I am kicking off Stampede week with this Dill Pickle Pizza Recipe! This Pickle Pizza is made with Alfredo sauce, dill weed, and garlic for a rich and creamy pizza sauce that pairs perfectly with pickles! I tried the pickle pizza last year at the Calgary Stampede and although it is/was the latest carnival food trend, WOW I was blown away by how great it could be. So I made it my mission to recreate it.
This recipe is especially in the summer but it makes a great dinner or snack any time of the year! And the verdict from my testers was that it tasted just like the Pickle Pizza they tried at the Stampede. And others agree!
🍒Reader Review
"I tried this pizza for the first time last week and it was fabulous. The recipe is easy to follow and the taste was out of this world. Who knew dill pickles and pizza were a match made in heaven??!! This will definitely be a go-to recipe for me from now on, and I have shared this with so many people who are pickle lovers like me!!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Looking for more Calgary Stampede food? Try my Beef on a Bun and Baked beans, and Old Fashioned Pancakes.
At first, I wasn't that keen on eating pickles as a pizza topping. I guess I'm more of a pepperoni and mushroom kinda gal. But I decided to take a gamble and go beyond my typical beloved pizza and OMG it was so much better than I could have imagined- WOW! Then I couldn't get it out of my head.....
🥘Ingredient Notes
After trying the delicious Pickle Pizza at Stampede last year, I noticed some recipes using mayo and sour cream in the sauce, but that didn’t sit right with me—I tasted more of an Alfredo-style white sauce, so I created my version with that in mind.
This Dill Pickle Pizza is made with ingredients such as white pizza sauce (which is actually an Alfredo sauce,) with dill weed and garlic. It's a rich and creamy garlic pizza sauce that pairs perfectly with pickles! It has a great flavor, is carnival food at its finest, and tastes just like the one at the Calgary Stampede!
You will need the following ingredients for this recipe;
I do NOT use ranch dressing, mayonnaise, or sour cream because that did not come close to mimicking the taste.
- Pizza Dough. I use my 15 minute pizza dough.
- Alfredo sauce. * I use store-bought Classico Alfredo sauce but you could use any brand.
- Dill pickles. I use regular dill pickles (no garlic), sliced thinly into rounds (about 1/16- ⅛ inch thick, depending on your preference).
*See full list of ingredients and quantities in recipe card
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Pizza dough:
- You can make your own dough using the Weight Watchers 2 Ingredient Pizza Dough to lighten it up! WW 2 Ingredient Pizza Dough is so good that no one will ever even suspect it's Weight Watchers!
- You can actually use any fresh pizza dough with this recipe, but if you're looking for a regular pizza dough recipe and you have a bread machine, I recommend you try it with my Bread Machine Pizza Dough. That's the dough I used when I made this (pictured). You can make it a thin crust or make a thicker crust, depending on what you prefer.
- You could also use my quick and easy 15-minute homemade pizza dough (I use it for my pizza cupcakes) or even go to the grocery store and buy a store-bought pizza dough if you prefer.
- Dill: You can use fresh dill instead of dried, but you will need to use double the amount
- Alfredo sauce: you could use homemade Alfredo sauce - I recommend using the Alfredo sauce in my Creamy Chicken Fettuccine recipe.
- Garlic: you could substitute garlic powder for the minced garlic
- Pickles: you could substitute butter pickles if you don't have dill pickles, but since they are sweet pickles, the pizza will taste a little different.
- Spicy: You can use spicy dill pickles or add a little hot sauce (buffalo or sriracha) to the garlic dill sauce or add some crushed red pepper flakes as a garnish to spice it up!
- Add-ons: You can add Canadian bacon or chicken breast, if you desire.
🔪How to Make Dill Pickle Pizza
Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degree F/176 degrees C. Grease the 12" pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Step 1: Make the pizza dough: Prepare the pizza dough as per instructions for recipe you are using (see NOTES) Place the dough on the preoared pizza pan.
- Step 2: Add all sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.
- Step 3: Spread the prepared sauce on top of the pizza dough. *If you like it saucier, you can add more sauce, as I did in this photo. I just set the servings to 18 in recipe card, instead of 12, and it multiplied the ingredients by 1.5x -then just ignore the rest of the ingredient increases).
- Step 4: Add pickle slices, distributing evenly.
- Step 5: Sprinkle cheese all over the top of the pizza.
- Step 6: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bottom is lightly browned. Turn up the oven to 500 degrees F and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and a golden brown (to your preference) *watch closely so it doesn't burn. Once cooked, remove from the oven and cut into 12 pieces. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with parmesan cheese and extra dill weed or pickles as desired.
Expert Tips
- Get a crispy crust. I recommend perforated pizza pan for a crispy crust. You can also use a pizza stone. If you're not sure how to use one, click HERE to read about how to use a pizza stone.
- Roll your dough out directly onto the pizza pan. I like to use a pastry/pizza rolling pin (affiliate link) that's silicone.
- Prevent pizza dough from sticking to your rolling pin. When you are rolling out your pizza dough, it's best to constantly flour your rolling pin to prevent it from sticking.
