Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Balsamic Red Onions
Delicious Brussels sprouts pizza topped with balsamic caramelized onions (or opt for marinara sauce) and mozzarella, baked to crispy, golden perfection.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
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This pizza has been exasperating me for the past week. I knew I wanted to put Brussels sprouts on it, but what else?
After several prototypes, including red onions on top, pesto on bottom and a failure of a creamy spinach sauce, it finally occurred to me to use balsamic, caramelized red onions as the base. That’s the ticket!
I visited Italy in college and the absence of red sauce on pizzas over there totally shocked my young American self.
Like, time out, Rome! You forgot your marinara! Then I conceded that Italians know their pizza and that maybe my quintessential pizza concept was a little off.
Up until then, I thought that pizza consisted of dough plus marinara plus ample amounts of cheese, baked to bubbly perfection. In Italy, though, pizzas are more broadly accepted as baked flatbread with toppings. Maybe marinara, maybe not. Maybe cheese, maybe not. Maybe cooked onions instead, or pesto, or veggies.
It’s all fair game. They bake their pizzas on big rectangular pans and sell them on the street. So good.
This pizza may not be for everyone, but I’m a fan. Boldly flavored, semi-caramelized onions with reduced balsamic vinegar, topped with mozzarella and Brussels sprouts (sliced two ways for maximum crispiness and texture) and a sprinkle of Parmesan for good measure.
I took a short-cut with whole wheat dough from Trader Joe’s, but my easy whole wheat dough would be even better!
Sur la Table Baking Steel
Rosle Pizza Cutter
▸ For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my healthy kitchen!
More Pizzas to Enjoy
- Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza
- Broccolini Almond Pizza
- Butternut Ribbon Goat Cheese Pizza
- Greek Pizza
- Kale Pesto Pizza
- Ultimate Veggie Pizza
Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Balsamic Red Onions
Brussels sprouts pizza topped with balsamic caramelized onions (or opt for red sauce, just eyeball the amount) and mozzarella, baked to crispy, golden perfection! Recipe yields one large, 12-inch pizza (or two smaller, 9-inch pizzas).
Ingredients
Balsamic red onions
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium or 1 extra-large red onion
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Dash salt
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Brussels sprouts
- 8 ounces (½ pound) Brussels sprouts
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pizza
- 1 batch easy whole wheat pizza dough or store-bought whole wheat dough (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 1 ½ to 2 cups grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 to 8 ounces), depending on how cheesy you like your pizza
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place a pizza stone on the middle rack if you have one. Slice your onions into thin rounds (the thinner you slice them, the faster they will cook).
- Prepare the Brussels by slicing off the tough ends and discarding them. Use your fingers to pull off the individual leaves around the outside, then trim off the newly exposed tough end, and continue until you have broken the sprout into leaves. Repeat for about half of the Brussels sprouts, then slice the rest into thin slices from top to bottom. Drizzle the sprouts with 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil and toss well. Rub the oil into the sprout leaves so they’re all lightly coated in oil, adding another dash of oil if necessary. Toss with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and set aside.
- To prepare the red onions, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a dash of salt. Toss to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onions are nice and soft. The thinner you sliced them, the sooner they will cook. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Continue cooking, uncovered, for a few more minutes, until the balsamic vinegar has condensed and mostly absorbed into the onions. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the pizza dough as directed. If you’re using store-bought dough like me, I’d roll it out into one pizza. If you’re using my pizza dough recipe, I’d make two pizzas. I like to roll out the dough on pieces of parchment paper for easy transfer to the oven. For best results, roll the dough out as thin as reasonably possible while maintaining an even surface level.
- Top the dough with an even layer of red onions, followed by mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the Brussels on top, then finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
- Transfer one pizza to the oven at a time (if you don’t have a baking stone, bake your pizza on a cookie sheet). Bake until the crust is golden, the cheese is bubbly and the Brussels sprouts are crispy on the edges, about 10 to 14 minutes. Repeat with remaining pizza, if you have one. Top the pizza(s) with a light sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper (trust me!) and red pepper flakes if you’d like, then slice and serve.
