What to get the pizza lover in your life this holiday season

Whether you’re shopping for an aspiring pizzaiolo or someone who just loves eating pizza, we’re serving up some can’t-miss gift ideas for the pizza lover in your life this holiday season.

If you have someone in your life who is passionate about pizza, the holidays offer the perfect excuse to lean into their obsession.

Whether they’re the type who will drive two hours to see if a buzzed-about pizzeria lives up to the hype, an aspiring pizzaiolo who is meticulous about giving their dough enough time to proof and their pizza stone plenty of time to get hot in the oven, or someone who simply enjoys eating a lot of pizza from the comfort of their couch, there is no shortage of meaningful ways to give them the gift of pizza this holiday season.

From pizza-making accessories, to apparel, to pizza-themed excursions, to pizza itself, here are some gift ideas for the pizza lover in your life.

A gift card to their favorite pizza place

If your pizza lover is hitting up their favorite pizzeria on a weekly basis, a gift card is as good as gold. Especially if their fave spot is offering up special gift deals for the holidays. For example, Pizzeria LUCA in Lancaster has $50 and $100 gift bag options that come with a gift card, a bottle of house wine, and other goodies. And many pizzerias offer special holiday promotions that give you $10 back for every $50 you spend on a gift card.

Books about pizza

If your pizza lover is one of those aspiring pizzaiolo-types, or someone who loves reading up on the history of pizza, rest assured, there’s a book for them. For the former, I highly recommend “Pizza Camp,” a book of recipes from Lancaster County native Joe Beddia’s award-winning Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia. “The Pizza Bible” is also a great read, with recipes spanning many styles, from Neapolitan, to Chicago deep dish, Detroit, and New York, along with a helping of pizza history. If you’re shopping for a pizza historian, look no further than “Pizza: A Global History.”

Tools of the trade 

From peels, to stones, to ovens, there’s no shortage of options in this category, depending on how much you want to spend. The Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven is consistently one of the top-rated outdoor pizza ovens, and typically runs around $520. The New York Times’ Wirecutter has a pretty comprehensive rundown of pizza ovens at different price points. Ooni’s accessories, everything from peels to pans, are also highly rated.

Pizza apparel

What’s more fun than pizza? A T-shirt celebrating how much fun pizza is. Spend a few minutes on Etsy and you’ll find the perfect T-shirt for the pizza-lover in your life. I’m torn between this and this. Aspiring pizzaiolos can always use an apron to keep clean(ish), whether it’s something that shows they mean business, or something that shows they favor dough and cheese over exercise.

Pizza tourism

If you’re shopping for someone who won’t think twice about traveling for pizza, a trip built around pizza is a great idea. In New York City, Scott’s Pizza Tours have been drawing crowds since 2008, with a variety of packages (ranging from walking, to bus, to pop-ups, to private tours) showcasing some of the best pizza across the five boroughs, and the history behind those pizzerias. About 80 miles north of New York City is New Haven, Connecticut, a city that many believe has the best pizza in the country. Three of the city’s most beloved pizza (or apizza, as it’s known there) spots—Frank Pepe’s, Sally’s, and Zeneli are within walking distance of each other on Wooster Street, which is located not far off I-95, making it a very convenient destination for the gift of a pizza road trip.

A pizza-scented candle

Yes, this exists.