The Pizza That Changed My Mind About Vegetable Toppings

There are vegetable pizzas that taste like obligation. Sad bell peppers sitting in a pool of water on top of mediocre cheese. Brussels sprouts pizza is not that.

Done right, shaved Brussels sprouts on pizza get crispy at the edges, almost like chips, while staying tender at the base. Add crispy bacon, a drizzle of balsamic reduction, and a good melty cheese, and you end up with a pizza that’s simultaneously indulgent and sophisticated. It’s the kind of thing you see on menus at restaurants that describe themselves as “farm-to-table” and charge accordingly.

The good news: it’s dead simple to make at home.

The Recipe

Ingredients

For the pizza:

• 1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought — no judgment)
• 8 ounces Brussels sprouts, shaved thin
• 4 strips thick-cut bacon
• 1.5 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan
• Kosher salt and black pepper

For the balsamic drizzle:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)

If you’ve never shaved Brussels sprouts before, our shaved Brussels sprout salad guide covers the technique in detail. The short version: use a mandoline, a sharp knife, or the slicing disc on a food processor. You want thin, wispy shreds — not thick coins.

Instructions

1. Make the balsamic drizzle.

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Add honey if using. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by about half and coats the back of a spoon.

Set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools. If it gets too thick, add a teaspoon of water and stir.

You can skip this step and use store-bought balsamic glaze. It works fine.

2. Cook the bacon.

Lay bacon strips in a cold skillet — always start bacon in a cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook, flipping occasionally, until crispy. About 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, crumble or chop into small pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.

3. Quick-sauté the garlic.

In the same pan with the bacon fat, add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 60 seconds — just until the garlic turns pale gold. Remove from heat immediately. Garlic goes from golden to burnt in about 15 seconds, and burnt garlic is bitter and acrid.

4. Prep the sprouts.

Toss the shaved Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. That’s it — they’ll cook on the pizza.

5. Shape the dough.

Preheat your oven to 500°F (or as high as it goes) with a pizza stone or inverted sheet pan on the center rack. Let it preheat for at least 30 minutes — a properly heated stone is what gives you a crispy bottom.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough into a 12 to 14-inch round. Don’t use a rolling pin if you can avoid it — it pushes out the air bubbles that give you those charred, puffy edges. Use your hands, working from the center outward, letting gravity help.

Transfer to a piece of parchment paper or a floured pizza peel.

6. Assemble.

Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta across the surface, leaving them in small dollops rather than spreading them — you want pockets of creamy cheese, not a uniform layer.

Scatter the mozzarella evenly. Pile on the shaved Brussels sprouts. They’ll look like too much — they’ll shrink significantly in the oven. Add the sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes.

7. Bake.

Slide the pizza (on parchment) onto the preheated stone. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the edges of the Brussels sprouts are darkened and crispy.

8. Finish.

Pull the pizza out. Immediately scatter the crumbled bacon over the top. Drizzle with balsamic reduction. Finish with shaved Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.

Slice and serve while everything is still hot and the cheese is stretchy.

Serves: 2 to 3 (or 1 if you’ve had a day) Total time: 40 minutes

Why This Combination Works

The flavor architecture here is deliberate, even if it seems like just throwing good things on dough.

Shaved Brussels sprouts crisp up in the intense oven heat. The thin shreds get dark and crunchy at the tips while staying slightly tender where they overlap. It’s the same principle that makes the outer leaves the best part of roasted Brussels sprouts — high heat and thin edges equal maximum caramelization.

Bacon brings smoky, salty fat. It balances the slight bitterness of the sprouts and adds the kind of savory depth that makes you eat three slices before you intended to.

Balsamic drizzle provides acidity and sweetness. It cuts through the richness of the cheese and bacon and ties everything together. Without it, the pizza is good. With it, the pizza is memorable.

Ricotta gives creamy pockets of mild, slightly sweet cheese. It’s the quiet player that makes every bite feel luxurious.

Variations

White Pizza Version (No Tomato Sauce)

The recipe above is already a white pizza — no tomato sauce. This is intentional. Tomato sauce competes with the Brussels sprouts and balsamic rather than complementing them. If you feel naked without red sauce, try a very thin layer of garlic-infused olive oil instead.

Caramelized Onion Addition

Thinly slice 2 large onions and cook them in butter over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until deeply golden and sweet. Add them under the Brussels sprouts. The sweetness of caramelized onions plus the tang of balsamic is a combination that borders on unfair.

Vegetarian Version

Skip the bacon. Add 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts after baking for crunch and richness. Bump up the Parmesan. You won’t miss the meat as much as you’d expect.

Flatbread / Naan Version

Don’t have pizza dough? Use store-bought naan or flatbread. Reduce oven time to 7 to 8 minutes. The result is thinner and crispier — more of a vehicle for toppings than a bread experience, which is its own kind of good.

Equipment Notes

Pizza Stone vs. Sheet Pan

A pizza stone produces a crispier bottom crust because it absorbs moisture from the dough. If you don’t have one, invert a heavy sheet pan (the bottom is flat, giving better contact) and preheat it the same way. Not quite as good, but close.

Oven Temperature

Hotter is better for pizza. If your oven goes to 550°F, use it. If you have a broiler, turn it on for the last 2 minutes to blister the toppings and char the sprout edges. Watch it closely — broilers don’t forgive.

Cast Iron Skillet Method

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Press the dough into the skillet, add toppings, and transfer to a 500°F oven. The skillet holds intense heat and gives you a bottom crust that’s practically fried. This is the move if you don’t have a pizza stone.

Leftovers

Pizza reheats best in a skillet. Medium heat, covered with a lid (or foil), for 3 to 4 minutes. The bottom re-crisps while the cheese melts again from the trapped steam. Microwaving makes the crust chewy and sad. Don’t do it.

Leftover pizza also works cold for breakfast. This is not health advice. This is honesty.

Making It a Full Meal

Pair this pizza with a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. The peppery greens and bright acidity contrast perfectly with the rich, savory pizza.

If you want to double down on Brussels sprouts (and why wouldn’t you), serve it alongside the Brussels sprouts with bacon and balsamic — yes, it’s redundant. Yes, it’s worth it.

Brussels sprouts on pizza might sound like a trend, but it’s one that earned its place. Once you’ve had those crispy, caramelized shreds against melted cheese and balsamic, plain pepperoni starts to feel like it’s not trying hard enough.