stone, preheat it in the oven first before transferring the dough to it.
I prefer a thinner crust, so ¼ inch is perfect!
STEP EIGHT: Bake! Spread about ¼ cup of the vodka sauce almost to the edge. Then top with a few slices of sliced fresh mozzarella over the top.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are brown.
After baking, top the pizza with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and lots of red pepper flakes!
expert baking tips
- Use San Marzano tomatoes. This kind of tomato has a sweeter taste, and less acid, water, and seeds than other varieties.
- Cook the sauce thoroughly. You want the sauce to be very very thick and have all of the liquid evaporated before using. This will prevent the pizza from getting soggy!
- Use homemade pizza dough. Making pizza dough from scratch is incredibly easy and tastes much better than store-bought dough. My favorite pizza dough takes just one hour from start to finish!
- Use fresh mozzarella cheese. If you can find it already sliced, that's perfect! Aim for a low-moisture mozzarella if you can find it for the best results.
- Baking times may vary: All ovens are different, and your pizza may bake quicker or take longer than the indicated baking time. I recommend checking on it occasionally!
storage & reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to five days. You can reheat it in a 300F oven until the sauce and cheese are hot.
If you have leftover vodka sauce don't worry! It is very freezer-friendly and can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.
faqs
The vodka sauce has a deliciously rich, creamy, and spicy flavor, which is very different from the traditional tomato sauce!
While it does have vodka in it, the alcohol burns off while the sauce cooks.
No! The alcohol in the sauce will burn off as it cooks.
Definitely! I recommend looking for a high-quality jarred sauce like DeLallo.
The sauce freezes extremely well! You can also use it as a dip for bread bites or focaccia bread.
Yes! I recommend letting it come to room temperature before rolling it out and baking it.
more recipes to try
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you're there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Vodka Sauce Pizza
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Vodka Sauce
- 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 5 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½-3/4 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vodka
- ⅛ cup heavy cream
- sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (low moisture) *SEE NOTES
- fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes for garnishing
Instructions
- Pour the can of tomatoes into a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. You want to remove as much of the liquid as possible!28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- In a stand mixing bowl, combine the warm water, honey, and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes.1 cup warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon honey
- Mix in the flour, olive oil, and salt.2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt
- Knead the dough on low speed for 8-9 minutes or until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, looks smooth, and feels tacky.If the dough is sticking to the bottom and/or sides of the bowl, add extra flour 1 teaspoon at a time until it forms a single ball.
- Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place it into a lightly oiled bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.In my kitchen, it takes about 30 minutes!
- While the dough is rising, make the sauce. Over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups diced yellow onion, 5 garlic cloves
- Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Stir in the vodka and well-drained tomatoes. Season with salt and fresh black pepper. Cook the sauce for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes as they cook.¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup vodka, ½-3/4 teaspoon salt
- When the sauce is ready, the moisture should be completely evaporated leaving a dry, thick tomato sauce.
- Transfer it to a blender. Blend on high for one minute until it's smooth.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan and stir in the heavy cream. Set aside.⅛ cup heavy cream
- Preheat the oven to 475 F/250 C.
- When the dough has doubled in size, portion it into two, 10-ounce dough balls.
- Roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness, then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (or hot pizza stone)
- Spoon ¼ cup of the vodka sauce almost to the edge, leaving a border for the crust.
- Top with mozzarella cheese.sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (low moisture)
- Bake the pizzas one at a time for 13-15 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and serve hot! Enjoy!fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes
Notes
-
- Use San Marzano tomatoes. This kind of tomato has a sweeter taste, and less acid, water, and seeds than other varieties.
-
- Cook the sauce thoroughly. You want the sauce to be very very thick and have all of the liquid evaporated before using. This will prevent the pizza from getting soggy!
-
- Use homemade pizza dough. Making pizza dough from scratch is incredibly easy and tastes much better than store-bought dough. My favorite pizza dough takes just one hour from start to finish!
-
- Use fresh mozzarella cheese. If you can find it already sliced, that's perfect! Aim for a low-moisture mozzarella if you can find it for the best results.
-
- Baking times may vary: All ovens are different, and your pizza may bake quicker or take longer than the indicated baking time. I recommend checking on it occasionally!
- Store any leftover pizza in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to five days. You can reheat it in a 300F oven until the sauce and cheese are hot.
- If you have leftover vodka sauce don't worry! It is very freezer-friendly and can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.
Christen says
I can’t wait to make this for pizza night this week! Vodka sauce is always a family favorite!
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! Let me know how it turns out!
Monique M. says
I have tried all of your savory recipes and the vodka sauce has always been my favorite, so when I saw this vodka pizza I knew it would be just as amazing and it WAS!! The vodka sauce gives so much more flavor to pizza than regular pizza sauce and everyone loved the hint of spice it had. Thank you for another amazing pizza recipe!!
Cambrea Gordon says
That is amazing to hear! Thanks so much for leaving the kind review Monique!