Salty, melty, and buttery.
Everyone can agree that good cheese is crucial to a delicious pizza.
But with so many types of cheeses, it can be hard to know which one best fits your pie…
until now.
There are plenty of reasons to eat Gouda but when it comes to adding it to your pizza,
you may not be too excited.
We hear you, but trust us, it’s worth trying.
Wisconsin Cheese describes Gouda's flavor profile as similar to the familiar nutty notes
of parmesan cheese with a hint of buttery caramel reminiscent of butterscotch.
Overall, when you consider it a slightly sweeter take on Parmesan, you may come to understand
why it's worth considering for your next pizza.
Speaking from personal experience, one Redditor claimed that adding some quality smoked Gouda
to your pie is an easy glow-up for even the cheapest premade pizzas, and other Redditors
have enjoyed adding Gouda to their homemade pizzas, too.
Another Redditor recommended shredding aged Gouda as a finish for homemade pizza.
In other words, he argues that it's better as a seasoning than a topping, like parmesan
cheese, and we agree.
Because of its more limited utility and potentially alienating flavor profile, it ranks last on
our list of the best cheeses for pizza, but it's still on the list, so don't sleep on it.
You may already be familiar with Pecorino-Romano because it occasionally appears in those convenient
shakers found in plastic jars across American supermarkets.
In fact, as one user explains in a Pecorino thread on Pizza Making, Pecorino-Romano is
often used as a cheap substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Does that mean you should completely disregard it?
Definitely not.
Even if you agree it's just a cheaper substitute for the parm cheeses, that only means it should
sit right below them on any solid ranking of the best cheeses for pizza, like this one.
When you do go this route, follow the advice of one Redditor who said to invest in a chunk
of imported Pecorino-Romano that you can freshly shave onto your pizza when it's time to bake.
The Redditor prefers adding it before baking, but we suggest shaving it on after as a finishing
touch rather than a baked topping since it's not a particularly great melting cheese anyway.
“Is the pizza yeah, for you and meeeeeeeeeee!”
Parmigiano-Reggiano and Parmesan are absolutely not the same product but they are, essentially,
the same cheese.
As Garlic Delight describes, the difference here is nearly the same as the difference
between Champagne and sparkling wine.
That is to say, Parmigiano-Reggiano must come from a designated region in Italy.
For the purposes of this list, they are about the same on a pizza so we'll address them
together and refer to them collectively as parm.
While sprinkling parm all over every dish is one of the common mistakes everyone makes
at Italian restaurants, it's not necessarily a problem for pizza.
You won't find Italians in Italy sprinkling pre-grated parm all over their pizzas because
they only use freshly grated cheese and rarely on pizza at all.
Still, it's common in the United States and, as one Quora user describes, it has a very
strong flavor and a distinctly granular texture that likely contribute to its wide fan base.
Be warned, though: according to Cook's Dream, it shouldn't be used as a substitute for mozzarella
because the flavor would be overwhelming and it wouldn't melt evenly.
Instead, they suggest mixing some grated parm and mozzarella to cover your pie or simply
using some after baking on a finished pizza.
For the Swiss cheese lovers who may be feeling a bit left out by our ranking of the best
cheeses for pizza, your moment has arrived.
Gruyere is a solid choice for pizza largely because of how well it melts during cooking.
Additionally, Top Cooking Stories reports that Gruyere also doesn't blister easily under
the heat of the oven, so you'll have an easier time avoiding burn spots if you're prone to
ignoring your timer and accidentally overcooking your pie.
If you're hosting friends for pizza night and really want to impress them with your
Gruyere usage, step up your game with a classy pizza like a Fondue Savoyarde-style pie.
While Gruyere is actually from Switzerland, it's a Swiss cheese, after all, and Savoyarde
refers to a style of preparation from the French Alps.
One Redditor claimed that Gruyere works fine for a delicious take on a pizza Savoyarde,
and we see no reason it shouldn't.
“Ohhhhhhhh.
Pizza man.
I got pizza here.
Who wants pizza man?”
Switching gears entirely, The Sauce describes goat cheese as tart and tangy and highly recommends
it as one of the best cheeses for pizza.
They do caution, however, that it doesn't pair well with some of the more common pizza
toppings like pepperoni, but there are plenty of other ingredients that complement goat
cheese beautifully.
While The Sauce references feta as an easily accessible goat cheese, we'd like to point
out that not all feta is actually goat cheese, as Président says, so shop carefully if feta
is your preference.
One Redditor argued that not everyone loves goat cheese on pizza but concedes that there's
nothing to dislike about it, either.
Sure, this isn't the highest possible praise, but take note that goat cheese only ranks
toward the middle of our list of the best cheeses for pizza, and that's partly due to
the lukewarm reception it may receive from some.
Personally, we side with another Redditor who replied that goat cheese is exceptional
with caramelized onions and balsamic glaze on a pizza, reminding us all that goat cheese
truly does require the proper partner ingredients in order to shine on a pizza.
But we're big fans of teamwork, so we don't find any fault with goat cheese here.
While several of the cheeses on this list aren't ideal as standalone pizza cheese, Havarti
needs no such companionship.
As one user explains on Alexa Answers, this Danish cheese has a similarly semi-soft texture
and shredding ability to mozzarella and makes a great substitute when you're looking for
a change.
Despite its increased sodium content, American Restaurant describes Havarti as delivering
a hint of sweetness that's less detectable in mozzarella and some other popular pizza
cheeses, adding a unique note worth exploring.