Notes
If you love this recipe: Check out my other pizza recipes!
Make it vegan: Trish says this pizza turned out great even without the cheese!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This pizza sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately it was my first Cookie & Kate failure!
In the past I’ve used TJ’s whole wheat pizza dough, but this type it was so damp the dough was basically mush by the time I tried to get it on to the pizza stone. That plus the weight of the ingredients made the whole thing cave in the middle before I could get it on the stone and I had to toss the whole thing out. Sticking with my own dough from now on!
I think I would suggest forsaking the stone and building this on a cookie sheet or a cast iron skillet. I like your idea of building it on parchment, and would try that next time!
I decided to roast some purple potatoes with garlic and onion then throw them on with the onions. DELICIOUS!!
Girl! So goood. Thanks!
Made this recipe last night. Love roasted Brussels sprouts and glad to see them in pizza form. Like other C+K recipes, it’s vegetarian without feeling like it’s missing something or requires some weird meat substitute. Highly recommend.
Thank you, Rachel! I really appreciate that. :)
This pizza was YUMMA! Very easy to put together but tasted much more sophisticated than standard homemade pizza. Will definitely make it again and will find every excuse I can to sneak those balsamic onions into everything I eat. Thanks for sharing this deliciousness!
Best pizza I’ve had in ages! It even beats parmesan, arugula and prosciutto pizza (my prior favorite). The flavors work so well together. Next time I may make two, not a single slice was left. I’ll have to try your pesto, arugula and parmesan pizza as well. Thanks Kate!!!!
One tip: bake the pizza a little bit first then add the Brussel leaves. They brown more quickly than my pizza dough cooked through and it was thin. So delicious though! Big hit.
Tastes delicious!!! Awesome recipe! Thank you!!!
Made this tonight, my family loved it and so did I! Delicious and very easy… your recipes rock!
Wonderful!!
My husband and I made this pizza tonight. What can I say-it was just perfect! We followed your pizza dough recipe (easy and crispy delicious) and used a pizza stone. We will definitely make this pizza again !!! We loved the balsamic vinegar red onions and Brussels sprout combo!! *****
Kate, I have been addicted to your website (love Cookie’s photos too) for close to a year and have tried probably 25 dishes and I have LOVED them all. Thank you for giving your readers so many wonderful healthy meals.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Jan! I’m happy you found my blog.
Just made it and Loved it! But, shame on me, I forgot to put parchment paper on the pizza pan! Will try again. Thanks. I love your recipes. I have a kidney disease and must eat low protein and no salt. Your recipes give me a great break from the mundane.
Oh, I’m so glad these are helpful with your condition, Cathy! Variety keeps things interesting. :)
This pizza is so délicieuse and original! Loved by all the familly! Thank you again, Kate.
You’re welcome, Sophie! I love hearing from my francophone readers. I’ll have to slip in “délicieuse” more often– it just makes it sound extra-good!
I am OBSESSED WITH THIS RECIPE!!!!!!! Everyone gives me a face when I say brussel sprout pizza….it is so good. I did cut my onions in half because I prefer to have the sprouts as the stars. Thanks, Kate.
Thank you for sharing, Andrea! I appreciate the review.
Love it! The only thing I would have mentioned in the beginning is that the trader Joe’s dough needs to be left out for 30 mins before you put it in the oven. Next time I’ll start with that!
For this one, it matters the type of dough and the directions provided if store bought. Thanks for sharing, Amber!
So happy I stumbled across this recipe, I am obsessed! I’ve made it a few times now exactly as instructed, and it was delicious every time. Thank you for all of your creative and (mostly) healthy recipes – love your blog!
I make this pizza all the time and love it!
