Summer Peach Pizza with Goat Cheese – The Sweet, Savory, Slightly Unhinged Pizza You Didn’t Know You Needed

Ok, let’s address the elephant in the room first. My pizza purists, I know this isn’t a traditional pizza. Duh. This isn't Neapolitan, there's no San Marzano tomato sauce involved, and your Nonna would probably side-eye me hard. But two very specific things happen in the summer:

1. Fruit takes over my world.

2. I make some questionable—but delicious—decisions.

Let’s talk about #1 first. Fruit, man. It’s like I black out in the produce aisle. I go in for “just a few things,” and leave with a 40-lb crate of peaches, six pints of berries, and a vague sense of shame. I tell myself, “We’ll eat it all!” forgetting the hard truth of my household: I’m the only one who actually eats fruit.

Yes, you read that right. Despite the fact that there are four adult-sized humans under this roof, I live in a home where 75% of the population has serious food aversions. ARFID is real, people, and fruit doesn't make the cut for the other three. I can sneak in mixed berry smoothies,  no dice on pies (because Chocolate Pie is the only kind Ivy believes in",  and there is precisely zero fruit in a fruit snack. So it’s just me, valiantly charging through a produce aisle’s worth of peaches before they go fuzzy in a bad way.

Cue the culinary lightbulb moment.

What if… I put the peaches on a pizza?

Now I know what you're thinking. “You monster.” “You can’t just throw stone fruit on dough and call it dinner.” But friends, I can and I did. And it was glorious.

Let me introduce you to Summer Peach Pizza with Goat Cheese.

It’s sweet. It’s tangy. It’s got homemade lemon pesto, because I’m a basil-growing goddess this year (thank you, backyard container gardening). And if I’m feeling extra—which let’s be honest, I usually am—I’ll drizzle balsamic glaze on top and eat it like the confident summer weirdo I was born to be.

This might not be the pizza you’re used to, but it might just be the pizza you fall in love with. Especially if you’re also drowning in peaches and don’t want to bake yet another cobbler.

So without further ado, here’s how to make my Not-Quite-a-Pizza Pizza:

🍑 Summer Peach Pizza with Goat Cheese

(aka “I Regret Nothing” Pizza)

Serves: 2-3 people, or one fruit-loving human avoiding eye contact with the ARFID crew
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
Emotional Preparation: 2 deep breaths and a quick “I know what I’m doing” affirmation

Ingredients:

For the crust (choose your own adventure):

• 1 ball of pizza dough (store-bought or homemade, no judgment here)

• OR a pre-baked flatbread or naan if it’s too hot to deal with dough

For the lemon pesto (aka my summer sauce MVP):

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves

• 1/3 cup toasted almonds (or pine nuts, if you're fancy)

• 2 cloves garlic

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: a couple tablespoons of grated Parmesan, if dairy isn’t your enemy

Pizza toppings:

• 2–3 ripe peaches, thinly sliced

• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

• Balsamic glaze (store-bought or homemade if you’re extra ambitious)

• Optional: a handful of arugula for a peppery little kick

🧑‍🍳 Instructions:

Step 1: Make the pesto
Throw all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth and slightly thick. Taste it and adjust salt/lemon/garlic based on your mood. This stuff is magic and you’ll want to put it on everything, including grilled cheese, sandwiches, pasta, your finger…

Step 2: Preheat that oven
Crank your oven to 450°F (or as hot as it goes without setting off your smoke alarm). If you’ve got a pizza stone or steel (which you should totally buy because they're amazing!), great. If not, a regular baking sheet will do.

Step 3: Roll out the dough
Stretch or roll out your dough to about 10–12 inches across. Place it on a piece of parchment if you’re transferring it onto a hot stone, or just put it directly on a baking sheet. If you’re using flatbread or naan, congratulations, you get to skip this part.

Step 4: Assemble the magic
Spread a generous spoonful of lemon pesto over the dough. Don’t be shy—it’s the star here. Lay your peach slices on top like you’re designing a fruity tile backsplash. Scatter crumbles of goat cheese all over.

Step 5: Bake
Pop the pizza in the oven for 10–12 minutes or until the crust is golden, the goat cheese is soft and lightly browned, and the peaches look like they’ve had a moment of spiritual awakening.

Step 6: Final flourish
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and, if you’re feeling verdant, toss some arugula on top. Stand back and admire your summer masterpiece.

🍕 Serving Suggestions:

• Serve warm, ideally with a crisp glass of something cold and mildly alcoholic.

• Eat on your porch while aggressively ignoring people who say “That’s not pizza.”

• Post on social media with the caption: “I contain multitudes.”

💬 Final Thoughts From a Peach-Crazed Pizza Rebel

Look, I’m not saying you need to forsake your classic marinara and mozzarella forever. I’m just saying maybe—just maybe—it’s time to let your summer freak flag fly a little.

This pizza is light, bright, and everything I want in July. It solves the "I bought too much fruit" problem, gives your basil a job, and lets you eat something that looks like it belongs on a menu titled “Farm-to-Table Fusion Bistro Pop-Up Night.”

So go forth, embrace the weird, and let peaches on pizza be the hill you’re proud to die on.

And for my ARFID crew—don’t worry, I 'll always make you something you love. No fruit involved. I love you, weirdos!!!