Once You Try This White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe, You’ll Be Hooked

This White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe literally changed my pizza game forever. I’m not even exaggerating. The first time I drizzled that spicy-sweet honey over a piping hot white pizza, I actually stopped mid-bite and had one of those “where have you been all my life?” moments. It’s ridiculously simple, but somehow transforms an already delicious white pizza into something that makes people think you’ve got some kind of culinary secret. And honestly? I kind of like letting them believe that.

How This Pizza Obsession Started

So I’ve been on a homemade pizza kick for years—you know, one of those pandemic hobbies that actually stuck around. But white pizzas always felt a little… I don’t know, one-dimensional? Don’t get me wrong, they’re delicious, but sometimes they need that little something extra to cut through all that creamy richness.

I first tried hot honey at this fancy pizza place downtown where they charged an actual criminal amount for a small drizzle. After spending like $18 on a basic pie plus $3 for the honey drizzle (highway robbery, honestly), I figured I could make it at home for basically nothing. My first attempt was WAY too spicy—like “nobody could eat it without chugging milk” spicy. The second batch was better but still not quite right. By the third try, I’d figured out you actually need to infuse the honey slowly, not just dump in chili flakes and hope for the best. Classic me, taking the hard road to an easy destination.

Ingredients White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe

Let’s talk ingredients for a minute. This recipe has two parts—the white pizza base and the hot honey drizzle. Both are pretty forgiving, which is nice because I’m not exactly known for precise measurements. The hot honey part is ridiculously simple, but getting the balance right makes all the difference between “hmm, that’s nice” and “OMG WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?”

For the pizza dough, you’ve got options. I’ve done everything from scratch-made to store-bought, and honestly? On busy weeknights, I have zero shame about using pre-made dough. Life’s too short for pizza guilt.

Pizza Dough (1 pound)

Store-bought is totally fine here—I grab mine from Trader Joe’s or my local Italian deli. If you’re feeling ambitious, homemade is awesome too. Just make sure it’s room temperature before you start stretching it. Cold dough fights back like a toddler who doesn’t want to put on shoes. I’ve thrown many a dough ball against the wall in frustration before learning this simple trick.

Olive Oil (2-3 tablespoons)

Use the good stuff here—not the super expensive bottle you save for special occasions, but not the cheap stuff either. You’ll brush this on your crust before adding toppings and it actually contributes a lot of flavor. I like a peppery Italian olive oil, but anything mid-range works. Just please don’t use vegetable oil. I tried that once in desperation and it was… not great.

Fresh Garlic (3-4 cloves)

Mince this super fine or use a garlic press. It gets scattered over the olive oil base and becomes this amazing aromatic foundation. Pre-minced jarred garlic works in a pinch, but fresh really does make a difference here. One time I used elephant garlic by mistake and it was actually amazing—milder and almost sweet.

Ricotta Cheese (1 cup)

Full-fat all the way, folks. The low-fat stuff gets weird and grainy when baked. I like to mix mine with a bit of lemon zest, salt, and pepper before spreading it on. If you hate ricotta (my sister does for some reason), you can substitute a béchamel sauce or just use extra mozzarella, but you’ll lose that creamy layer that makes white pizza special.

Fresh Mozzarella (8 ounces)

The soft kind that comes in water or the semi-soft kind that you can tear or slice. Don’t use the pre-shredded stuff—it’s coated with anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly. I’ve made that mistake after a long workday and ended up with weirdly plastic-y cheese. Not what we’re going for here. Tear it into chunks rather than slicing for that rustic look.

Raw Honey (1/2 cup)

Local honey is awesome if you can get it. I use wildflower or clover honey, nothing too strongly flavored like buckwheat. The lighter varieties let the chili flavor shine through. Avoid honey that’s already crystallized—it makes it harder to infuse evenly. If yours has crystalized, just gently warm it in a water bath before starting.

Red Pepper Flakes (1-2 tablespoons)

This is where you get to control the heat level. Standard crushed red pepper flakes from the grocery store work perfectly. I’ve experimented with fancy chili flakes and honestly couldn’t tell enough difference to justify the cost. Start with less if you’re heat-sensitive—you can always make it spicier next time. I accidentally used 3 tablespoons once and it was basically weaponized honey.

Instructions White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe

Okay, let’s get into the actual process. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the hot honey while your oven preheats, and it’ll be ready by the time your pizza is done. Multi-tasking for the win! The whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes, including baking time.

And don’t stress if your pizza shape isn’t perfectly round. Some of my best-tasting pizzas have looked like amoebas or weird continents. As long as the dough is roughly even thickness, it’ll bake up delicious.

