Name: Vegan Pizza Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast; 1 teaspoon Granulated White Sugar; 1/2 cup+ 1 tablespoon Warm Water; 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour; 1 tablespoon Cornmeal; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

For most people, pizza is comfort food. Crispy crust, stringy mozzarella cheese, and delicious toppings. Doesn't it make you want a slice of vegan pizza right now? This Vegan Pizza features a homemade crust that is not too thin or too thick; it's the perfect thickness, so there's no overly bready pizza crust here! When it comes to toppings, we decided to go Margherita-style. First, we topped the homemade crust with pizza sauce. Then, we added vegan mozzarella cheese, basil pesto, Roma tomatoes, green and black olives, arugula, and fresh basil to create the perfect and most delicious Margherita pizza.

Is Vegan Pizza Healthier Than Regular?

Ultimately it depends on the ingredients you put on your vegan pizza. For example, if you use a low-carb pizza crust, add lots of fresh vegetables, or skip the vegan cheese, the pizza will be healthier than regular pizza. Nevertheless, vegan pizza will be slightly more nutritious than traditional pizza because it is free of non-vegan cheese.

Why Are Pizzas Unhealthy?

Pizza is considered unhealthy due to its fat content. We love to put lots and lots of cheese on pizza to make it extra cheesy. However, cheese contains high levels of saturated fat. Saturated fat increases your risk of developing high cholesterol or heart disease. This is why it's best to eat pizza in moderation.

Is Pizza Healthier Than Cereal?

It depends. Most cereals contain large amounts of sugar. For example, while pizza contains a lot of fat, it has lower sugar levels, which is why some people believe pizza is healthier than regular cereal. In contrast, if you consume homemade quinoa cereal or a low-carb, sugar-free cereal, it would be more nutritious than traditional pizza.

Author: Sarah Leadon

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

14 mins

Total Time

29 mins

Serves

6-8

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon Granulated White Sugar
1/2 cup+ 1 tablespoon Warm Water
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Margherita Pizza

1/2 cup Pizza Vegan Sauce
1 cup Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons Vegan Basil Pesto
1/4 cup Arugula Leaves
1/4 cup pitted Green Olives
1/4 cup pitted Black Olives
1/4 cup Basil Leaves (optional)

Instructions

Pizza dough

Mix the active dry yeast, sugar, and water in a small bowl and set it aside for 5 minutes until it is foamy.

In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt, and mix until combined.

Add the yeast mixture and the olive oil and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead the pizza dough for 3 minutes until it is smooth and elastic, then place it into a large bowl coated with oil.

Cover the pizza dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour in a warm spot until the pizza dough doubles in size.

To assemble

Preheat the oven to 425 °F.

Place the pizza dough on a floured surface and roll it out using a rolling pin. Transfer the pizza dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can also cut the pizza dough in half and roll them out separately to make 2 smaller pizzas. Make sure you roll the pizza out until it is 1/4-1/4-inch in thickness. The pizza will rise as it bakes in the oven and can become bready instead of thin and crispy if the crust is too thick.

Spread the pizza sauce all over the pizza crust using a spoon, then sprinkle over the vegan mozzarella cheese. Arrange the Roma tomatoes on top of the vegan mozzarella cheese.

Bake the vegan pizza for 13-14 minutes.

If desired, remove the vegan pizza from the oven and top with the pesto, arugula, green olives, black olives, and basil. You can leave the vegan pizza on the baking sheet and serve it family-style (be careful the pan will be boiling), or you can place the pizza onto a large serving dish before cutting it into 6-8 slices.