Meatless Feast Vegan Pizza

Gluten-free vegan pizza recipe with a meatless feast topping made from a spicy, smokey tofu sauce, vegan chick’n, chewy mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of vegan cheese. It’s so easy to make vegan pizza from scratch, including a crispy, light gluten-free dough. Switch up the toppings by adding vegetables of your choice!

I think I could probably live off pizza. Doesn’t sound too healthy, I know. But the trick is homemade, which also means healthier ingredients without a sacrifice of flavour. Besides, it’s hard to rival that fresh, homemade taste, let alone the joy of making pizza from scratch.

It may seem daunting, but I assure you that even with minimal cooking experience, you can tackle this pizza with little effort. Chances are, you’ll prefer your creation to takeout!

 

Meatless feast vegan pizza recipe

I’ve always been a huge pizza connoisseur. I’d come home from school on a Friday, and straight away my mum and I would pick up the phone to order our weekly treat. That didn’t change when I went vegan in 2015, which is probably around the time when the range of plant based alternatives started to grow.

But I discovered that making pizza myself from the ground up is so much more fun. With full creative control over the ingredients and toppings, I can create an exact match for my preferences. My personal favourite? ‘Meat feast’ inspired toppings, featuring tofu and vegan chick’n which is both vegan and non-vegan approved.

Try out this pizza for a weekend or weeknight baking session, saving any leftovers for lunch the following day (to be honest, it’s probably healthy enough for a leftovers breakfast too). Dip the crust into pea and avocado pesto, or my favourite chunky vegan guacamole to really level up your meal!

Gluten-free vegan pizza crust

A gluten-free pizza crush is probably more of a challenge that a dairy- and egg-free one. For any type of gluten-free baking, it. takes a lot of trial and error to create the right flour combination, find the ideal baking temperature, achieve the right texture, etc. But I still had a lot of fun testing this, and as things often go with recipe development, ended up eating a lot of failed pizza crusts dipped in tahini.

But the result of trial and error is a crust that I can’t get enough of. The flours I used are buckwheat flour, rice flour, and cornmeal which adds that beautiful golden glow.

 

This is a thinner, crispier pizza crust. That’s how I prefer it, for it draws more attention to the toppings. But if you want a thicker crust, allow the dough to rise for around 30 minutes before shaping it into a pizza base.

How to make a gluten-free vegan pizza dough

STEP 1: Preheat a conventional oven to 180 degrees C/350 F.

STEP 2: Combine lukewarm water with yeast. Allow to sit and dissolve for around 5 minutes.

STEP 3: Add flaxseeds soaked in warm water, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt. Stir together really well.

STEP 4: Add the sugar, rice flour, xanthan gum and buckwheat flour. Stir until a sticky dough consistency forms.

STEP 5: Transfer the dough to a sheet of baking paper or aluminium foil. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, flatten it out into a thin circle. You are now ready to add your toppings. Here, I added the spicy tofu sauce (see below for instructions), vegan chick’n, mushrooms and vegan cheese.

STEP 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Can I freeze this gluten-free pizza dough?

Yes, this is a freezer-friendly recipe: you can freeze this pizza dough for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

Vegan ‘meat feast’ toppings

The thick to replicating a meat feast pizza? Tofu, and a good amount of spice! I made a simple tomato-based sauce, and also added vegan chick’n, but other meat alternatives like vegan sausages work really well too. If you want to give the mock meats a miss, simply leave them out, or use crumbled tempeh. Chickpeas always make a great pizza topping that adds texture and heartiness.

How to make vegan pizza sauce

STEP 1: Heat a little bit of olive oil or veggie broth in a large frying pan.

STEP 2: Add onion, tomato paste and garlic granules. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.

STEP 3: Add crumbled tofu, chopped tomatoes and hot sauce. Sauté for a further 2-3 minutes, then set aside until ready to use.

Things to love about this vegan pizza recipe

It’s …

• Flavourful and rich.
• Indulgent, but healthier than store-brought pizza.
• Easy to make with simple ingredients.
• Great for meal prep.
• Gluten-free.
• Ideal as a weeknight dinner.
• Fun to make!

Tips and tricks for the best ever vegan pizza!

• Switch up the toppings as much as you want! For instance, use up any vegetables you have in the fridge, or swap out the tofu for crumbled tempeh.
• Leave out the hot sauce if you don’t like spicy food, or swap it out for a tsp smoked paprika or liquid smoke for the same depth without the intensity.
• Add a tbsp maple syrup to the sauce for a little bit more of a sweeter flavour.

Other vegan dinner ideas that I love

• Cold spaghetti salad with balsamic tofu
• Sheet pan potatoes and tofu
• Curried red beans and rice
• Nut-free creamy pasta with butter beans
• Easy vegan butter ‘chicken’

Let me know in the comments: what are your favourite pizza toppings? If you give this meatless feast vegan pizza recipe a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@earthofmariaa) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below!