The Best Pizza Sauce to Buy (8 TOP Sellers)

Do you know that pizza sauce should contain enough lycopene to reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure? For this reason, learn the best pizza sauce to buy. Amid the several pizza sauce brands in your favorite store, which one can change your pizza-eating experience?

If you are trying to find the best store-bought pizza sauce or what kind of sauce goes on pizza, let us discuss what you need to know.

What Kind of Sauce Goes on Pizza?

Pizza experts assert that over 40 percent of your pizza flavor comes from the sauce you apply to it. So, use the sauce with seasonings and ingredients that will stir your taste buds. Also, you should know the qualities to consider when buying or making your sauce.

The tomato-based sauces are popular in almost all pizzerias. If you are unsure about the sauce to buy, you can select the tomato-based ones. You can also go for non-tomato-based sauces when you want to change your pizza-eating experience.

Pizza sauces have four divisions: Sauce, concentrated crushed, puree, and paste. Regarding the sauce, it is flavored, and it does not contain tomato chunks. 

The concentrated crushed is chunky, less wet, and contains high levels of salt and solids. Puree does not contain tomato seeds or skins. Paste has a high concentration of tomato flavor.

The Different Types of Pizza Sauce

You can make pizza sauce from several ingredients. Better still, you can buy jarred, bottled, and tinned pizza sauces. If we talk about pizza sauces, the list would be indefinite. So, let us narrow it down to some of the famous pizza sauces.

Tomato-Based Pizza Sauces

Traditional tomato-based pizza sauces have stood the time test to remain a favorite to many pizza lovers. Many like these red sauces with minced onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and other spices. Are they simple sauces made from tomatoes? No. The sauces come in several variations, including with mushrooms and other vegetables. They include the following sauces:

Spicy Red Sauces

If you add red pepper flakes to the red pizza sauce, you make spicy red sauces. The sauces go well with pepperoni, beef, sausages, bacon, and mushroom, among other toppings that balance the spiciness. You can opt to add the red pepper to your taste buds’ liking.

Peppery Red Sauce

The peppery aspect brings roasted red pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper, and black pepper together. The adjusted combination ratio of the peppers results in varying levels of complexity and heat. The peppery red sauce goes down well with mushrooms, chicken, bacon, and steak, among other toppings.

Sweet Pizza Sauces

Adding sugar to tomatoes gives the sweet pizza sauces. Brown sugar is ideal for making sweet sauces. You do not need the savory and salty flavors when taking the sweet pizza sauces. Even though these sauces are rare, they remain a favorite to many pizza lovers.

Non-Tomato-Based Pizza Sauces

You can find the non-tomato-based pizza sauces an ideal alternative to the tomato-based ones because they are equally delicious. Some of them are:

Pesto Sauce

Plain cheese lovers combine olive oil, parmesan cheese, basil, roasted pine nuts, and a dash of lemon to make the pesto sauce. This sauce features different flavors apart from the tomato-based taste. You can tweak the pesto sauce to include spinach, pine nuts, cloves, and other flavors.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce comes from a combination of heavy cream, butter, pepper, and cheeses. It is white in color and strong flavored. So, take it with olives, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, bacon, steak, and chicken, among other toppings.

Specialty Sauces

Pizza makers are increasingly experimenting with pizza sauces. They have managed to make specialty sauces in a quest to change the pizza-eating experience of their fans. Some of the specialty sauces are:

Barbeque (BBQ) Sauce

The list of BBQ sauces is endless. When you use it on pizza, it goes well with toppings that you can roast, including ham, chicken, bacon, and pineapple.

Hot Wing Sauce

A combination of butter, spices, vinegar, and hot sauce makes the hot wing sauce. It goes down well with mozzarella cheese, chicken, and blue cheese toppings.

Refried Beans and Salsa

If you love Taco pizza, you will love it more with refried beans and salsa instead of traditional pizza sauces. You can use diced tomatoes, Mexican-seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, or cheese as toppings.

