Healthy Pizza Recipe (Veggie Loaded!)

Name: Healthy Pizza Recipe (Veggie-Loaded!)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 ball Easy Thin Crust Dough; 1/2 cup Easy Pizza Sauce; 1/2 yellow bell pepper; 1/2 red bell pepper; 1/4 medium red onion; 1 garlic clove; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more for garnish; 1/2 tablespoon capers, drained; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup baby arugula; Kosher salt; Olive oil; Semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel

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Looking for a healthy pizza recipe? This veggie-loaded pizza has crispy thin crust, homemade sauce, and colorful veggies on top for a lighter, satisfying meal.

People often ask me, what’s your favorite thing to cook? If you know my story, you won’t be surprised by the answer: pizza. After honeymooning in Italy, Alex and I have spent the last decade researching the best way to make homemade artisan pizza.

I’ve created popular recipes for pizza dough, pizza sauce, and classic margherita pizza. But I was recently posed with a challenge: can you make a healthy pizza recipe? I went to work and created this irresistible pizza recipe that has a third the calories of a delivery pizza and all the nutrients of fresh, colorful veggies!

What Makes a Pizza Healthy?

The word “healthy” is pretty subjective. To me, a healthy pizza is one that’s lower in saturated fat and calories than typical takeout, and higher in vitamins and nutrients thanks to fresh veggies. One slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza is 300 calories, but one slice of this healthy pizza recipe is only 100 calories. Here’s the approach I use:

Homemade thin crust: This pizza uses my thin crust pizza dough. It’s made with simple ingredients (flour, olive oil, water) and because it’s thin, it has less calories than standard crust.
Flavorful pizza sauce: Red sauce brings big flavor without big calories. This pie features my fan-favorite pizza sauce that comes together in 5 minutes.
Minimal cheese. This healthy pizza uses only a hint of grated Parmesan cheese instead of the classic loads of mozzarella. It’s just enough to bring in a savory flavor, but there’s so much flavor in the veggies and sauce you don’t need more.
Lots of veggies. Healthy isn’t just about calories, it’s about vitamins and nutrients. This pizza is topped with peppers that are loaded with vitamin C, and leafy green nutrient-dense baby arugula. Capers add pops of briny flavor.

Reader Review

“I hardly ever leave reviews but this was probably the best pizza I’ve ever had and I’ve eaten my share fair of pizza, even in Italy! 😋”

Healthy Pizza with thin crust on pizza peel.

Pizza Dough Tips

Learning to make homemade pizza dough requires actually showing you, so we’ve made a video (above) to show the thin crust pizza dough process. Here are a few tips:

Make the dough 1 hour before serving or make it in advance. Making the dough takes 15 minutes, then it rests for 45 minutes before it’s ready to stretch. If you don’t have 1 hour before serving, you can make it up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate.
Use a pizza stone and pizza peel, if possible. A pizza stone is what makes the crust crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Here’s the pizza stone we recommend. To get the pizza onto that hot stone, a pizza peel is helpful: it’s a paddle that throws the dough onto that blazing hot surface. Our favorites are this aluminum pizza peel or super pizza peel. If you don’t have one, you can use a rimless baking sheet.
Thin crust pizza dough is easy to shape: roll it! This pizza dough is easier to shape than our classic pizza dough recipe because you roll it out with a rolling pin!
Use Tipo 00 flour if you can find it. Our favorite flour for making pizza dough is what the Italians use: it’s called Tipo 00 and it makes the crust light and fluffy. You can find at it many grocery stores or online here.

How to Make Healthy Pizza

Here’s a brief overview of the process:

Make the dough (or pull refrigerated dough out 30 minutes ahead to come to room temperature). Follow my thin crust pizza dough recipe.
Preheat the oven to 500°F with a pizza stone inside. Give it at least 30 minutes to fully heat through.
Make the pizza sauce. It only takes 5 minutes and has a depth of flavor from garlic and oregano.
Sauté the vegetables. Thinly slice the peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook them in olive oil with salt over medium heat, stirring often, for 7to 10 minutes until browned and very soft. (This can also be done in advance.)
Stretch the dough. Dust your pizza peel with semolina or cornmeal. Stretch or roll the dough into a round circle. See my guide on how to stretch pizza dough for help.
Top and bake. Spread the pizza sauce, layer on the sautéed veggies, scatter on capers, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
Finish with arugula. Toss the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then pile it over the hot pizza right before serving.

Flavor Variations and Toppings

Once you’ve tried this healthy pizza once as written, you can mix it up with different toppings and flavors! Here are a few ideas I love:

Load up the vegetables. Chopped canned artichoke hearts add a burst of tangy flavor. I also love sauteed mushrooms, sliced cherry tomatoes, sauteed spinach, or roasted garlic. Check out my full guide to pizza toppings.
Add lean protein. Grilled chicken breast or seasoned chickpeas add a protein boost without a lot of saturated fat.
Mix up the cheese. Swap Parmesan for crumbled goat cheese or a dairy-free ricotta for vegan. For a fully plant-based option, see my my vegan pizza.
Change up the crust. You can also make healthy pizza with vegetable crusts! Try my eggplant pizza or portobello mushroom pizza.

Serving Ideas

To keep this healthy pizza part of a healthy meal, I usually pair it with salad and fruit. A chopped salad, Italian salad, kale salad, or wedge salad would go well here. I also like serving with veggies and my Greek yogurt-based ranch dip.

Some healthy dessert options are apple slices and chocolate hummus or apple dip, apple nachos, chocolate covered strawberries, or date snickers.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerator: Leftover pizza keeps well airtight for up to 3 days.

Reheating: Reheat slices in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or in a 375°F oven for a few minutes until heated through. If you have one, an air fryer is a great tool for reheating pizza!

Make-ahead: The pizza dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months. The pizza sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance.

Dietary Notes

This recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, go to my Vegan Pizza.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make pizza sauce healthier?

Most store-bought pizza sauces contain added sugar and lots of sodium. My easy pizza sauce recipe takes just 5 minutes and uses canned crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and oregano — nothing else needed. If you do buy jarred sauce, look for one with no added sugar and a short ingredient list.

What is the healthiest type of pizza?

The healthiest pizza is typically one you make at home, because you control every ingredient. A thin crust pizza dough keeps carbohydrates and calories lower, and piling on vegetables instead of heavy meats keeps calories and cholesterol in check.

If you’re eating out, a thin-crust pizza with vegetable toppings and light cheese is generally the best pizza choice. Whole wheat crusts and cauliflower crusts are popular options too.

Can pizza be part of a healthy diet or weight loss plan?

I am not a health professional, so I suggest you consult your doctor or health professional for advice. What I do know is that this healthy pizza recipe is about 96 calories per slice, which means you can eat a few slices as part of a balanced meal. The key is what’s on the pizza: loading up on veggies, using less cheese, and making a simple homemade sauce. Pairing it with a big salad rounds out the meal with fiber and more nutrients.