Preheat your oven as hot as it’ll go.

I’m talking 500°F or higher if your oven allows. Put your pizza stone or sheet pan in while it preheats—this is crucial for a crispy bottom. My oven takes forever to reach that temperature, like a solid 30 minutes, which is annoying but gives me time to prep everything else. If you don’t have a pizza stone, an upside-down sheet pan works surprisingly well. Just please don’t put cold dough on a hot stone—I did that once and the smoke detector had thoughts about it.

Make your hot honey first so it has time to infuse.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey and red pepper flakes. Warm it over low heat—I mean REALLY low—for about 10 minutes. You’re not trying to simmer it, just get it warm enough for the chilis to release their oils and flavor. It should never bubble. If it does, you’ve gone too hot. The honey will turn a gorgeous amber-red color and smell amazing—spicy and sweet at the same time. Remove from heat and let it hang out while you make the pizza.

Stretch your dough on a floured surface.

This is where patience pays off. Let the dough tell you when it’s ready to be stretched more. If it keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. I use a combination of hand-stretching and gravity—holding the edge and letting the weight of the dough stretch itself. Sounds fancy but it’s actually easier than using a rolling pin, which can make tough pizza. Aim for about 12-14 inches diameter and try to keep it somewhat even thickness.

Transfer the dough to parchment paper or a floured pizza peel.

This step has caused me more pizza-related meltdowns than I care to admit. If you try to build your pizza on the counter then move it, you’re asking for heartbreak. Either use parchment paper (my go-to method) or a well-floured pizza peel. Give the dough a little shake to make sure it’s not sticking anywhere. If it is, lift and add more flour underneath. Trust me on this—I’ve had to scrape half-topped pizzas off my counter more than once.

Brush olive oil all over the dough and scatter minced garlic.

This is your flavor base, so don’t skip it. Brush oil all the way to the edges—this helps the crust get that beautiful golden color. Then scatter your minced garlic evenly. It shouldn’t be a solid layer, just little bits here and there. The smell when this hits the oven is incredible—like seriously, your neighbors might knock on your door. I sometimes add a tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes here too if I’m feeding heat lovers.

Dollop and spread the seasoned ricotta.

Drop spoonfuls of your ricotta all over, leaving some space between. Then gently spread it out, but don’t stress about covering every inch. Those little gaps where the garlic and oil peek through? Those turn into amazing flavor pockets. I use the back of a spoon for this—offset spatulas are nice but totally not necessary. The ricotta layer shouldn’t be too thick or your pizza will get soggy in the middle.

Add torn mozzarella and transfer to the hot oven.

Scatter torn pieces of mozzarella evenly across the top. Remember, it’s going to melt and spread, so you don’t need to cover every inch. Slide your creation into that screaming hot oven and set a timer for 8-10 minutes. Every oven is different, so start checking around 8 minutes. You’re looking for bubbly cheese with some browning spots and a crust that’s golden around the edges. My top rack bakes faster than the bottom, so I rotate halfway through.

Let cool slightly, then drizzle with hot honey.

This is the money moment. Let the pizza cool for just a minute or two—enough that you won’t burn your mouth but it’s still hot enough for the honey to melt into all the nooks and crannies. Strain your honey through a fine mesh sieve to remove the pepper flakes (or leave them in if you want extra heat). Then drizzle generously over the pizza. Be a little theatrical with it—those Jackson Pollock-style drizzles not only look cool but ensure good honey distribution in every bite.

Tips & Variations White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe

Want to take this to the next level? Try adding thinly sliced prosciutto after baking—the heat from the pizza will warm it just enough. For a veggie version, thin sliced pears or figs work beautifully with the honey. And if you make extra hot honey (which you absolutely should), it keeps for months in a sealed container at room temperature. It’s amazing on fried chicken, cheese plates, ice cream, or stirred into tea when you feel a cold coming on.

Final Thoughts White Pizza Hot Honey Recipe

Look, I’m not claiming to have invented some revolutionary culinary masterpiece here. But this white pizza hot honey combination has been my go-to impressive-but-actually-easy dinner for years now. It’s got that perfect balance of creamy, spicy, sweet, and savory that makes people think you know what you’re doing in the kitchen (even if, like me, you’re making it up as you go half the time).

If you make this, please let me know how it turns out! I’m genuinely curious if other people get the same “where has this been all my life?” reaction I did. And if you come up with any amazing variations, share those too—I’m always looking for new pizza adventures!