This no-fuss recipe gives you all the classic flavors you want out of a Hawaiian pizza with that sweet pineapple, salty delicious ham, and a dusting of crumbled bacon. Whether you opt for store-bought dough for convenience or go all out with one of our homemade dough options, you’ll have a delicious pizza ready in no time. And if you’re feeling adventurous, we’ve got a few ideas for you to take your Hawaiian pizza to the next level.
Get all of our best tips and tricks for pizza as well as more flavor options with our Ultimate Guide to Pizza!
Why Our Recipe
- Easy to make with either store-bought or homemade dough.
- No-fuss classic Hawaiian pizza with options to kick it up a notch.
- An extra sprinkling of bacon on top for more delicious pork action!
Contrary to popular belief, Hawaiian Piza originated in Canada, not Hawaii. In 1962, Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos created this iconic pizza at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario. He combined sweet pineapple chunks with ham to create a unique pizza. The dish was named “Hawaiian Pizza” after the brand of canned pineapple that Panopoulos used. The rest is history!
Ingredient Notes
- Dough: You can use either store-bought dough or make your own from scratch. If you’re going the store-bought route, look for fresh dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or even frozen options. If you’re feeling ambitious, try one of our homemade dough recipes for an extra special touch!
- Sauce: Any good-quality pizza sauce works here. You can use your favorite store-bought brand, or make our amazing 2-minute homemade sauce.
- Mozzarella: Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but shredding your own often results in better melting.
- Ham: Either cubed or sliced ham works for this recipe, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Leftover ham is perfect for this, you can buy pre-sliced ham at the deli counter, or you can buy cubed or diced ham in bags in the meat department near the bacon.
- Pineapple: You can use fresh or canned pineapple chunks. If using canned, be sure to drain it well to avoid excess moisture on your pizza. You could even use pineapple rings.
- Bacon: Crumbled, cooked bacon is what you are aiming for, or you can use bacon bits. It adds a nice little crunch to go with your ham.
Pizza Dough Options
You can use store-bought dough for convenience, or make your own if you have the time. Most grocery stores carry fresh or frozen dough in the bakery section. For homemade, our refrigerator pizza dough provides the ultimate option for convenience. Mix up dough (no kneading required) and keep it in your fridge for up to 2 weeks! Our easy homemade pizza dough is another great option for classic homemade dough. Or you can go all-out with our Italian-style pizza dough which creates the perfect thin crust.
Next Level Hawaiian Pizza
Ready to kick your Hawaiian Pizza up a notch? Good! Because we’ve got some ideas for you.
Hot honey drizzle: It’s one of the best things to ever happen to pizza! Drizzle some hot honey over the pizza right after it comes out of the oven for a sweet and spicy slice of heaven.
Add jalapeños: If you like your heat straight up, toss on some thinly sliced jalapeños for a little fiery pineapple pork pleasure.
BBQ sauce base: Swap out the traditional pizza sauce for a BBQ sauce. We absolutely love it this way!
Add some onion: Adding some thinly sliced red or white onion is nice. A sweet onion is nicer. And if you really want to go all out, try adding caramelized onion. Oh baby!
Pizza Pans
We have a few tricks up our sleeves and a whole lot of opinions. When it comes down to it, we recommend using either a perforated pizza pan or using a pizza stone. We’ve got some affiliate links in here that link to the products we personally use.
- Standard Pizza Pan: a perforated pizza pan will provide the very best crust because it allows for airflow to crisp up the bottom.
- Pizza Stone: we love using a pizza stone for that perfect Italian-style crust. You’ll just need to master the art of using a pizza peel. The key is to dust the peel with a fine layer of cornmeal. Roll out the pizza, or toss it if you dare, and then transfer it to the peel. Give it a little shake to make sure no spots are sticking before you add your toppings. It’s a lot easier to unstick a spot and add a little more cornmeal before the toppings get added on.
Make Shift Pizza Oven
When ready to bake, slide the pizza onto the stone (or your perforated pizza pan) and close the oven. Change the oven setting to broil to create a top heat. The pizza stone or airflow will cook your pizza from the bottom with the residual heat and the broiler heating element cook the top. Keep a close eye on your pizza and let bake until the toppings begin to brown.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. For a crispier crust, place the pizza directly on the oven rack.
- Reheat in the microwave: Place a slice on a microwave-safe plate and heat in 30-second increments on high, until warm.
- Reheat in an air fryer: Reheat pizza in an air fryer at 350°F for 2 minutes to maintain a crisp crust.
