Pizza is one of the most beloved foods across countries and cultures. The classic Italian dish of a crispy, chewy crust topped with tomato sauce, stretchy mozzarella cheese, and favorite toppings is a comfort food staple that satisfies cravings and brings people together. And with some simple plant-based swaps, pizza can easily be made vegan!
Vegan pizzas ditch the traditional dairy-based cheese and meat toppings and get creative with vegetable- and bean-based ingredients instead. With the right recipes and techniques, you can make vegan pizzas with all the flavor, textures, and cheesiness that even meat and dairy lovers will enjoy. Read on for tips, vegan recipes, and inspiration for making your own delicious homemade vegan pizzas!
Key Takeaways: Easy Vegan Pizza Recipes
- Vegan pizza can be just as delicious and satisfying as traditional pizza with the right recipes and techniques.
- Vegan pizza dough is easy to make at home with basic ingredients like flour, yeast, olive oil, and salt.
- Creative vegan toppings like grilled veggies, beans, tempeh, hummus, and nut-based cheeses make vegan pizza fun.
- High heat and the right baking techniques give vegan pizza a crispy crust and melted dairy-free cheese.
- Endless flavor combinations are possible with vegan pizza toppings and sauces.
Vegan Pizza Dough
The foundation of great vegan pizza is the crust. Luckily pizza dough itself is naturally vegan – its basic ingredients are flour, yeast, water, olive oil, and salt. Making your own vegan pizza dough at home gives you control over getting the perfect chewy-crispy texture and allows you to add your own flair.
Here are some tips for vegan pizza dough:
- Use bread flour or a bread flour/all-purpose flour blend for the most structure and chewiness. All-purpose flour also works well.
- Make sure your water is warm (about 110°F) but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Check by stirring the yeast in first to make sure it blooms and bubbles.
- After kneading the dough, let it proof until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours depending on room temperature. This slow fermentation develops the best flavor.
- Olive oil adds flavor and helps the crust brown. Around 1-2 tablespoons per batch is plenty.
- Toppings weigh down the crust, so roll or stretch the dough thinner than you may expect. Around 12 inches diameter for a standard pizza yields the crispiest results.
Vegan Pizza Recipe Ideas:
Make the dough heartier with whole wheat flour or rye flour. Herb-infused olive oil and minced garlic blended into the dough add big flavor. Top with veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions.
Vegan pizzas also benefit from bold seasonings in the crust. Sprinkle the stretched dough with Italian herb blends, nutritional yeast, Everything Bagel seasoning, or savory cashew Parmesan before baking.
Vegan Pizza Sauce
Like traditional pizza sauce, vegan pizza sauce recipes start with tomatoes. Simple sauce made from blended canned tomatoes makes a quick weeknight dinner base. For a flavor boost, add garlic, basil, oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Make an herby raw pizza sauce by blending tomatoes with olive oil and an abundance of fresh basil, parsley, oregano and garlic. The freshness shines through!
Or escape tradition altogether with an unexpected pizza sauce like cashew cream sauce, tikka masala or coconut curry sauce, salsa verde, pesto, hummus, baba ganoush, romesco, chimichurri, sun-dried tomato tapenade – get creative based on your flavor cravings!
Vegan Pizza Cheese
Ooey, melty, stretchy mozzarella cheese is often considered one of the most irreplaceable components of pizza. But there are more great options for vegan cheese than ever! Here are some tips for melting and topping vegan pizza with cheese:
- Grated block styles melt best. Shred your own vegan mozzarella from blocks when possible rather than buying pre-shredded.
- Mix in starch. Adding a little tapioca or arrowroot starch helps vegan cheese melt smoothly.
- Use the broiler. Broil the pizza for just 1-2 minutes after baking to finish melting the cheese without overcooking the crust.
- Sprinkle on just before serving for fresh, gooey cheese pulls!
- Try combinations like mozzarella and aged Parmesan, or mozzarella with creamy cashew Alfredo sauce.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for added richness.
Delicious dairy-free alternatives like cashew mozzarella, almond milk mozzarella, and coconut oil-based shreds make gooey vegan pizza possible!
Pizza is known for containing cheese, making it quite often, not dairy-free friendly. But you may be surprised to know that in our modern world where eating dairy-free and plantbased is more normalized than ever, there are quite a few options for 100% dairy-free, pre-made cheeses and pizzas on the market.
https://thepizzaplant.com/dairy-free-cheese-pizza-how-to-make-it-and-where-to-buy-it/#:
Vegan Pizza Toppings
While vegan cheese pulls the flavors together, toppings provide contrasting textures and flavors. Here are some of the best vegan pizza toppings:
- Veggies: Classics like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes
- Fruit: Pineapple, figs, pear
- Beans, lentils, tempeh, seitan: Protein-packed and flavorful
- Fresh herbs: Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme
- Sauces: Pesto, harissa, chimichurri, sun-dried tomato sauce, olive tapenade
- Nuts and seeds: Toasted pine nuts, walnuts, hemp seeds
- Nut or seed based vegan Parmesan
Get creative with mixtures like barbecue jackfruit and pineapple, onion jam and cashew cream, or white beans and pesto!
