Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce in 5 minutes and the flavor is so much better than store-bought! It’s healthy, oil-free and just 7 ingredients!
EASY HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE
You’ll never need to buy jarred pizza sauce again. Like everrrrr.
This Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce really gives you no excuses. I’m so not kidding when I tell you I am addicted to this stuff. Why? It takes 5 minutes to make, 8 basic ingredients, super healthy and downright delicious. It is also oil-free. Score.
Now, here’s the thing. It only takes 5 minutes to make, and while you can heat it up or use it right away, I highly suggest making it the day before you want to use it because letting it sit overnight takes it to another level! The spices and herbs really marry together and it’s just GOOD.
I went really simple with my pizza. You can use any pizza crust you like. My favorite is my Oil-free Vegan Pizza Crust or if you want a gluten-free, try my unique Potato Pizza Crust.
This goes good on pasta, obviously pizza, and even potatoes. Yes, try it. But my favorite way and currently, obsession, is an avocado toast party. Or, pizza toast. Holy moly. If you haven’t tried avocado toast, you are seriously missing out.
To make the pizza style toast, do this. Mashed avocado. Smoked paprika. Black pepper. Salt. Red pepper flakes. Pizza Sauce. TRY IT. Thank me later.
MORE OIL-FREE SAUCE RECIPES
- Oil-free Romesco Sauce
- Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce
- Vegan Red Pepper Curry Sauce
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Easy Oil-free Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480g) plain tomato sauce/puree (nothing added except salt)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or majoram
- 1/2 tablespoon (10g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (this will vary depending on if your tomato sauce has salt added already)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but so good)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor (starting with just 1/4 teaspoon salt), and blend until smooth. This is important so that the dried herbs are pureed throughout the sauce well for full flavor. Taste and add more salt if desired. If your tomato sauce has no added salt, you may want more.
- If using as a pizza sauce, just add it to your pizza crust of choice, add the toppings, and bake. If serving over pasta (my favorite use) simply warm it on the stove first just until heated through. Since the sauce is oil-free and made from pureed tomatoes, it will thicken up a lot in the fridge, so be sure to reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove to bring it back to a sauce consistency.
- This sauce will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or the freezer for 3 months. Thaw and reheat over low heat on the stove to use again.
Absolutely the best pizza sauce I have ever had. My husband even commented on it which he seldom does. Thank you for this great recipe.
This sauce just made me finally not miss cheese on my pizzas. Seriously the flavor just gave me the extra omfth that I needed. My husband agreed it was the sauce.
This is the second recipe of yours that is so simple yet so flavorful of your that I have used.
Thank you so much
Aww Sherri, that is so amazing to hear!! Wonderful feedback, so glad you love this sauce so much. Homemade is so much better than store-bought, right?! Thanks for the lovely review!
The easy prep is such a delightful surprise for such a delicious sauce. Blend and use! Brilliant! Thank you, Brandi!
Thank you so much Cherese! So happy you loved this pizza sauce!
Wow this was absolutely incredible! I never knew the taste of non-jarred pizza sauce at home and I won’t go back. The spice blend here is just perfect for pairing with the tomato sauce. Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
Yay Cassie! So glad you loved this so much! I agree, homemade is so much better, and healthier, than store-bought! I always keep extra frozen in my freezer, too.
Hello from NC. For the “plain tomato sauce”, is that the kind like Hunts/DelMonte, or like Ragu/Prego? (We don’t have a Central Market around here.) All of your recipes sound wonderful. I’ve only made the Mexican Cheese Sauce so far, and it was so good!
Hi Pam! So glad to hear that about the Mexican cheese sauce! Yes, like hunts where it’s just runny tomato sauce from just tomatoes.
I love your cookbook. And this recipe. For a change of pace you can try pureeing a couple of raw diced red peppers (or roasted) in the blender with the puree. It’s how I make my Raw Marinara!
