Pizza Fridays are a regular occurrence in our house, and while I’ll often make something like vegan spicy BBQ chickpea pizza or kale pesto pizza, I have to tell you that this homemade vegan pizza recipe is the one I keep going back to—a simple, classic pizza with an incredible crust, fantastic tomato sauce, and melty vegan cheese. When you’re making such a simple recipe, it’s all about quality of ingredients and technique. The technique I use here is the steam method, which I learned during my two visits to Italy. It’s key to beautifully browned, bubbly crusts. Once you try it, you’ll never go back!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pizza Recipe
Simply delicious. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I do love to go wild with toppings. But If you start with a good crust—and this is a GREAT crust—you can make a really enjoyable pizza without all that. Authentic flavour. You probably don’t have a wood-fired pizza oven at home, but the steam method I describe below is the next best thing for vegan homemade pizza! Perfect for customising. Keep it simple with sauce and vegan cheese, or add some more toppings. It’s up to you!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Pizza dough – Here’s my pizza dough recipe. Pizza sauce – And here’s my pizza sauce. Do not use store-bought jarred marinara or pasta sauce—it has a higher water content and will make your pizza soggy! Vegan mozzarella cheese – My favourites for homemade vegan pizza are Miyoko’s Vegan Mozzarella, Eat Harmless, Violife, Daiya, and So Delicious. Olive oil – For brushing the crust. Cornmeal – To dust the baking sheet or pizza stone.
How to Make the Best Vegan Pizza
Prepare. Preheat your oven for 20 minutes at 500ºF or its highest temperature. Shape the crust. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it reaches 10-inches in diameter. Place the dough on a pizza stone or baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Top the pizza. Spread the sauce onto the crust, then add the cheese. Drizzle the olive oil on top and brush it on the edges. Bake. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 12 to 17 minutes, or until the dough is baked through and golden brown on the edges. Broil for a few minutes at the end if desired. Serve. Cool slightly, then slice and serve.
Tips for Success
Don’t overdo the toppings. The biggest culprit when it comes to soggy pizza crust is too many toppings. Keep it around 1 cup of topping ingredients. Use the best ingredients you can find. They say even bad pizza is still pizza, but we want incredible vegan pizza, right? With such a simple recipe, you really taste everything, so make sure it’s good stuff. Try the steam method. To do this, place a loaf pan with hot water on the bottom rack of your oven once it reaches 500ºF. Let it sit in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the pizza. The crust will get bubbly and crisp! Use a pizza stone. A pizza stone will give you the very best results, so if you make pizza often, it may be worth the investment. If not, the back of a heavy baking sheet will also work or use a cast iron skillet. (I describe all of these methods in detail in the recipe card below.)
Simple Vegan Pizza Topping Ideas
As I mentioned above, we don’t want to overdo the toppings! But here are some simple combinations I love for vegan pizza:
Tomato pizza sauce + Italian olives + vegan Parmesan cheese Olive oil (instead of pizza sauce) + vegan mozzarella + caramelized onions + Kalamata olives Tomato pizza sauce + torn vegan mozzarella + Roma tomato slices + fresh basil leaves (after baking) Olive oil + vegan mozzarella + garlic mushrooms + a drizzle of truffle oil before serving
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover vegan pizza wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can eat it cold, warm it up in a 450ºF oven, or use my favourite method, which is reheating it covered in a skillet on the stovetop.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze homemade vegan pizza before or after baking. To freeze it before, place the assembled pizza on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze it until it’s solid. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake as directed in the original recipe; you’ll just need to add a few extra minutes to the oven time. To freeze after baking, wrap the slices in plastic wrap then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen according to the instructions above, or let the pizza thaw in the fridge first for faster reheating.
More Vegan Pizza Recipes
Vegan Breakfast Pizza Vegan Naan Pizza Easy Vegan Almond Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten Free & Low Carb) Grilled Peach, Basil and Vegan “Goat” Cheese Pizza Fruit Pizza Recipe
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan pizza recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much! Recipe by: Jessica Hylton – Jessica in the Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
