This easy bacon and tomato pizza is the perfect way to celebrate fresh summer produce! Fresh sweet corn and shredded gruyere cheese make this simple pizza feel rich and elegant. Make this recipe as-is or use it as a blank canvas for any extra veggies, greens, or toppings you have on hand.
This easy bacon corn pizza is the perfect combination of bright, summery produce and warm, cozy dinner vibes. Use your favorite homemade pizza crust (we also love this whole wheat pizza crust) or grab some store-bought pizza dough to keep things simple!
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Ingredients
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
This bacon pizza recipe is pretty straightforward, but we want to share a few notes before you jump in:
- Use any pizza dough you like. We used our favorite quick pizza dough here (this recipe is also great with our whole wheat pizza dough!)
- Fresh sweet corn kernels are best here, but you can use frozen corn in a pinch. If you have time, grill the corn before removing the kernels (like we do for our cilantro pizza!) for an extra layer of rich, smoky flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes are our top choice here. We love their bright, sweet, concentrated flavor. They also have a low water content, so they roast up nicely and don't release too much liquid as the pizza cooks.
- Crispy bacon lends a smokey, salty element to this dish. Cook the bacon just before you assemble the pizza, or cook a few extra slices of bacon earlier in the week and store them in the fridge so you have this ingredient prepped and ready to go!
- Optional: Add a drizzle of hot honey or your favorite barbecue sauce to this pizza just after baking. The sweet/spicy combo is a perfect complement to the rest of the flavors here!
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is very forgiving: It's easy to customize with whatever you have on hand! A few of our favorite riffs:
- Add protein. Chicken (meal prepped shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, or leftover grilled chicken), cooked sausage (Italian sausage, chorizo, or andouille work here), or pepperoni are great on this pizza.
- Swap the olive oil for fresh pesto (we love our pea shoot pesto, cilantro pesto, or arugula pesto!) or use a bit of alfredo sauce or homemade pizza sauce for a richer recipe.
- Replace some or all of the gruyere with shredded mozzarella (or torn fresh mozzarella cheese), white cheddar cheese, fontina, or havarti.
- Add toppings! Roasted garlic, sliced shallots, or caramelized onions are great additions to this pizza. Add any extra veggies you have on hand (bell peppers, artichoke hearts, zucchini, kale, spinach, or mushrooms all work here).
- Add a drizzle of hot honey, barbecue sauce, or balsamic glaze to this pizza once it's baked for extra flavor. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese, or fresh herbs as a garnish (we love cilantro or fresh basil leaves on this pizza!)
How to Make This Pizza
Once your ingredients are prepped, this recipe is really all about assembly.
Start by stretching your pizza dough out over a cutting board lined with parchment paper and drizzling it with a bit of olive oil (Image 1, below). The parchment makes it easy to slide this pizza in and out of the oven!
Top the pizza dough with an even layer of gruyere cheese (Image 2, above), then add the corn kernels (Image 3) and tomatoes (Image 4).
Pro Tip: Don't worry about measuring each ingredient perfectly here - you can eyeball the toppings and adjust as needed to suit your palate!
Finally, add the crumbled bacon (Image 5, below) and you're ready to bake!
Once your pizza is assembled, slide it onto a preheated baking steel and bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly (Image 6, above).
The Best Way to Bake Pizza at Home
We love using a baking steel or pizza stone for a light, crispy, flavorful pizza crust! For best results, preheat your oven and baking steel for 30-60 minutes before baking to ensure the surface is nice and hot.
Assemble your pizza on a piece of parchment paper over a cutting board or flat baking sheet, then use the cutting board like a pizza peel to slide your pizza with the parchment onto your hot baking steel. Note: Don't let the plastic cutting board touch your hot baking steel: it can melt!
When pizza is ready, use tongs to carefully pull it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack or cutting board.
This method can take a bit of practice, but it's worth it for that ultra-crispy crust!
