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This easy Campfire Pizza with Veggies is cooked in a cast iron pan over a fire, and is an easy and delicious vegetarian pizza that's perfect for camping, cookouts, and bonfires.
This campfire pizza recipe is sponsored by Wewalka.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is the woodsy, smoky scent of a campfire.
But there is one thing that's better.
The smell of PIZZA cooking on a campfire. Just imagine-- two of the best smells in the world, mixing together and wafting through the air.
Are you hungry now? You're welcome.
This Campfire Pizza is loaded with veggies and cooked outdoors. It's totally customizable, and is perfect for camping and bonfires.
Can I Use Store-Bought Dough?
That would be a YES.
Personally, as someone who is unlikely to make homemade dough in my own kitchen with a full set of kitchen tools, appliances, and whatnot, the thought of making homemade pizza dough while camping makes me shudder.
As in-- no way, it's not going to happen.
But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't get the best of the best when it comes to pizza-- right?! Right.
For my campfire pizza, I use refrigerated pizza dough from Wewalka. (As of 2022, Welwalka is now "Jus-Rol".)
Their Classic Pizza Dough is high-quality-- without hydrogenated oils or artificial colors-- and is delicious and incredibly easy to work with.
This dough is perfect for this pizza-- it browns and rises beautifully in the cast iron pan.
Can I Use Thin Crust Dough?
Normally, I love thin crust pizza. It's light, delicious, and lets the flavor of the toppings shine through.
For this pizza though, I recommend a thicker "classic-style" (or thick crust / original crust) dough. Why?
In my experience, thicker dough tends to be a little more fool-proof. It's less likely to get soggy if your toppings have a lot of moisture, and you've got a little more "wiggle room" with your cook time.
That's helpful here, because you probably won't know the exact temperature of the campfire. Wiggle room is GOOD.
How to Cook Campfire Pizza
First, to make campfire pizza, you should get prepared ahead of time. For this recipe, the dough and cheese need to stay cold (either in a refrigerator or a camping cooler), but the veggies and sauce can be stored at room temperature.
Make sure you'll have access to a campfire ring and grate. (We use a portable campfire grate.)
And finally, grab your kitchen supplies. This recipe uses either a 10″ cast iron skillet or 12″ cast iron skillet, but you could adjust it and use different size skillets, a cast iron griddle, or a non-enameled cast iron dutch oven.
Check the recipe card for the full supply list.
Once you're at the campsite (or bonfire), get the campfire ready. Then, roughly cut the dough to fit your pan, folding over any extra dough.
Quick Tip: It's helpful to have everything prepped-- your veggies diced, and the cheese shredded-- before you start cooking the dough.
Cook the dough on the hot campfire grate until the bottom of your dough is browned and golden.
Take the pan off the fire, and flip the dough.
Assemble the pizza, cover the pan, and cook it until the cheese melts and the veggies are cooked.
Take the pizza out of the pan, and start working on your next pizza!
Want more CAMPING RECIPES? Try these:
- Camping Recipes for a Happy Glamper
- Camping Pasta Recipe: Pesto Penne
- Campfire Dutch Oven Recipe: Vegetarian Lasagna
- Camp Stove Recipe: Chickpea Curry
- Campfire Fajitas
Campfire Pizza with Veggies
Equipment
- lid for skillet OR aluminum foil
- tongs (for flipping dough)
- metal turner (for flipping dough)
- cutting board
- knife (for dicing veggies)
- spoon (for adding tomato sauce)
- pizza wheel (optional, if knife is very sharp)
- oven mitt
- pastry brush (for brushing oil on dough), not needed if using spray oil
- plates + napkins for serving
Ingredients
Pizza Base:
- 1 10" or 12" pizza dough (NOT pre-cooked, dough should be "classic" style, not thin-crust)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil OR use spray oil
- ¼ cup tomato sauce (use more or less depending on the size of your pizza)
- 4 ounces mozzarella (Just over half of one standard-size fresh mozzarella ball.)
Veggie Toppings (Use About 1 Cup of Desired Topping):
- cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- mushrooms, thinly sliced
- bell peppers, julienned
- olives, sliced
- hot peppers, sliced
- fresh spinach
Instructions
- Heat coals until they are very hot, or let a campfire burn down until the wood is smoldering but without active flames.
- While the coals are heating, trim the pizza dough to roughly the size of the cast iron pan.
- If your cast iron pan is not well-seasoned, brush or spray it with oil. If it is well-seasoned, you can skip this step.
- Prepare any veggies by slicing them to the desired size. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces with your hands, or flake apart with a fork.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the pan, folding over any excess dough. Use your fingers to press any folded-over dough into the rest of the dough so that it doesn't separate while cooking.
- Brush or spray both sides of the dough with oil.
- Place the pan onto the campfire grate. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom side of the dough begins to brown and crisp up. Note: Cook time may vary depending on the temperature of the coals or fire, and the thickness of the dough. Watch for the browning dough to know when to flip.Tip: Use metal tongs to pull the edge of the dough up and check for doneness.
- Remove pan from the campfire grate. Tip: The cast iron handle will be very hot at this point. Use an oven mitt to protect your hand.
- Off fire: Flip the dough, placing the cooked side on top. Spread the tomato sauce over top, leaving a small border around the edge for the pizza crust. Top with mozzarella and desired amount of vegetables.Cover the pan with a lid or foil.
- Return pan to the campfire grate. Cook covered for approximately 6 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the veggies are softened. Remove the lid, and cook another 2 minutes, until the excess liquid from the veggies has cooked off.Note: Cook time may vary depending on the temperature of the coals or fire, how small or large your pieces of mozzarella were shredded, and the amount and type of veggies used.
