Ahh, pizza night. A thing to be cherished.
Around our house we eat pizza at least once a week. And if something horrific happens midweek (say, we run out of Netflix shows), it’s pizza night on Wednesday, too. Because life is short and we love our pizza and we intend to eat it. Often.
One of my greatest struggles since going completely dairy-free has been giving up my beloved veggie pie.
I’m not even that big of a cheese fan, but pizza just wasn’t pizza if there wasn’t a thick layer of mozzarella and a little parmesan on top. Ya know?
But, the constant feelings of discomfort it would bring made it not worth it to me. So we reassessed our weekly pizza routine and decided to start making all of our pizzas at home – one without cheese for me and one with cheese for John.
Thank goodness for me there is a 1-minute, homemade alternative to parmesan cheese. Vegan parmesan! Have you tried it?
If not, you must. Even if you’re not vegan you’ll love it – it’s that good. You better believe I go through about 1 shaker-full every couple weeks now. It’s like gold around this house!
Even though I’ve been making a variation of this pizza for a while now, a recent discovery has made it 10x better.
Sauteed veggies!
My friend Lisa – who shared the genius 5-Minute Microwave Hummus idea with me – used this method for a pizza she made recently and it kind of blew my mind how good it was.
I was using raw veggies before that never entirely get cooked while the crust is baking. Plus, sauteing them allows for another wave of flavor as I add a sprinkle of pizza seasoning, garlic powder and sea salt. So soft, mega flavorful and delicious.
In our 4+ years of marriage, John and I have eaten a lot of pizza together. At least 208 pizzas, if not more. So I’d like to think of myself as somewhat of an expert. This really is – in my opinion – the best pizza I’ve had – vegan or not! Big claims around here, but I know my stuff.
I hope you enjoy this pie! If you make it, be sure to snap a pic and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram or Twitter. Do it! I love seeing what you lovelies cook up. Cheers!
My Favorite Vegan Pizza
Ingredients
PIZZA
- 1/2 of one Trader Joe’s garlic-herb pizza crust (or half of this homemade recipe or this gluten-free recipe)
- 1/2 cup each red, green, and orange bell pepper (loosely chopped)
- 1/3 cup red onion (chopped)
- 1 cup button mushrooms (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp each dried or fresh basil, oregano, and garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
SAUCE
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce* (organic when possible)
- 1/2 tsp each dried or fresh basil, oregano, garlic powder, granulated sugar
- ~1/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)
TOPPINGS
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flake + dried oregano
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
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Bring large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), onion and peppers. Season with salt, herbs and stir. Cook until soft and slightly charred – 10-15 minutes, adding the mushrooms in the last few minutes. Set aside.
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Prepare sauce by adding tomato sauce to a mixing bowl and adding seasonings and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside. Note: If using tomato paste, add water to thin until desired consistency is reached.
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Prepare vegan parmesan if you haven’t already by blitzing raw cashews, sea salt, nutritional yeast and garlic powder in a food processor until a fine meal is reached. Transfer to jar and refrigerate to keep fresh.
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Roll out dough onto a floured surface and transfer to a parchment-lined round baking sheet. You’re going to add the pizza WITH the parchment directly to the oven to properly crisp the crust, so any round object will do as it’s not actually going into the oven (I use a wood board).
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Top with desired amount of tomato sauce (you’ll have leftovers, which you can store in a jar for later use), a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and the sautéed veggies.
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Use the baking sheet to gently slide the pizza directly onto the oven rack WITH the parchment underneath. Otherwise it will fall through.
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Bake for 17-20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
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Serve with remaining parmesan cheese, dried oregano and red pepper flake. Leftovers keep well – no need to reheat! Cold pizza is yum.
Notes
*You can sub one 6-ounce (170-g) can tomato paste in place of one 15-ounce (425-g) can tomato sauce.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 2)
- Calories: 395
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated fat: 2.7g
- Sodium: 1570mg
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 7.9g
- Sugar: 19g
- Protein: 15g
Oh yes, definitely need to cook the vegetables before adding them to the pie! In the winter I roast ’em first, and that makes an incredible veggie pizza. I think I need to try your version of vegan parm. I’ve never had one I could rave about.
Mmm mmm mmm. I’m thinking of making my own dough for this, have you had any success with freezing dough? I’m wondering if it needs another prove once it’s at temperature? If I could nail freezing it then I can have mid week pizzas for emergencies too! Thanks Stephanie
Pizza dough freezes wonderfully!
Just roll it into balls and freeze in bags.
It will defrost in only half an hour sitting on the bench. I usually use it straight away, but it’s better if you let it rise and knock it back again.
Some great tips in this recipe, thanks. I’m freaking out about going vegan lol
Thanks for sharing, Nathan!
Where does vegan parmesan cheese come from or like made out of?
Check out the recipe for our Vegan Parmesan!
For nice dough, just 2.5 cup of free-gluten flour, a cup of lukewarm water, a pint of salt. All together result in amazing dough, or the best pitta bread. Don’t get this from supermarket, have some preservants.
