This easy homemade pizza sauce is a no-cook red sauce made with only 5 ingredients in less than 5 minutes. It’s flavorful and will make your pizza taste like it came from a pizzeria!
We love to use this red sauce on pizza recipes! It’s the perfect addition to top homemade pizza dough or when making French bread pizzas.
Table of Contents
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
We make homemade pizzas almost every week at our house. Although we love to make different variations like BBQ chicken pizza, spinach pesto pizza or this alfredo pizza recipe, a classic red pizza sauce on a homemade pepperoni pizza is a favorite!
Homemade pizza sauce is so easy to make with only 5 ingredients and ready in 5 minutes! This is much different than other Italian sauces like spaghetti sauce, marinara or homemade bolognese. Making your own sauce is more fresh than store-bought and budget-friendly.
Pizza Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Tomato sauce: This is the base of the sauce.
- Basil: You can use dried basil or fresh from the garden.
- Oregano: An Italian herb that packs a punch of flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic or garlic powder both work.
- Salt and pepper: Add as much or as little, to taste.
Tips + Variations
- Amount. This recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. You can half or even double the recipe depending on how many pizzas you are making.
- Fresh herbs. Use fresh basil, oregano and minced garlic for a bolder Italian flavor.
- Spice. Add in a few red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.
- Sweeten. You can sprinkle in some sugar for a sweeter taste if preferred.
- To thicken: If you like it on the thicker side, try adding about 2 to 4 Tablespoons of tomato paste. I’d add 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is met. The tomato paste will add a bolder tomato flavor, but it still tastes just as delicious!
How Use Homemade Pizza Sauce
If you have leftover sauce, there are plenty of other ways to use it up! Check out some of our favorites below.
Storing Leftover Sauce
Pizza sauce will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. I like to store any leftover sauce in a glass mason jar. It also freezes well, too. Simply place in a zip top bag and freeze up to 4 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator or place in warm water to thaw.
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Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil , or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 2 cloves minced garlic , or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
S&P, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to start with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
- Add more seasonings to taste. If you like a little heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes. If you like a sweeter sauce, add 1-2 teaspoons sugar.
- Spread out on pizza dough and add desired toppings. Bake according to dough directions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
How to Make Pizza Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste then if desired add more seasonings like red pepper flakes or sugar to taste.
Spread on pizza dough and add desired toppings. Bake pizza according to directions.
More Homemade Italian Sauces
Categorized as: Condiments, Dairy-Free, Freezer-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Italian, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole 30
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
This pizza sauce is fabulous! I like a sweeter sauce because I’m not a red sauce person. I’ve not purchased store bought sauce since I found this recipe a year or so ago. Never will again! My entire family loves it!
When the lockdowns first started, the run on anything canned or jarred cleared out our local grocery. Craving homemade pizza, I found this recipe and used what we already had in the house. Will never used premade pizza sauce again. I add a little cayenne for some heat to the sauce, and am going to try adding parmesan after reading these comments. Excited to try this for the weekend!
This makes me so happy to hear, Mike! Cayenne and parmesan sound like delicious additions. Enjoy!
Yes I did. Love it. My husband & daughter really loves it too
I’m so happy to hear that, Linda! :)
This is a good recipe base. I worked in a pizzeria for years and made their pizza sauce. It is still my favorite sauce I have ever tasted and this one calls for the basics.
A good amount of grated Parmesan cheese will also flavor sauce beautifully.
Thanks so much for the comment, Renee! I like your idea about adding parmesan cheese…I’ll have to try that!
Soooo quick and easy – perfect for an impromptu pizza night! Thanks!
I love that despite how simple this recipe is, it delivers such a rich savory sauce. I don’t think I’ll be buying pizza sauce anymore!
I have not made this pizza sauce yet, but would like to know, if you will answer a couple of questions for me. I want to can a lot of my things for Wintertime. Your sauce looks wonderful. But, during the canning process, the ingredients would more or less get cooked. I want to be able to can up a sauce that can readily fit into the quilted jelly jars. I am a widow, with nobody else living here. Any ways you can adapt your recipe so it can be canned, or should I just go ahead and do it?
Hi Beverly! I have frozen this sauce with success but I have never canned it so I’m not sure. Definitely let us know how it goes if you give it a try. :)
Love how simple this is to make from scratch. Next pizza night I will be making this instead of going to the store.
You won’t go back to store bought! Homemade is so delicious!
Simple and delicious! I’ll never buy pizza sauce again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Homemade pizza sauce is the best!
nothing like homemade pizza!
This sauce was so quick and easy to make, I’m never going to use the store bought version again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
We do pizza night every Friday night. The kids get involved with helping out and we all just have a good time. Can’t wait to try our sauce this week, thanks.
Hope you enjoy! Homemade pizza is the best!
This is the BEST pizza sauce EVER!!! So easy to make!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
We’re making pizza Friday night and I wanted to make my own sauce. I can’t believe how easy it is! I can’t wait to try this!
Hope you enjoy! Pizza night is my favorite!