Tip: If your veggies have released a lot of liquid, tilt the pan and any excess liquid should immediately burn off when it hits the hot cast iron. - Remove pan from the fire, and move it onto the cutting board. Allow it to cool slightly before cutting and serving. If desired, begin cooking another pizza.
Notes
- Note: I do NOT recommend swapping the mozzarella for a runny cheese (like burrata or ricotta), because the moisture from the cheese can make the pizza soggy. Also keep in mind that pre-shredded cheese may take longer to melt because of stabilizers added to the cheese.
- Sauté the veggies: Instead of adding raw veggies to the pizza, sauté them first! This will require either using a second cast iron pan or allowing the pan to cool before pressing the dough into the pan.
- Margherita Pizza: Cut the mozzarella into thin rounds instead of tearing or shredding it, and place the cheese evenly on the tomato sauce. Add fresh tomato instead of mixed veggies, and cook until the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked-through (4-6 minutes). Remove from the fire, and add fresh basil.
- Goat Cheese + Spinach: Use goat cheese instead of mozzarella, and spinach as your only vegetable. Slice goat cheese into thin rounds, place the cheese evenly on the tomato sauce. Add the spinach, and cook until the cheese is melted, the dough is cooked through, and the moisture from the spinach has cooked off (4-6 minutes).
Lisa
As someone who has made her own pizza dough in the past, I'm here to say if you've got an easier alternative, I'm all for it. Especially if you're doing a campfire pizza on a legit camp fire. I mean, it's not like you're going to be punching down the dough in the middle of a forest, amIright? We've made pizzas on our gas grill in the past to good success, but it's not the same as building a real campfire. I love that little cast iron pan you have. You'll have to tell me where to find one so I can make my own campfire pizzas the next time we want an outdoor adventure. This would be so much fun.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Nothing like pizza on the grill! I've never cooked over coals before but definitely on the bbq with propane. It just adds a little somethin' somethin'. Love all the veggies on this one - healthy and a treat 🙂
Tracy Koslicki
Now this takes campfire food to another level! We've pre-made pizza and wrapped them in foil and then done them over the fire, but I imagine this is SO much better! Well, everything in a cast iron is better anyway!
Gloria
I think my hubby could live on pizza. He would eat it everyday (if I let him). This looks like a fun way to make it. I hate camping...BUT I would go camping if someone make this for me to eat. Love using cast iron....maybe I can try this on the BBQ??
champagne-tastes
You can definitely do this on a grill!!
Kris
This really gets me excited. We LOVE to camp and we LOVE pizza. I've never made pizza over a campfire, and now I can hardly wait. And I'm excited try Wewalka! I've never used this brand before but it really looks wonderful. And love sautéing the veggies first. This recipe has got me hankering a campfire pizza, big time. Time to plan our next outing!
Anna
Campfire pizza is awesome! We love to let everyone personalize their own and add favorite toppings. So fun for the kids!
Monica | Nourish & Fete
A day spent camping followed by a pizza dinner!? This is summer living at its best! I really love how easy this makes it - I almost always make my own crust at home, but that is just not realistic all the time, so this is such a fabulous option to have!
Marisa Franca
Well, our whole family could live on pizza!! What is there not to like when you have a delicious bottom crust of bread and then a tasty sauce with toppings that everyone loves. Add some cheese to it and I'm in heaven. We haven't been camping but I certainly could make it on our outdoor grill.
Amanda
I love that you not only made this pizza outside on the campfire (how fun!), but also that you cooked it in cast iron. One of my favorite vessels for cooking almost everything! I bet the bottom of the crust is so perfectly crisp. The Wewalka pizza dough looks like it browns up so nicely and is such a great timesaver, whether you're camping or making pizza at home. I don't think I'm going to want to share one of these adorable pizzas with anyone but me! Haha.
Leah
This pizza sounds so amazing, and something that I have never done. We have made pizza on this grill, but this is a whole new territory! I love your variations in toppings that you suggested and this sounds like the perfect campsite meal!
Sean@Diversivore
I am by no means an expert on camping food. I’ve camped on and off over the years, and I will be camping again this year, but I always take a sort of lackadaisical approach to food. I can never really find that sweet spot between homemade and convenient, so I kind of just go with… whatever. And that usually means a lot of smokies. Smokies for days. But I’ve got to say, this sounds tempting as heck. I mean, I love a good pizza any day of the week, but the idea of finishing off a long day out in the wilderness with pizza in a skillet over an open fire? That sounds just about perfect.
Carmy
Okay I need this!! Pizza is just what I need at the next campfire get together. I'll have to pick up this dough the next time I'm at the store!
Megan Marlowe
Can I just say this is genius?! I would have never thought to bring pizza to a campfire but I love a fire grilled pizza. The pizza also looks amazing, the crust looks like perfection and I love your choice of veggies.
Kelly Anthony
It is 7:00am here and I am dying for a slice of pizza now! This looks incredible!!!
Carrie
So I made this on a campfire this weekend. Was as easy as described, AND turned out just like the pictures. The only change I had was using Pillsbury Pizza Dough (only because the grocer did not have the suggested brand in Classic or Thick), and adding pepperoni and jalapeños to the listed vegetables, The dough was perfectly cooked, the veggies and cheese warmed and melted, and the pizza delicious. The bottom of the crust got quite dark, but it tasted amazing, had great crunch and was perfectly soft inside. I’ll make this a lot when camping. I’ll actually probably make it at home on our fire pit. That good!
Sarah
Yay!! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for letting me know!!
Anna
Tried this when camping and it was a hit!! Will definitely be cooking again. The suggested crust was very tasty. Tried with sautéed veggies and raw veggies- and agree that sautéed is best! (It cooks out the water so not excess moisture in the pizza)
Sarah Trenalone
Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!
Alisha Trenalone
Having this pizza cooked over a campfire made it a whole new level of delicious!