This incredible Onion Pizza is simple, delicious, and so comforting. Sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, and cheese come together in a delicious and simple homemade vegetarian pizza recipe.
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Nothing beats the rich and deep flavor of homemade French onion soup, and now, you get to enjoy it in pizza form!
If you’ve never had caramelized onions on pizza, you’re missing out on this unique and incredible topping.
For this recipe, I use my trusty cast iron pizza pan. A pizza stone or even a regular baking sheet will work as well. If you prefer an extra crispy crust and own a pizza steel, this is a great recipe to use it.
INGREDIENTS AND VARIATIONS
- Dough – use your favorite recipe or storebought. I used our 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe.
- Onions – I prefer a mix of white and yellow onions. Sweet onions are not my favorite for this recipe. Red/purple onions are delicious but sadly they look like worms when caramelized. Could be fun for Halloween!
- Cheese – I used whole milk mozzarella and aged Gruyere. I also topped our finished pizza with grated Pecorino.
- Fresh thyme – incredible as a garnish, or throw in a few springs while you’re caramelizing the onions.
- Balsamic glaze – totally optional but a drizzle over the pizza fresh out of the oven is fantastic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are delicious! As onions caramelize, they turn a bit sweet. That flavor pairs well with the creamy mozzarella and the rich, nutty flavor of Gruyere.
For this recipe, you’ll want to cut your onions into slices for the pizza.
Don’t make your slices razor-thin as they will break down and become mushy while caramelizing. You’ll want enough heft to keep them looking like onions when all is said and done.
Caramelized onions will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can cook the onions down ahead of time and store them in an air-tight container. To make them easier to spread around, warm the cold caramelized onions in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding them to the pizza.
You can also prep the pizza dough ahead of time. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, or in the freezer for 3-6 months. Allow it to come to room temperature before working with the dough.
If you want to use the grill, cook at 425F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked through. Make sure the grill and pizza pan are fully preheated.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If cutting onions make you cry, put them in the fridge for 30-60 minutes prior to cutting them.
- You can also caramelize onions in an Instant Pot.
- Feel free to add cooked sausage or crumbled baked bacon.
- If you are using store-bought pizza dough, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour or so before trying to roll it. Room temp pizza dough is much easier to work with.
- Fully preheat the oven with the pizza pan in it. Baking the pizza before the oven is hot will lead to a soggy crust.
- I prefer to parbake (partially bake) the pizza crust before putting on the toppings. This also helps prevent a soggy crust.
- Optional: brush the exposed edges of the crust on the finished pizza with a bit of olive oil and a light sprinkling of garlic salt before serving.
Onion Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 4 cups onions, thinly sliced {~5 medium onions}
- 1 lb pizza dough {room temperature}
- all-purpose flour for working with dough
- 1.5 tsp cornmeal
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere
- fresh thyme {optional}
Equipment
- Pizza Peel
- Pizza Cutter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F with a pizza stone or baking sheet in there during the preheating process.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-lowheat.2 tbsp salted butter
- Add the onions and stir to combine with the melted butter.4 cups onions, thinly sliced
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are reduced and a light caramel color (~25-30 minutes). Yield will be about 1.25 cups of onions.
- On a floured surface, flatten the pizza dough with your hands. Working in a circle, press it outward until it is at your desired thickness (usually about 1/3 in thick for thin crust or 1/2 in thick for normal crust).1 lb pizza dough, all-purpose flour for working with dough
- Reduce oven temp to 425F and carefully remove the pizza stone.
- Sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal and carefully (the pan will be hot!) transfer the flattened pizza dough onto the pan.1.5 tsp cornmeal
- Bake pizza dough at 425F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Drizzle olive oil on top of the parbaked crust, and use a pastry brush to evenly distribute it.1.5 tbsp olive oil
- Top with half of the caramelized onions, mozzarella, and Gruyere. Repeat layering.1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere
- Bake at 425F for 10 minutes or until cheese is melty and lightly browned.
- (optional) Sprinkle lightly with fresh thyme leaves.fresh thyme
Notes
- If you are using store-bought pizza dough, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour or so before trying to roll it. Room temp pizza dough is much easier to work with.
- Optional: brush the crust of the finished pizza with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of garlic salt before serving.
- If you want to use the grill, cook at 425F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked through. Make sure the grill and pizza pan are fully preheated.
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