Best Homemade Vegan Margherita Pizza🍕with vegan cheese and your own perfectly crisp & chewy pizza crust and rich marinara sauce made from scratch. Here's everything you need to know how to make the best vegan pizza!
Who doesn't love pizza right from the oven? Particularly a vegan cheese pizza made from scratch with great vegan pizza dough and homemade marinara sauce, like this glorious Margherita pizza topped with plant-based mozzarella & fresh basil.
Whether this is your first or fiftieth time making your own pizza, I can’t think of a better one to enjoy than this vegan Margherita pizza.
What is a Margherita pizza you ask? Named in honor of Italy’s Queen Margherita of Savoy, it's a beautifully simple tomato-based Neapolitan pizza topped with mozzarella and fresh basil. The ingredients represent the red, white and green colors of Italy’s national flag.
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🍕Why this recipe works
With this one recipe, you'll learn almost everything you need to know how to make vegan pizza, using all plant-based ingredients. See printable recipe below for details
Dough
- This vegan pizza dough requires only 3 ingredients, plus water.
- It creates a delicious crispy crust on the outside, soft & chewy on the inside
- You can prepare the dough a day or more in advance.
- No added sugar or oil.
Sauce
- This simple homemade marinara sauce is quick & easy to prepare.
- It's zesty, thick and so tasty.
- Perfect on pizza, pasta, breadsticks & veggie meatballs.
Cheese
- Adds just the right rich creaminess to the pizza.
- You can use a combination of your favorite vegan cheeses.
- Use as much or as little vegan cheese as you like!
🍕Ingredients
- Pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
- Marinara or pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Vegan mozzarella - I like Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz
- Vegan cream cheese - your favorite
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh basil
- Vegan parmesan (store-bought or homemade)
- Cornmeal
🍕Instructions
Prepare pizza dough
Making your own homemade pizza dough is a lot of fun and totally worth doing. Plan ahead, as you'll need to prepare the dough several hours in advance. Follow this recipe for details on how to make vegan pizza dough. The recipe creates enough dough for up to 2 large or 3 medium pizza crusts. If you don't use it all right away, you can refrigerate or freeze the extra dough for later.
Prepare the marinara sauce
There just isn't anything better tasting than homemade marinara sauce. Once you see how easy it is to prepare this delicious simple marinara sauce recipe, chances are you won't buy store-bought again! The recipe yields almost a quart of sauce, so you can save the extra for spaghetti or these fabulous vegan stuffed shells with spinach and cheese.
Start the oven
- If using a pizza stone, place stone in oven on lower rack.
- Preheat oven to 475º
Prepare the cheese toppings
🥕Note: If you are planning on making more than one pizza, increase the quantity of cheese you'll need.
- On a cutting board, cut vegan mozzarella into 10-12 dice-sized cubes. Flatten them into rounds by pressing down with the side of the knife. Set aside.
- Place vegan cream cheese, minced garlic and remaining mozzarella on cutting board and use a knife to cut in garlic with cheese, turning it into a smooth spread. You can also combine the cheese and garlic in a bowl and mash it together with a fork.
- If using a pizza stone, first sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal onto a pizza paddle(peel) or a clean cutting board. If you’re going to bake the pizza on a metal pizza pan or baking sheet, sprinkle cornmeal on those.
- Place prepared and shaped pizza dough onto a paddle, cutting board or metal pan.
- Apply a layer of garlic cheese spread onto the pizza dough, leaving at least 1″ of dough exposed around edges. Be careful not to tear the dough while spreading.
Add marinara, more cheese & bake!
- Ladle marinara sauce onto pizza, completely covering the garlic cheese layer.
- Place flattened mozzarella rounds on pizza.
- Sprinkle with vegan parmesan.
- If using a pizza stone, carefully slide the pizza from a paddle (or peel) onto the stone (it will be extremely hot). If not using a stone, place pizza on pan on middle oven rack.
- Bake pizza at 475º. Start checking it at 5 minutes. When the pizza looks almost ready, sprinkle basil leaves on top and continue baking.
