What are your “I could never”s? We all say it, right? I could never…go to the gym. Eat healthy. Run a marathon. Speak in public. For the longest time mine was, “I could never learn to cook.” (After years of practice, I got over that one.) Guess what? This pizza recipe was born of another “I could never” — I could never eat pizza without cheese. Yes, this pizza is so full of flavor, you won’t even notice it’s not there! Hold onto your hats: this one is the best vegan pizza ever.
Video: How to make vegan pizza (1:45 minutes)
Let’s start with a video! So much of making pizza dough is about watching and learning. So we’ve made you a step-by-step video to show you exactly how to make this vegan pizza! Here’s the entire process, from kneading to shaping to baking. We highly recommend watching this before you dig in!
Pizza without cheese?
Alex and I are huge (huge!) pizza aficionados. We eat mainly vegetarian in our daily lives, so there’s always a place for cheese at the table. Cheeseless pizza was a stretch for us. But we’re always up for trying new things. This vegan pizza recipe—good news—tastes incredible, no cheese needed! The umami of mushrooms and artichokes, our favorite tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic fire roasted), a little fresh basil make an explosion of flavor. The one caveat is that vegan pizza doesn’t stick together quite as easily as with the glue of cheese-ladden pizza, so watch for sliding toppings when you grab a slice. But it’s a small price to pay. Consider it another “I could never,” accomplished.
How to make a great vegan pizza
Here are a few hints to making the best vegan pizza recipe:
“Meaty” veggie toppings. Pizza without cheese needs big flavors, especially in the umami department. (Umami is known as the “fifth flavor,” savory or meaty.) Mushrooms and artichoke hearts add big meaty flavor to the vegetarian pizza toppings.High-quality pizza sauce. Since cheeseless pizza can’t make up for flavor with cheese, the tomatoes you use have to add mega flavor. Fire-roasted tomatoes bring a lovely sweet flavor to our best pizza sauce that takes only 5 minutes to make. You could also substitute with a very high quality marinara sauce. Great pizza dough. There’s no hiding a bad dough in a vegan pizza! Use a best quality dough: we recommend Pizza Dough Master Recipe or Thin Crust Pizza Dough.
Though it’s a no cheese pizza, our best vegan pizza recipe has been a hit with our friends and family! Vegan comfort food, at its finest. What do you think of pizza without cheese — would you try it? Let us know in the comments below.
The best veggie pizza toppings?
What are the best veggie pizza toppings for a homemade vegetarian pizza? Because it’s a dairy-free pizza, it needs loads of flavor in the toppings. Of course, you can use these ideas as vegetarian pizza toppings on a pizza with cheese as well! Here’s are some of our favorite veggie pizza toppings to add to vegan pizza:
Sauteed mushroomsLightly sauteed spinachRed onion slivers (raw or lightly sauteed)Chickpeas: a unique addition that made the vegan pizza more filling!Jarred roasted red peppers: slice them into strips for a beautiful vibrant toppingKalamata or black olivesShaved raw Brussels sproutsCanned artichoke heartsGreen onionRoasted sweet potatoes or squash
For best results, use a pizza stone & peel!
To step up your pizza game, there are two pizza making tools you need! While they’re not required, they make for the absolute best pizza possible.
Pizza stone: Using a pizza stone bakes the dough at very high heat, and results in a crispy outside and a chewy inside. Pizza peel: When you use a stone, you need a pizza peel to remove the dough from the stone. We recommend this Aluminum Peel or Super Peel.
We aren’t the only ones making homemade vegan pizza!
Here are a few more vegan pizza recipes from around the web:
Favorite vegan pizzaVegan pizza with truffle cream!Easy vegan pizza
This vegan pizza recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, naturally sweet, and refined sugar-free.
Looking for more pizza recipes?
In addition to this vegan pizza, we’ve got one more plant based pizza on our website (see below)! In addition, here are a few of our favorite homemade pizza recipes if your diet allows some cheese or if you have a great vegan mozzarella brand: 5 from 2 reviews
Pizza Marinara There’s no cheese in this classic pizza, so it’s all about the tomatoes, garnished simply with garlic and oregano.Margherita Pizza The classic! It features basil, mozzarella, and bold tomato pizza sauce. Taco Pizza Topped with refried beans, romaine, tortilla chips, and of course — ranch. Veggie & Avocado Pizza Stars bell peppers, fresh basil, and creamy goat cheese!Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Inspired by the best pizza in Naples Italy!Easy Calzone Recipe This easy calzone recipe features homemade pizza dough and a veggie and two-cheese filling. Dip it in zesty pizza sauce and prepare to be amazed.KitchenAid Pizza Dough This has been made by thousands and become their go-to pizza dough recipe.How to Make Artisan Pizza All our tips on pizza making!
Last updated: February 2020