Putting It All Together
- Make the dough and shape it out into a 12-16 inch round crust. If the dough seems sticky, use flour generously on your work surface.
- Par-bake the crust for 3-5 minutes to set the shape and get it crisp.
- Spread with pizza sauce and layer on vegan cheese.
- Add your favorite vegan toppings.
- Bake at a high temp (around 475°F) until the crust is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil or parsley.
With the right techniques and a little creativity, homemade vegan pizza can be just as ooey-gooey-delicious as the classics. Try out flavor combinations until you find your favorites! Pizza night will never be the same.
Recipe: Easy Homemade Vegan Pizza
This simple vegan pizza recipe makes 2 medium round pizzas. Make one for now and freeze half the dough for later!
Ingredients:
For the pizza dough:
- 3 1⁄2 cups bread flour
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 1⁄4 teaspoons)
- 1 1⁄4 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the pizzas:
- 1 batch pizza sauce (about 1 1⁄2 – 2 cups total)
- 12 ounces vegan mozzarella cheese, grated (2 cups)
- Desired vegan toppings like mushrooms, onions, peppers (about 2 cups total)
- Chopped fresh basil
- Olive oil, for finishing
Instructions:
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil and mix until combined.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide into two balls. Use one now; wrap the other tightly in plastic and freeze for later.
- On a floured surface, use your hands to stretch and shape one dough ball into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or pizza stone.
- Par-bake for 4 minutes until starting to firm up. Remove from the oven.
- Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust. Top with vegan mozzarella. Layer on desired toppings.
- Bake at 475°F for 10-14 minutes until the cheese is melted and crust is browned and crisp.
- Remove from oven, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped basil.
- Let sit 1-2 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
The Best Vegan Pizza Topping Combinations
Now for the fun part – endless pizza topping ideas to try on your homemade vegan pies!
1. Mexican Pizza
- Refried beans
- Sliced onions and bell peppers
- Jalapenos
- Salsa
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Vegan cheddar
2. Greek Pizza
- Hummus
- Spinach
- Black olives
- Diced tomatoes
- Artichokes
- Red onion
3. BBQ Pizza
- BBQ sauce
- Garlic-roasted mushrooms
- Caramelized onions
- Fresh pineapple
- Smoked coconut bacon
4. Breakfast Pizza
- Vegan sausage
- Sautéed spinach
- Roasted red peppers
- Vegan mozzarella
- Scrambled tofu
5. Mediterranean Pizza
- Sun-dried tomato tapenade
- Caramelized onions
- Roasted red peppers
- Marinated artichokes
- Kalamata olives
- Pine nuts
6. Pesto Pizza
- Pesto sauce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Roasted cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Vegan mozzarella
- Toasted walnuts
7. Hawaiian Pizza
- Pizza sauce
- Pineapple
- Smoked coconut bacon
- Red onion
- Vegan mozzarella
8. Vegetable Lover’s Pizza
- Pizza sauce
- Onions, peppers, mushrooms
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Fresh basil
Final Thoughts on Veggie Pizza
Homemade vegan pizza is easier than you may think, and so delicious! With fluffy stretchy dough, flavorful bold sauces, satisfying plant-based proteins and melted vegan cheese, you can make pizzas that everyone will love.
Try out different combinations until you find your favorites! Pizza night is back on the menu with these tasty vegan recipes. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is regular pizza dough vegan?
Traditional pizza dough is almost always vegan! The basic ingredients are flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and water. Some recipes may use milk or eggs, but a basic dough is reliably egg and dairy free.
What can I use instead of cheese on a vegan pizza?
Some delicious alternatives to cheese include:
- Cashew cream sauce
- Tofu ricotta
- Grilled, blended vegetables
- Mashed avocado or hummus
- Nutty herb sauces like pesto or basil walnut sauce
- Ooey vegan mozzarella made from nuts
- Shredded heart of palm
What are the best store-bought vegan pizza crusts?
If you want to save time and skip making dough, there are pre-made vegan pizza crusts at many grocery stores. Some good widely available options are:
- Caulipower cauliflower pizza crusts
- Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust
- Against the Grain gluten-free pizza crust
- Calise & Sons bakery pizza dough
- Whole Foods vegan pizza dough
Can you make vegan pizza healthy?
Absolutely! Vegan pizza begins with a blank canvas of crust and sauce. Pile it high with your favorite nutritious toppings! Some ideas:
- Fresh veggies: spinach, broccoli, zucchini
- Whole grains: quinoa, millet, brown rice
- Plant-based protein: marinated tofu, tempeh, white beans, lentils
- Healthy fats: avocado, tahini, hummus, nuts and seeds
- Fresh herbs and nutrient-packed sauces: pesto, chimichurri, basil
What is the best oven temperature for vegan pizza?
The high heat is crucial to get that perfectly crisp crust! Crank it to around 475-500°F. Use a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven to help crisp the bottom.