Jump to Recipe· 5 from 4 reviews

Roasted garlic pizza is the creamy white pizza of DREAMS. It features a luxurious creamy white sauce that is loaded with caramel-y roasted garlic and is topped with fresh mozzarella and provolone, extra roasted garlic cloves, fresh herbs and a drizzle of hot honey. It is muah! Chef’s kiss and the perfect addition to your next pizza night.

roasted garlic pizza on a pizza peel, four slices cut with melty pull-apart cheese
Jump to:
  1. 1 Erica’s ramblings:
  2. 2 The simple ingredients you’ll need to make roasted garlic pizza:
  3. 3 How to make:
    1. 3.1 Roasted Garlic
    2. 3.2 Garlic Parmesan White Sauce
    3. 3.3 Pizza
  4. 4 Equipment you’ll need to make roasted garlic pizza:
  5. 5 Expert tips and variations:
  6. 6 FAQs
  7. 7 If you love this white sauce pizza, you’ll love these other garlic-centric recipes!
  8. 8 Epic Roasted Garlic Pizza
    1. 8.1 Description
    2. 8.2 Ingredients
      1. 8.2.1 Roasted garlic:
      2. 8.2.2 White sauce:
      3. 8.2.3 Pizza:
    3. 8.3 Instructions
    4. 8.4 Notes
    5. 8.5 Nutrition
    6. 8.6 Did you make this recipe?

Erica’s ramblings:

What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

Um, why is this such an impossible question!? There are SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS. As much as I love a classic Margherita pizza or loaded combo, something about a creamy white sauce just absolutely slaps.

And there is also something to be said about simplifying things and focusing on GOOD cheese and GOOD sauce. So that’s what we’re doing today! There is incredible garlic flavor throughout the entire pizza- we have it smashed and whisked into the creamy sauce as well as studded on top of the pizza. The sauce is simple- a quick roux, whole milk and then our major flavor boosters- roasted garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese. You can make your own dough or snag a dough ball from the grocery store (Trader Joe’s has excellent pizza dough!)

top of a pizza garnished with roasted garlic cloves, fresh basil, thyme, red pepper flakes and hot honey

This pizza is an amazing vegetarian pizza but it’s also versatile and you can add whatever protein you love like shredded chicken, bacon or Italian sausage. It is a cheesy, carb-y, garlicky pizza lover’s dream!

The simple ingredients you’ll need to make roasted garlic pizza:

picture of the ingredients needed to make the recipe

Garlic: a whole head of garlic x3 for this one friends! We roast the entire head of garlic in the oven and then squeeze out the cloves.

Butter and flour: a bit of butter and flour creates a roux for the sauce and thickens it nicely.

Milk: I recommend whole milk to make a creamy, rich sauce.

Parmesan cheese: Parmesan adds a layer of salty, nutty flavor to the sauce that pairs perfectly with roasted garlic.

Pizza dough: you’ll need one pound of pizza dough- you can make your favorite homemade pizza dough or pick-up a ball of storebought dough. Most grocery stores have balls of pizza dough in the deli section next to the fancy cheeses.

Provolone cheese: provolone is a mild, melty cheese that works perfectly for pizza. I like to buy a block of provolone from the deli and grate it myself for best flavor and meltiness.

Fresh mozzarella: I buy the log of pre-sliced mozzarella and then tear the pieces as I scatter it on the pizza. You’ll find fresh mozzarella in the deli section on the ‘fancy cheese kiosk’ as opposed to the ball of low-moisture mozzarella which is usually found in the refrigerated section with the other cheeses.

Garnishes: I love to top this garlic pizza recipe with fresh thyme, basil leaves, hot honey and balsamic glaze.

How to make:

Roasted Garlic

photos of how to make roasted garlic: three heads of garlic with top sliced off, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and wrapped in aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops of the raw garlic heads off, exposing the tips of most/all of the cloves. Drizzle on the olive oil, rotating the garlic around so that the oil seeps into all of the crevices in and between the cloves. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Wrap each head in aluminum foil. Place directly in the oven and roast garlic for 50-60 minutes until the cloves are deeply golden brown (see picture for reference!) Let cool.

three heads of deeply golden brown roasted garlic

Squeeze the cloves out of two of the heads and smash them into a paste for the pizza sauce. Take a little more care with the third head to remove the cloves mostly intact to sprinkle on the top of the pizza.

side by side photos of garlic being squeezed out of its wrapper and smashed with a fork

Garlic Parmesan White Sauce

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. When it’s melted and sizzling, add the flour. Whisk for one minute to “cook” the flour and prevent any raw flour taste. Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly. Bring the sauce to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking consistently, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add the roasted garlic paste, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.

saucepan with a creamy white sauce and whisk

Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone on the center rack while the oven is preheating.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a round shape. If you’re a pro pizza tosser, get those throws in! I also like to rest the dough on my fists and gently pull apart to stretch it out.

pizza dough with roasted garlic sauce and chicken and bacon

Sprinkle some semolina flour (cornmeal works too, but I prefer the finer texture of semolina) on a pizza peel. Arrange the dough near the edge of the peel so that it’s easier to slide off. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread an even layer of white pizza sauce over the pizza. Add bacon/chicken/sausage/protein of choice, if using. Sprinkle on the provolone cheese and tear pieces of fresh mozzarella to distribute evenly. Nestle the remaining roasted garlic cloves all over.

process photos of a round of pizza dough with provolone and mozzarella cheese and roasted garlic cloves. Final photo is baked and bubbly pizza.

