Pizza Hut's Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza: A Pie That Will Silence The Pineapple-On-Pizza Haters

Pizza is one of the most universally loved foods in all the world. Many people have a favorite topping, and love to share that fact — or believe, like myself, that nothing can ever really top a great old plain cheesy pizza. However, when Hawaiian pizza is mentioned, everyone and their mother has a strong opinion. This includes Gordon Ramsay, who hates pineapple on pizza, and the characters on the TV show "Stranger Things," which has done pineapple pizza a great service. 

While the odd-coupled pineapple and ham pie is Hawaiian in name, its roots date back to 1962 and a creative Greek-Canadian chef named Sam Panopoulos. As it grew in popularity in the ensuing decades, many consumers have remained dumbfounded as to why. But Hawaiian pizza is a staple that has stuck on menus, including Pizza Hut's, which today offers Hawaiian Chicken Pizza and Hawaiian Luau Pizza. As things are getting overly heated up in the summer of 2025, the Hut is now adding a fiery new one to its line-up: Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza.

While pizza purists may scoff at the idea of any Hawaiian pizza, could they possibly give Pizza Hut's new Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza any love? Or is it just a new loaded twist on an underrated favorite that only a few will really enjoy? The Takeout took out a trio of these new pizzas, and went into this chew & review with an open mind (and mouth) to see where the truth lies.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Hawaiian pizza found commercial success in 1962, and by the following year, at least one location of Pizza Hut had introduced a Hawaiian Pineapple Pizza for Easter. This divisive pizza became a menu favorite at Pizza Huts in Canada by the end of the 1970s. In the United States, it would make rare appearances in the 1980s, before going widespread with a nationwide push in 1989. Ever since, the Hawaiian has held a place on Pizza Hut's menu, and seen several variations of the pie over the years. In 1987, Pizza Hut introduced its first "Lover's" pie — Meat Lover's — which featured a plethora of meaty toppings. From then on, that Lover's lane has since expanded to include Veggie Lover's Pizza and more super-varied pies.

Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza is a new take on Pizza Hut's Hawaiian Pizza. It features spicy marinara sauce, ham, bacon, pineapple, jalapeño, red chili flakes, and of course shredded cheese, which can be placed on any crust that Pizza Hut offers. It's a special, limited time only pizza, offered up as a part of the "Pizza Lover's" line-up.

In a statement, Melissa Friebe, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut, said: "The Lover's Line is designed to feed the good times — whether it's a weekend hang, a late-night craving, a wedding after party, or a midweek pick-me-up." She added, "With the bold, new recipe of the Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza and a new campaign that proves Pizza Hut always shows up for moments that matter, this launch is all about hooking our consumers up with more of what they love."

Starting June 24, Pizza Hut is discounting its "Hut Lover's Pizza" line, at participating locations, for a limited time only. Usual favorites from this topping-heavy menu include Meat Lover's, Pepperoni Lover's, and Veggie Lover's, and joining for the summer fun is the new Spicy Hawaiian Lover's pie.

These Hut Lover's Pizzas come in one size only (large) and are retailing for the suggested new sale price of $12.99. Hand Tossed is the standard crust for these pizzas, but they can also be ordered as Tavern style, Thin 'N Crispy, Original Pan Pizza, or Original Stuffed Crust. The latter two options add $2 and $3 respectively to one's bill. The pizzas can be fully customized to remove or add toppings, sauces, and even leave off the cheese. Additional costs apply to added toppings.

Like any Pizza Hut item, the pies can be ordered any time the store is open, while supplies last. Ordering can take place at a restaurant or in-store, as well as in advance for delivery or carry-out through Pizza Hut's app and website, in addition to third party services. Additional fees will apply for delivery.

I had three different-crusted kinds of Pizza Hut's Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza before me for the choosing. It was almost hard to decide where to start as I ogled these colorful creations, where yellows and browns dominated the scene, punctuated by strips of pinks and green circles. In their boxes, the pizzas' warmth and loaded nature physically manifested itself by making the table beneath sweaty from the perspiring cardboard bottom. From the open top emanated a rich and inviting smell.

On each of the eight slices for both the Hand Tossed and Stuffed Crust versions, there were about five or more small chunks of pineapple, three jalapeños, a bountiful amount of ham strips, and little pieces of both crispy and fatty bacon bits. Since Tavern style is cut into an array of four-sided shapes, the ingredient count differed per piece. Whichever pizza I bit into, there were a lot of flavors being presented all at once, and it was an utter joy to receive this loaded gift and decipher its taste.

While it's "Spicy" in name, you will not need to sound any fire alarms when squaring off against this pizza. Primarily, it's the spiced pop of juicy and lightly crisp jalapeños, with a hint of the red chili flakes jostling with the nice and salty twin pork products of chewy ham and bacon. The spicy marinara somehow didn't really register. The pineapple was certainly present, but mainly lurking in the background, adding a bit of a cool splash here and there between bites. It all added up to a wonderfully complex slice that delivered time and time again a tidal wave of tastiness.

There's a lot to love about Pizza Hut's new Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza. It's a multi-flavored attack on the mouth, with a dash of spice playing nice with super-savory elements, topped off with a pinch of sweetness. Two other fine attributes are that it's quite filling, and rings up at a fair and competitive price point. 

While I tried three crust iterations of Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza, I am certain it would work well in any format in Pizza Hut's wheelhouse. Hand Tossed was a totally fine serving platter for all these toppings, but the Tavern and Stuffed Crust variations proved to be better paths to take as delivery mechanisms. The Tavern's thinness cut back on the doughy filler, and allowed the toppings' taste to soar even higher. While the Stuffed Crust isn't that far off from the Hand Tossed, the butter and filled top acted as a sort of cheesy palate cleanser that helped the eater have a bit of reprieve before diving back in for more of this Lover's fine flavors. Drizzling it with a healthy dash of ranch or blue cheese also helped to cool things off a bit.

While some may find the idea of pineapple on pizza verboten, I actually think the Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza could have benefited from even more of the fruit. The sweet juice makes a cool splash on the pie, but with a few more pieces in tow, it could have been even more of a tasty tidal wave than it already is.

A day before its official release, the fine folks over at Pizza Hut sent over three kinds of Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza pizzas — Hand Tossed, Tavern, and Stuffed Crust. Each pizza arrived warm, and was tasted promptly. After some time, I reheated the pizza with my trusty air fryer, and it tasted just like new. The pizza was then refrigerated overnight, and the next day reheated for another round of tastings.

This chew & review is based off of my own personal tastes, past experiences with Hawaiian pizzas, spicy pizzas, Pizza Hut pizzas, and my present experience with the Spicy Hawaiian Lover's Pizza. The ultimate criteria for the review includes flavor, smell, appearance, texture, value, spiciness, Hawaiian-mess, overall lovability, and the likelihood I would want to order this pizza again. The shower answer is: Yes, I would, perhaps even splurging for extra pineapple. Insert quiet shushing emoji here.