Pizza Slice Calories: How Many Calories Per Slice?
Real calorie data for pizza from a tested Neapolitan Margherita recipe, broken down per slice and by topping.
Pizza's calorie count varies more by slice size and topping than almost any food in this series, since 'a slice' can mean anywhere from a thin, cracker-crust wedge to a thick, cheese-loaded Chicago-style piece. Our tested Neapolitan Margherita recipe gives us a real, sourced figure for a classic thin-crust, simply-topped pizza, which this guide uses as the baseline before discussing how other styles and toppings shift the number.
At a Glance
Per our tested Pizza Margherita (Authentic Neapolitan Recipe), one serving (a quarter of a full pizza — the recipe yields 4 individual pizzas from 4 dough balls, and serves 4) is 480 calories, with 20g protein, 65g carbohydrate, and 16g fat. Neapolitan-style pizzas are typically eaten as one whole personal-sized pizza per person rather than cut into shared slices, so this 480-calorie figure represents one full 10-12 inch Neapolitan pizza — if you were to cut that same pizza into 4 slices for sharing, each slice would be approximately 120 calories.
Why the Number Varies
Crust style is the single biggest factor: thin Neapolitan crust (as in our recipe) uses less dough per pizza than a thick pan or deep-dish crust, which can double or triple the dough weight per slice. Cheese quantity is the second major factor — Margherita pizza uses a moderate, traditional amount of fresh mozzarella, while many American-style pizzas use considerably more cheese per slice, adding both fat and calories. Toppings are the third variable: vegetables add relatively little, while pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese toppings can each add 50-100+ calories per slice on top of a cheese-only base.
Portion Size: How the Calories Scale
Using our recipe's whole-pizza figure of 480 calories, cut into 4 slices (120 calories per slice) as the baseline: 1 thin Neapolitan-style slice: approximately 120 calories. 2 slices, a common light-meal portion: approximately 240 calories. A whole personal Neapolitan pizza, eaten as one serving (as the recipe is traditionally served): 480 calories. A thick-crust or deep-dish slice from a chain restaurant, per typical published nutrition data, commonly runs 280-400+ calories per slice — more than double a thin Neapolitan slice.
💡 Astuce : Crust style matters more than toppings for calorie count — a plain thick-crust slice can carry more calories than a vegetable-loaded thin-crust slice.
How Pizza Fits Your Goals
A thin-crust Margherita slice (roughly 120 calories) fits reasonably into a calorie deficit in a portion of 2-3 slices alongside a salad, especially compared to thick-crust or heavily topped styles. Pizza in any traditional form is not compatible with keto or low-carb eating given the dough's carbohydrate content (65g per whole pizza in our recipe). For diabetic eating, the refined-flour crust causes a real blood sugar response; pairing pizza with a vegetable side and moderating portion size are the practical levers, since the crust itself can't be avoided without changing the dish entirely.
Calculate Your Exact Portion
Since 'a slice' varies enormously by crust style and how many slices a pizza is cut into, use our portion calculator to scale this recipe's per-100g nutrition (roughly 141 calories, 5.9g protein, 19g carbs, 4.7g fat per 100g) to your specific slice count and size.
A Lighter Version, If You Want One
To lighten homemade pizza, roll the dough thinner (closer to true Neapolitan style, which our recipe already targets) rather than a thick pan crust, and use a moderate amount of fresh mozzarella rather than a heavy layer of shredded low-moisture cheese. Loading up on vegetable toppings instead of extra cheese or processed meat adds volume and flavor for comparatively few additional calories.
Recettes en vedette
Foire aux questions
How many calories are in a slice of pizza?
It depends heavily on crust style. Our tested thin-crust Neapolitan Margherita recipe works out to roughly 120 calories per slice when a whole pizza (480 calories) is cut into quarters. Thick-crust or deep-dish slices from chain restaurants commonly run 280-400+ calories per slice — more than double.
Is pizza healthy?
A simply topped, thin-crust pizza like Margherita — made with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil — is more nutritionally reasonable than a thick-crust, heavily topped version loaded with processed meat and extra cheese. Neither is a 'health food,' but crust style and toppings meaningfully change how it fits into a balanced diet.
Is pizza good for weight loss?
Thin-crust pizza in a moderate portion (2-3 slices, roughly 240-360 calories) can fit into a calorie deficit, especially paired with a side salad. Thick-crust and heavily topped styles are considerably more calorie-dense and require smaller portions to fit the same calorie budget.
How many calories are in a whole pizza?
Our tested Neapolitan Margherita recipe's whole personal-sized pizza (10-12 inches) is 480 calories. A larger, thicker-crust pizza intended for sharing among several people typically carries considerably more — often 1,800-2,400+ calories for a full 14-16 inch pizza, depending on crust and toppings.
A whole thin-crust Neapolitan Margherita pizza, per our tested recipe, is 480 calories — which works out to roughly 120 calories per slice if cut into quarters for sharing. Crust thickness is the dominant factor in pizza's calorie count, more so than most toppings, so a thin-crust cheese pizza can carry fewer calories than a thick-crust vegetable one. Slice size and crust style, not the concept of 'pizza' itself, determine whether it fits a given calorie target.
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