Quick show of hands: Who likes pizza? (Cue us excitedly waving our arms in the air while grinning.) We like to have pizza at least once a week, and since we have the crust and toppings thoroughly sorted, we figured it was due time to share our go-to homemade pizza sauce.
The best news? It’s so easy to make (1 pan, 20 minutes!) and packed with rich, herby tomato flavor. Oh, and it’s infused with garlic and red pepper flakes for a little kick (bland pizza sauce, begone). It’s absolutely perfect for pizza night and stores well in the freezer so you can always have some on hand, ready to use! Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Pizza Sauce
This quick and easy homemade pizza sauce recipe requires just 8 pantry staples: olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, dried oregano and basil, salt, and maple syrup.
We like relying on pantry staples for pizza sauce because you just never know when the pizza craving is going to strike. And unanswered pizza cravings = sadness.
So when you need flavorful pizza sauce and you need it fast, we’re here for you!
All you need to do is sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil to infuse the oil with savory notes and a little heat. Then add your favorite canned crushed tomatoes along with dried oregano and basil for classic pizza flavor, sea salt for depth, and a little maple syrup for gentle sweetness and balance.
After a quick simmer, the sauce will reduce slightly and be beaming with flavor.
We hope you LOVE this homemade pizza sauce! It’s:
Bright
Herby
Rich
Salty
Garlic-infused
Subtly spiced
& SO delicious!
It’s perfect for all your pizza needs! Use it right away on our Favorite Vegan Pizza or Vegan Gluten-Free Sausage Pizza, or make a big batch to freeze for your next pizza night!
More Recipes for Pizza Night!
- Chickpea Caesar Salad
- Cashew Ricotta Cheese
- Easy Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
- How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
PIZZA SAUCE
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub water)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (omit for less heat)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano for best flavor)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or double the amount of fresh oregano, minced)
- 1 tsp dried basil (or double the amount of fresh basil, minced)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice // adds balance)
FOR SERVING optional
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until fragrant — about 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes and stir to infuse flavor. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.
- Add remaining ingredients (crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and maple syrup) and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once simmering, allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until slightly reduced. If splattering, reduce heat and cover. When done cooking, the flavors should be deep and well integrated. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, salt for overall flavor, red pepper flakes for heat, or oregano or basil for more herby flavor.
- Serve on your favorite pizza (such as our Favorite Vegan Pizza or Gluten-Free Vegan Sausage Pizza). Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Rachel Townsend says
I use this for pizza and also for pasta recipes that call for sauce. I’ve made this countless times and it is simple and reliable. Highly recommend.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Rachel. Thank you for sharing! xo
Corelia says
Made this to go with your Easy Vegan GF Pizzas!! (I am going to eat them tomorrow! I have never wished 24 hours to go any faster. Well, I probably have, but still.) I made a few adjustments to this:
– blended up uncooked, unpeeled tomatoes and used three cups of that in lieu of the canned tomatoes
– simmered at a steady bubble for about 40 minutes or so, to account for the fact that my tomato blend was not previously cooked, until it was a rich, red colour instead of a pale, juicy kind of mixture
– added about a cup of pure tomato concentrate for flavor and to thicken it up (this worked like a CHARM!)
All in all, very delicious, very easy, very clean!!! Like I said – I am going to be a happy, happy girl tomorrow!!
Thank you, Dana and team!
Aw, yay! Enjoy pizza night tonight! xoxo
Addison Albrecht says
The recipe is amazing and my question is perhaps unrelated: what’s the name of the instrumental in the video?
Hi Addison, we’re so glad you enjoy the recipe! It’s Silver Leaf by Isaac Joel.
Maggie Engstrom says
Made this for a Pizza Bar and was thrilled with the result. I used whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes as that was all I had, and just blended it up at the end to get the right consistency. I left out the red pepper flakes as we have someone who doesn’t tolerate spice well, knowing people could add it on themselves. It was simple, quick and delicisious. Would absolutely make again!
Love that, Maggie! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Mary Carey says
I was skeptical about this recipe because it sounded too simple, but I had tried other more complicated recipes that I didn’t care for and decided to try it. I loved it. The only thing I changed was the amount of red pepper flakes. I cut it to 1/4 teaspoon rather than 1/2 teaspoon. It is excellent and I’ve frozen and thawed it to use later and it was just as good.
Woohoo! We’re so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed the result, Mary! Thank you for sharing! xo
Pooja Dsouza says
Thanks for the reply 👍 This should definitely help 🙂
Pooja Dsouza says
Hi, can you please tell me how many tomatoes will be required if we use fresh tomatoes in replacement of canned ones? We avoid using any canned stuff in our house.
Thanks :)
Hi Pooja, we’ve never made this with fresh tomatoes, so we’re not sure, but perhaps 8-10? For fresh, we’d suggest blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, then rinse under cool water, peel, and use them to replace the crushed tomatoes. It might be best to measure out ~3-4 cups blanched tomatoes after cooking versus relying on the number of tomatoes. Hope that helps!
Crissy says
Have you tried making this with fresh tomatoes? I’d like to try it but not sure about quantity or preparation. Any advice?
Hi Crissy, we haven’t, but think it would work to blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, then rinse under cool water, peel, and use them to replace the crushed tomatoes. If it isn’t rich enough, you can add tomato paste for more depth of flavor. Hope that helps!
Crissy says
Thanks for the reply! I will try it.
Payton says
Have you tried canning this?
Hi Payton, we haven’t and don’t have much experience with canning. Let us know if you give it a try!
Kat - the other 1 says
Good recipe.
Marjoram is an underappreciated seasoning in tomato sauces.
I have to skip the garlic (allergy) & instead saute instead minced onions, celery, carrots, & if I have it on hand zucchini. Then add rest of sauce ingredients.
And, half a cup of white wine! ;)
Let it simmer down. Mmm!
Or, when nearly finished, add half a cup “milk” (soy for me), and some (1/4 – 1/2cup) vegan parmesan, simmer on low to desired thickness. Yum! :)
Julie says
OMG! Are you owned by AMAZON? How do I unsubscribe?
Hi Julie, we are definitely not owned by Amazon..not sure where that’s coming from? You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at the bottom of any email we send.
Michelle F. says
Just in time for Pizza Friday. Tons of flavor and will be my new go to recipe ❤️
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Michelle! xo
Jamie says
I know this is titled pizza sauce, but is there any reason you couldn’t use it as a spaghetti sauce or such?
Hi Jamie, it’s a little thicker, but you could use it! Or find our marinara recipe here.
Lucy says
Saw this recipe just in time for pizza night! I loved the flavor. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes so I used two cans of diced and drained one of the cans. Then I blended the sauce after simmering. The consistency was perfect! Thanks!
Woohoo! So glad to hear it, Lucy! Thank you for sharing! xo
Michele says
Looks lovely for NY pizza . Have you tried the traditional Italian way of pizza sauce? Not cooked ahead—same ingredients, canned crushed tomatoes , olive oil, salt. and herbs and crushed garlic optional. Gets that fresh tomato flavor of a Margherita—or Chicago-style
Sounds lovely! We’ve always cooked it.