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Ditch the jarred sauce and simmer your way to a simple and delicious homemade pizza sauce!

Red pizza sauce recipe spread over pizza crust.
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Our Fav for Pizza Night!

We have pizza for dinner once a week and when we do homemade pizza we also do homemade pizza sauce because it cannot be beat.

You may be thinking, why do homemade when it’s so easy to buy? It’s because if you compare delivery to homemade pizza – there’s no comparison. Homemade pizza is the best, and when you have the sauce to go with it, it’s even better (we also love our white pizza sauce too!)

This sauce recipe has the best combination of tomato sauce and herbs. It’s a little garlicky, a little sweet from the touch of sugar, and tangy from the basil and tomatoes. We also love that we have the ingredients on hand at all times.

Why we love it:

  • Simple. We always have the ingredients on hand for the sauce because they’re pantry staples.
  • Flavorful. You cannot beat the flavors and spices in this sauce recipe.
  • Easy to store. We love to have the spices made up in advance so we can easily make this sauce when we want.
Various dry seasonings combined in a white bowl.

Ingredients

  • 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • red pepper flakes (optional) – for added flavor and heat

Using Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs are less potent than dried herbs so you will want to replace the dried basil and dried oregano with 1 tablespoon of fresh cut herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

How to Make Pizza Sauce

  1. HEAT. Heat 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon basil, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano,1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon each of sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, but do not let boil.
  2. ENJOY! Remove from heat and spread on top of Pizza Crust and enjoy with your favorite toppings.
    • This best pizza sauce makes about 2 cups which is perfect to top a couple of homemade pizzas.

Kristyn’s Pro Tip:

Make the seasonings in advance to use later. Combine:

  • 4 teaspoons basil
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 teaspoons oregano
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

When ready to make the sauce, just use a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoons of the combined mixture for this recipe.

4.95 from 19 votes

Homemade Pizza Sauce

By: Lil’ Luna
Learn how to make pizza sauce with this simple, flavorful red sauce recipe, perfect for completing your favorite pizza!
Servings: 2 cups
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions 

  • Heat all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, but do not let boil.
  • Spread on top of dough and enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 6508mg, Potassium: 3376mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 4415IU, Vitamin C: 71.4mg, Calcium: 141mg, Iron: 10.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

  • To bring the taste of Italy to your table use a 28-ounce can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes. Drain about 3-4 ounces of liquid from the canned tomatoes, then add the remaining contents to a blender and blend until smooth. Use the freshly blended tomato sauce in the pizza sauce recipe.
  • Tomatoes are naturally high in acidity. To help counteract the acidity of the tomatoes add white sugar, brown sugar, or even baking soda to the sauce. Start with a pinch or two then add more if needed.
  • This easy homemade pizza sauce recipe makes about 2 cups. If you double it, then you can store extra to use later.
  • Pour into a jar and cover and keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
  • Spoon into muffin tins and place in the freezer until solid. Take cubes out of the muffin tin and place them in a freezer container or freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
    • To use, thaw overnight and microwave in bursts or melt in a small pot until the sauce is smooth.

For More Pizza Recipes:

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.95 from 19 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




33 Comments

  1. William storeY says:

    5 stars
    The spice mIx and sauce recipes have several common ingredients. How do you recommend using them in combination.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      If I were using a store bought sauce, I probably wouldn’t need to use the spices in the recipe. I might add a little more garlic & top with more basil, but really it’s a personal preference. You can add more of whatever you like.

  2. Angela M says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I am so glad you think so! Thank you!

  3. Olivia says:

    5 stars
    A simple sauce that goes great on your homemade pizza. Easy and delicious!

  4. Kristina says:

    5 stars
    I always just buy sayce from the grocery stote, but this recipe was easy and i had all the iNgredients On hand. Thanks for Posting.

  5. Amy L Huntley says:

    5 stars
    Homemade Pizza Sauce is so much better than store bought! I absolutely LOVE the flavor of this recipe!

  6. Natalie says:

    5 stars
    Sounds like a delicious sauce!! Love making my own, so I am excited to give this one a try. We love making pizzas!

  7. Joy says:

    5 stars
    My family loves making homemade pizza. I try to keep ingredients on hand & will definitely use this pizza sauce again! It was super easy to make & so flavorful!

  8. Mary montu says:

    5 stars
    VERY TASTY.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I agree!! I am glad you think so! Thank you!

      1. Emily Baldridge says:

        Does it freeze well?

      2. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Yes!! I like to spoon the sauce into muffin tins and place it in the freezer until solid. Take the cubes out of the muffin tin and place them in a freezer container or freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Then to use, just thaw overnight and microwave in bursts or you can melt in a small pot until sauce is smooth.

  9. rebica says:

    4 stars
    very nice 🙂 would love to try this at home

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I hope you do 🙂 I’d love to know what you think!

  10. Emma Warner says:

    Such a nice recipe. I love to eat pizza, it is my all time favorite. Whenever I go out with my friends we all love to eat pizza. I have tried it at home but that was not so delicious and yummy.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      We love eating pizza too!! I hope you like this recipe!