🌡️Storage
Store this pickle pizza in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
It can also be baked, then frozen whole (or leftovers) in an airtight container.
The Calgary Stampede has the most interesting and unique carnival foods you can imagine. Over the years I have seen everything from scorpion pizza to red velvet chicken fingers.
They’re always pushing the boundaries with daring foods, and for the past few years, I’ve made it my mission to seek out and try the most coveted fair treats. Last year’s highlights were this pizza and Butterbeer Ice Cream—both hits—though not every year is as successful (like my underwhelming experience with Deep Fried Coffee, which you can read about HERE).
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 1-12 inch pizza (12 pieces) You can double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. However, you'll need additional pizza pans.
My family said it was not only a great recipe, but tasted just like the version we tried at Stampede last year. I guarantee this is the BEST pickle pizza you will ever try!
❔ Recipe FAQ's
Dill pickles are the most popular choice because their tangy flavor complements the creamy base. You can also experiment with bread-and-butter pickles for a sweeter touch or spicy pickles for extra heat.
Pickle pizza gained popularity at carnivals, fairs, food festivals and specialty pizzerias in the U.S. and Canada. It's a creative spin on combining tangy pickles with comforting pizza flavors.
Yes, substitute the cheese with your favorite vegan cheese and ensure your crust and sauce are vegan-friendly. Use vegan dill pickles, as some may include animal-based ingredients.
If you are looking for a fun and unique carnival pizza recipe, then give this Dill Pickle Pizza with creamy garlic sauce a try. And pickle lovers will LOVE this pizza!
📋More Pizza Recipes
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🥒Dill Pickle Pizza Recipe (Carnival Style)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 lb (12 inch) pizza dough * See NOTES
Garlic Dill Pizza Sauce
- 1 cup Alfredo sauce * I use Classico but you could use any brand
- 1 tablespoon dill weed * you can use fresh or dried dill, but use a little more if you use fresh 1 ½ - 2 tbsp
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Toppings:
- 6 whole dill pickles cut into smaller rounds
- 3 ½ cups pizza mozzarella * I use light mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
- additional dill pickles or dill weed, as desired
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- Prepare the pizza dough as per instructions for recipe you are using (see NOTES)
Garlic Dill Pizzza Sauce
- Add all sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Grease the 12" pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the dough on the pizza pan.
- Spread the prepared sauce on top of the pizza dough, then add dill pickle slices and sprinkle cheese all over the top of the pizza.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bottom is lightly browned.
- Turn up the oven to 500 degrees F and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and a golden brown (to your preference) *watch closely so it doesn't burn. Once cooked, remove from the oven and cut into 12 pieces. Serve hot or cold.
Garnish
- Garnish with parmesan cheese and extra dill weed or pickles as desired.
Laurie
Thanks so much for this awesome recipe. To take this pizza to the next level try it with bacon as an additional topping. Out of this world amazing.
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you loved it, Laurie! The bacon is a great suggestion for meat lovers! Thanks, Terri
SherylLynne
I'm not seeing your pizza crust but I am really wanting to make this!!!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sheryl Lynne,
Sorry about that - I just added it to the notes in the recipe card. It was actually in the variations - I have a few different dough options. But here is the 15 Minute Pizza Dough
Enjoy!
Terri
Linda
I tried this pizza for the first time last week and it was fabulous. The recipe is easy to follow and the taste was out of this world. Who knew dill pickles and pizza were a match made in heaven??!! This will definitely be a go-to recipe for me from now on, and I have shared this with so many people who are pickle lovers like me!
Terri Gilson
I’m so glad you loved it as much as we do, Linda!
Sabrina
So fun and so surprisingly delicious! I think the garlic dill sauce makes it! Really great recipe, thank you.
Terri Gilson
Thanks!
Sean@Diversivore
I'm not too surprised that a crazy stampede recipe isn't WW friendly, but I am (delightfully) surprised at how quirky and fun this recipe is. It's one of those ideas that sounds crazy, but makes so much sense once you give it a try. Glad you gave the sauce some careful consideration too, as I think that makes a really big difference. Cheers!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sean! Yes, it was all in the sauce 🙂
Kelly Neil
Omg this looks amazing and I am totally making it next weekend! But um, scorpion pizza?!! NO. Just no. Ha.
Terri Gilson
Hope you enjoy it, Kelly! And I agree... no scorpions on my pizza!
Joss
I've added pickles to a lot of different foods, but never pizza! This is an awesome idea! Looks so yummy.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Joss. Yes, it's totally delicious!
Shailaja Desai
Dill and pickles as topping on a pizza sound really interesting! Great recipe idea Terri. Will try this out for my next pizza dinner.
Terri Gilson
I'm sure you'll love it - I was pleasantly surprised the first time I tried it!
Bernice Hill
Terri!! This pizza is amazing...and I've been going through my Stampede foodie pics while having a major craving. I love how so many are still showing their Stampede spirit this year even though it's cancelled.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Bernice! Yes, after I tried it last year, I couldn't stop thinking about it !