Sweet, salty and a little spicy. This pumpkin pear pizza is a cozy fall dinner that feels gourmet without any fuss. Warm pumpkin, melty smoked cheese, crispy sage and a drizzle of hot honey make every bite special. Perfect for pizza night when you want something a little extra!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Seasonal flavours: Pumpkin, pear, and sage bring fall comfort to pizza night.
- Sweet heat: Hot honey and red chili add balance and excitement.
- Two cooking methods: Works in both pizza ovens and regular ovens.
- Minimal Effort: Store-bought dough and canned pumpkin purée keep prep simple
Ingredients
Base
- Prepared pizza dough, store-bought pizza dough or homemade
- Pumpkin purée, store-bought or see fresh version below
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Smoked Gouda cheese or smoked mozzarella
Toppings Before Bake
- Bartlett pear
- Prosciutto
- Sage leaves
- Red chili
Finish
- Hot honey
For Fresh Pumpkin Purée (Optional)
- Sugar or pie pumpkin
- Olive oil & salt
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Pumpkin Purée Options:
Use either homemade or canned pumpkin purée for this recipe.
1. Homemade Pumpkin Purée
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Prep the pumpkin: Halve and seed a the pumpkin. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast cut-side down for 35-45 minutes, until tender.
đTip: If the pumpkin is tough to cut, place a kitchen towel underneath for stability and gently tap the back of your knife with a mallet or rolling pin to help it slice through safely.
Blend until smooth: Scoop out the flesh and blend until silky smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoon warm water if needed.
Excess moisture: Place the purée in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and let it drain for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Storage: Measure Ÿ cups for this recipe. Store leftovers in the fridge (3-4 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).
Roasting deepens flavour and ensures a rich, velvety base.
2. Canned Pumpkin Purée
Choose pure pumpkin (not pie filling).
Drain in a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Preheat the Oven
If using a pizza oven, preheat the oven on high, the centre of the stone to between 850°F – 900°F. Cook time is about 90 seconds.
If using an oven, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack of your cold oven and preheat to 500°F. The stone will require 15-20 minutes longer to come to temperature than your oven. Cook time 12-16 minutes.
While the oven is preheating, fry the sage leaves.
Optional, Fry Sage Leaves
Heat olive oil in an 8.5″ skillet over medium-low heat. Add 5-6 sage leaves at a time and cook until crisp, 30 – 60 seconds. Using tongs, remove and place the sage on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.
Stretch the Dough & Add The Toppings
When the cooking source has preheated, place the dough ball on a floured work surface and work with your hands to stretch it to approximately a 12-13″ circle. The dough should not be sticky, so continue to dust with flour while you stretch it out.
Place the stretched dough on a pizza peel, dusted with flour (or the back of a sheet pan that has been dusted with flour). Work quickly now to place the toppings on the pizza. Also, do not overload the pizza, or it will stick to the peel (or sheet pan).
Begin by spreading the pumpkin purée evenly on the base. Add mozzarella and smoked Gouda. Top with pear, torn prosciutto, torn sage and chili peppers.
Cook
Pizza oven - Turn the oven down to medium or medium-high. Launch the pizza into the hot oven as far away from the live flame as possible. As the edges begin to rise, rotate the pizza Πturn. Continue to turn every 10 to 20 seconds until the pizza crust is cooked through and the toppings are hot. Total cook time is approximately 90 seconds.
Oven – slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. Cook the pizza until the crust is cooked through and the toppings are hot, carefully rotating the pizza/stone 3 to 4 times while it cooks. Total cook time: 10-14 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy
Once cooked remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Add the remaining prosciutto, fried sage leaves and drizzle with hot honey. Slice and enjoy hot.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a simple green salad.
- Cut into small wedges for a fall appetizer or pizza party board.
- Drizzle extra hot honey or red pepper flakes at the table for spice lovers.
đTips
- Lightly flour the pizza peel (or the bottom of a sheet pan) and keep toppings balanced to prevent sliding in a pizza oven.
- Draining the pumpkin purée prevents a soggy crust.
- Thin pear slices ensure they soften in the oven.
Substitutions
- Pears: We used Bartlett pears that bake up soft and are naturally sweet. For substitutes, a Bosc pear holds its shape with a firmer bite, and an Anjou pear offers mild sweetness and a silky texture
- Prosciutto: substitute bacon, speck or go vegetarian.
- Smoked Gouda: smoked mozzarella or mozzarella plus a pinch of smoked paprika.
- Red chili: crushed red pepper or sliced jalapeño.
