3 Cheese Lemon Basil Pizza. (2024)

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3 Cheese Lemon Basil Pizza. Fresh pizza dough topped with garlic, shallots, lots of fresh grated parmesan, toasted sesame seeds, thyme, chili flakes, and plenty of melty Italian cheese. Add a layer of thinly sliced Meyer lemons and freshly torn basil leaves just before cooking. This pizza has just the right amount of spring citrus, spice, basil, and cheese! Every last bite of this pizza is delicious. And the parmesan sesame topped crust adds a special touch. There never seem to be enough slices to go around!

I’m so happy to share this pizza. Actually, just looking at it makes me happy. It’s so springy and excites me so much.

I created this pizza after coming across photos of a classic Amalfitana pizza topped with thin slices of lemon and lots of chili flakes. Everything about it looked so good. And that was it, I was sold on making pizza, and within 5 minutes, I had this recipe developed in my head.

I’d make a simple lemon basil pizza with shallots, garlic, some fresh thyme, lots of cheese, thin slices of lemon, and lots of chili flakes.

I feel like the lemon could be confusing some of you. If that’s the case, just trust me. If you enjoy a classic white Bianca-style pizza, you will love this even more.

All I did was add a few lemon slices and then double up on the basil. The addition of lemon—and let me clarify, the addition of cooked lemon—is the secret. It’s truly what makes this white pizza the most delicious.

These are the Details

Step 1: the pizza dough

I do make my own dough, but feel free to pick up your favorite store-bought dough. I love the options from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

If you want to make your own dough, I use the pizza dough recipe in my HBH Every Day cookbook. Just make sure your dough is at room temperature. This will certainly make shaping your pizzas much easier. If the dough is too cold, it will not stretch easily.

Step 2: the toppings

Get the dough all rolled out and transfer to a sheet pan.

Now, layer the naked dough with olive oil, grated garlic, and shallots. I love to use shallots instead of red onions, which I don’t love the flavor of. I like to halve the shallot and then place the pieces right on top of the dough. They slowly caramelize on top of the pizza as it cooks. Super delicious!

After the shallots, add freshly grated parmesan cheese, then some sesame seeds (I love the small amount of crunch they add), thyme leaves, and lots of chili flakes.

Step 3: the cheese

Next, the cheese. I love to use a mix of mozzarella and provolone. Additionally, if you have Fontina, you can use that, too. I would add it in addition to the mozzarella and provolone. I don’t think you can have too much cheese on a white pizza!

You can certainly use any melty mix you enjoy most, this is just my suggestion.

Step 4: the lemons

I love to use a Meyer lemon or a small regular lemon. They tend to be sweeter and much less bitter. When you cook the lemon, it caramelizes and loses all bitterness.

It’s a little sweet with just the right amount of citrus zing. Think of it like honey on pizza, but a little less sweet and more of a fresh lemony flavor. I promise it is really delicious. The cheese balances out any heavy lemon flavor. It really is a delicious combination. You will love it!

I’ve made this pizza a few times recently and it’s always a hit! My mom and I are especially into it, as anything with a lemony cheesy basil flavor is our all-time favorite!

Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are some favorites

Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders

Pesto Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust

Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza

Pesto Potato Burrata Pizza with Spicy Arugula

Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

Lastly, if you make this 3 Cheese Lemon Basil Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!