I’m thrilled to share this recipe for Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza: Better than Whole Foods! If you were a fan of the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza from Whole Foods and cried when it was discontinued like I did, I am thrilled to report that I have successfully recreated it. Before Whole Foods pulled it, it was literally the best frozen pizza I’d ever had.
Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza features a light and sweet tomato base topped with fresh sliced jalapeños and salty prosciutto and just enough cheese to make it creamy. While I’m still sad that I can’t just buy it, at least I don’t have to live without it anymore. This recipe is made with fresh ingredients, so it may actually be better than the OG!
The OG Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza
I discovered the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Wood Fired Pizza when I was working for Whole Foods in Del Mar, California. It was love at first bite. I’m not a huge fan of the frozen pizza, but this was my go-to comfort dinner on nights when I just didn’t feel like cooking. Pair it with a simple arugula and avocado salad, and it was just perfect.
When I moved to Dallas, I located my nearest Whole Foods and went straight to the frozen food aisle. I was so relieved to see that I could still get it.
But just a few months later, I was horrified to see the yellow “Last Chance” sticker on the shelf below my beloved Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza pie. I immediately tracked down the store manager and begged him to tell me it was a mistake. It was not.
Guilty of Hoarding
I immediately bought every last one they had (only 4 boxes sadly). Then I made my way to the other 6 Whole Foods within a 50 miles radius of me and bought all of theirs too. Even with those extreme measures I only had 10 boxes. I cleaned out my freezer to accommodate.
As I mentioned in a previous post for Prosciutto, Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza, I initially planned to covet these for as long as possible. But freezer burn is a real thing, so I decided it was better to enjoy them than risk it. They lasted about 2 months.
Necessity Is the Mother of Invention
Of course, I decided to try to recreate it. I just winged it the first few times but something was missing.
I had kept the last box (to reference the picture thinking that would be enough) and realized I had never looked at the actual ingredient list on the back.
That’s when I discovered the secret ingredient. It still took a little trial and error, but I finally got it right. And now it’s time to share.
I’ve seen a few comments from others who loved the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza on social media and are still hoping Whole Foods will bring it back. I sincerely hope this recipe finds its way to you and that you are happy with the recipe.
Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza: Better than Whole Foods!
There are a couple of key elements you’ll need to get this as close to the OG as possible:
- Crème fraîche is the secret to the sweetness of the base!
- Use fresh tomatoes, not marinara sauce.
- Fresh sliced jalapeños
- Fresh prosciutto that is still cool
- Honey
The clutch discovery that I made from looking at the ingredient list was that they made the base using crème fraîche. That is as key to the sweetness factor as the honey. You can buy crème fraîche in most stores or you can make it yourself, just Google it.
Typically I would tell you to substitute sour cream for the crème fraîche in a recipe if you can’t find it, but in this case it won’t be the same. The only option I can think of would be to use mascarpone so if you happen to have that on hand instead of the crème fraîche, let me know how it works out.
Fresh Diced Tomato
I used marinara sauce on my first attempt at recreating the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza, but fresh diced tomatoes were so much better.
I’ve also tried putting the tomatoes and crème fraîche in a food processor to combine them and save the trouble of cutting the tomatoes but it made an ugly pink color and got too watery. It is better to just spread a layer of crème fraîche on the crust and top with chopped cherry tomatoes. Less dishes!
Cherry tomatoes are harder to find these days. I don’t find that grape tomatoes are as sweet, so if you can’t find cherry tomatoes I would just use a small vine-ripe and dice it. Strain the majority of the liquid before you add to the pizza.
It only takes me 2 minutes to quarter and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza: The Cheese
Getting the cheese right was another challenge in recreating the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza. The box says mozzarella was used, but I felt like this was not quite right. If you look at the actual ingredient list, it indicated that the base included a sauce that may contain smoked provolone.
I was really afraid to use smoked provolone as that seemed very likely to ruin my pizza. So I started with regular provolone. Then a combination of mozzarella and provolone. Both were fine. But it can quickly be too much cheese. Moderation is key.
I went to Whole Foods thinking I’d just but a slice of smoked provolone from the deli, but of course they don’t have it there. The only option would have been to buy a $15 wedge from the artisanal cheese section but I knew I didn’t need that much and would throw most of it out.
As it turned out, my Whole Foods doesn’t even carry smoked provolone so the cheese monger offered to cut me a small piece of smoked gouda instead. I decided to go for it.
I didn’t even use the entire nub she gave me. I grated this tiny piece of smoked gouda and used it with mozzarella.
The conclusion? It made no difference. I’ve decided that Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza is not nearly as dependent on the cheese combination as the other key ingredients. I’ve decided the optimal mix is mozzarella and regular provolone, but you can use either independently and get a satisfying result.
Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza − The Toppings
You can choose to add the jalapeños before or after baking. I like it both ways. If I’m in the mood for hot, I’ll add them after as I like the crispy bite of unbaked fresh sliced jalapeños.
Keep the prosciutto refrigerated until you pull the pizza out. Adding your prosciutto after the pizza comes out of the oven is key. That is how the OG was served and the cool prosciutto with the hot pizza is divine.
Honey is also an essential part of the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza. I drizzle a little over the entire thing. Fresh basil is optional.
Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza − The Crust
The one thing we haven’t talked about is the pizza crust itself. This is probably the biggest challenge as there are a lot of different pre-prepared crusts to choose from.
I am incredibly grateful to be able to buy pre-made sourdough pizza crusts from a local bakery to make Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza. Joy Artisan Bakery is located in Coppell, Texas but I don’t believe she offers shipping. That said, if you have a local sourdough baker, you might just ask them if they can make you a few pizza crusts.
Otherwise it’s dealers choice on what crust you use. The OG Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza was a thinner crust, but still had some chewiness to it.
Rounding It Out
As you can see in the photos, I chose to make 1/2 a pizza instead of a whole. That is because if I make the whole pizza, I eat the whole pizza. Instead, I pair 1/2 with either a Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Hemp Hearts and Pepitas or Avocado and Arugula Salad with Hemp Hearts.
I sincerely hope that anyone who loved the Sweet & Spicy Prosciutto Pizza as much as I did will try this recipe and let me know what you thought.
Ingredients
- 1 10-inch prebaked pizza crust (ideally sourdough if you can find it)
- 4 tbsp creme fraiche
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered then halved (about 15 tomatoes)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella
- 1 slice provolone cheese
- 1/8 cup thinly sliced fresh jalapenos (about 15 slices)
- 2-3 slices prosciutto
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 handful fresh basil, torn optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475℉.
- Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, and then cut those pieces in half to make a smaller dice. It just takes a minute and is so worth it versus using a food processor.
- Spread the creme fraiche on your prebaked crust. It will be a thin layer. Top with the cherry tomatoes. Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the cheese making sure not to overdo it (spread out the mozzarella and then tear the provolone slice into small pieces and add that). Add the sliced jalapenos evenly. (option to add the jalapenos after the pizza comes out of the oven – this leaves them a little more crisp but they will be hotter!)
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden. Remove from oven and immediately top with 2-3 slices of prosciutto torn into smaller strips. Drizzle with honey and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Want more recipes that use sweet and salty? Try Prosciutto and Ricotta Pasta with Garlic Oil and Cherry Tomatoes or Peach, Tomato and Burrata Crostini.
