Easy Vegan Pizza Recipe
This picky eater friendly easy vegan pizza recipe comes together in less than an hour (including bake time), and is so ridiculously easy that my kids have made it by themselves before!
It takes the same amount of time to make this pizza as it does to order pizza and to go pick it up or wait for it to be delivered. So, take the cheaper & healthier route this time and just make the pizza yourself for your next pizza night!
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Ingredients For Vegan Pizza Dough & Toppings
Warm Water: You need warm water for this recipe, not cold and not hot. It needs to be like bath water temperature – warm enough to help you feel relaxed, but not so hot you feel burned – no need for a thermometer. (And again, my kids have made this recipe by themselves before – so it’s not easy to mess up.)
Yeast: The yeast is what makes the dough expand.
Sugar: Sugar is combined with the yeast and water to help activate the yeast and get the bubbling and doubling action going.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is needed in this pizza crust to help with the texture and stretchability of the dough, as well as making it easier to handle and knead.
Salt: Salt can be optional, but it enhances the flavor of the crust and gives it that addictive, can’t stop eating, flavor.
Flour: I always use all purpose flour for the pizza crust, I’ve tried using whole wheat and it just doesn’t taste the same.
Italian Seasoning & Garlic Powder: These spices are optional, but they make the crust taste even better- it adds a bit of flavor to it, other than just tasting like pizza crust.
Marinara Sauce: Whether you make your own or buy store bought is up to you, but for a regular vegan cheese pizza marinara sauce is a must!
Shredded Vegan Mozzarella Cheese: For my family, pizza is not pizza without the cheese, luckily there are a lot of vegan cheeses to choose from. Finding the right cheese, or one that melts well (and is still affordable) is key to making a delicious pizza.
For example, I shop at Aldi every single week, but their vegan cheese does not melt well (sorry Aldi, but you need to up your game a bit). I’ve had great success with Follow Your Heart shredded mozzarella cheese. And I’ve heard Mikoyo had a liquid vegan cheese that was designed specifically for pizza, but I have not tried that one yet.
Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find the right vegan cheese for pizza – my go to so far has been Follow Your Heart.
Veggies: Adding veggies to pizza is one way to ensure your kids eat their veggies! Some favorites in my own home are diced or sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and more!
Feel free to add whichever veggies you and your family enjoy the most, such as:
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Any type of onion
- Any type of pepper
- Mushrooms
- Leafy greens like spinach
- Olives
- Artichokes
- And so much more!
How to make the best vegan pizza recipe from scratch
*Note that these instructions can be printed below
Step one: Preheat oven to 450℉
Step two: Add the yeast, sugar, and warm water to a large mixing bowl (the one that you’ll use with your stand mixer) and let sit for about 5 minutes, it should foam up a little bit.
Step three: Add the oil, salt, about 2 cups of the flour, the Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix well and add in more flour as needed; you should not need more than 3 cups total.
Step four: Knead the dough, use the dough hook on low to medium speed for about 10 to 15 minutes (or knead the dough for the same amount of time).
Step five: Stretch out and roll the dough into the shape of your pan, or stretch into round mini pizzas.
Step six: Add toppings as desired.
Step seven: Bake for 10-15 minutes and allow to cool before enjoying!
How to Serve This Vegan Pizza
Serve HOT!
And maybe pair it with:
- Homemade Lemonade
- Breadsticks
- A Simple Salad
- Garlic Knots
- And enjoying it outside if it’s a nice day out!
How to Store Vegan Pizza
Fridge: For best results, enjoy ASAP, if you have leftovers then store in the fridge in an airtight container, with parchment between layers of pizza slices, for up to 2-3 days.
FAQ’s about Vegan Pizza
- Is Vegan pizza junk food?
- Quick answer is usually going to be a yes. Long answer is that it depends. What it’s going to depend on are the ingredients used in it and what your definition of ‘junk food’ is. If you only eat, or only aim to eat, whole food plant-based with no SOS, then vegan pizza is most definitely ‘junk food’. If you eat a ‘healthy’ vegan diet, then the thing in it that may seem the most ‘unhealthy’ would be the processed vegan cheese – which you could replace with a homemade cheesy sauce, or even just a sprinkling of nutritional yeast (which I have done before and it is delicious!). If you’ve been eating a Standard American Diet, the only part of this recipe that would seem like junk, again, is the vegan cheese. And this will usually be the case whether you make it at home, buy frozen (which would be more likely to be considered ‘junk food’), or if you’re able to buy a vegan pizza out.
- Is vegan pizza actually vegan?
- This recipe most definitely is! And most pizza that is labeled vegan is – if it’s not then there may be a sneaky ingredient in the pizza crust that isn’t vegan.
- What do vegans eat for pizza?
- We eat pizza, seriously! Almost any food can be made vegan now, it’s kind of incredible (spoken by someone who started to eat more vegan back where vegan cheese used to taste like slimy cardboard).
- What are the best vegan pizza toppings?
- Veggies, vegan cheese, or cheesy sauce, and nutritional yeast.
- Is pizza dough vegan?
- Most pizza doughs are. If you’re skeptical, then ask for an ingredient list at the pizza place, or check the ingredient list on the back of the package.
- What vegan cheese should I use?
- If you have experience with vegan cheese, then you probably know some don’t melt well. Mikoyo has developed a liquid vegan cheese specifically to solve this problem (but I have not tried it yet). I personally have been using Follow Your Heart brand.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Vegan Pizza Recipe
Shawna ClapperEquipment
- Stand Mixer (optional, but makes it much easier)
- baking sheet or pizza stone
Ingredients
- Vegan Pizza Dough:
- 1 cup Warm Water
- 1 tablespoon Active Yeast or 1 packet
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 ½ – 3 cups Flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning optional
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Toppings
- Marinara Sauce
- Vegan Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
- Bell Pepper diced or sliced
- Tomatoes diced or sliced
- Red Onion diced or sliced
- Other Vegetables of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉
- Add the yeast, sugar, and warm water to a large mixing bowl (the one that you’ll use with your stand mixer) and let sit for about 5 minutes, it should foam up a little bit.
- Add the oil, salt, about 2 cups of the flour, the Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix well and add in more flour as needed; you should not need more than 3 cups total.
- Knead the dough, use the dough hook on low to medium speed for about 10 to 15 minutes (or knead the dough for the same amount of time).
- Stretch out and roll the dough into the shape of your pan, or stretch into round mini pizzas.
- Add toppings as desired.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes and allow to cool before enjoying!
