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Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza represents a glorious moment of redemption when the band geek dates the homecoming queen.

Beet Apple Pizza with Cheddar on brown parchment paper.

I have a deep affection for vegetables that were made fun of in middle school.

Not to bring up my childhood (but to bring up my childhood), my full-forehead bangs, braces/glasses duo, and 12-year-old-boyish figure put me in the metaphorical clarinet section, not the cheerleading squad.

Apple Cheddar Pizza with Beets and Rosemary cut into pieces

Since those days, I’ve matured.

No longer an uncomfortable little nerd, I’m now a giant nerd at peace with her inner geekdom. I dropped the bangs, kept the boyish figure (or rather nature did, but I’m rolling with it), and have come to realize that what others viewed as an unattractive vegetable was actually a sweet, nutritious, and tasty pizza topping.

Oops. We’ve transitioned to talking about beets now.

Apple Pizza with Beets and Cheddar topped with fresh rosemary

I hated beets for years, mostly because the only way I’d experienced them was out of a can (still a bad choice).

Little did I suspect that, when freshly sliced and layered with sweet apples, sharp white cheddar cheese, and fresh rosemary, beets would be the key ingredient in a sweet and savory pizza that even my beet-bashing husband would enjoy (he even enjoys Beet Salad now too).

I can’t take credit for the complementary flavor magic that occurs when beets, apples, and cheddar are layered atop carbs—for that I owe Martha Stewart and my mother.

Over Thanksgiving, my mom made these incredible Beet Apple and Cheddar Puff Pastry Tarts at Thanksgiving, and I simply couldn’t shove enough into my face in between all of the turkey and sides to take full advantage.

Apple Cheddar Pizza with Beets

I needed the beet/apple/cheddar combo back in my life, but since the recent puff pastry intake around here has been moderately alarming (reference: Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites; Cheesy Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites), I wanted to find a different way to serve the ingredients. The answer: pizza.

Apple Beet and Cheddar Pizza on white plate with rosemary

Yes beets, you can kiss your trivia-bowl days good bye—today, you are hanging with pizza, the most popular kid in the class.

I’m beginning to suspect the universe has destined me to vindicate unpopular vegetables through pizza, and I’m not one to argue with cosmic will.

Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza  joins the ranks of Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza and Spicy Turkey Leek Asparagus Pizza, proving that even the most suspect of veggies can be made desirable when served on top of crust with cheese.

I brushed my favorite easy weeknight Whole Wheat Pizza Dough with olive oil to make it crisp and golden.

The beets, apples, and rosemary are earthy and sweet against the sharp, bubbly cheddar. This Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza is completely satisfying as a vegetarian main dish, though if you should choose to add bacon, I won’t stop you.

Cheddar Apple Beet Pizza with Rosemary

This recipe is also relatively quick to pull together, because none of the toppings need to be cooked prior to topping the pizza crust. A thin slicing of the beets and apples ensures they soften in the oven.

Happy holidays, and please save me a spot at the lunch table. I’m bringing Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza , and if you promise not to make fun of my bangs (or have chocolate), I might just share a slice.

Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza

5 from 2 votes
Thinly sliced beets, apples, and sharp cheddar cheese create a sweet and savory homemade apple pizza that's beautiful, healthy, and delicious.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Servings: 1 11×14-inch pizza

Ingredients
  

  • Whole Wheat Pizza Dough  or your favorite pizza dough recipe enough to yield 1 11×14-inch pizza
  • Extra virgin olive oil for brushing pizza
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 2 small sweet apples such as Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji, cored and thinly sliced, peel on
  • 2 small beets scrubbed, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Prepare Whole Wheat Pizza Dough according to recipe directions. You will only need 1 crust, so feel free to half the recipe or freeze the second half for a later time.
  • Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11×14-inch rectangle, working from the center. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, then brush the its entire surface liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, then top with apple slices. Tuck the beet slices between the apples, then top with remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle rosemary over the top.
  • Bake pizza until the crust is crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 3 minutes. Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 828kcalCarbohydrates: 165gProtein: 28gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gPotassium: 17mgFiber: 14gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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92 Comments

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  1. Love this post, Erin! Use grown up nerds can be happy that we get to eat amazing things like this PIZZA! Ahhhh! Looks great.