Love to hear that, Josh!
This was amazing! I ended up having to make more onions and Brussel sprouts for the second pizza, but it was totally worth it!
Wonderful!
I came across your recipe years ago…it saved dinner! Balsamic caramelized onions have been my go-to base for all my pizzas thanks to you Kate!
Thank you, Rania!
One of my favorites!! I could eat this pizza every week.
Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Thank you for this recipe! We got snowed in with limited foodstuffs, and we made a delicious pizza with your balsamic red onions and roasted garlic as toppings. Fantastic!
You’re welcome!
I made this using a frozen cauliflower crust. AMAZING! Everyone loved it. Thanks for the great idea!
You’re welcome, Laura!
I just made this and it is so delicious, one of my new favorite ways to eat Brussels sprouts :) thank you for posting!!
You’re welcome, Claire!
Can confirm that this is very good without cheese!
Thanks, Mitch!
This was awesome!! My family has been looking for a different way to use Brussels sprouts and this was a hit!
Just a heads up, I found an identical recipe that is even the final product picture of the pizza on the parchment paper here: https://qualitygreens.com/recipes/recipe/50/Brussel_Sprout_Balsamic_Red_Onion_Pizza/
That’s not good! I will need to take a look.
I made this tonight and it was good but needed a little something to bring out the flavors. I love the shaved Brussels sprouts, but the balsamic onions were too muted. The final pizza needed some brightness, so I made a balsamic glaze and drizzled it on top. I had some racelette cheese and topped the pizza with thin slices of that, and also some chopped, toasted hazelnuts for a nutty note. I enjoyed it just fine and will make again, with these, and perhaps other, additions. I like the idea of adding thinly sliced lemon, as someone suggested. But a good solid base recipe. Thank you for posting it!
I’m sorry you weren’t excited about the flavors of this one, Renata! I’m happy you were able to make adjustments to fit your tastes.
What a great combination of flavors. Loved it and made a second one for later.
Thank you for this recipe. I was so fortunate to have a red onion and some brussel sprouts already in my fridge. I used a prepackaged crust from Golden Home that has very little oil. I also sauteed the red onions in water instead of oil and they turned out fine. Loved doing the brussel sprouts two ways for a variety of texture. I sprayed them with a tiny amount of oil. I made two pizzas one with cheese and one without. I actually preferred the one without but my husband just finished up the one with cheese for breakfast. Thanks again – it was delicious.
Made this to a T and it was dry and uninteresting. Feel like it needs truffle oil or fontina or sausage… tasted like farty brussels and burnt parm. thumbs down.
This was SO tasty. The balsamic was such a nice surprise. Everyone loved it. Such a welcome change from tomato sauce. This is definitely moving into the rotation!
This is an amazing pizza!! I used supermarket dough and I had a package of shaved Brussels sprouts so it was a snap to make. SO TASTY!!
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it.
Made this tonight for dinner. Really easy and ohhh so tasty!
I make pizza every Friday (using the King Arthur dough recipe) for my family and today, I had a bag of brussels I wanted to use. This recipe came up and it was amazing! I would never have thought of the balsamic onion base but it works fantastically in place of red sauce. I will 100% make this again (probably NEXT Friday). LOVED IT!
Wonderful to hear, John! Thank you for your review.
This recipe was delicious! Since I was using a whole foods whole wheat sustainable I lightly sautéed the brussel sprouts. The combination of the balsamic onions was really luscious. I did put a tomato sauce base as my husband likes sauce on his pizza. This did not take away from the flavors. It is a winner!
I’m happy you were able to enjoy this one! Thank you for taking the time to review.
So delicious! I saw this in your “what to eat in February” email and made it the next day! My new favorite…I even had some red sauce on the pizza and it was perfect! Thank you!
Made it last night and it turned out really well. Easier than it looks! Those balsamic onions are so good! My kids love your pizza dough recipe so I make a cheese pizza for them and this delicious brussel sprout one for me. Thank you!