🥕Note: Baking times will vary depending on whether you use a preheated pizza stone or metal pans. Just keep a close eye on it.
🍕FAQ's
Yes. If you don't have the time or inclination to make your own dough from scratch, pre-made pizza dough is available in many supermarkets. Be sure to check the label for vegan ingredients. Cooking time might need to be adjusted depending on the dough you buy, so follow the package directions.
You can use any tomato-based sauce you prefer, but I suggest using a thick sauce so it won't make the pizza too wet.
We love spreading a layer of vegan garlic cream cheese on the dough before adding the marinara sauce. It helps keep the dough from becoming soggy and adds an extra cheesy richness and flavor to the pizza.
In the unlikely event you just happen to have leftover pizza, simply cover it with plastic food wrap, a ziplock bag or in an airtight food container and refrigerate until you're ready to eat it. A lot of people (like my husband) love to eat it cold straight from the fridge. I prefer to reheat mine, in 10 second increments in the microwave. Refrigerated leftover pizza should be consumed within 3 days.
If you are unable to find a vegan mozzarella, I suggest using any firm, meltable vegan cheese you like. For the garlic cream cheese spread, you can substitute a soft, spreadable non-dairy cheese you prefer. I like to add a sprinkle of vegan parmesan on top, either grated or this easy homemade parm.
More recipe ideas
🥕If you enjoyed this homemade vegan Margherita pizza recipe, you're going to love these other delish dishes!
- Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Cheese
- Best Vegan Meatless Meatballs
- Vegan Spinach Pesto with Pistachios
- Easy Lemon Artichoke Orzo Salad
- Vegan Mediterranean Roasted Veggies
very vegan 🌱 very good
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Best Homemade Vegan Margherita Pizza
Equipment
- Large cutting board
- Large broad knife
- Flat spatula or spreader
- Pizza stone , round pizza pan or large rimless baking sheet
- Wooden pizza paddle or peel (recommended, but not essential)
- Pizza cutter or large knife
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- ¾ cup marinara or pizza sauce homemade or store-bought
- 8 oz vegan mozzarella I like Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz
- 3 oz vegan cream cheese
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 8 leaves basil fresh - torn into a few pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegan parmesan grated or this easy homemade recipe
- 2 teaspoon cornmeal
Instructions
- If using a pizza stone, place into oven on lower rack.
- Preheat oven to 475º
- On a cutting board, cut vegan mozzarella into 10-12 dice-sized cubes. Using the side of a broad knife, flatten cubes into rounds by pressing down on flat side of knife. Set aside.
- Place cream cheese, garlic and remaining mozzarella on a cutting board and use knife to cut in garlic with cheese, turning it into a smooth spread. You can also combine the cheese and garlic in a bowl and mash together with a fork.
- If using a pizza stone, first sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal onto a pizza paddle/peel or a clean/dry cutting board. If you’re going to bake the pizza on a metal pizza pan or baking sheet, sprinkle cornmeal on those. The cornmeal helps prevent the dough from sticking to the board or pans.
- Place prepared and shaped pizza dough onto a paddle, cutting board or metal pan. Apply a layer of garlic cheese spread onto pizza dough, leaving at least 1″ of dough exposed around edges. Be careful not to tear the dough while spreading.
- Ladle marinara sauce onto pizza, completely covering the garlic cheese layer.
- Arrange flattened mozzarella rounds on pizza and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.
- If using a pizza stone, carefully slide the pizza from a paddle or peel onto stone (it will be extremely hot). If not using a stone, place pizza pan on middle oven rack.
- Bake pizza at 475º. Start checking it at 5 minutes. When the pizza looks almost ready, sprinkle basil leaves on top and continue baking.
- Remove from oven when cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are lightly browned. Slice and serve.
Notes
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Connie Edwards McGaughy
Who doesn't love a simple cheese pizza? This recipe is everything you want in a classic Margherita pizza - a crispy, chewy crust topped with a rich tasty marinara sauce and luscious creamy vegan cheese & a touch of fresh basil.🌱 Simply delish!