Great looking pizza, and the vegan parmesan sounds wonderful! Sauteing the veges first is a great tip. Thanks. :)
I admire your dedication to vegan pizza! And sauteeing the veggies is a stroke of genius. I’m going to need to try this healthy twist. Thanks for sharing!
Looks amazing! I love how the crust is still crisp, even without cheese. I work at a brick oven, thin crust pizza place and I use some of the techniques that I use in that kitchen when I make pizza at home. When I use my baking stone, I like to let it preheat for an hour at 500F, and when I shape the crust, I use my hands, no rolling pin to stretch it into a circle with a slightly thicker rim around the outside (the crown) so that the crust has a bit of bubbly oomph to it, if that makes sense. I’m wondering if I could convince the other cooks to make some sort of nooch/vegan parm topper like you have so that vegans could have a little cheesy goodness!
Girl YES. Thanks for the insider tips! Much appreciated. Now my pizza is going to be BOMB.
Yum! I always cook my veggies before putting them on pizza! I’ve never been a fan of the “warm but raw veggies that are slightly black on the top” taste. Although recently, my favorite pizza toppings have been pineapple + jalepeno (weird, but trust me- so good!) which I do raw. Thanks for sharing!
This is my favorite pizza combo! YUM
Just a quick question! Is the TJs pizza dough shelf-stable? Or is it refrigerated?
I ask because we live about 5 hours from a TJs and are making a trip next month so I’m working on my list! If it’s not refrigerated then we can stock up!
It’s not shelf stable, rather refrigerated. Good question! I’d suggest bringing a cooler (I buy several at a time and keep them in my freezer, then thaw out the morning of), or trying that recipe I listed for homemade!
If you say that this is the best, then I believe you!! I can’t wait to try it :)
We used to eat pizza once a week too, and I always look forward to pizza night! We’ve been struggling to find a pizza that meets our new dietary needs, and I can’t wait to try your vegan parmesan! Now if I could just find a gluten free crust that looks as good as your pictures – I’d be set! :)
Kari! Have you tried our gluten free crust yet? It’s linked in the recipe. It’s one of my favorite crust recipes, GF or not!
It’s so true that pizza made from scratch is better than anything you could order in…thanks for this vegan option!
Love this! I always love sautéing vegetables before putting them on pizza – especially onions! (they always end up just getting a bit burnt when I put them in the oven!)
I neeeeed pizza right now, this is not helping haha! It looks so delicious! x
OMG I could hug you right now! While we aren’t vegan, we definitely try to decrease our dairy consumption as often as possible. Easy to do… except when it comes to pizza. My husband is a pizza fiend- craving it at least 2-3X per week. While I try to make it as healthy as possible, I always add some type of cheese to it. This is the first dairy-free pizza that actually looks as good as regular pizza. I can’t wait to make this!
Such a fun weekly routine to have! The best thing about pizza, vegan or not, is leftovers too I feel – it tastes so good the next day!
The PCC in Seattle makes fantastic vegan pizza and your recipe is reminiscent of that! I had forgotten about this pizza until you brought it to my attention. Sauteeing veggies bring out their lovely sweetness and adding them to home-made pizza sauce + crust is INCREDIBLE! OMG. I agree with Kinsey; all my pizza at home is baked on a pizza stone on the very tip top oven rack, preheated one hour before GO TIME at 550F! As soon as the pizza goes in, I decrease the temp to 500F. The crust comes out to perfection every time! I haven’t tried the vegan parm cheese, but am so excited to try it! Thank you for your recipe (and mouthwatering photos)!
Oh mama! This pie looks perfect, and I *love* these photos – I never know how to shoot pizza. :)
What? If you shot pizza it would be drop dead gorgeous. DO IT.
You’re so right, nothing beats a homemade pizza! I like to make a homemade dough on the weekend and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to use. I agree that sauteeing the veggies is a must, it brings out so much more flavor! You don’t even miss the cheese!
Agreed!
This is revolutionary! Whenever me and my family are out and starving, we usually grab slices of pizza — everyone but me, that is. I usually just sit there and smell the incredible aroma of spicy sauce and mozzarella while opting for a cold sandwich or prepackaged salad. I used to love pizza, but now I kind of just miss out. But, NO MORE. I’m totally going to try making this pizza! It looks incredible (and I’ve been needing to try that vegan parm anyway) plus sauteing the veggies sounds like a flavorful idea.
Perfection here! Thanks for the recipe.
Pinning!
Yay! Hope you love it Abbie! Reclaim pizza night :D
I made this last night, I made my own crust with some extra fresh herbs and added a lot of fresh basil and oregano on top. It was amazing! Even my non vegan SO loved it. The roasted onions really send it over the top
yay! Glad everyone enjoyed it. You really don’t miss the cheese with the vegan parmesan!
Looks delicious…would love a slice of that!!
Your pizza crust is wood-fired gorgeous! Do you really just bake it on a cookie sheet in a run-of-the-mill oven?
I agree: vegan or not, this pizza looks AMAZING!!