Kate – thanks for the consistently AMAZING vegan recipes. I’ve been searching for a great crust recipe and I think I have found it. Just one question; how big (approximately) should each of the dough halves be rolled out to be?
You’re welcome, Peggy! I’m not a pie baking expert, but it should be indicated in the recipe you are using. Maybe reference Naturally Sweetened Pecan Pie for some guidance.
I was asking about Pizza size not Pie size :) Anyway I used 11” for the size and the crust was so very yummy. Over baked the first pizza a bit as my oven only goes to 450 but the second one was perfect. Thanks again.
Whoa! This pizza is amazing. My husband and I make our own pizza all the time, but we never thought up this combo. It is going into the favorites pile. Thank you for always providing such reliable recipes. At least one recipe from Love real Food makes it onto my meal plan list every week.
I love that you are enjoying my cookbook! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this recipe, Susan.
This absolutely intrigued me! It was very tasty and unique! i halved the recipe and made it on a 10inch cast iron. Next time i will add BBQ sauce to the base!!!
I’m happy you tried it, Arya! Thank you for your review.
We tried this last night, it is DELICIOUS!!!! Sooooo GOOD.
Used pizza dough from WholeFoods, a first for us, it was good.
I can’t believe I didn’t know about this recipe. We make pizza every Monday and I usually go for the same veg toppings. We had some Brussels sprouts, which I love and I searched the web for Brussels sprouts pizza recipes. Yours was the top result! And as soon as I saw it was a C&K recipe, I knew it had to be great. And it was! Our dough is different, but it worked perfectly. I have never made pizza without sauce. This was perfect in every respect and maybe this is my new go to combo for Monday night. So incredibly easy to come together! Thanks for another awesome recipe! ❤️
Absolutely love the balsamic red onions as a base or sauce on the pizza. Brussels sprouts too. Great flavor. Thanks!
So good! We were making pizzas and had Brussels sprouts in fridge but I had no clue how to make them. Of course, I can count on C + K for a great recipe! This added something different to our pizza nights.
Try making your own Fresh Basil Vinaigrette and using it for your base instead of a tomato sauce. I also cook shallots until they caramelize and then add to my pizza, So delicious.
I also use the Basil Vinaigrette with gluten free penne pasta, Wow! this warm dish will have you reaching for seconds.
Cookie and Kate and France, Table, Voyage on YouTube are my go to sources for recipes and the later for ideas on presentation and arm-chair traveling.
This pizza is amazing! I made it vegan with plant-based Parmesan and mozzarella, and it will now be in my regular rotation. My partner is a bit wary if brussel sprouts and he loves it, too!
I’m glad he loved it too, Barbara!
This recipe was INCREDIBLE!
I’m glad you love it, Kelsey! I appreciate your review.
I can’t believe I’m just rating this recipe! I have made it countless times and it comes out amazing each and every time. Thank you so much! This is something I would’ve never thought to make and now it’s a staple in my home. I use the garlic and herb dough from TJ’s now and it is amazing!
I’m so glad you have come back to share what you think! Thank you for your review, Lindsey.
This is me and my partner’s FAVORITE Cookie and Kate recipe. I have had it made for me for my birthday as a food present and it’s practically a rule that if we see brussel sprouts on the stalk at the store then we’re going to make this pizza. I use premade pizza crusts and just bake the toppings at whatever temp the crust package recommends and it turnd out great! I absolutely recommend!
Thank you for sharing, Joan!
This unique combination combines the earthy sweetness of caramelized onions with the slight bitterness of Brussels sprouts, creating a harmonious balance of flavors over a crispy pizza crust. Dec. Every mouthful is an explosion of salty goodness that bubbles the taste buds and satisfies the appetite. Whether served as a gourmet dinner option or as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, this pizza is sure to impress with its creative mix of ingredients and unforgettable taste.