Best Substitutes for Pizza Sauce
Pizza sauce is just seasoned tomato puree with 12-15% solids content. That's it.
Store-bought versions add sugar (1-2 teaspoons per cup), salt, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. The consistency falls between tomato paste (28% solids) and crushed tomatoes (10% solids). You want something thick enough to stay put on dough but thin enough to spread easily.
The best substitutes match that texture and add Italian seasonings. A watery sauce makes soggy pizza. Too thick and it won't spread. The flavor profile needs garlic, herbs, and enough salt to balance the tomatoes' acidity.
Best Overall Substitute
Marinara sauce at a 1:1 ratio. It has the right consistency (14-16% solids), contains Italian herbs already, and spreads like pizza sauce. Most jarred marinara works straight from the container. If it's chunky, pulse it smooth in a blender for 10 seconds.
All Substitutes
Marinara sauce
1:1Marinara contains the same base ingredients as pizza sauce: tomatoes, garlic, herbs, olive oil. The main difference is texture. Pizza sauce stays uncooked until it hits the oven, while marinara gets simmered. This makes marinara slightly thinner (14% vs 15% solids). Spread it thinner than you would pizza sauce, about 3 tablespoons per 10-inch pizza instead of 4.
Tomato paste + water + seasonings
2 tablespoons paste + 1 tablespoon water + 1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder and oreganoTomato paste has 28% solids. Adding water brings it to 18%, slightly thicker than pizza sauce but workable. Mix paste and water first until smooth. Then add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of sugar per 3 tablespoons of mixture. Let it sit 5 minutes for flavors to blend. Makes about 1/4 cup sauce.
Pasta sauce (jarred)
1:1Most pasta sauces work but need adjustments. They contain 8-12% solids (thinner than pizza sauce) and often have chunks. Strain out chunks or blend smooth. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to reduce water content. Add 1/2 teaspoon oregano per cup if it tastes too sweet. Ragu-style meat sauces are too watery. Thick varieties like Prego Traditional work best.
Crushed tomatoes + herbs
1 cup crushed tomatoes + 1 teaspoon Italian seasoningCanned crushed tomatoes have 10-11% solids, too thin for pizza. Drain liquid through a fine mesh strainer for 10 minutes. Save the liquid for soup. Mix the thick pulp with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar per cup. The texture matches pizza sauce after draining. No cooking needed.
Pesto
1:2 (use half the amount)Pesto creates a completely different pizza. Use 2-3 tablespoons for a 12-inch pizza (versus 6 tablespoons regular sauce). The oil content is 40% compared to pizza sauce's 2%. Spread it thin or the pizza gets greasy. Works best with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, or Mediterranean vegetables. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for heat.
Tomato soup (condensed)
1:1 undilutedCondensed tomato soup straight from the can has 20% solids. Don't add water or milk. The consistency works for pizza after adding 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per can. It's sweeter than pizza sauce (contains 12g sugar per can vs 4g). Balance with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Campbell's works better than store brands which are often thinner.
Salsa
1:1Salsa makes Mexican-style pizza. Use thick chunky salsa, not restaurant-style (too watery). The tomato base works but expect cilantro, onion, and jalapeño flavors. Drain excess liquid if needed. Works with Mexican toppings: seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese. Medium heat salsa adds nice spice without extra steps.
How to Adjust Your Recipe
Pizza sauce thickness matters more than flavor.
Thin sauces (under 12% solids) need reduction. Simmer uncovered 5-10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Or drain through a strainer. Thick substitutes like straight tomato paste need thinning with water or broth.
For flavor, add these per cup of substitute: 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Fresh herbs need triple the amount.
Oven temperature stays the same. But wet sauces might need an extra 2-3 minutes baking time. Pre-bake the crust 5 minutes at 425F if using very wet substitutes.
When Not to Substitute
Neapolitan pizza requires San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand with salt. No substitutes match that specific flavor and texture.
Deep dish pizza needs extra-thick sauce to hold up during the 35-45 minute bake time. Regular substitutes get watery.
Competition pizza making demands exact sauce specs. Home cooking is more forgiving, but pizzeria-style results need proper pizza sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ketchup as pizza sauce?
Technically yes, but it tastes wrong. Ketchup contains 33% sugar versus pizza sauce's 2%. Mix 3 tablespoons ketchup with 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning to cut the sweetness. Even then, it's noticeably different. The vinegar in ketchup (5% acidity) changes the flavor profile completely. Kids might not notice on English muffin pizzas.
How much sauce for a 12-inch pizza?
Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80-120ml) for a 12-inch pizza. That's about 4-6 tablespoons spread evenly, leaving a 1-inch border for crust. Thick crust needs more (1/2 cup), thin crust needs less (1/3 cup). Too much sauce makes soggy pizza. Spread it with the back of a spoon in circular motions, not dumped in the middle.
What makes pizza sauce different from pasta sauce?
Pizza sauce stays uncooked with 15% tomato solids. Pasta sauce gets simmered 20-30 minutes and has 8-12% solids. Pizza sauce uses simple seasonings: garlic, oregano, basil. Pasta sauce often includes onions, wine, meat, or vegetables. The sugar content differs too. Pizza sauce has 1-2 teaspoons per cup while pasta sauce can have 2-4 teaspoons. This prevents burning during high-heat pizza baking at 450-500F.