I make your deep dish pizza all.the.time, so this was a deliciously crispy change of pace! And herbs fresh from my garden in the sauce? Ohhh, girl. Let’s just say it’s a good thing that your go-to dough recipe makes enough for two…
Your pizza looks delicious to me and I think it’s great that you stick to making pizza once a week! I wish I would manage that as well – I lived in a flat without an oven for five months, so I was a bit out of practice ;-)
I tried your recipe yesterday and even though the sauce variation with the tomato paste was a bit too sweet for my liking (I will make the “normal” tomato sauce next time), the rest was great. The dough was really crispy and it looked so good :-)
Thanks for motivating me with the gorgeous photos to make pizza :-)
Sounds like the attitude towards pizza night in your house is exactly the same as in mine! I’ve been making homemade pizza for the last few weeks now and I can’t believe how much better it tastes!
p.s I tried out your vegan parmesan recipe and I LOVE it! I’m not even a vegan!!
Had to drop in to say you’re my hero :) Made this last night and devoured the entire thing. My husband and I love pizza and I’ve been searching (forever) for a vegan pizza that we love. THIS. IS. IT! We loaded up on the veggies, adding some mushrooms, and your vegan parmesan recipe which is super easy and amazing. And the sauce is perfect! Seriously Dana – thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my pizza-loving heart!!! :D
Vegan Parm—who would’ve thunk it?! This is so great, my hubby can’t have dairy and there are some things that you just can’t go without. I can’t wait to try this, thanks!
Wow. You actually made me do my own pizza crust. You are one incredible person. This was absolutely delicious. I had too much toppings (woops) but hey, cooked veggies aren’t something I get too much of. The “parmesan” is INCREDIBLE. I made a double batch of dough and I can’t wait to unfreeze the other one so I can make this again!!!
Yay! I always overdo my toppings. It’s ridiculous! But so good :D Glad you liked it, Joannie!
Hey Dana!
Just to let you know, the links are not functioning for the two crust alternatives above!
I have made this three times in the past two weeks! Thank you for an amazing recipe- everything of yours that I have made turns put delicious, but this along with the vegan parm is outstanding! Thanks again!
I’ve recently became Vegan and this recipe is literally my life saver! Seriously one of the best I’ve tried so far..
This was absolutely delicious !!! I just became vegan within the last week so I am still learning and trying a variety of new things. I was very skeptical about the “parmesan” but it all tasted great. Even my 10 and 11 year old boys loved it. This will be a favorite in our house from now on. Thanks so much,
Yay! I was skeptical of the vegan parm, too, but now I go through a jar a week! So tasty ;D
Hi Dana,
This looks delicious! The links for the homemade recipe and the gluten-free recipe for pizza dough aren’t working. Would you mind posting them please?
Thank you!
Sorry about that! Updated!
Looks great. I just made the vegan parmasan cheese for my ovn pizza recipe. Do I store the rest of the vegan cheese in the fridge?
Tried this recipe this evening…so freakin’ good!
I have been eating plant-based for just a short while & have basically lived on your site this past month. Thanks for all your delicious recipes! I made this one for myself today & adored it! Keep up all your great work!!
I’ve been buying Amy’s no-cheese pizza when I had a pizza craving, but I always felt a little guilty spending so much for a frozen pizza (~$7 each) when I knew I could make one for so much less. Finally decided to make my own this year and poof! It was a success! Thank you for posting this recipe. I modified mine with what I had on hand–making the crust from scratch, using pasta sauce and sautéing up some of the onions, garlic and frozen bell beepers with the spices from the recipe. (I missed reading the instruction with the parchment paper so I ended up baking it on an oiled pizza pan and it still turned out.) The ‘Parmesan cheese’ was so easy and when I test tasted it on its own, I was tempted to eat it all on its own!
I think next time I’ll try adding some if the garlic, oregano and/or basil to the crust recipe–my mom did something like that when she used to make homemade pizza for a little extra flavor. All in all, this is going to be a staple. I’ll be making a bunch of pizzas over the weekend and freezing them to heat up throughout the next month. :)
Did you have any luck freezing the pizzas once you’d made them? If so, how did you do it? I loooove this pizza but I’m trying to load up my freezer!
Definitely a new favorite of mine! Our family prefers this variation of vegan pizza over the many vegan cheese’ shred kinds that I have tried. Thanks for a great recipe!
OMG just made the 5 minute hommus – DIVINE! thank you soooooo much cant believe it was soooo easy and so delish – you guys rock!
Thank you so much! This pizza was GREAT! I am so glad I found this recipe. You have saved me from life without pizza!
I just made this yesterday for a friend who is recovering from an illness. I followed your recipe, using tomato sauce and Whole Foods’ whole wheat pizza crust. Sauteeing the veggies definitely was an excellent suggestion. My friend loved the “parm cheese” and I gave her the leftovers. Even her husband enjoyed it, saying that it was the best vegan pizza he’s ever tried!! Thank you, Dana!
