This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This heart-shaped pizza is the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. Just shape your dough into a heart, then top it with pizza sauce, cheese, and heart-shaped pepperoni, because why not. Bake it to perfection, and you’ll have your next favorite meal for Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Every year, I try to create at least one fun savory recipe for Valentine’s Day, and this heart-shaped pizza remains one of the easiest and most memorable dinners you can make at home. Whether you’re planning a cozy date night, a family movie night, or a Galentine’s celebration, shaping pizza dough into a heart instantly makes the meal feel festive. Start the morning with one of my Valentine breakfast ideas for kids and end the night with pizza.
The best part is that you don’t need anything fancy. Store-bought dough (or my no-knead pizza dough), your favorite pizza toppings, and a few simple shaping tricks are all it takes to turn a classic pizza night into something special.
Why you’ll love this Valentine’s Day pizza
- It’s a fun way to elevate your Valentine’s day meal.
- This recipe is a great idea to get your little ones involved in the kitchen for Valentine’s day.
- It will taste as good as it looks.
- This recipe can be made with homemade or store-bought pizza dough.
- It is perfect for date night, with my heart cookie cake for two or a few small batch chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this pizza recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for full, detailed ingredient measurements.
- Pizza dough– Depending on your pizza crust preferences you can use either homemade or store-bought dough. My pizza dough for two makes exactly one big heart.
- Tomato sauce– This too, you can make your own homemade pizza sauce or just use your favorite store brand. Want a white pizza instead? Use my creamy garlic pizza sauce, just like on my spinach pizza with white sauce.
- Pepperoni– I used turkey pepperoni.
- Cheese– Mozzarella and parmesan will take your pizza to the next level.
- Oregano/basil– Use your favorite herbs in this pizza, or drizzle on pesto like my flatbread margarita pizza with pesto.
- Red pepper flakes– These will add a nice kick to your pizza in the most perfect way.
How to Make Heart-Shaped Pizza
- Start the heart. On well-floured parchment paper, press your pizza dough into a small heart shape. If you are using a pizza stone or steel, build the whole pizza right on the parchment so you can slide it onto the hot stone.
- Stretch it out. Keep gently stretching the dough into a big, even heart, then transfer it to a baking sheet if you are not using a stone.
- Add the sauce. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a little border for the crust.
- Cut the pepperoni hearts. Use a small heart cookie cutter, or fold each slice in half and snip a heart shape with scissors.
- Top it. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and parmesan, then scatter the heart-shaped pepperoni all over.
- Bake and slice. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, then top with fresh basil, slice, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Let the dough come to room temperature. Cold dough keeps shrinking back as you stretch it. Leave it on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour and it will hold the heart shape so much better.
- Shape it right on the parchment. Once it’s stretched into a heart, you don’t want to move it again. Build the whole pizza on the parchment and slide it straight onto the baking sheet or hot pizza stone.
- Start with a circle. Stretch the dough into a circle first, then pull one side down into a point for the bottom of the heart. Pinch a little dip in the top center to make the two curves. Way easier than trying to freehand a heart from the start!
- Keep the edges a little thicker. Leave a slightly puffy border all the way around so the heart shape stays defined after baking.
- Go easy on the sauce. Too much sauce makes the center soggy and the heart loses its shape. A thin layer is all you need.
- Cut the pepperoni hearts ahead of time. A small heart cookie cutter is the fastest way. No cutter? Fold each slice in half and snip a half-heart with kitchen scissors.
- Preheat your pizza stone. Let it heat with the oven for at least 30 minutes so the bottom of the crust gets crispy and golden.
- Check it at 10 minutes. Every oven is different, so peek early. You want a golden crust and bubbly cheese.
- Add the basil after baking. Fresh basil wilts and turns dark in a 450°F oven, so sprinkle it on right before slicing.
- Brush the crust with olive oil. A light brush on the edges before baking gives you that golden, glossy crust.
Heart-Shaped Pizza FAQs
Store your leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can either microwave it to heat it up, pop it in the oven for a few minutes, air fry it or one of my favorite ways reheat it on the stove in a pan with the lid on to allow the cheese to get all melty.
100% yes! Pizza is one of those things that you can add anything to and it’ll still be amazing! So please do add whatever toppings you prefer or just make. one-topping pizza if you only like cheese. This is such a forgiving recipe so have fun with it.
If you don’t have a cookie cutter you can gently fold your pepperoni in half and cut it in a heart shape using scissors.
More Valentine’s Day Recipes
If you made this heart-shaped pizza for your Valentine (or your Galentines!), I want to hear about it! Leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below, and tell me which toppings made it into your heart. Happy cooking!!
Heart-Shaped Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing the crust's edges
- 25 pepperoni I used turkey pepperoni, cut into heart shapes (READ NOTES)
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce homemade or store-bought
- mozzarella cheese Shredded, measured with the heart!
- parmesan cheese Measured with the heart!
- basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F and let your pizza stone warm up in the oven while you shape your pizza. If you don't have your pizza stone, no worries. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- On a well-floured parchment paper, spread your pizza dough into a heart shape. If using a pizza stone, build your pizza now, no need to transfer it to a baking sheet. Use a pizza paddle to place it in the oven or on a large cutting block.1 ball pizza dough
- Gently transfer it to a baking sheet or large cookie sheet, and fix up the heart shape if needed. Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough, then add the cheese, then the heart-shaped pepperoni, and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Check for doneness at around 10 minutes.25 pepperoni, 1/3 cup pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Top the pizza with the chopped-up basil, slice, and enjoy!basil
Notes
How do I cut my pepperoni into a heart shape.
Use a small cookie cutter to make the perfect heart pepperoni. If you don’t have a cookie cutter you can gently fold your pepperoni in half and cut it in a heart shape using scissors.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
