When strawberries are in season, this recipe for fruit pizza is the perfect way to enjoy them.
Sweet and refreshing, but never cloying, this fruit pizza gets its flavor from a light sweetened cream cheese topping and fresh, unsweetened strawberries.
As a breakfast pizza, serve this strawberry fruit pizza as is. For a dessert pizza, serve it drizzled with the chocolate sauce for an extra treat. Or simply sprinkle with a little powdered sugar. Never use frozen strawberries for this fruit pizza recipe. They are too watery, and they'll make the crust soggy.
Choose either a regular homemade pizza dough, a store-bought pizza shell (such as a Boboli), or a homemade chocolate pizza dough for the crust. If you making the chocolate pizza crust and you want a bagel-like breakfast texture, make one large 14-inch round pizza. If you want a thinner, more dessert-style texture, make two 12-inch round pizzas or make one and freeze the other.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Make pizza dough according to directions and stretch to fit a 14-inch pizza pan or a large cookie sheet. Or, place a store-bought pizza crust on a cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes.
Meanwhile, with an electric hand mixer, beat ricotta cheese, Neufchatel cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy. Spread this sweetened cream cheese mixture over the pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Top with sliced strawberries.
If desired, drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Heat milk and chocolate chips in a microwave safe container on 50% power for 45 seconds. Stir well. Heat again in 30-second increments, at 50% power, and stir until mixture takes on a sauce-like consistency. Be careful not to overheat! The sauce will not immediately look smooth upon coming out of the microwave, but after you stir well, it will begin to come together.
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Makes 24 servings.
Per serving (with homemade chocolate pizza crust): 135 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein, 3% vitamin A, 14% vitamin C, 5% calcium, 9% iron