This is really good sauce! I used it with your potato pizza crust (also very good!) and it doesn’t soak through the crust. Leftovers did thicken up considerably after chilling, but just stirring and heating fixed that right up.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Laura! Yes, it will definitely thicken up because it’s just pureed tomatoes and no oil, but you did right to make it saucy again 🙂 Thank you for making it!
Delish!! I don’t really love any of the store-bought pizza sauces but I always thought it was too much of a pain to make my own. However this recipe proves that not only is it simple but that it tastes WAY better than store-bought sauces!! Thank you for this recipe!!
This sounds perfect. Are there other suitable canned tomato products i could use?
Hi Mark, I’m not sure what you mean? You can use any tomato sauce you like that is just made from plain tomatoes and is a liquid.
I made this last night. I used organic Pomi puree. I used the whole container and added more herbs. I had to added ground fennel, because, well I love it😍! I might have a problem with fennel, but there are worse things in life, right? Thanks for another great recipe!
Haha, glad you enjoyed it! Oh wow, never had fennel in a pizza sauce before, that’s different! Thank you for making it 🙂
I absolutely love this. I use it as a loaf topper, a dip. pasta sauce, you name it. Going to have my first avocado toast at work this week and this will be topping it! So easy, tasty, and inexpensive. No store-bought kind could compare!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear Jaclyn! That sounds so good as a loaf topper! Thank you so much for leaving an awesome review!
Sure. Btw,the meatballs were good too and I had picked three recipes which I thought had the potential to be so. Made all three and not surprisingly yours were the best. Thank you for all your hard work.
Thanks so much Carol, that is wonderful to hear!
Brandi’s right–I’ll never need to buy a jar of pizza sauce again.
I’ve been making my own spaghetti sauce forever–both before and after veganizing. But I did buy pizza sauce for those times I’d cook various greens in with the spaghetti becaause I felt that those times a more assertive sauce was needed rather than even a good spaghetti sauce.
I did mix it up the night before as suggested and had it with the meatballs recipe. But now when I use up the pizza sauce in the pantry, it won’t be replaced and will definitely be my sauce of choice for spaghetti cooked with greens (in the same pot of boiling water). And who knew you could make such a tasty sauce so quickly and easily?
Thank you so much Carol for the amazing review! So glad this is your go-to! If you get a chance, would you mind doing the star rating as well? Thank you!
I’ve made this sauce several times and see no need at all to look for another, EVER. Every time I make it, I marvel at how easy it is and how much better than anything from a jar. The thought of using it on avocado toast is bringing me to the point of clapping like a seal — and barking like one too!
Thank you so much Jodi! I agree too, it is definitely my go-to! Thank you for the review! Hahahaha!
Delicious sauce! And that toast – I added sliced tomatoes and chopped spinach to it and it is my new favorite thing! There is nothing better than super easy AND tasty recipes! Thank you!!!
Wonderful Destini! I’m so happy you loved the sauce! I just made a batch today myself and had it on spaghetti!
That was great! I won’t add the extra pepper for my kids’ sake next time but I loved it 🙂
Wonderful Debi, thank you so much for the feedback! Yes, I have to leave it out for my daughter, too, lol!
Can you freeze this for later use?
Yes, I do that all the time with mine. Just reheat it on low over the stove after first thawing a bit in the fridge.
I absolutely LOVE this sauce! Thank you very much for posting the recipes you create. I have become a lot healthier since I started using them!
I actually have very similar recipe. I substituted instead of tomato sauce I use Muir Glenn chopped fire roasted tomatoes and small amount of tomato paste. I simmer it after mixing to evaporate some of the liquid and it also helps “blend” the flavors. But yes, much better next day!
Awesome, thank you Geoffrey!
I came across a vegan cheese called Chao by Field Roast, I’d never seen b4, and so, I bought it.
I tried it, and it was so close to the real thing. I had to have a “cheese” sandwich I hadn’t had in like 20 years! Sooo good! I’m addicted to this stuff.
