Vegan Margherita Pizza
Jul 17, 2020 (Last updated Oct 25, 2023) by Hannah Sunderani
Vegan Margherita Pizza
Today I am sharing a truly simple and delicious homemade vegan margherita pizza recipe with you! This recipe is made from scratch, everything from the vegan pizza dough to the marinara sauce, and even the vegan mozzarella cheese!
This oven-baked pizza is the ultimate vegan twist on a classic margherita pizza. The homemade pizza dough is yeasty and bubbly with a crispy exterior and soft inside. Slathered with a bright and lush tomato sauce and topped with my melty and stringy vegan mozzarella, finished with freshly chopped basil.
All-in-all, this plant-based pizza recipe proves that there is no compromise on taste when it comes to vegan pizza. Certainly, you can enjoy your Friday pizza night just the same, if not BETTER with this epic plant-forward margherita pizza recipe.
So, let me tell you exactly how to make this homemade vegan margherita pizza. So that you can enjoy it pronto!
How to make Vegan Margherita Pizza
You might think that making your own pizza dough, sauce, and vegan cheese would be a long and cumbersome task. But this homemade vegan pizza recipe couldn’t be simpler! After all, it wouldn’t be fair to stress you out on Friday pizza night! It’s supposed to be fun and easy.
For this recipe you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- water
- sea salt
- dry active yeast
- marinara sauce (or store bought tomato sauce)
- vegan mozzarella (or store bought vegan mozzarella)
- Fresh basil
As you can see, you new few ingredients to make this comforting pizza. All you really need to nail this recipe is time.
Vegan Pizza Dough
This vegan pizza dough is made with 4 simple ingredients: flour, water, salt and dry active yeast. Making your dough at home is a simple process, but it requires time for proofing. I promise it’s well worth the time in terms of taste and texture in comparison to store-bought doughs.
The longer we let our vegan pizza dough proof, the tastier and bubblier it becomes. I like to give my dough a minimum of 6 to 10 hours to proof, but you can even make it 2-3 days in advance!
In fact, since the dough gets better over time, it’s a great meal-prep recipe. Prep the dough in advance and you can have a homemade pizza dough ready to be oven-baked in just 15 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast. Gradually add 1.5 cups of water while stirring with a spatula. Stir until well incorporated. Knead the dough gently with your hands to form a dough ball. Add more flour if needed until it’s no longer sticky to the touch. It should be plush and dough-like. ( I used about 1/2 cup more flour).
- Transfer the dough to a large clean bowl. Cover with reusable wrap and let dough rise at room temperature, in a draft-free area, until its surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has doubled in size, approx. 6-10 hours. (I like to do this overnight).If not using right away, dust the dough ball with flour and cover in reusable wrap. Store in fridge and bring back to room temperature before use.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into two equal portions and mold each gently into a ball.
- Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Place dough balls each on a rimmed baking sheet and flatten with hands, until it covers most of the sheet. (If the dough springs back, let it rest a few minutes, then try again).
What if I don’t prepare my dough in advance?
As mentioned, I like to make this dough the night before I want to use it. Or even 2 to 3 days prior. But sometimes I forgot. You can still make this dough recipe the day you plan to use it, but my recommendation is to give at least 6 hours of proof time.
A great part about meal prepping this dough in advance is that you can get ahead of dinner by prepping the dough 2 or 3 days earlier. Actually, this is my preferred method because the longer you wait the tastier your dough becomes. By Day 2 or 3 you’ll notice your dough is crispier and bubblier when baked.
Can you freeze the dough?
Yes! You can freeze the dough after proofing for up to 3 months to use later. Make sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap and store in an air-tight container.
How many pizza’s does this dough make?
This recipe makes enough dough for two medium-crust pizzas, each cut into 8 slices.
Vegan Margherita Pizza Toppings:
Vegan Marinara Sauce:
These days, I always have a stash of my 20-Minute Homemade Marinara Sauce in the freezer – ready to thaw for moments like this!
Homemade marinara sauce is so easy to make, and way more tasty than store-bought alternatives. Ready in 20 minutes, it’s made with basic pantry ingredients and is great to have on hand to add to your favourite pasta or pizza recipes. Great for canning and freezing!
Spread it over your vegan pizza dough and you’re ready for the cheeze!
Can I prep the marinara sauce in advance?
This marinara recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To store, allow the sauce to cool completely to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container such as a glass mason jar and seal tightly.
If freezing in glass, ensure that the jar is not filled past the “freeze line”. Liquids expand in the freezer and if the jar is filled too high it can cause too much pressure to build inside the glass, causing it to crack.
When ready to reheat, transfer the desired amount of marinara sauce to a pot over medium-low heat and bring to a slight simmer again. Once warmed through, enjoy as desired.
If you prefer a pizza without tomato sauce then my Pizza Bianca with peaches, basil and balsamic is a must-try!
Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Recipe
For this vegan margherita pizza recipe, I’ve used my 10-ingredient Homemade Vegan Mozzarella. It’s stringy, melty and stretchy. All-in-all it’s the perfect cheese to scoop on to this vegan pizza recipe.
