I mean, let’s be honest here—pizza is essentially like garlic bread with a bit of pizzazz (ahem, tomato sauce and cheese). Which means that pizza is the perfect item to use as a dipper–you know, something to dip in, well, dips. And sure, pizza is great by itself, but when you make pizza dip by dipping your favorite slice in some delicious sauce, it gets so much better.
Here are some pizza dips you should be dipping your pizza in right now.
1. Chili Honey
This one is #1 on my list for the sole reason that I love chili-infused honey. It’s a perfect balance between subtle heat and smokiness from the chilis with an ultra-sweetness from the honey. It’s particularly good on a pizza, trust me. My favorite brand is Mike’s Hot Honey, which you can buy online.
Try it with: Classic cheese pizza with pepperoni (like the “American Honey” at &pizza).
2. Honey
Just as chili-infused honey is great as a pizza dip, regular honey is up there, too. There’s something about sweet on savory that just makes you question everything, and wonder why you haven’t done it sooner.
Try it with: Fig and goat cheese pizza with arugula.
3. Greek Salad Dressing
What??? Yes, you heard right. Greek salad dressing is the ultimate dip for your pizza, whether it be on a thin-crust margarita or a pie with some black olives. The vinegar from the dressing adds a tartness that pairs really well with cheese.
Try it with: Mediterranean Pita Pizzas
4. Balsamic Glaze
Want to be extra fancy? Dip or top your next homemade pizza with balsamic glaze (balsamic vinegar’s sweeter, denser twin). If you really want to spruce things up, call your pizza a “flatbread” instead, because, let’s be real, flatbreads are just fancy names for pizza.
Try it with: Spicy prosciutto and arugula pizza
5. Ranch Dressing
You’ve been waiting for this one, haven’t you? A classic combo for a reason—it’s just really stinkin’ good. There’s something about the creaminess and distinct flavor of ranch dressing that makes it a perfect pairing for pizza.
Try it with: A classic cheese slice.
6. Pesto Sauce
You’ve heard of pesto pasta, even pesto pizza, but have you ever tried dipping your pizza in pesto? I think not. Go ahead, go crazy, be wild, and dip that pizza in that garlicky green sauce that everybody loves. You can be adventurous and make your own pesto, even the vegan kind, if you’re into that type of thing.
Try it with: Broccolini and sausage pizza
7. Marinara Sauce
Why just top your pizza when marinara sauce when you can dip your pizza in it? I call it a tomato lover’s dream.
Try it with: Pretzel pizza mozzarella sticks
8. Queso
Move over, tortilla chips, because there’s a new dipper ready to be used. Hint: It’s pizza, if you haven’t gotten the whole jist of this article yet. Dipping a cheese pizza in more liquid cheese has never sounded more satisfying. You know you want to try it.
Try it with: 3-ingreident pizza roll-ups
9. BBQ Sauce
It’s a wonder to me why this isn’t a staple dip for most foods, because the smoky and sweet combination that BBQ has is downright incredible. This dip combo got its inspiration straight from California Pizza Kitchen’s chicken BBQ pizza, which is probably my favorite frozen pizza. Ever.
Try it with: Chicken pizza with caramelized red onions
10. Peanut Butter
OK before you go crazy now, hear me out: Peanut butter makes everything taste delicious. And that holds true for pizza. Especially if the pizza you are eating is a dessert pizza, with some sort of a cinnamon-sugar crust with a marshmallow topping. One day you’ll be thanking me.
Try it with: Cinnamon streusel dessert pizza
11. Sriracha
I make fun of my brother for putting Sriracha on everything (and I mean everything), but this is kind of a no-brainer when you really think about it. The spicy, umami taste does wonders for your favorite slice, and if you really want to, you can even try making your own.
Try it with: Hawaiian pizza
After all of this talk of pizza, I’m really in the mood for it, and you bet I’m going to dip it in something spectacular when I can. Are you up to for dipping your pizza in a new sauce? Try out one of these great pizza dips and your pizza will go from bland to absolutely delicious in no time.