Other Pear Recipes to Love:
Equipment Used: Made in the Ooni Koda 2 Pro – 2nd Generation 18″ Gas Powered Outdoor Pizza Oven. Proud Ooni Ambassador. Opinions in this post are always my own.
đ Recipe
Pumpkin Pear Pizza with Prosciutto and Hot Honey
Ingredients
Base
- 1 350 g prepared pizza dough, let it rise to double in size 12 – 13 inch, store-bought pizza dough or homemade
- Ÿ cup pumpkin purĂ©e Store-bought or see fresh version below
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheese
- Ÿ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Ÿ cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese or smoked mozzarella
Toppings before bake
- 1 ripe Bartlett pear thinly sliced and brushed with lemon juice to prevent browing
- 6 to 8 slices prosciutto half torn into pieces (other half added after baking)
- 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves whole, torn and/or fried (see notes)
- 1 small red chili thinly sliced (adjust heat to preference)
Finish
- Hot honey and for drizzling
For Fresh Pumpkin Purée (Optional)
- 1 small sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin about 2-3 lbs
- Olive oil and salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Purée Options:
- Use either homemade or canned pumpkin purée for this recipe.
1. Homemade Pumpkin Purée
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Prep the pumpkin: Halve and seed the pumpkin. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast cut-side down for 35-45 minutes, until tender.đTip: If the pumpkin is tough to cut, place a kitchen towel underneath for stability and gently tap the back of your knife with a mallet or rolling pin to help it slice through safely.Roasting deepens flavour and ensures a rich, velvety base.
- Blend until smooth: Scoop out the flesh and blend until silky smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoon warm water if needed.
- Excess moisture: Place the purée in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and let it drain for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Storage: Measure Ÿ cups for this recipe. Store leftovers in the fridge (3-4 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).
2 Canned Pumpkin Purée
- Choose pure pumpkin (not pie filling).Excess moisture: Drain in a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Preheat the Oven
- If using a pizza oven, preheat the oven on high, the centre of the stone to between 850°F – 900°F. Cook time is about 90 seconds.
- If using an oven, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack of your cold oven and preheat to 500°F. The stone will require 15-20 minutes longer to come to temperature than your oven. Cook time 12-16 minutes.
- While the oven is preheating, fry the sage leaves.
Optional: Fry Sage Leaves
- Heat olive oil in an 8.5" skillet over medium-low heat. Add 5-6 sage leaves at a time and cook until crisp, 30 – 60 seconds. Using tongs, remove and place the sage on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.
Stretch the Dough & Add The Toppings
- When the cooking source has preheated, place the dough ball on a floured work surface and work with your hands to stretch it to approximately a 12-13" circle. The dough should not be sticky, so continue to dust with flour while you stretch it out.
- Place the stretched dough on a pizza peel, dusted with flour (or the back of a sheet pan that has been dusted with flour). Work quickly now to place the toppings on the pizza. Also, do not overload the pizza, or it will stick to the peel (or sheet pan).
- Begin by spreading the pumpkin purée evenly on the base. Add mozzarella and smoked Gouda. Top with pear, torn prosciutto, torn sage and chili.
Cook
- Pizza oven - Turn the oven down to medium or medium-high. Launch the pizza into the hot oven as far away from the live flame as possible. As the edges begin to rise, rotate the pizza Πturn. Continue to turn every 10 to 20 seconds until the pizza crust is cooked through and the toppings are hot. Total cook time is approximately 90 seconds.
- Oven – slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. Cook the pizza until the crust is cooked through and the toppings are hot, carefully rotating the pizza/stone 3 to 4 times while it cooks. Total cook time: 10-14 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy
- Once cooked remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Add the remaining prosciutto, fried sage leaves and drizzle with hot honey. Slice and enjoy hot.
đŹWe'd really appreciate your feedback!
- Please take a moment to rate and review this recipe below. Your thoughts help others, and it would really make our day! Thank you - James & Elaine!
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Notes
- Lightly flour the pizza peel (or the bottom of a sheet pan) and keep toppings balanced to prevent sliding in a pizza oven.
- Draining the pumpkin purée prevents a soggy crust.
- Thin pear slices ensure they soften in the oven.
- Optional, fry sage leaves for a crispy garnish: Heat olive oil in an 8.5″ skillet over medium-low heat. Add 5-6 sage leaves at a time and cook until crisp, 30 – 60 seconds. Using tongs, remove and place the sage on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.
This pizza was so good! Love the pears!
Hi Dina
We’re so glad you loved it! Thanks for letting us know!
Have a great day đ
Elaine & James