They recommend using Havarti when you want an extra cheesy flavor from your pizza, and
we agree that it's a simple substitution that does bring more of a cheese flavor than mozzarella
without adding any of the funk or excess tang that may turn off some of the less cheese-curious.
Prepare to hear this a few more times before our ranking of the best cheeses for pizza
is complete: This cheese doesn't have the stringy texture mozzarella offers, which means
it's not an ideal substitute for your pizza but makes a great partner in combination with mozzarella.
Lest you think that would indicate that provolone isn't worth your time on pizza night, consider
that popular pizza delivery company Domino's uses provolone on every one of its specialty
pizza varieties, so you may already be accustomed to it.
If you're a Domino's fan, you may find yourself seriously disappointed if you fail to use
provolone during your homemade pizza night, and now you know why.
“I thought it could be a fun family activity if we had a make-your-own pizza night.
Or we could order Domino’s.”
Of course, your tastes may vary from ours.
Though we wouldn't recommend it ourselves, one Redditor finds provolone to be superior
to mozzarella and implies that it's a worthy substitution altogether.
In response to this claim, another Redditor notes Midwest pizza chain Pizza King includes
provolone in its pies, but he takes a more centrist approach by suggesting a blend rather
than a total substitution.
You know where we stand in this debate, but if you're going to try the pure provolone
method, we recommend using a few whole, thin slices of the cheese strategically placed
around the pie rather than trying to tear it into awkward pieces.
Burrata is essentially a type of mozzarella cheese.
More accurately, it's a ball of mozzarella scraps, specifically curds, mixed with cream,
encased in a thin mozzarella skin to hold its shape.
When broken open, burrata spreads tantalizingly across whatever is below it, adding its cheesy
flavor to each bite.
Burrata is a newer cheese, created in the 1920s, but its rise in popularity as a pizza
topping is even more recent.
If you've noticed burrata pizzas popping up at restaurants or house parties more often,
you may have a viral TikTok to thank.
Showing the creamy ball of bliss plopped atop the center of a small pie before releasing
its inner goodness, the video went a long way toward popularizing the burrata on pizzas.
Pizza Today explains that burrata's mild flavor helps it adapt to just about any toppings
you want to include in your pizza, from sweet to spicy, and it takes just one centrally
placed ball of burrata to complete your pie.
We know we're close to losing a few of you on this one, we're looking at you, blue cheese
haters, but stick with us.
Gorgonzola is scrumptious on pizza.
Per Wisconsin Cheese, Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese that is specifically made from
cow milk, which is not necessarily true of all blue cheeses, and it's milder than most
blue cheeses, making it a bit more approachable to the category's naysayers.
Thanks to the milder flavor, Pizza Today hails Gorgonzola as one of the most adaptable and
versatile of the blue cheeses and recommends looking for a Gorgonzola naturale to pair
with classic pizza ingredients like dough and tomato instead of a sweeter Gorgonzola
dolce, which might not stand up to your other ingredients.
If you do prefer to go the sweeter route, stick to the theme and opt for a sweeter pizza,
like one with caramelized onions or fig, rather than a heartier pizza or even a classic tomato pie.
Despite its milder profile, you still won't need much Gorgonzola to pick up on its fabulous
flavor, so this is a good candidate for blending with other cheeses or using it as a finisher
after baking, as you might use dried oregano.
“Three different cheese, melted, that’s what you’re tasting.”
“Mmmm.”
Technically, ricotta isn't considered an actual cheese, but most of us aren't food scientists
so we're willing to let that one go.
Ricotta is creamy and often used in baked pasta dishes, so it logically follows that
it would pair well with traditional pizza flavors, too.
And it really does.
When one Redditor complained that they never find ricotta and tomato sauce on pizza, an
employee of Blaze Pizza hopped into the thread and confirmed the chain does make pizzas that
include ricotta on top of red sauce, and that they're delicious.
It's important to note, as Well Plated explained, that ricotta is not shreddable and will not
spread evenly across the entire pie while baking.
Instead, ricotta holds its shape under heat while slightly expanding into gooey little
pools wherever it's dolloped atop the dough and other toppings.
This creamy cheese with an approachable taste and an enjoyable texture is our top choice
for a winning white pizza and our second favorite pizza cheese overall.
Yes, we're here to explore some fun alternatives, but it would be absolutely absurd of us to
pretend that any cheese other than mozzarella is the number one cheese for pizza.
As Milky Mist exclaims, mozzarella isn't just the best cheese for pizza, it's the Queen
of Mediterranean cuisine thanks to its mild flavor, middle-of-the-road firmness, and adaptable texture.
The entirety of Mediterranean cuisine aside, let's focus on exactly why it's so ideal for pizza.
Milky Mist reports that mozzarella's flavor profile is particularly amenable to blending
with classic tomato pizza's other main ingredients and that the melty pull of cooked mozzarella
is especially appealing to the eye, but it's the baking performance that really sets it apart.
Mozzarella bakes to a gooey, bubbly, golden finish in the same time that it takes pizza
to bake, and we all love that combination of convenience and quality.
Still, be careful to seek out the right mozzarella for homemade pizza baking, which The Pizza
Heaven says is low-moisture mozzarella that will perform best in American home ovens.
It shreds more easily and prevents soggy dough, making the homemade prep process painless
even if you overdo it with your cheese proportions.