Ranch

You might have dipped crackers, vegetables, or pizza on the ranch in the past. If you try the ranch-flavored sauce on pizza, alternative ranch use is delicious. On top, sprinkle various vegetables as an alternative to meat.

Mayonnaise

If you have never tried mayonnaise on pizza, try it with bacon, tomato, and lettuce toppings. You can also sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese flakes or your favorite cheese flakes. Whichever way you like it, you will find mayonnaise as a good pizza sauce.

Why Trust The Proud Italian?

We believe that food brings people together. We endeavor to update some Italian classics with a contemporary and modern flair. Our passion for food is our driving force.

We love colorful food. We also shop for herbs even during the winter. Our love for food, especially Italian food, makes us stand out from other food lovers.

We also believe that cooking is art. Often, you will read phrases like “drizzle a generous dose of virgin olive oil.” You can also come across the phrase “sprinkle a handful of grated mozzarella cheese.” For this reason, cooking is a combination of ingredients to make food that everyone loves.

Since 2007, we have provided tons of cooking guidelines to food lovers. We have also received thousands of positive reviews from satisfied food enthusiasts. Cooking, photographing the food, and writing about the food is our life.  

Our Top Pick

We pick Contadina Pizza Sauce Bottle as the best pizza sauce in the market. It is tomato-based, spicy, versatile, and easy to apply. It does not contain tomato seeds and skin. So, it is smooth and ideal for home use.

A Glance at the Best Store-Bought Pizza Sauce

1. Contadina Pizza Sauce Bottle (Best for Spicy and Versatile Pizza Sauce Lovers).
2. Pastorelli® Pizza Sauce (Best for Gluten-Free, Preservative-Free, Corn Syrup-Free, and Pizza Sauce Lovers).
3. Don Pepino Pizza Sauce (Best for Cholesterol-Free Spicy Pizza Sauce Lovers) (Amazon’s Choice Award in Pizza Sauces by Don Pepino).
4. Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce (Best for Organic Spicy Pizza Sauce Lovers) (Amazon’s Choice Award in Pizza Sauces by Muir Glen)
5. Casa Visco Pizza Sauce (Best for Low-Fat Organic Pizza Sauce Lovers).
6. Full Red Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce (Best for Mildly-Seasoned Pizza Sauce Lovers).
7. Godfather’s Pizza Sauce (Best for Those Who Like Spicy Sauce on Pizza, and Other Meals and Dishes).
8. Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce with Cheese (Best for Low-Carbohydrate Cheese Pizza Sauce Lovers).

Reviewing the Best Pizza Sauce to Buy

Contadina Pizza Sauce Bottle: Best for Spicy and Versatile Pizza Sauce Lovers

If you make pizza at home, you will find Contadina sauce a good option. Not only is the sauce tasty with pizza but also with garlic bread and breadsticks. Its plastic bottle makes its application easy. It is a non-GMO tomato puree that has a smooth texture.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Plastic bottle
• Weight: 1.52 pounds (0.69 kilograms)
• Ingredients list: Tomato puree, salt, modified corn starch, corn syrup, soybean oil, natural flavor, onion powder, carrot fiber, citric acid, spices, garlic powder, and potassium sorbate
• Flavor: Natural
• Sauce thickness: Medium
• Brand: Contadina
• Pros: Versatile, easy to apply, spicy, no tomato seeds and skins, no artificial flavors and colors, gluten-free, and animal products-free
• Cons: Unfit for people with stomach health issues
• Diet compatibility?: Dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 30, sugar: 0.12 ounces (3 grams), 0.01 ounces (0.34 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: Yes

Pastorelli® Pizza Sauce: Best for Gluten-Free, Preservative-Free, Corn Syrup-Free, and Pizza Sauce Lovers

Pastorelli sauce is an award-winning pizza sauce. It has 5 Grand Gold Medals for its quality. Its makers use a 60-year old sauce-making recipe. 