A Few FAQs
We recommend using a baking steel or pizza stone for a crispy, delicious crust! Place the baking steel into your oven as it preheats, and let it heat for 30-60 minutes before you bake your pizza (a screaming hot baking steel is what gives us a crispy, bubbly pizza crust!) Carefully slide your prepared pizza onto the hot steel to bake. When pizza is ready, use tongs to carefully pull it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack or cutting board. Be sure to read through the post above for a more detailed look at baking homemade pizza!
Grab some pre made store-bought dough, make a cozy whole wheat pizza dough, or use our fast homemade pizza dough recipe for a quick option! You can also use your go-to pizza dough recipe if you already have a favorite.
Yes! You can use an inverted baking sheet in place of a pizza stone. Choose a thick, sturdy baking sheet that won't warp in the oven, and preheat it for only 15-30 minutes (it doesn't need as much time as a pizza stone or baking steel to preheat). Slide your pizza onto the preheated baking sheet and bake normally. You can also make this recipe as a pan pizza: just press your pizza dough into a sheet pan or pizza pan, top, and bake normally (you may need to adjust the cooking time if you use this method).
Nope! If you're using fresh sweet corn, you can slice the raw kernels off the cob and add them straight to the pizza.
More Spring and Summer Pizza Recipes
We're suckers for great homemade pizza recipes, especially when we can add some bright, summery veggies! A few of our favorite warm-weather pizza ideas:
Did you make this gruyere pizza? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
Print📖 Recipe
Corn and Tomato Pizza with Bacon and Gruyere
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Pizza
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Description
This easy corn and tomato pizza is perfect for summer! With crispy bacon and rich, creamy gruyere cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 batch of your favorite quick pizza dough
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups shredded gruyere cheese
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels (about 2 ears' worth)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 500° F with a baking steel or pizza stone inside. For best results, let the oven heat for 30-60 minutes to get the baking steel nice and hot.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper over a large cutting board. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into shape and place on top of the parchment paper (this will make it easier to slide into the oven!).
- Top the pizza dough with a drizzle of olive oil, followed by the shredded gruyere, sweet corn kernels, tomatoes, and bacon pieces. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the top of the pizza.
- Slide pizza into the hot oven and bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on your oven, equipment, and pizza dough: check it every few minutes and pull it out of the oven as soon as it looks done!
- Use a pair of tongs to carefully pull the finished pizza out of the oven and onto your cutting board. Transfer pizza to a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes (a cooling rack helps the crust stay crispy) then return to the cutting board. Top with a drizzle of hot honey (optional) then slice and serve.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions. Add extra toppings if you like: This pizza is good with extra protein (chicken, sausage, pepperoni) or veggies (bell peppers, garlic, onion, mushrooms, etc). Add a drizzle of hot honey or barbecue sauce to the finished pizza for extra depth and flavor. Top pizza with fresh basil or cilantro for color. Use white cheddar or mozzarella in place of some or all of the gruyere cheese.
This is a very loose recipe: Feel free to eyeball the ingredients here! The exact amount of each topping you'll need will depend on how large you stretch your pizza dough and your personal preferences. Dial each topping up or down to suit your palate!
Because each pizza dough recipe is a little bit different, the exact size of your pizza and the necessary cook time may vary. Keep an eye on your pizza as it bakes, and pull it out of the oven when the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbling!
Can I use a lower oven temperature? Yes! We've tested this pizza at 450°F and 475°F with great results: just make sure you give your baking steel or pizza stone plenty of time to heat up (ideally 30 minutes to an hour) and extend the cooking time if you need to. The crust won't have quite the same crispy outer texture at a lower temperature, but the pizza will still taste great!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 708
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 1060.5 mg
- Fat: 36.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.1 g
- Protein: 25.1 g
- Cholesterol: 58.4 mg
Keywords: pizza, flatbread, summer
Jessica
This pizza is so good! I made it a few times, liked it with and without the bacon and have tried it with a few different herbs. The gruyere really makes it.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
YAY! We're so happy you've been loving this pizza!