The best frozen cheese pizza is there for you when you need something hot, cheesy, and doughy. Or it’s there for you when you want to make a custom pizza topped with all sorts of gourmet ingredients but can’t be bothered to make a crust, sauce, etc. from scratch. Either way, the important thing is that it’s there and it’s the best.
I tried some of the most highly rated frozen cheese pizzas in the freezer aisle to find the best frozen cheese pizza. Here’s what I was looking for:
- Savory sauce. Frozen pizzas often have oddly sweet sauce. And that might be okay paired with a ton of other toppings like roasted vegetables or sausage. But when it’s just cheese, you really need a savory sauce. I want something that tastes like actual tomato sauce, with a concentrated umami flavor and maybe even a few shakes of oregano.
- Cheese flavor. Using multiple kinds of cheeses tends to be best on a frozen cheese pizza—that way you get a balance of flavor between extra savory parmesan and melty mozzarella, for example. And if the frozen cheese pizza is made with just one cheese, it better be gooey and salty. The worst thing on frozen cheese pizza is a flavorless blanket, or worse yet, a few flavorless shreds. Which brings us to…
- Cheese coverage. A cheese pizza, frozen or not, is all about the cheese. So give me lots of cheese. I want crust-to-crust cheese—maybe even some cheese on the crust for seasoning.
- Quality crust. Like any frozen pizza, a frozen cheese pizza needs to have a good crust. If it’s thin crust, I want it crispy, if it’s homestyle, I want it fluffy and chewy. Mostly, I don’t want it to taste like cardboard.
While all of the pizzas I tried were pretty good—I wouldn’t turn any down any if you offered me a slice at 2 p.m. on a work day when I’m starting to slump—only five really stood out as pinnacles of frozen cheese pizza artistry. Here are the best frozen cheese pizzas. (And if you’re looking for more of the best frozen pizzas, we’ve got you covered.)
- Newman’s Own Thin & Crispy Crust Four Cheese
If you like Domino’s thin crust pizza, Newman’s Own could be the best frozen cheese pizza for you. The crust is crunchy, the sauce is savory, and the cheese tastes like real birthday party-style pizza cheese. My favorite thing about it was how the cheese and the sauce browned and caramelized in the oven, so keep it in there for the full time.
Credit: Merc / Target
- DiGiorno Hand-Tossed Four Cheese Personal Size
I love that the cheese goes all the way to the edge on this fluffy personal pizza—it makes for a perfect blank canvas. I think this is the best frozen cheese pizza to dress up. If it was up to me, I’d add anchovies, olives, capers, and red pepper flakes for an umami bomb of a pizza. If it was up to managing editor Gwynedd Stuart and her husband, pickles would definitely make an appearance. This cheesy pizza is here for it all.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Freschetta Four Cheese
This is a very good frozen cheese pizza—the dough puffs up in the oven, the cheese is a nice blend. But the crust takes it over the edge and makes it one of the best frozen cheese pizzas. It’s so herby and buttery. I think this would be the best cheesy pizza for family dinner with a nice side salad.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Chicago’s Home Run Inn Cheese Classic Pizza
The crust of this pizza is absolutely incredible—it’s buttery and flaky, almost like pastry. You absolutely do not need toppings on this pizza. The cheese is the perfect topping as is for the tart-like crust. And there is a lot of cheese. It’s gooey and salty and there aren’t any sauce gaps. It also gets nice and crispy in the oven. This is not an everyday pizza. It’s far too rich. This is the best frozen cheese pizza to eat once a month—tops.
Credit: Merc / Target
- DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Five Cheese
There was no question that this was the best frozen cheese pizza. The crust is stuffed with mozzarella that actually tastes like mozzarella, not just some cheese substitute. There’s lots of it and it turns the crust into a mozz stick. The cheese on top of the pizza is a tasty blend that is extremely cheesy—the cheddar really makes a difference. The pizza itself is classic DiGiorno, and we love that. This is a true cheese lover’s pizza.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best Thin Crust
Best for Adding Toppings
Best Crust
Best Practically Pastry
Best of the Best
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!