This pizza was so good!!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. My belly is happy :)
Love this! – in the interests of saving power (and hassle!) I just toss all the veg with olive oil, garlic powder and herbs from the garden and put them in the oven to roast while it’s heating (it has to be on for an hour for the pizza stone to heat through so I figure it might as well be working at the same time!)
We have been pizza fiends for years and I was quite sad about the changes to my pizza when I went vegan but am finding I enjoy the veggie-loaded ones as much or more!
This is the best pizza we’ve ever tasted!!!
Couldn’t be more thankful that you came up with this deliciousness. Can’t tell you the number of vegan and GF crusts we’ve tried that have been just terrible. This is outta this world!! And the vegan Parmesan…… so damn good!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You rule :)
This pizza looks delicious and the photos are the best. I have not had success at creating a good vegan pizza yet but from looking at this, there is hope. In the past with dairy pizzas, I have used wheat berries and ground the whole wheat flour right before using. There is something to be said about fresh whole flour – it’s like the crust just came out of the ground without tasting earthy. Proof for 2 hours, punch and rise again until ready for rollout. Oven with stone at 550 if it goes that high.
I will be trying your recipe this week and can’t wait – already bought all of the ingredients. Can’t wait to taste how the parm equivalent tastes.
Thank you…Thank you for posting this!!
I hope you love it, Brett! Let me know how it goes.
Yes this pizza does look delicious!
I was excited to see there were other healthy alternatives for the dough ( white and brown rice flour) and then I researched the flour further and discovered that rice flour is produced by steeping it in LYE and LYE happened to be another name for sodium hydroxide, which happened to be highly caustic- a corrosive substance that when has direct contact with the skin/tissue will cause chemical burns.
So unfortunately disgusting to see the ways they deceivingly continue to find ways to POISON our food !
Ohh well, I’m sure there’s another way….
I made this vegan pizza last night and it was amazing! I am new to the vegan world and recipes like this make it feel easy to be one.
I can’t wait to try this. I convinced my husband to try vegan for 60 days and we do pizza once a week. I can’t wait to try this!! I was wondering if you have ever tried using honey or a natural sweetener to your sauce then sugar? I have cut all processed foods out of diet as much as possible…I don’t buy sugar anymore….so was wondering if you have tried this before? Looks great and can’t wait to wait to try with the g-f crust! :)
Yes! i’ve used honey and cane sugar and both work great! Hope you love it!
My secret pizza toppings: smoked sundried tomatoes, pineapple and veggie shreds= a vegan Hawaiian pizza that’s better than the original! (I sometimes add jalapeños or red pepper flakes.)
You’re welcome.
Just wanted to jump on real quick and say that I made this for dinner last night and it was FANTASTIC. I opted out of the mushrooms and put corn on instead, and then after it was cooked, topped it with fresh spinach and some balsamic vinegar. Thanks for this recipe! I already want to make it again!!!!
The number one thing I look at when reading reviews for vegan recipes is if it was a hit with animal product consumers (usually that is a sign it is a fail-safe recipe). This certainly is! I have made this recipe tons of times for friends and family. We all love it. I used my own cashew cheese recipe (1/4 C. cashews, 4 T. nutritional yeast, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. Italian seasoning) and my own pizza crust. I also omitted the sugar. Even picky eaters who usually dislike vegetables will enjoy this. :)
Wow! This pizza was incredible last night and tastes just as good the next day(: I was looking for a vegan alternative to the typical pizzas my family makes and I think I mawakes and this really made the cut. The veggies are so good too. Thanks!
So glad you liked it, Hannah! Thanks for sharing.
Dana,
I am already a fan of your vegan parmesan recipe, and now want to try this easy pizza. I love the idea of baking the pizza right on the rack on parchment paper — no awkward transferring!! But just want reassurance that the paper won’t burn up?! Also, what’s the diameter of your pizza?
Thanks!
It doesn’t burn it up! It gets crispy.
My family is totally new to veganism and this looks great. However, my husband is deathly allergic to cashews. Is there a satisfactory substitute?
This might be the best thing of my life. I have no idea how a bunch of veggies and nuts can taste so scandalously good, it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong eating this.
I’ve never been able to get excited about mushrooms so I just did onion, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and then threw some spinach and tomato on too because why not. I guess you could probably just use whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Mine came out about a thousand times better than any cheesy pizza I’ve ever had, plus it comes with the added bonus of not hating myself afterwards so I like that.
I’ve made and enjoyed several of your recipes before, but this one just blew me away so I had to leave a comment and let you know. Thank you so much!
Delicious, I carmelized my onions added sautéed mushrooms with chopped vegan bacon & shredded vegan cheese. I will not waste my money any longer on frozen vegan pizza. This recipe was not only delicious but quick to make.
There is no info on how to make the dough/crust, therefore, this recipe seems incomplete.
Just made it and WOW it turned out so delicious!!!!! I could have this every day! Thank you!!!!
I could not use herbs due to my friend being allergic, but the pizza was still really good!
Nice and easy pizza sauce recipe. And the photos are amazing.