The fresh San Marzano tomatoes give this sauce a great taste. You can use this sauce for any homemade fresh tomato pizza sauce recipe. 

The sauce’s rich, zesty flavor makes it an ideal family pizza sauce. Also, it comes in a can package that makes its storage easy.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Can
• Weight: 8 ounces (226 grams)
• Ingredients list: California tomato puree, pressed canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, Pecorino Romano cheese (with pasteurized sheep milk, sea salt, cheese cultures, and enzymes), garlic, spices, and natural citric acid.
• Flavor: Zesty
• Sauce thickness: Thick
• Brand: Pastorelli
• Pros: Award-winning pizza sauce, zesty flavor, ideal for home-made pizza baking, corn syrup-free, palatable, digestible, easy to store
• Cons: It is not fit for people allergic to milk
• Diet compatibility?: Not dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 40, sugar: 0.18 ounces (5 grams), sodium 0.01 ounces (0.31 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: No

Don Pepino Pizza Sauce: Best for Cholesterol-Free Spicy Pizza Sauce Lovers (Amazon’s Choice Award in Pizza Sauces by Don Pepino)

This product comes from fresh vine-ripened New Jersey tomatoes. A bite of it reminds you of the Italian countryside. It is a fully prepared pizza sauce. All you need to do is apply to your pizza crust and bake it. 

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Can
• Weight and volume: 12.8 pounds (5.7 kilograms)
• Ingredients list: Tomatoes, salt, spices, corn oil, garlic powder
• Flavor: Natural
• Sauce thickness: Thick
• Brand: Don Pepino
• Pros: Does not contain purees, paste, gums, preservatives, sugar, starches, artificial color, fillers, or citric acid. 
• Cons: Not ideal for people allergic to corn
• Diet compatibility?: Dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving? Calories: 40, sugar: no sugar, sodium: 0.005 ounces (0.13 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: Yes

Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce: Best for Organic Spicy Pizza Sauce Lovers (Amazon’s Choice Award in Pizza Sauces by Muir Glen)

This product contains whole organic tomatoes from California. The tomatoes are also USDA and non-GMO certified. Do you know Muir is a Conservation Award winner? Now you know. 

The makers of this sauce take eight hours only to pick the tomatoes and turn them into Muir Glen pizza sauce. You use this product to make soups, stews, and sauces.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Can
• Weight and volume: 12.83 pounds (5.77 kilograms)
• Ingredients list: Whole tomatoes, organic extra-virgin olive oil, onion, basil, oregano, black pepper, sea salt, and garlic
• Flavor: Garlic
• Sauce thickness: Thick
• Brand: Muir Glen
• Pros: Comes from organic ingredients, versatile, freshly-packed, and non-GMO
• Cons: Not ideal for people with sensitive stomachs because of the spices
• Diet compatibility?: Not dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 45, sugar: 0.12 ounces (3 grams), sodium: o.01 ounces (0.25 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: No

Casa Visco Pizza Sauce: Best for Low-Fat Organic Pizza Sauce Lovers

If you are looking for pizza sauce from whole tomatoes, Casa Visco Pizza Sauce is your match. It is an all-natural flavor, low-fat sauce. Did you know that soy oil promotes skin health, prevents bone loss, and reduces cholesterol levels in your body? You can get these benefits from the Casa Visco Sauce.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Jar
• Weight and volume: 16 ounces (454 grams)
• Ingredients list: Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, soy oil, fresh onions, olive oil, oregano, spices, water
• Flavor: Natural
• Sauce thickness: Semi-thick
• Brand: Casa Visco
• Pros: All natural and low-fat pizza sauce
• Cons: Not fit for people with a sensitive stomach because of the spices
• Diet compatibility?: Dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 30, sugar: 0.14 ounces (4 grams), sodium: 0.005 ounces (0.17 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: Yes

Full Red Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce: Best for Mildly-Seasoned Pizza Sauce Lovers 