  2. I love beets, but my hubby not so much. I suspect this pizza will appear on my dinner table pretty soon! Fingers-crossed that he will love it, as did your husband!

  3. I <3 beets to the moon and back – but never had them with apples – such a unique twist – my tastebuds are dying to try it!

  4. This pizza sounds fantastic. Hope I’ll find a way to try it (get my husband on board).

    I’m really bummed that I cannot enter this giveaway for something I really like (I have a couple of Wusthof knives already) because I don’t do twitter, instragram, or pinterest. Not everybody who is interested in the giveaway participates in all those social media.

    1. Hi! I wanted to let you know that we’ve added one more option to the giveaway so that you can enter by leaving a comment on the post. Feel free to go back in, complete your information, and check the box for an entry. I really appreciate your bringing this up, and it’s something I will keep in mind going forward. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

  5. Oh wow the color of those beets are just so beautiful! And the flavor of everything has got to be amazing! Pinned!

  6. Hah, “vindicating unpopular vegetables through pizza” – LOVE it! Love the sweet and savory action going on here!

  7. I seriously feel like anytime anything is served or cooked with cheese, it takes it up a notch with the yum factor. :) but I would have devoured this Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza regardless. . LOVE this so much!!! and looks SO good!! you’ve got to be proud of this one, Erin. . totally going to try this one!! and what a way to end the 12 days of giveaways. . girl, you probably need a big drink right now!!

  8. I’m looking forward to making our family ambrosia recipe on Christmas Eve. It’s been handed down for many generations, and Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without our ambrosia!

  9. Prime Rib as we only have it once a year..and, my grandma’s traditional southern Red Velvet Cake….other goodies too. ;)
    I LOVE beets this recipe is very intriguing. thanks.

  10. Thank you most sincerely for adding the blog post comment entry option. I am looking forward to crafting another Derby pie this weekend (chocolate, pecan, bourbon). Following your “boozy” recipe advice, I recently started using Bulleit for baking!

  11. My daughter and I give out baked goods to our friends and family at Christmas. When go with different ones each year. This year I think we are doing a variety of cookies so I can’t wait to start on them

  12. I’ve always hated beets until I had it in a salad a few weeks ago and I was insanely pleased and angry at the same time that I avoided it all these years. Coincidentally it was an apple walnut salad. Must be beets are meant to be with apples and that’s the only way I will be having them!!

  13. Erin! This site is fantastic and your maple roasted butternut squash freekeh salad with kale was the real deal. I look forward to trying this recipe out over the holidays!

  14. I love beets so I will try this but I have some dietary restrictions so I will have to make a few changes. I’m excited to make cookies with my grandsons this year.

  15. One thing I am looking forward to cooking this holiday season is my mom’s pepper cookies around the Christmas days. Can’t wait!

  16. I’ll probably bake some beets, marinate them in orange juice, lots of orange zest, some olive oil (and s+p), and use them on a salad with goat cheese and pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted. I’ve never made pizza in my own oven. Is a stone or something like it crucial to a good crust? What about a peel? How do you get the pizza into the oven, onto the hot stone or whatever if the dough is soft? Your pictures show that the beets and apples stayed in place as you cooked it which made me wonder. Thanks!

    1. Carol, beets on a salad with orange sound absolutely lovely! For the pizza, there is more detail in the recipe directions, but I don’t top the pizza until it is already on the (parchment paper lined) baking sheet. This makes sure everything stays in place. Pizza stones are great, but they are not absolutely crucial. When I use a stone, I assemble the pizza on parchment, then slide it onto the hot stone, paper and all. The pizza bakes with the parchment right underneath. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I hope you love the pizza if you try it!

  17. I’m excited to make holiday cookies and cupcakes with my daughter who will be home from the university this weekend.

  18. This season I am most excited to cook my mama’s traditional homemade stew. I’m a college student at CSU Fort Collins, CO… Love to cook and bake! This block set would be an amazing gift and gem in my kitchen!