This was incredible. I’m so happy with how this pizza turned out. It wasn’t just great for a vegan pizza, it was great PERIOD. The vegan parm, which is amazing in its own right, really gives the pizza a cheesy feel. I’ll be wheeling this recipe out whenever I want to impress friends or family (or stuff my face guilt free). Thanks so much!
I am eating this as we speak! This pizza is AMAZING! Wow, it’s so garlicy and the perfect amount of spices. Thank you so much for posting it! I topped my pizza with Fresh arugula as well, I think cherry tomatoes would go lovely with this pizza too! xx
I just ate two of these and I wouldn’t mind another one, I’m supposed to be on a 1200 calorie diet…
No more need to spend money on expensive vegan frozen pizzas that taste horrible. :)
The parmesan tastes wonderful and is really cheesy! The crust recipe you linked is amazing too, it tastes better than pre-made ones and contains less calories.
So delicious. I am so happy I found this recipe. The vegan parmesean is outstanding. I also used it in a pesto pizza which turned out really good. Sauteing the veggies definitely brings the whole taste and pizza to another level. Thank you for sharing. My cheese eating and loving dad even said he didn’t miss the cheese.
We made this pizza following your directions, with the exception of the crust. I bought the organic frozen Trader Joe’s crusts, as I was in a hurry.
It came out wonderful. We just started Vegan eating and my husband and I both love cheese. This pizza was great.
The next time we just put all mushrooms and red onion (used the same seasoning) and it came out just as great!
Great basic recipe, change the veggies around, and you feel like it is a different pizza every time!
So delicious! The sauce was so simple to make. We left out the salt (we’re in the over 55 crowd). It was a hit at our weekly vegan night with friends!
I’m making some pull apart pizza buns and I thought I had pizza sauce. No I don’t, did a Google search and found your site! Love the easy of the sauce recipe! Thank you!
Another very quick and tasty option for crust is pita bread- white or wheat (if it suits your diet).
Takes about 5 minutes in oven at 450- and fun little mini pizzas for kids! I love the crispy taste and the time it saves :)
Wow I just made this pizza today and I read seriously amazing. Has to be the best pizza I have ever had.
Made this tonight. It was soooo good! It was my 4 year old son’s first pizza experience (he is allergic to dairy and egg) and he loved it. I made the dough using your link and it turned out great. I have frozen the other half of the dough – can’t wait to use it! Thanks for your site.
I just want to thank you for giving me the BEST vegan pizza recipe I’ve ever had. Seriously. I’ve tried many different pizzas and it’s just never this good! I ended up dipping the pizza in the extra sauce I had and it was amazing! I’ve also never been able to get the Trader Joe’s pizza dough to cook properly. The parchment paper idea is genius and I’ll be using that for years to come. Thank you!
Just loved this pizza! It was blizzardy tonight so we bought a dough ball from our local super market, and being extra lazy we used the GO Veggie! parmesan we had in the fridge. Otherwise everything was to spec. and adding the extra oregano and parm. afterwards finished it off nicely. It was just amazing. Next time we’ll try Trader Joe’s garlic herb dough, but it’s hard to believe it’s gonna taste any better than this. And it’s just as good cold!
I’m new to being vegan. Yours was one of the first vegan recipes I tried. I LOVE pizza! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! So I had no hope that this recipe would turn out to be anything but blech!! Vegan cheese made with nuts…you’ve got to be kidding me! I was SO ridiculously happy when I bit into it and it was amazing! I would eat this pizza over any other pizza I’ve ever had. No kidding! I think I’ve made it at least 4 times since a found it a few weeks ago. I and my own dough, add olives, zucchini, and artichoke hearts and its delish! Thank you so much, you have given me a good start on my vegan journey! And I too will be using that genius parchment paper trick in the future!
I’m an aspiring vegan here. I’ve been making vegan pizza for a few weeks now and yes, I can so see how sautéing the veggies is going to make things 10x better!! Gonna try it tomorrow. As for the dough, I have a Vitamix and there’s a recipe on their website for how to make it. SUPER SUPER EASY. It takes less than 2 minutes and I don’t have to touch the dough and get my hands all sticky and icky (maybe that’s just me…).
BTW, the whole family adored the Easy Vegan Cheesecakes with bluberries. Best. Recipe. Ever.
Thank you for all your hard work. It’s making my vegan journey so very possible and TASTY.
My family loves this pizza and asks for it all the time!! We are a newly vegan family and they swear this is better than the old stuff. Also, we are addicted to the vegan parm. Thanks so much!
wow…this pizza was amazing! I’m starting my vegan journey and this was so reassuring. I loved it and so did my meat-loving-boyfriend! thanks so much for sharing!
My wife and son are travelling during his high school spring break to look at colleges while I manage the home front. Two nights ago, they happened to be at my daughter’s college and took her out for dinner. She asked to go to California Pizza Kitchen. I felt the pangs of pizza desire but as the only vegan in the family, my options were limited. Also, I’ve been disappointed with my prior vegan pizza attempts. So I did some research and came across your recipe. I made it last night and I have to say that for the first time in my vegan adventure (1 year to-date), I was not disappointed. It was fantastic! Thank you!
