How much sugar is in a Papa John’s Pizza? In this post, I am going to share the sugar content of all the pizzas available on Papa John’s menu. I will also answer some Frequently Asked Questions when it comes to sugar and Papa John’s. That’s right, it is time to find out exactly how much sugar goes into your favorite pizza pie. I recently did a similar post for Domino’s (see The Sugar Content of All Dominos Pizzas Ranked), but today I wanted to cover Papa John’s. But first, is there even a lot of sugar in Papa John’s Pizzas?
Is There a Lot of Sugar in Papa John’s Pizza?
A Papa John’s “pizza for one” made with original crust contains 8g-36g of sugar. Papa John’s extra cheesy alfredo pizza and pepperoni, sausage & six cheese pizza contains the least sugar at 8g of sugar. Papa John’s Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizza contains the most sugar at 36g, as it is topped with two of the highest sugar toppings – BBQ sauce and pineapple.
The BBQ Chicken and Hawaiian Pizzas are also the highest sugar content pizzas at Dominos as well.
Before we dig into the sugar content of all of Papa John’s pizzas let’s answer a few niggling questions you have about sugar in Papa John’s pizzas.
Frequently Asked Questions – Papa John’s and Sugar
Does Papa John’s Pizza Have Sugar?
As a general rule, there is added sugar in some Papa John’s pizza ingredients.
Does Papa John’s Dough Contain Sugar?
There is added sugar in Papa John’s fresh dough and gluten-free dough. There is no added sugar in Papa John’s thin crust.
Does Papa John’s Pizza Sauce Contain Sugar?
Papa John’s pizza sauce contains added sugar.
Do Papa John’s Meats Contain Sugar?
Papa John’s salami, pepperoni, and bacon contain sugar.
Do Papa John’s Veggies Contain Sugar?
None of Papa John’s veggies contain sugar. The pineapple tidbits contain added sugar.
The Sugar Content of all of Papa John’s Pizza
Now I am going to look at the sugar content of all of Papa John’s pizzas, in ascending order – from the lowest sugar pizza to the highest sugar pizza.
The below sugar contents are for a “pizza for one” made with original crust, as well a slice of a pizza for one made with original crust (there are 4 slices in one of these pizzas).
1. Extra Cheesy Alfredo – 2g of Sugar in a Slice & 8g of Sugar in a Pizza for One
The cheesy alfredo pizza at Papa John’s is covered in a creamy two-cheese Alfredo sauce and topped with a blend of Asiago, Fontina, provolone, Asiago, Fontina, and mozzarella. A “pizza for one” slice of extra cheesy alfredo contains just 2g of sugar, and the entire pizza contains 8g of sugar.
2. Pepperoni, Sausage & Six Cheese – 2g of Sugar in a Slice & 8g of Sugar in a Pizza for One
The pepperoni, sausage & six cheese pizza from Papa John’s is topped with you guessed it – pepperoni, sausage, and a blend of six kinds of cheese (Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Asiago, Provolone, and Fontina). This pizza is finished with a blend of Italian herb seasoning and is one of the lowest sugar Papa John’s pizzas (2g of sugar in a “pizza for one” slice and 8g in the whole pizza for one).
3. Cheese – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g of Sugar in a Pizza for One
The cheese pizza at Papa John’s is simple but a classic. Made from mozzarella and baked to a golden brown. A “pizza for one” slice made with the original crust contains 3g of sugar and the entire pizza for one contains 12g of sugar.
4. Pepperoni – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g of Sugar in a Pizza for One
Papa John’s pepperoni pizza is covered in pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. A “pizza for one” slice made with the original crust contains 3g of sugar, and the entire pizza contains 12g of sugar.
