I am so excited to share this recipe for caprese flatbread with you! Sometimes called caprese flatbread pizza or simply caprese pizza, it’s easy enough for your teens or a novice baker and so tasty that your whole family, even the picky eaters, will love it.
With only a few steps and simple ingredients, you can have this delicious dish on your table in 15 minutes. And the best part: you can serve it for lunch, dinner, a snack or even an appetizer. Believe me when I tell you it is a perfect dish!
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The inside scoop on my Caprese Flatbread Recipe
Inspiration: While the term caprese originated in the isle of Capri, and flatbread is from the middle east, this caprese flatbread recipe is an Americanized pizza-like fusion of both. Caprese most often refers to a combination of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
Number of ingredients (not counting salt and pepper: 5
Cooking Method: Baking, 10 minutes
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavors: Similar to a margarita pizza with a crispy crust, cheesy basil pesto deliciousness and fresh tomatoes
Skill Level: Beginner
- Quick and Easy: With just a few simple steps, this caprese flatbread is ready to serve in 15 minutes. It’s the perfect grab-and-go dinner for throwing together on busy weeknights.
- Minimal Ingredients: I’m keeping it simple with pantry staples such as purchased flatbread, mozzarella cheese, prepared pesto, and tomatoes. This is not a fancy-schmancy dish.
- Foolproof: Anyone intimidated by making traditional pizza will LOVE this recipe!
Ingredient notes and substitutions:
- Flatbread can be purchased premade in the bakery section of your grocery store. It often comes with two flatbreads per package. Naan, a smaller type of flatbread, can be substituted.
- Basil pesto – I prefer using purchased refrigerated basil, but jarred can also be used. If you have an excess of basil in your garden and would like to make your own, you might want to check out my recipe for basil pesto.
- Tomatoes – I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes in this recipe. However you can also use sliced regular tomatoes. If you use sliced tomatoes, let them drain on a paper towel before adding them.
- Mozzarella Cheese – fresh mozzarella is best and will give you great flavor, but you can also use regular mozzarella.
- Salt and pepper – enhance all of the flavors in this recipe.
- Balsamic glaze – adds a rich, slightly sweet, tangy flavor.
- Optional – fresh basil adds a pop of color and a fresh taste.
Complete measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
How to make Caprese Flatbread
- Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the flatbread on the pan.
- Use a pastry brush and lightly coat the flatbread with the pesto. Be sure to go all the way to the edge.
- Top the flatbread with the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the edges of the crust are golden brown.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the flatbread, add fresh basil if desired, and serve immediately.
Menu suggestions
While we often eat our caprese flatbread by itself and call it dinner, if you want to round it out and make it a nice meal here are some menu options.
- Option 1: Caprese Flatbread, House Salad or Southern Corn Salad, and Key Lime Mousse
- Option 2: Caprese Flatbread, Watermelon Feta Salad or American Coleslaw and Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake
Recipe variations
Just like with pizza, the sky’s the limit with topping choices. My favorite combination is tomatoes and bacon, but pepperoni, bell peppers, sausage, mushrooms, and black olives all would be delicious when added as toppings.
How to store and reheat leftovers
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
I happen to love leftover cold pizza and caprese flatbread. If you would like yours heated, the best way to reheat it is to place the slices of cold pizza on a rimmed baking sheet and cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil.
Place the baking sheet on the lowest rack of a cold oven and set the temperature to 275°F. Let them heat up for 10-15 minutes or until the bottom is crisp and the cheese has melted.
Recipe FAQs
No, caprese refers to a combination of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. You can have different types of caprese, including flatbread, pizza, salads, pasta, and chicken. Mozzarella is simply a type of cheese.
Pitas, naan, tortillas, and focaccia are all types of flatbread.
The main differences are the texture and the amount of moisture in each. Fresh mozzarella has a soft texture and a high moisture content. Regular (or low-moisture) mozzarella is firmer and has much less moisture. Both melt easily and will work in this recipe, although I prefer using fresh.
Sharon’s tips
I am firmly in the camp that believes more cheese is always better. However, adding too much cheese will cause it to slide off your flatbread onto your pan while it cooks. You can easily take a spatula and flip it back on the flatbread but just know this might happen if you add too much.
Before reheating your leftovers, you might want to remove any fresh basil leaves you used as a garnish. They look pretty sad after being reheated.
This recipe, as written, will feed two adults. If you have more folks to feed, just adjust the number of servings in the recipe card.
More cheesy recipes
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon.
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Best Caprese Flatbread (Quick and Easy)
Equipment
- half size rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 purchased flatbread, about 12.5×6-inches
- ¼ cup basil pesto, refrigerated, jarred, or homemade
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded, sliced, or torn
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze
- Fresh small basil leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the flatbread on the pan.
- Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the flatbread with the pesto, making sure to go all the way to the edge.
- Top the flatbread with the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the edges of the crust are golden brown.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the flatbread, add fresh basil if desired, and serve immediately.
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