This is the best pizza I have ever ate, and I am not even vegetarian! I did use my own homemade pizza sauce and doubled up the onions because I loathe mushrooms with the passion of a thousand suns.
Who knew pizza could be good without cheese?
This was so jammie, thank you for sharing!
Made this pizza last night-very pleased. We had the trader joes whole wheat dough and mixed in fresh garlic & Italian herbs! Love all the veggies and thin crust. We used the 500F and top rack tip from other users. Vegan parm recipe ..nice touch! Impressed.
I’m 14 years old and I just made this pizza… that’s how brilliantly easy it is. And as one of the biggest pizza-lovers in the world, I can safely say that this is the best pizza I have every tasted in my life- a big call, but true. Also, I’ve recently gone vegan and this is the perfect dinner dish for any vegetarian or vegan… or actually anyone at all :) thank you for the recipe!!
Simply amazing. Have nut allergy and made parm with sunflower seeds. It was perfect. A big hit in my home!
this pizza was sooo delicious! I’m so happy I tired it, the crust n veggies n everything were so good you’ll want more . now the only thing I wish I had made was the vegan Parmesan cheese :( I didint have the ingredients but next time I will . just so my pizza had a little bit of a cheesy flavor I added a different vegan cheese from trader joes and just sprinkled it on top of everything and poped it in the oven . if you make this pizza I promise you you’ll love it .
I loves this recipe! I added baked cauliflower before toppings for a white cheesy color! soooo good! <3
HI…Would you clarify something for me please? As I understand it, you put the pizza on the parchment paper and slice it into the oven on ONLY the paper, not the sheet or board or whatever you assemble it on? Also, my parchment paper can withstand temps only to 420 degrees. Is that ok?….I would assume that 5 deg doesn’t make much difference.
I put it on the parchment paper directly on the rack! The paper ends up getting brown by the end, but it can handle it!
Whoa….I totally agree. I’ve been vegan for about 8 years, and this is the best vegan pizza I have ever had…The only change I made was to fine cut all the veggies before I sautéed them. This results in a wonderful mix of flavors in every bite. It’s a little bit of trouble, but totally worth it.
Great, Great, Great! I’ve recently gone vegan’ish, eating a heavy vegan diet …four to seven days a week. This pizza is very good. I’ve made it a couple times per recipe and a few times with my own variations. I’m not into fake cheese but the vegan parm is simple and tastes great. This will be on my regular recipe rotation.
We do pizza Sunday and this pizza is definitely going into the rotation!! Delicious ? Made garlic sourdough crust to put it on. Thanks.
Very simple recipe! Feeling grateful. Came out simply yummilicious.
I followed this recipe for pizza night with some friends this weekend. I’ve been trying to make as many of my favorite dishes plant based, and pizza was one thing I hadn’t attempted yet. My pizza turned out PERFECT. I made the Parmesan using sunflower seeds instead of cashews (as it was all I had on hand!), and it definitely gave the pizza that ‘cheesy’ flavor.
This will be my go-to pizza from now on!
This makes delicious pizza! I made my own tomato sauce with a can of tomato, cooked down with some garlic and oregano. A new favourite!
I just made this and it was delicious!!! So impressed by the vegan parmasen too.
Thank you!
(I took a shortcut and used store bought sauce and base though)
I am in love with this pizza! I think about it often, and make it often. I make my own Wholemeal pizza base, your Parmesan cheese and it’s just superb! Thank you!!
LOVE the parm!
I want to eat it by the spoonful… Definitely putting it on popcorn.
I just have to comment because I am allergic to cashews. I went to cashew milk after being dx’d with a dairy allergy and now allergic to the darn cashews.
My two favorite things was ranch dressing (which I now make with coconut kefir to replace the buttermilk) and pizza with mozzarella. I am not near anywhere to purchase vegan cheese and was excited about your post til I saw the cashews. :(
But I did buy some vegan parmesaan online so will give that a go sometime although it’s not the same as Mozzarella which is what I really miss.
Vegan parmesan is just as perfect made with ground almonds or a combination of cashews and almonds. I believe it can also be made with walnuts but can’t vouch for that. Ground almonds is excellent though. The first version I tried uses sesame seeds. They are all really tasty and useful for pasta too.
This pizza looks so delicious, it really does . Going to make it next week. I love vegan pizza. It is surprising to find that something you thought was all about the cheese really isn’t. Even just leaving off the cheese gives you something really good that is totally a pizza. I’ve tried different ‘cheese’ toppings from sauces, to beans to tofu, to commercial cheese and they have all been great.
Would this taste super different if I used normal thin pizza crust? I don’t have a trader joes anywhere close to me, thanks!
Omg this was sooo good. I made this for myself, along with 3 ‘normal’ pizzas for a birthday party. My husband ended up eating most of mine, he loved it. In fact, he’s completely in love with that vegan Parmesan, as soon as I make it, it’s gone.