5. Sausage – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
Papa John’s sausage pizza is layered with sausage, pizza sauce, and mozzarella. A pizza for one made with the original crust contains 12g of sugar and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
6. Fiery Buffalo Chicken – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
The fiery buffalo chicken pizza at Papa John’s is covered in buffalo sauce and piled high with grilled chicken, hickory-smoked bacon, fresh-cut onions, and mozzarella. A “pizza for one” contains 12g of sugar and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
7. Meatball Pepperoni – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
The meatball pepperoni pizza from Papa John’s is topped with a three-cheese blend, mozzarella, and of course meatballs and pepperoni. This pizza is finished with Italian seasoning. A meatball pepperoni pizza for one contains 12g of sugar and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
8. The Meats – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
The meats pizza from Papa John’s is topped with mozzarella and…you guessed it a lotta meat! The meats are pepperoni, sausage, beef, hickory smoked bacon, and Canadian bacon. A pizza for one contains 12g of sugar and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
9. Tuscan Six Cheese – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
Papa John’s Tuscan cheese pizza is like a taste of Italy. Topped with pizza sauce and six different types of cheese – Romano, Fontina, Mozzarella, Asiago, Fontina, and provolone. The Tuscan six cheese pizza is finished with Italian seasoning. A pizza for one contains 12g of sugar and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
10. Ultimate Pepperoni – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
If you love pepperoni pizza, then the ultimate pepperoni pizza is the pizza for you at Papa John’s. It is topped with pizza sauce, lots of pepperonis, Italian seasoning parmesan, romano, and mozzarella. A slice contains 3g of sugar and a pizza for one contains 12g of sugar.
11. Zesty Italian Trio – 3g of Sugar in a Slice & 12g in a Pizza for One
Papa John’s zesty Italian pizza is made of zesty Italian sausage, salami, pepperoni (aka “the trio”), banana peppers, a three-cheese blend, mozzarella, pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning. A zesty Italian pizza for one contains 12g of pizza and a slice contains 3g of sugar.
12. The Works – 4g of Sugar in a Slice & 16g in a Pizza for One
The works pizza really is topped with the works – from pepperoni to julienne-cut Canadian bacon, spicy Italian sausage, onions, crisp green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, and mozzarella. “When you’re hungry for a hearty pizza, the Works always works”. The works pizza for one contains 16g of sugar and a slice contains 4g of sugar.
13. Garden Fresh – 4g of Sugar in a Slice & 16g in a Pizza for One
The garden pizza at Papa John’s is loaded with all the fresh garden veggies you could wish for – from green peppers to onions to mushrooms to black olives to Roma tomatoes, and of course mozzarella. A garden fresh pizza for one contains 16g of pizza and a slice contains 4g of sugar.
14. Super Hawaiian – 5g of Sugar in a Slice & 20g in a Pizza for One
Aloha! The super Hawaiian pizza at Papa John’s is loaded with pineapple tidbits, julienne-cut Canadian bacon, hickory-smoked bacon, a three-cheese blend, and mozzarella. Pineapple tidbits are the only “veggies” topping to contain added sugar. As this pizza is topped with pineapple it is one of the higher sugar Papa John’s pizzas – with a pizza for one containing 20g of sugar and a slice containing 5g of sugar.
15. BBQ Chicken Bacon – 8g of Sugar in a Slice & 32g in a Pizza for One
The BBQ chicken bacon pizza at Papa John’s is topped with smoky southern-style BBQ with grilled chicken, hickory-smoked bacon, onions, and mozzarella. BBQ sauce is one of the highest sugar pizza toppings you can order at almost any pizza joint – making this pizza a higher sugar pizza- with a pizza for one containing 32g of sugar and a slice containing 8g of sugar.
Just putting that in context, that is the sugar content as an entire extra cheesy alfredo pizza for one!
16. Hawaiian BBQ Chicken – 9g of Sugar in a Slice & 36g in a Pizza for One
Aloha again! Papa John’s Hawaiian BBQ chicken pizza is topped with BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, hickory-smoked bacon, mozzarella, onions, and pineapple tidbits for a “taste of the tropics”.
As this pizza is topped with two of the highest sugar pizza toppings (BBQ sauce and pineapple) it isn’t a huge surprise that it is the highest sugar Papa John’s pizza. A pizza for one contains 36g of sugar and a slice contains 9g of sugar.
What is most surprising is that if you order a Hawaiian BBQ chick pizza with epic stuffed crust this takes the sugar content to 19g per slice. That is over double the sugar content of TWO Pepperoni, Sausage & Six Cheese “pizzas for one” made with original crusts.
How Much Sugar is in a Papa John’s Pizza – The Final Bite
How much sugar is in a Papa John’s Pizza? What have we learned from the above? Well, when it comes to pizza you can get expect to find some added sugar in your pizza. However, depending on what you choose you can find lower sugar content pizzas. For example, at Papa John’s there are two pizzas that contain just 2g of sugar per slice. The “Cheesy Alfredo” and the “Pepperoni, Sausage & Six Cheese” pizzas, both contain 2g of sugar per slice. This was something I was surprised at given the style of each pizza. As usual, if you want to keep your sugar content low then you will need to avoid the Hawaiian and BBQ pizzas – from my experience, this is usually the same at all pizzas places.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