If you prefer a recipe without cheese then I encourage you to try my Homemade Vegan Pizza & Pizza Dough recipe. It’s a delicious pizza that proves you won’t miss the cheese.
Can I prep the vegan mozzarella in advance?
This vegan mozzarella will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. So feel free to prep this in advance as well. Reheat on the stovetop with splashed of milk or water to thin if needed.
Of course, you can always buy vegan mozzarella from the grocery store. No doubt, there are some great brands on the market now. Check out Pop Sugar‘s list, which includes some of my favourite vegan cheeses. My personal favourite is the vegan mozzarella by Miyoko’s.
Rest assured, making your own vegan mozzarella is simple and minimal. And if you ask me, it’s ideal since you know exactly what’s inside. No strange ingredients, preservatives, gums or fillers. Homemade is my preferred choice.
- Top the pizzas with dollops of the vegan mozzarella and bake at 450F/230C for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pizza crust is golden and bubbly, and the bottom is cooked through (golden and crispy – check by lifting up the pizza with a spatula and peeking underneath).
- Sprinkle pizza with fresh basil and slice into 8 pieces
MAKE THIS VEGAN PIZZA AT HOME DOUGH WITH ME!
Join me on my YouTube Channel, where I teach you just how easy it is to make this Homemade Vegan Pizza & Pizza Dough recipe!
Vegan Pizza Recipe: Tips & Notes
Now, I’ve already spoken about how to achieve bubbly, crispy, and plush pizza dough, but I’ll stress it again because it’s important!
Give your pizza dough time to proof! (a.k.a – time to rise and double in size). The longer you proof, the bubblier and more yeasty your dough will become. The sweet spot is anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.
If your dough has been prepped in advance and refrigerated or frozen, let it come back to room temperature before working with it. This will allow your dough to be more malleable as you spread it onto your baking tray.
If there’s lots of spring-back while working the dough, leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, then come back and try again. Sometimes it just needs time for the gluten to relax.
Meal-prepping the dough, marinara, and cheese in this recipe will make your pizza night fast and effortless!
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So there we have it. A very easy and simple vegan pizza recipe to up your Friday pizza night! This pizza is gourmet, with a crispy bubbly and golden crust, flavourful sauce, and a melty, stretchy vegan mozzarella cheese. Whether you’re vegan or not, you’re going to love this recipe. Certainly, there is no compromise on taste with this vegan pizza. I hope you give it a try!
And, if you do make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
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Vegan Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
Homemade Pizza Dough
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1/2 to 1 cup more
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sea salt finely ground
- 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
Sauce and Toppings
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup Homemade Vegan Mozzarella or store-bought
- 1/2 cup basil fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
Pizza dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast. Gradually add 1.5 cups water while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir until well incorporated. Knead dough gently with your hands to form a dough ball. Add more flour if needed until it's no longer sticky to the touch. It should be plush and dough-like. ( I used about 1/2 cup more flour).
- Transfer dough to a large clean bowl. Cover with reusable wrap and let dough rise at room temperature, in a draft-free area, until its surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has doubled in size, approx. 6-10 hours. (I like to do this overnight). If not using right away, dust dough ball with flour and cover in reusable wrap. Store in fridge and bring back to room temperature before use.
- Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into two equal portions and mold each gently into a ball.
- Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Place dough balls each on a rimmed baking sheet and flatten with hands, until it covers most of the sheet. (If the dough springs back, let it rest a few minutes, then try again).
Sauce and toppings:
- In a smaller mixing bowl combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic and sea salt. Slather tomato sauce onto pizza dough and top each with vegan mozzarella.
- Bake pizzas for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pizza crust is golden and bubbly, and the bottom is cooked through (golden and crispy – check by lifting up the pizza with a spatula and peeking underneath). Sprinkle pizza with fresh basil and slice into 8 pieces.
Watch The Video
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
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So delicious!! The vegan mozzarella was so easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe, my husband loved it!
Hi Andrea! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We love it too – I make that vegan mozzarella all of the time! Thanks for the very sweet comment.
Looks so good! I’ve been doing Sunday night sheet pan pizza night so I will try this next week. Question about parchment paper- I have two brands that say oven 425 or lower so I’ve been afraid to use them with pizza.what brand do you use or is 450ok?
Hi Andrea! Aww I’m so glad you like the recipe! I just checked my parchment paper and it also says 425, but I had no issues with burning! I’ve made pizza before with foil but things got too sticky, which is why I prefer the paper. Or alternatively, you could flour up the base of your baking sheet and bake without! (My parchment paper is by Reynolds, but I’ve used all types without issues). I hope this helps!!
Such great dough! We love it! So easy to make too. I served it with your homemade Ranch Dip. SO good!
Oh Krystal, I am so glad that you enjoy this dough! I’ve been making it for years! Sounds SO good to serve the pizza with my ranch dip!! I’m going to try that next time!