This quick and easy Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza slaps your love for garlic bread and pizza into one glorious bite.

Overhead shot of cooked herb and garlic cheese pizza in cast iron pizza pan.

Cheesy garlic bread lovers, this one’s for you.

Most of our Friday pizza nights involve a more classic pizza—cheese and pepp, margherita, etc. But we like to switch it up from time to time, and that’s how this Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza came about. At first I was a bit worried that this might be less like a pizza and more like eating some big ass garlic bread—but no, my dudes. This pizza is the perfect mix of pizza and garlic bread. You get all of the cheesy garlicky herbaceous flavors of garlic bread with major pizza vibes. It’s a beautiful balance, especially when served with a nice side salad.

Overhead shot of ingredients: fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella in a bowl, and garlic cloves.

What goes on this Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza?

This pizza keeps things really simple with minimal ingredients, so quality counts. Extra virgin olive oil, nice fresh herbs, a good mozzarella or Italian cheese blend, fresh parmesan or pecorino-romano, and fresh garlic. Lots of it. You’ll notice there’s no red sauce involved here. That’s because our base is a blend of olive oil and fresh garlic. Here’s a breakdown of everything you’ll need:

  • Extra virgin olive oil.
  • 3-4 large cloves of garlic. This will depend on how garlicky you want it, but the more the merrier if you ask me!
  • Fresh parsley, basil, oregano, and rosemary. You could also sprinkle on some Italian seasoning in a pinch.
  • A good quality mozzarella, shredded. A nice fresh Buffalo mozzarella is a nice treat, but you can use any good mozzarella. Another fantastic option is using a blend of mozzarella and provolone, if you’ve got it on hand.
  • Fresh parmesan or pecorino-romano.
Overhead process shots of pizza being dressed.

And now, how to make it!

I’ll always encourage a homemade dough, but I’ll never snub a store-bought pizza shell. Sometimes we’re in a time crunch and we gotta do what we gotta do.

  1. With the rack set in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to the highest temperature it’ll go to, up to 550º F. A high temp is crucial when it comes to getting a nice golden crisp crust in your oven at home.
  2. Work your dough out onto your pie pan.
  3. Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Peel the cloves, then grate them into a small bowl to create a garlic paste. This is best done using a microplane. If you don’t have one, you can use the smallest holes on your cheese grater or mince the garlic as finely as you can.
  4. Pour the olive oil into the bowl with the garlic, and stir. Then, with a pastry brush, brush the garlicky oil over the pie shell—crust included!
  5. Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese over the center of the pizza, followed by the chopped fresh herbs.
  6. Pop the pizza into the oven and bake it for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the crust is golden brown. (You can hit the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get golden bubbly cheese! Just keep a close eye on it so the pizza doesn’t burn.)
  7. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes before cutting into it.
Overhead shot of cooked herb and garlic cheese pizza cut into slices on parchment paper.
Hand holding up a slice of herb and garlic cheese pizza for a close up.

Equipment you’ll need.

  • Non-stick pizza pan, preferably a dark pan (dark pans help the crust cook and brown better).
  • Microplane
  • Pastry brush
  • Sharp chopping knife
  • Pizza cutter or pizza scissors

Oh and hey, I’ve got more pizzas you can try on pizza night:

Did you make it? Did you love it?

I love hearing your thoughts and seeing your beautiful creations. So be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme

Overhead shot of cooked herb and garlic cheese pizza cut into slices on parchment paper.

Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza

This quick and easy Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza slaps your love for garlic bread and pizza into one glorious bite.
4 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

  • Non-stick pizza pan, preferably a dark pan (dark pans help the crust cook and brown better)
  • Microplane
  • Pastry brush
  • Sharp chopping knife
  • Pizza cutter or pizza scissors

Ingredients

  • A ball of fresh pizza dough Find my hasty 1-hour pizza dough recipe here.
  • 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or minced
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Or a mix of mozzarella and provolone
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan or pecorino-romano
  • 1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 TBSP fresh chopped basil
  • 1 TBSP fresh chopped oregano
  • 1 TBSP fresh chopped rosemary

Instructions

  • With the rack set in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to the highest temperature it'll go to, up to 550º F. A high temp is crucial when it comes to getting a nice golden crisp crust in your oven at home.
  • Work your dough out onto your pie pan.
  • Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Peel the cloves, then grate them into a small bowl to create a garlic paste. This is best done using a microplane. If you don't have one, you can use the smallest holes on your cheese grater or mince the garlic as finely as you can.
  • Pour the olive oil into the bowl with the garlic, and stir. Then, with a pastry brush, brush the garlicky oil over the pie shell—crust included!
  • Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese over the center of the pizza, followed by the chopped fresh herbs.
  • Pop the pizza into the oven and bake it for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the crust is golden brown. (You can hit the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get golden bubbly cheese! Just keep a close eye on it so the pizza doesn't burn.)
  • Remove the pizza from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes before cutting into it.