    Thanks for this opportunity! The pizza looks so good, I’m making it soon :)

    1. Rachael, if you love beets, then this is definitely the pizza for you! And the aged Cabot cheddar is SO good on it. Trust me :)

  19. This flavor combination sounds wild and adventurous! :D My early encounters with beets (similar to yours) involved trying not to gag while forcing down those cold (cold because I delayed in eating them as long as possible… (hoping they’d disappear?)) canned cubes at the dinner table. My more recent experiences have been much more hopeful, however, with my dad making a few rounds of really killer ginger-spiked borscht one winter. Enough to turn me beet-curious at least. Anyway, thanks so much for the recipe! I have no clue what it’d taste like together, so I’d love to try making it! ^^ You make it sound (and look) fabulous! For the giveaway entry, I will say I’m looking forward to making mini creme puffs filled with all sorts of different flavors for our family’s get-together. I made choux pastries for the first time last night, and today I made the same dough, eclair style……this isn’t a good pattern, is it? ;D

  20. I was excited to bake Christmas cookies…now that they’re done I’m excited to make Christmas dinner with a special ham recipe.

  21. I made this for dinner last week. My hub liked it well enough. I loved it though!!! I will probably make this again for lunch with friends. I am sure they will appreciate it as much as I did! :) Thanks again for the great recipe Erin. :)

    1. Kerry, I’m so so happy to hear that you liked it and want to try it again with friends! Thank you so much for taking time to let me know, and I hope you love it even more the second time.

  22. I went to go comment here the other day, but my phone ate the submit button, so here goes take 2!

    I lurv (like really LURV) this flavor combination. I never really got how awesome beets are with things until my Russian ex got me into them and the combination of cheddar and apple was the first way I was introduced so it holds such a special place in my tummy… but then you put it on a PIZZA and I am just so in lurv right now. It’s kind of a good thing I don’t have this pizza around me because I would eat the whole thing on my own!

  23. I’m excited to make spritz cookies. They’re so pretty and delicate, and they make my cookie platter more beautiful.

  24. Interesting combo. I like beets, but never thought of them paired with cheese. I have faith in your pairings, so why not?

  25. I would love to try the Beet Cheddar Apple Pizza or the Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza. I am a huge fan of beets and brussels sprouts but always have them plain. Time to spruce things up a bit!

  26. I think the only way I’ve had beets is beets from a can or pickled beets. Not a fan of either. But I think I could get behind fresh beets, especially if eating them on this pizza. Beautiful pizza, Erin!

  27. I am back… and completely obsessed with your blog. I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?

    1. Barbara, I am so happy to have you here! Feel free to use 1 photo (crediting wellplated.com) with the name of the recipe AND a direct link to the blog post: https://www.wellplated.com/beet-cheddar-apple-pizza/. I ask that no part of the recipe be reprinted. No need to ask again. As long as you follow these guidelines, you can include a recipe anytime you like!

  28. I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! My dough was covered with just one beet, an apple and a quarter, and I only had orange cheddar cheese but it worked out just fine. Aside from the superb flavour this was really easy to pull together and for that I think it would make a great dinner party meal. I served mine with a simple cashew/avocado green salad. Scrumptious! 5 stars

    1. Gabrielle, I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this! It’s so different and one of my favorites. Thanks for trying the recipe and reporting back!

  29. I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?

    1. Hi Barbara, I’d love to be included, thank you! Please feel free to use one photo, with a direct link to the recipe. I ask that you include a direct recipe link (required), and a link to http://www.wellplated.com too. An easy way to do this is to put credit below the photo that says “by Erin Clarke of Well Plated”. I also ask that no part of the recipe ingredients or directions be reprinted. Thanks for sharing!

  30. The picture of the gorgeous baked pizza is what drew me to the recipe. I LOVE beets and am always looking for new ways to prepare them.
    The pizza turned out nothing short of great! The combo of apple and beet with the cheddar cheese and rosemary is so savory and delicious. Thank you Erin!5 stars