This pizza is seriously the best vegan cheese EVER! So good
Hello! I never ever comment on blogs, even my favorites like yours. BUT I felt like I had to tell you that this vegan pizza was in my wedding vows! My husbands actually! It is THAT good. We literally have it 2x a month and at one point it was Vegan Pizza Mondays every week. I’ve also made it for friends and even the most staunch of meat eaters/non-vegans admit that it is DELISH and you don’t miss the cheese at all. Tip – the Trader Joe’s garlic herb dough is key, I’ve made it with really high quality dough from a local pizzeria and the TJ dough was still better for this flavor combo. Thank you!!! xxxx
We made this for lunch. Delicious. I used a homemade dough made in my bread maker. We will be making this again and again. Thank you.
Amazing recipe – I have one addition that may already have been posted (haven’t had a chance to read all the comments). I like to layer eggplant/aubergine over the base, on top of the sauce. I prepare the eggplant by slicing thinly into circles and slow roasting with some olive oil, fresh garlic and hot chili peppers at around 140’C for 15-20min.
The addition of the eggplant gives the pizza a slightly creamy texture and adds another layer of flavour, so combined with the vegan parmesan it is very much similar to a normal cheese-topped pizza.
I am new to plant-based eating and I have recently discovered your blog! I’ve made a few recipes already, but this is a standout! This was simple and absolutely delicious. I am not missing eating meat at all with your recipes! Thank you!
Gee, I like your website; I dig the simple, tasty recipes and the photos are brilliant-well composed. I have been a vegetarian off and on since I was 16, and a vegan for the past year; I’m now 55 and I must say I’m sold on the lifestyle and diet for my health and nutrition as well as my need to remain socially conscious and a steward of the environment.
That said, I’m also passionate about a dish I just can’t live without-Vegan Pizza. I’ve tried the frozen varieties with vegan cheese and though they are so-so in a pinch they are not as good as anything I can make at home- with very little effort-using most of whatever I have leftover in the frig.
Like you, I use refrigerator dough for the crust to save time and I saute my vegetables beforehand, but if I may, I would like to add a few easy to incorporate touches.
*For those who use a pizza pan instead of the rack method, I use a fine layer of cornmeal- preferably white cornmeal- on a pizza pan and place the dough on top of the meal for baking.
*I use no oil in the pan when I saute the vegetables- a Teflon pan or tempered Wok is enough. Onions, peppers, and garlic have natural oils that will coat the pan if you quickly saute all the vegetables at a high heat. The result will give you the same effect that you speak of.
Just some thoughts I wanted to pass on to your readers. I’m glad to see the plethora of vegan cooking websites. It’s great to look up a favored dish and quickly find a veganized recipe for it. Thanks for your contribution to an important dialog.
Phenomenal recipe! Gonna be coming back to this for sure :) Wife developed lactose intolerance and terribly misses pizza. Earned some major brownie points with this gem. Thanks!
Tip: Add olives, tomatoes, jalepeno, corn and fresh basil leaves to punch it up to another level.
this was great – loved the sautéed veggies. and the vegan cheese was good too. but why on earth would you only make half of a pizza? who doesn’t want pizza left overs? and the tj dough won’t keep if you don’t use it. i’m just saying. but thanks for the great recipe.
The link to vegan parmesian is dead =( . much excite to make this though!
I must say this recipe was divine. I used whole wheat soft taco tortilla as my crust, already made traditional pizza sauce and Daiya dairy free mozzarella cheese instead. Definitely making it again. Thanks for sharing recipe.
I am making this pizza this weekend. Cut out dairy (and eggs/meat)…this is the REAL test…pizza.
I made your vegan pizza for my son. He could believe how delicious it was. The whole family enjoyed it.
thanks for the great recipe.
I thought you must’ve been exaggerating when you said it was the best pizza you’ve had, but I’ve just made this and I can only say the same (and this is coming from an extreme pizza snob who really thought going vegan meant I could never have good pizza again)!
I made a few minor adjustments – I used the whole dough, because I didn’t want any leftover, so it was a bit thicker, but just as delicious. I also didn’t use any herbs in the sauce or veggies since we ran out, but I think it tasted just perfect! The crust has a strong herb flavor so you won’t miss it if you don’t add more.
Before I put the sauce on, I melted some vegan butter and brushed it onto the dough, and added garlic powder. Then on top of the sauce I sprinkled some coconut sugar and red pepper flakes before adding the toppings. It’s an old trick I learned from a friend and it’s guaranteed to make every pizza taste even better!
Thank you so much for the amazing recipe, I think I’m going to share it with everyone I know :)
Made it and I am in LOVE! We added Vegan cheese and extra Veggies (fresh tomato, sautéed onion with the sautéed mushrooms and peppers ).
Tasted delicious but our parchment paper fused to the crust. Ended up having to peel half the crust off from the bottom :/
Thanks for sharing this. I’m looking forward to making it.
There’s is something that’s a concern. Especially for people with heart or kidney issues;
For 1/2 a pizza containing over 1500 mg of salt that’s a lot. An adult recommended serving of sodium per day is 2400 mg. A person on a low sodium diet needs to stick with 1500 mg/day.