This product comes from Stanislaus tomatoes from California. It is a smooth, mildly-seasoned sauce with notable consistency and texture. It is also ideal for homemade pizzas.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Can
• Weight and volume: 6 pounds (3.03 kilograms)
• Ingredients list: Vine-ripened tomato, sunflower oil, virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, natural citric acid, basil, granulated garlic, oregano
• Flavor: Pizza, tomato
• Sauce thickness: Thick
• Brand: Stanislaus
• Pros: Fully-prepared, freshly-packed, mildly-seasoned, not from concentrate
• Cons: Not fit for people with a sensitive stomach because of the spices
• Diet compatibility?: Not dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 35, sugar: 0.11 ounces (3 grams), sodium: 0.009 ounces (0.25 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: No

Godfather’s Pizza Sauce: Best for Those Who Like Spicy Sauce on Pizza, and Other Meals and Dishes

Godfather’s pizza sauce comes from a sauce-making recipe over 43 years old. The sauce goes well with all Italian dishes. It has a balanced combination of spices and herbs. You can use it on pizza, breadsticks, and calzones, among other meals.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Jar
• Weight and volume: 14 ounces (3397 grams)
• Ingredients list: Tomato puree, salt, onion, basil, powder, garlic powder, oregano, spices, citric acid
• Flavor: Tomato, garlic
• Sauce thickness: Semi-thick
• Brand: Godfather’s Pizza
• Pros: Versatile, balanced seasoning, ideal for homemade meals, gluten-free, fish and chicken-free
• Cons: Not fit for people with a sensitive stomach because of the spices
• Diet compatibility?: Dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 25, sugar: 0.11 ounces (3 grams), sodium: 0.009 ounces (0.27 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: Yes

Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce with Cheese: Best for Low-Carbohydrate Cheese Pizza Sauce Lovers

Chef Boyardee sauce has a zesty flavor that makes your homemade pizza tasty. It is a low-carb lifestyle product with cheese. Customize this all-natural sauce to match your family’s taste. One can is enough for two 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) pizza crusts.

• Can, plastic bottle or jar?: Can
• Weight and volume: 15 ounces (425 grams)
• Ingredients list: Tomato puree, water, cheddar cheese, soybean oil, salt, spice, enzyme modified cheese, modified corn starch, cream, water, salt, xanthan gum, sodium phosphate, carotenal, natural flavorings
• Flavor: Zesty
• Sauce thickness: Semi-thick
• Brand: Chef Boyardee
• Pros: Spicy, ideal for family homemade pizza, low-carb, cheesy
• Cons: Not fit for people with a sensitive stomach because of the spices
• Diet compatibility?: Dietary compatible
• Calories, sugar, and sodium per serving?: Calories: 35, sugar: 0.11 ounces (3 grams), sodium: 0.01 ounces (0.35 grams)
• Cholesterol free?: No

Considerations to Take Before Buying Jarred Pizza Sauce

The best pizza sauces should have a great flavor and allow toppings to stick and bake on a pizza well. You do not want a pizza with falling toppings every time you want to take a bite. So, what is the best pizza sauce? It is the one that contains the following qualities:

Flavor

Flavor tops the list of essential qualities that pizza sauce should have. If pizza sauce contains all other qualities but lacks a flavor to your liking, you will not like the sauce.

Pizza sauce with tomato flavor is versatile. It goes down well with most toppings, such as cheesy, meaty, vegetarian, and fish toppings. Pesto and barbeque-flavored pizza sauce are also yummy. However, you have to mind the toppings that match the two flavors.

So, a good pizza sauce should have a tomato flavor that accommodates other present herbs. For example, if the sauce has onions and garlic, the tomato flavor should not override the two flavors. It should also accommodate the taste of the toppings and pizza crust. 

Ingredients

Ingredients come second in the list of the qualities of the best pizza sauce brand. You must know what you consume in the name of pizza sauce. So, always check for the list of ingredients on the sauce’s label. The move also helps you identify the flavor of the sauce.