Use the pizza peel to transfer the pizza directly to the stone in the oven. Make sure that the dough is loosened on the peel with enough semolina underneath to easily slide off and then use a swift motion to transfer it to the stone. Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the crust is crispy golden brown and the cheese melts and bubbles.

white cheese pizza with roasted garlic

Sprinkle on fresh thyme leaves, basil and drizzle the pizza with hot honey and/or balsamic glaze.

basil, hot honey and red pepper flakes adde to white pizza

Equipment you’ll need to make roasted garlic pizza:

Expert tips and variations:

  • For best results, use a pizza stone and preheat it in the oven before adding your pizza. This creates that great, crispy pizza crust that we all love.
  • A pizza peel is my favorite tool for easily transferring the pizza to the oven. Assemble the pizza on the peel and then transfer it to the stone.
  • Be sure to use semolina flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the pizza peel.
  • Add shredded chicken breast to make a great white chicken pizza.
  • Chop of 4-6 pieces cooked bacon for an epic garlic bacon pizza.
  • If you’re more of a red sauce person, add the roasted garlic to tomato sauce for an easy red pizza sauce.
  • Add any veggies you love! I kept it pretty simple but you could add fresh spinach, thinly sliced red onions, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, caramelized onion, bell peppers or green onions.
slice of roasted garlic pizza and a side salad

FAQs

What if I don’t have a pizza stone?

Technically you can make pizza on a sheet tray but please note that this will NOT create a crispy crust like a pizza stone would. Also, most sheet pans should not be placed in the oven without food on them (to preheat) so skip this step if you’re using a regular baking sheet. Another option would be to use a pizza pan, if you have it.

What is semolina and where do I find it?

Semolina is a coarse flour commonly used for pasta. It prevents sticking and creates a crisp crust when used underneath pizza. You can find semolina flour at most regular grocery stores in the baking aisle with the other flours.

Can I make the roasted garlic in advance?

Yes. You can roast the heads of garlic and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

How should I store the leftovers?

At my house, we tightly wrap the slices of leftover pizza in a piece of plastic wrap and store in the fridge- the leftovers don’t last long!

three slices of pizza and salad with lettuce, red onion and parmesan cheese

If you love this white sauce pizza, you’ll love these other garlic-centric recipes!

Roasted garlic aioli

Garlic sweet chili shrimp

Garlic ginger ground beef and quinoa power bowls

Honey garlic air fryer salmon bites

Spicy lasagna soup

slices being pulled from the main pie with a cheesy pull connecting the slices

Oomph. NEXT LEVEL.

If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!

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roasted garlic pizza with a cheese pull

Epic Roasted Garlic Pizza

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Erica
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (includes lots of hands-off time)
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe

Description

Bold garlic flavor, gooey cheese, fresh herbs and hot honey, this roasted garlic pizza is a GO-TO for pizza night!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Roasted garlic:

  • 3 heads garlic
  • 1–2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper

White sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 heads roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out and smashed into a paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Pizza:

  • 1 ball pizza dough (16oz)
  • Semolina, for sprinkling on pizza peel
  • 8oz provolone cheese, freshly grated
  • 4oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out
  • Protein of choice (optional): shredded chicken, bacon, Italian sausage, etc.
  • For serving: thyme leaves, fresh basil leaves, hot honey, balsamic glaze, red pepper flakes

Instructions

Garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops of the garlic heads off, exposing the tips of most/all of the cloves. Drizzle on the olive oil, rotating the garlic around so that the oil seeps into all of the crevices in and between the cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each head in aluminum foil. Place directly in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes until the cloves are deeply golden brown (see picture for reference!) Let cool.

Squeeze the cloves out of two of the heads and smash them into a paste for the pizza sauce. Take a little more care with the third head to remove the cloves mostly intact to sprinkle on the top of the pizza.

White sauce: In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. When it’s melted and sizzling, add the flour. Whisk for one minute to “cook” the flour and prevent any raw flour taste. Reduce heat to medium low. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly. Bring the sauce to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking consistently, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add the roasted garlic paste, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.

Pizza: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a pizza stone on the center rack while the oven is preheating.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a round shape. If you’re a pro pizza tosser, get those throws in! I also like to rest the dough on my fists and gently pull apart to stretch it out.

Sprinkle some semolina flour (cornmeal works too, but I prefer the finer texture of semolina) on a pizza peel. Arrange the dough near the edge of the peel so that it’s easier to slide off. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread an even layer of garlic sauce over the pizza. Add bacon/chicken/sausage/protein of choice, if using. Sprinkle on the provolone cheese and tear pieces of fresh mozzarella to distribute evenly. Nestle the roasted garlic cloves all over.

Use the pizza peel to transfer the pizza directly to the stone in the oven. Make sure that the dough is loosened on the peel with enough semolina underneath to easily slide off and then use a swift motion to transfer it to the stone. Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the crust is crispy golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and melty.

Sprinkle on fresh thyme leaves, basil and drizzle the pizza with hot honey and/or balsamic glaze.

Wow. Please invite me over for dinner when you make this.

Notes

Refer to the above blog post for process photos, answers to frequently asked questions, expert tips and variation ideas!

Nutrition facts are an estimate and may vary slightly.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece pizza
  • Calories: 316
  • Sugar: 1.7 g
  • Sodium: 866.2 mg
  • Fat: 12.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
  • Fiber: 0.5 g
  • Protein: 18.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 35.6 mg

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