Vodka Pizza Sauce Recipe
This Vodka Pizza Sauce Recipe is rich, creamy, and packed with bold tomato flavor, making it perfect for homemade pizza nights. Made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, cream, garlic, and vodka, it creates a smooth, restaurant-style sauce everyone will love!
Spicy Vodka Sauce
Mike and I recently ordered a pizza with spicy vodka sauce at one of our favorite local spots, Coal Vines – and let me tell you, it was absolutely incredible! I knew immediately that I had to recreate it at home, and I am so happy I did. We are serious pizza fanatics around here, and I love sharing all of our favorite variations with you so you can enjoy them at home too!
We love this sauce so much that we made a vodka pasta sauce as well – coming soon to the blog!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Bold and smoky base – fire-roasted crushed tomatoes add a deep, rich flavor that a regular tomato sauce just can’t compete with
- The vodka makes all the difference – it enhances the tomato flavor and helps the cream and sauce come together in the most incredible way
- Perfectly spicy – red pepper flakes give this sauce just the right amount of heat without overpowering the other flavors
- Rich and creamy – heavy cream and freshly shredded parmesan create a luscious, velvety sauce that takes pizza night to a whole new level
What You’ll Need:
- olive oil
- onion & garlic
- seasonings – red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- vodka
- heavy cream
- parmesan cheese
- fresh basil (or use dried)
How to make Vodka Pizza Sauce:
Step 1
Sauté veggies. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and onions. Stir until onions are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add seasonings and stir well.
Step 2
Add remaining ingredients. Then add the crushed tomatoes, vodka, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Stir well, and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add fresh basil and stir for another minute.
Step 3
Blend (if desired). Add sauce to a blender and puree until sauce is smooth to your liking. You can also leave the sauce chunky if preferred.
Step 4
Add to pizza. Add spicy vodka pizza sauce to your favorite pizza dough. Try our Quick Pizza Dough Recipe, Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust, or flatbread pizza crust.
Store vodka pizza sauce in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days.
Recipe FAQs:
Vodka acts as a flavor enhancer – it helps release compounds in the tomatoes that are only soluble in alcohol, giving the sauce a deeper, more complex flavor. It also helps emulsify the cream and tomatoes together for that silky, velvety texture. But no worries, the alcohol cooks off completely!
You can, but the sauce won’t have quite the same depth of flavor. If you prefer to skip it, try adding a splash of chicken broth or a little extra cream to maintain the right consistency.
Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes are tomatoes that have been charred over an open flame before canning, giving them a slightly smoky, deeper flavor. They are worth seeking out for this recipe! If you can’t find them, regular crushed tomatoes work fine – just know the flavor will be a little milder.
With ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes it has a nice kick without being overwhelming. If you love extra heat, add more — and if you’re sensitive to spice, start with just a pinch and taste as you go.
Absolutely! This sauce keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months – just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove before using.
This recipe makes enough sauce for about two medium pizzas with a little left over – which is never a bad thing! Save the extra for pasta or dipping breadsticks.
Other Delicious Sauce Recipes:
Making your own sauces is key to delicious cooking, in my opinion. Enjoy one of these recipes next.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Vodka Pizza Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 small onion – chipped
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 14 oz. fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 3 oz. vodka
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese – freshly shredded
- 1 Tablespoon chopped basil
Instructions
- Sauté veggies. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and onions. Stir until onions are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add seasonings and stir well.1 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 small onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add remaining ingredients. Then add the crushed tomatoes, vodka, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Stir well, and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add fresh basil and stir for another minute.14 oz. fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, 3 oz. vodka, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 Tablespoon chopped basil
- Blend (if desired). Add sauce to a blender and puree until sauce is smooth to your liking. You can also leave the sauce chunky if preferred.
- Add to pizza. Add spicy vodka pizza sauce to your favorite pizza dough. Try our Quick Pizza Dough Recipe, Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust, or flatbread pizza crust.
Notes
- You can leave the vodka out, but the sauce won’t have quite the same depth of flavor. If you prefer to skip it, try adding a splash of chicken broth or a little extra cream (or milk) to maintain the right consistency.
- This recipe makes enough sauce for about two medium pizzas with a little left over – which is never a bad thing! Save the extra for pasta or dipping breadsticks.
- This sauce keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months – just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove before using.