Most pizza sauce brands are healthy because they do not contain preservatives and additives. The right serving size gives you a nutritional intake of calories, sugar, and sodium in the sauce. However, it is not rare to find pizza sauce with unhealthy ingredients, especially sauces for dietary needy people.

Versatility

The versatility of a product gives you fun in the kitchen. It allows you to experiment, especially with the ingredients in your kitchen.

How would you feel after buying pizza sauce that can also use with spaghetti or pasta? How about a pizza sauce that you can add your spices and herbs to make it tastier? The feeling is always great. You can use versatile pizza sauce on garlic bread, breadsticks, or other side dish or party food.  

To check for the versatility of your pizza sauce, check its label. The makers of such sauce always indicate whether the sauce is good with other meals and dishes. However, ensure you cook the versatile sauce and serve it hot.

How to Use

You can pour most pizza sauces to your liking on a pizza crust and then spread it. Afterward, place the sauce-smeared pizza crust in an oven to bake. You can also add hot and cooked pizza sauce to pasta or use it as a dip. So, the sauce is often in a semi-solid state.

Storage

The label of a pizza sauce jar or container has guidelines on the storage of pizza sauce. If the jar is unopened, let it lie in your pantry or any other dry and safe place. After opening it, refrigerate it for preservation. Better still, put leftover canned pizza sauce in a resealable and reusable glass jar for refrigeration.

Lifespan

Several aspects determine the lifespan of pizza sauce. Unopened sauce with preservatives can remain fit for consumption for 18 to 24 months. The expiry date on its label can also serve as a guideline.

If you prefer organic sauces with natural and simple ingredients, their lifespan is shorter than sauces with additives and preservatives. Unopened organic pizza sauces have a lifespan of three to six months. However, refrigerating the opened ones prolongs their lifespan.

Dietary Requirements

If you are expecting guests for a pizza, consider their dietary requirements when buying pizza sauce. Ask whether there will be any vegan, vegetarian, or one that takes gluten- and lactose-free meals. Most pizza sauces are ideal for the three sets of guests, but you have to confirm it before buying the sauce.

If you check the label of pizza sauce and find it contains cheese and milk, it is not ideal for vegans and lactose-intolerant people. On the other hand, sauces with wheat are unfit for people that eat gluten-free food.

Nutritional Benefits

Tomatoes and other ingredients that pizza sauces contain make the sauces nutritional. However, the nutritional content is low because you take small servings of the sauces. Nevertheless, you need to know the minerals and vitamins you get every time to eat pizza sauce.

Several types of pizza sauces are low in calories. So, people that keep their waistline in check benefit from taking the sauces. However, you have to use the correct serving to get the calories on the label.

Pizza sauces are high in antioxidants and vitamin C, given that the sauces are from tomatoes. So, taking the sauces boosts your immunity. It also reduces the risk of cancer and heart attack.

If you find pizza sauces with oregano and basil, they contain polyphenols that reduce the risk of breast cancer. They also delay cancer. Pizza sauces with extra virgin olive oil can prevent stroke and reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Mild vs. Spicy

Most pizza sauces are not spicy. Such sauces are mild, and you can add to them more ingredients and spices to your liking.

The mildness makes most pizza sauces versatile. You can take them with various toppings without feeling an odd taste.

If you are adventurous with food, go for spicy pizza sauces. However, spicy sauces are not for people with sensitive stomachs because they can aggravate the health issue.

What is the Best Pizza Sauce (Jarred)

Casa Visco Pizza Sauce stands out from the rest among the best-jarred pizza sauces. It is an all-natural flavor, low-fat sauce that comes from whole tomatoes. Also, it has the benefits of soya sauce oil, including promoting skin health and reducing cholesterol levels in your body.

Any pizza is not tasty without pizza sauce. The sauce gives pizza its flavor. It also keeps pizza toppings in place to prevent messy pizza-eating moments. If you want the best pizza for your homemade uses, go for versatile sauces. Such a sauce goes down well with other meals besides pizza.