1 teaspoon of salt is 1800 mg of sodium and your recipe only has 1/2 teaspoon total. Must be the Trader Joe crust that’s hiding all the salt. I’ve got some homemade crust that Ill use for this instead of TJ’s Ill let you know the outcome.
It was so so good! and since I’m the only vegan in my household I have leftovers! Yum!
This recipe was amazing! I made it for pizza day at my daughters day care cuz we’re vegan. She loved it. She “mmmm”-d for every bite LOL.
This was my first vegan pizza, and needless to say the search is over. I’ve made this pretty much every week for the last couple of months. :)
This is a delicious recipe!! I made it once before and it was a big hit. This time I added more veg and a 1/4 Trader Joes vegan cheese. Wonderful!! Thank you Dana.
I LOVED IT! I ended up mixing 1/2 TJ’s whole wheat crust with 1/2 TJ’s garlic herb crust, and it was perfect. I added dollops of the ‘cheese’ you use for your lasagna roll ups, though I added only 1 tbsp of lemon, rather than 1/3 cup. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Do you think this would work as a stromboli?
Hello,
I have a nut allergy, what can I use to make vegan parmesan cheese instead of Cashew.
Thanks
Hi Mey! Most substitutes are for another nut, but you could try sunflower seeds.
This was the best pizza I have ever had! I always thought pizza had to be smothered in cheese, but I didn’t even miss it. The non vegans in my house loved it, too!
Sauteed veggies! What kind and how do you do them? M.W or what
I absolutely love this pizza… it was just hard not to eat the topping before it reached the crust :D
We made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! Flavor was on point & the crust was great!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I never thought I would love a pizza without cheese, and nutritional yeast smells like an old barn, but after trying this recipe I’ve got a new favorite which has made my new cheeseless life so much better!
What if we want to do the tomato fresh and not from the can paste can you advise me please Dana? I was going to do the eggplant lasagna i was send here for the marinara sauce and i’m so eager to make it.
I love your recipes
Thanks
Ale
Hi! I’d use the marinara sauce as a jumping off point for this recipe!
I have had carmelized onion, asparagus tips, kalemata olives, pine nuts, fresh basil after it is cooked,
roasted red pepper and vegan pepperoni as selections to put on pizza and they were very tasty. The
vegan parmesan cheese is really good! Thank you always coming up with tasty suggestions!
Thank you for this recipe Dana! I tried a vegan mozzarella but it was not as good as your recipe for the vegan Parmesan. I followed your pizza recipe but I made my own whole wheat dough. Very tasty.
I made this for dinner tonight. I did use another pizza crust recipe and for the sauce I added extra dried herbs including rosemary. Best veggie pizza.
I made this pizza and it was delicious! I made it with this crust in my breadmaker: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pizza-crust-for-bread-machine-142788
Next time I would probably add even more of the spices. It was delicious, but a touch on the bland side, probably because I didn’t use the TJs crust.
Has anyone tried making the entire pizza ahead and freezing it? I would rather do that then freeze the dough, but I am wondering if I should freeze the whole thing, or maybe just freeze without the vegan parm and put that on before baking? Any advice here would be appreciated!
After placing a hiatus on our Friday night pizza night due to my veganism, it is now back on because of this recipe! And everyone in my family is happy again–especially me! Your vegan parmesan has been my go-to for months now, but I never thought of using it for pizza. THANK YOU!!!
Yay! We are glad to hear that pizza night is back on, Nina :D
This is definitely my favorite vegan pizza. I’ve made it at least 10 times now. My non vegan friends and family really like it too. In fact, my husband has actually told other people about it! (Not common!) Thank you for sharing this!!
Yay! We’re glad to hear you all enjoy it, Julie!
Inspired my toppings based on this recipe. Added truffle oil and black olives to make it truly perfect.
Am old – how do I print out this recipe?
Keeping kosher with a 9 year old grand daughter who is a lactose-ovarian vegetarian – which is fine but have trouble feeding her while everyone else is eating Turkey as I don’t put cheese dishes on the table. Want to try your vegan parmesan cheese on a ‘plain’ pizza as her dinner. Also – Would a ‘plain’ pizza taste as good if served the next day? Thanks Gayle
Hi Gayle! You can print this recipe by simply clicking the ‘print’ button which can be found near the ingredient list! This pizza keeps well as leftovers!
I’ve always loved making my own pizza pies and was devastated thinking I’d have to eliminate pizza from my diet in the name of good health. I always put sauteed bell pepper and onion on my original pizza, so the only big difference was no cheese… which made me nervous. I made and used your vegan parm cheese, and it was a hit for me and the fam (who all went plant – based, as well). Definitely will be making this for weekends when we get those cravings for pizza! Thank you!
We are so glad you enjoyed it, Laneya!
Because of my CKD I’m not allowed tomato and cheese…can I substitute capsicum sauce instead of tomato? Also, what’s a good substitute for cheese? I’m from India and we have a cottage cheese called paneer, would that work?