Then I thought, this stuff is so good, I wonder if I could make a vegan pizza with it.
I didn’t have any pizza sauce on hand, so I looked online, and found this recipe.
I had previously bought a case of 12 cans of tomato sauce, so had some on hand. They’re 15oz cans though, while the recipe calls for 16oz, but I thought I’d try it anyway, as I had all the other ingredients on hand too.
I made this with 1 15oz can of Kirkland organic tomato sauce, 1Tsp sunflower oil, onion and garlic powder, oregano, basil, and maple syrup. I added a pinch of organic sugar, and some organic parsley flakes, and it was so awesome tasting, I had to make vegan pizzas right then.
I froze 2 slices of the Chao “cheese” (even though the pkg says not to freeze it), then took them out of the freezer (the slices felt and looked like a square of thin, flexible rubber) but I tore them into pieces, over a blender, and blended them up until they were fine crumbles. Then I put the “cheese” crumbles in a small container, and put them back in the freezer. I then toasted some organic English muffin halves.
Then, I put this scrumptious sauce on the toasted muffins, then chopped green olives (my pizza topping), and put them on the sauce.
Then, I took out the frozen “cheese” crumbles, and topped the sauce and olives, on the muffins with it.
Then, I put the complete vegan pizzas under the broiler, until I saw the muffin edges brown.
The “cheese” changed texture, but did NOT brown.
When they cooled, I divided one pizza into quarters, and we had a pizza taste testing party. It passed with flying colors, with this sauce being the standout element.
Next time though, I’ll mix the “cheese” crumbles with fine bread crumbs, and then broil them. I’m hoping the mixed in bread crumbs will give the pizza a toasted/browned “cheese” effect, as the bread crumbs will brown, but the “cheese” won’t.
I’m hoping the end result, will look like browned “cheese” and add some texture and color.
So thanks for this recipe, it was waaay better, than the pizza sauce we usually buy.
No more buying pizza sauce!
When I get my heirloom tomatoes in, I’ll have to puree, strain, and cook them, to use as the tomato base, and see how it turns out.
This is definitely our new go to recipe! 🙂
Correction: one TBS oil. (tablespoon)
Wow, that all sounds so amazing! I’m so happy you loved my recipe so much! I agree too, so much better than storebought! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!!
This sauce is amazing, I am literally having to stop myself from eating it all before using it for pizza!! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
Thank you for always replying to questions! I want to make this, but haven’t been able to find tomato puree. I have diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste in my cabinet. Do you think I can use any of them together to replace the puree?
You can use tomato sauce, that is fine 🙂
I’m making a slightly altered batch of this for my freezer meals. I’m using whole tomatoes cooked down with a bit of brown sugar.
Wonderful, can’t wait to hear how it turns out with that difference!
Made this tonight to have on a margherita pizza, and love it!! So quick, easy, and delicious.
Wonderful Sabrina! I’m so happy to hear that, thank you so much for the feedback!
This was delicious! I made it and let it sit for two days before using it on a pizza. I can’t wait to try it on avocado toast!
For anyone curious, I didn’t have tomato puree and was too lazy to go to the store. I threw a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato paste in the blender, then added the rest of the ingredients and it was perfect.
I wanted to use it tonight with the Vegan meatballs, but I didn’t have tomato puree either. I threw a can of fire roasted diced tomatos, a small can of tomato sauce , and suggested seasonings in the blender. To the sauce, I added the meatballs.broccoli florets and diced red pepper. I cooked Quinoa/corn (organic) pasta. Voila! We had spaghetti and meatballs. It was delicious! There is plenty for another meal.
BTW I left out the maple syrup as I cannot tolerate sweeteners other than stevia. It was fine wothout it.
The maple syrup does add a little something something that is similar to the very slight sweetness of pizza sauce in restaurants, but it’s certainly still good without it!
That sounds sooo delicious! So glad you enjoyed this!