Whip up a Chocolate Pizza for a fun dessert—crispy crust meets rich chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries, perfect for Valentine’s or really anytime you’re craving something sweet!
The Perfect Valentine’s Dessert!
What’s better than pizza? Dessert pizza, of course! This Chocolate Pizza takes hardly any time at all to prepare, tastes amazing, and looks impressive. We also include several variations that take special diets into account.
Valentine’s Day calls for chocolate, and this recipe fills the bill. But don’t stop there–Chocolate Pizza makes a big splash whenever you serve it! This sweet pizza looks impressive, and yet, when you look at the recipe below, you’ll see that it’s amazingly simple to make. This is a great recipe for the kiddos to help with, too, because it’s so straightforward and quick. If you bake the crust in advance, you can whip up this magic little pizza in a flash.
How To Make Chocolate Pizza
The crust:
Pizza wouldn’t be pizza without a delicious crust, and we wouldn’t dream of disappointing you with anything less! To make it quick and easy, we’re using prepared pizza dough. You can find it in many grocery stores (in the deli area, in the freezer section, and in the dairy area), and some pizza restaurants sell it. Roll the dough out on a floured cutting board. Transfer it to parchment paper and lay in the pan. If you prefer, though, you can make your own pizza crust from scratch. Look in our variations section below for some decidedly different crust ideas, too. With all those options, you’re sure to find one that works for you!
Sprinkle the crust with a bit of sugar. Bake and let it cool fully. While the crust is baking, you can prepare the toppings and the chocolate filling.
Prepare the toppings:
Slice the strawberries from top to bottom (rather than side to side) to create heart-shaped pieces. Measure out the chopped pecans (or chop pecan halves to make them yourself).
Chop a chocolate bar, or measure semi-sweet baking chips. Set all of these toppings aside so you can grab them quickly when you need them.
How To Make Chocolate Pizza, Continued
Make the chocolate filling:
Pour the cream into a small pot and bring it to a simmer-–not a full boil. When you see small bubbles forming around the edges of the pot, you’re ready. Take the pot off the burner and set on a heat-safe surface. We don’t recommend half-and-half for this recipe; the richness of the cream is essential.
Add the chocolate pieces to the hot cream, cover with a plate, and let stand for a few minutes. Stir until the chocolate melts and turns into a smooth sauce.
Don’t want to use the stovetop? The microwave works just great here too! Add chopped chocolate and cream to a bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave until it’s steaming, and then pour it over the chocolate. Cover with a plate and stir as directed in the paragraph above.
Assemble the pizza:
Use a small spatula or a table knife to spread the chocolate over the surface of the baked pizza crust. Leave a small border (an inch or two).
Spread the fruit over the chocolate in a pretty pattern. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for the finishing touch.
Serve:
Cut into slices and enjoy!
Storage
Chocolate Pizza Storage
This Chocolate Pizza is best consumed fresh! Its flavors and textures won’t hold up well over time, so it’s best to assemble the pizza just before serving. You can prepare the crust, strawberries, pecans, and chocolate sauce ahead of time, but wait until serving time to put the pizza together for the ultimate indulgent treat.
Variations
Switch Up Your Chocolate Pizza!
- Swap out the crust: The possibilities are endless. Go gluten free with a non-wheat crust. Save the baking by using packaged plain naan, flatbread or even tortillas. Go sweet by making a crust from sugar cookie dough. You can even use a packaged pie crust.
- Swap out the strawberries: Just about any fruit works for this chocolate pizza. Try apple slices, red raspberries, or blueberries. You can even use dried fruit, if that’s what’s available. And don’t forget to consider combining fruits. Wouldn’t red raspberries and blueberries be great for a patriotic Chocolate Pizza on July 4th? If you choose bananas or apples, dip the slices in lemon juice to prevent browning if you won’t be serving the pizza immediately.
- Swap out the nuts: Chopped pecans can be substituted with sliced almonds, chopped hazelnuts, or even granola!
- Different filling: Instead of dark chocolate, you can also use milk chocolate. But, how about a Nutella® pizza? Could anything be more divine? Spread on Nutella instead of the chocolate-cream sauce. Or, try a filling made with cookie butter for something different!
- Healthier pizza: It’s easy to make this Chocolate Pizza healthier. Make a homemade crust from white whole wheat flour. Use vegan or naturally sweetened chocolate. (Lily’s® is one of several companies that makes naturally sweetened chocolate bars and chocolate chips.) You can swap out the cream for coconut cream.
More fun dessert recipes:
- Puff Pastry Heart with a sweet glaze
- Air Fryer Pizookie part cookie, part pizza, all yummy
- Seven-Layer Bars a classic bar cookie
- Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispy Bars colorful and sticky-sweet!
- Chocolate-Covered Raspberries sweet and romantic
Chocolate Pizza
Equipment
- Pizza pan or baking sheet, pizza cutter
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. (13-16 oz.) ready-to-bake pizza crust (Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 2 cups sliced strawberries, (about 10-12, depending on size)
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans (or granola!)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or an 8-oz dark chocolate bar, finely chopped)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- CRUST: Follow package directions to preheat oven and roll out pizza crust (See Note 1). Transfer to a parchment-paper lined pizza pan or large sheet pan. Melt butter and use a pastry brush to brush evenly and generously over the crust. Sprinkle crust with granulated sugar. Bake the pizza crust according to package directions until baked through and firm (not raw), but not over-baked/over-browned. Remove and let cool.
- PREPARE TOPPINGS: Meanwhile, slice the strawberries from top to bottom to create heart-shaped slices. Measure out the chopped nuts so they’re ready to use.
- CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Add chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to a medium-sized glass bowl and set aside. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Microwave until very hot, but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, gently stir until you've got a smooth sauce. (Don't want to use microwave? See Note 2!)
- ASSEMBLE: Remove the crust from the parchment paper and place on a serving plate or platter. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Distribute the strawberry slices evenly over the chocolate. Sprinkle chopped pecans over all and sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve as a finishing touch.
- SERVE: Slice the Chocolate Pizza into 8 to 10 slices (depending on the size of pan used). Serve and eat with your fingers, or with a fork and knife.
Recipe Notes
- Swap out the strawberries: Just about any fruit works for this chocolate pizza. Try apple slices, red raspberries, or blueberries. You can even use dried fruit, if that’s what’s available. And don’t forget to consider combining fruits, like red raspberries and blueberries for a patriotic Chocolate Pizza on July 4th? If you choose bananas or apples, dip the slices in lemon juice to prevent browning if you won’t be serving the pizza immediately.
- Different filling: Instead of dark chocolate, you can also use milk chocolate. But, how about a Nutella® pizza? Spread on Nutella instead of the chocolate-cream sauce. Or, try a filling made with cookie butter for something different!
- Healthier pizza: It’s easy to make this Chocolate Pizza healthier. Make a homemade crust from white whole wheat flour. Use vegan or naturally sweetened chocolate. (Lily’s® is one of several companies that makes naturally sweetened chocolate bars and chocolate chips.) You can swap out the cream for coconut cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What size pizza pan do you recommend ?
Any pan can be used –just whatever fits the size of the pizza dough you have 🙂