Vegan and Gluten-Free Pizza Three Ways

Before adopting a vegan lifestyle, pizza was one of my glorious food groups. It was also the one food I craved and almost gave in to after choosing a vegan diet. It took a ton of experimentation on our part, but we finally created vegan, gluten-free pizza that we love.

All of the pizzas have one thing in common: the crust. We use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust mix.

We make it according to package directions {except for the two eggs–we put in two tablespoons of Ener-G egg replacer}, bake the crust without the toppings for seven minutes and then add the toppings and bake for another seventeen minutes. Tip: Make sure to spray the pizza pan with olive oil baking spray before baking! If you don’t, you’ll end with a mess that won’t come off the pan. We know from experience.

To accompany our pizzas, we usually melt some vegan butter and add a little garlic powder and salt for a garlic butter dip. It’s delicious and reminiscent of Papa John’s.

Ingredients for Veggie Supreme Pizza: pizza crust mix {olive oil and Enger-G egg replacer needed for the mix}, organic pizza sauce, Daiya shredded mozzarella cheese, half a green pepper, 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms, a handful of baby spinach, a dash of red pepper flakes

Directions: {See above for crust directions.} After you’ve baked the crust by itself for seven minutes, add a layer of pizza sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, and then add the other toppings including the spinach, mushrooms and green pepper. Bake for another seventeen minutes and then sprinkle a dash of red pepper flakes {if you like it spicy} on top before serving.

Ingredients for Margherita Pizza: pizza crust mix {olive oil and Ener-G egg replacer needed for the mix}, organic pizza sauce, Daiya shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup basil leaves, tomato {sliced thin}, oregano, cracked black pepper.

Directions: {See above for crust directions.} After you’ve baked the crust by itself for seven minutes, add a layer of pizza sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, and then add a layer of torn basil and thinly sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano and freshly cracked black pepper. Bake for another seventeen minutes.

I saved our favorite for last.

In high school, I waited tables at a local Italian restaurant. The food was amazingly yummy, and my favorite item on the menu was the white pizza. I probably ordered over a hundred white pizzas while working there. And, it’s something I truly missed as a vegan until I came up with a vegan, gluten-free white pizza that’s soooooooo good. Seriously, you will thank me.

Ingredients for the White Pizza with Roasted Broccoli: pizza crust mix {olive oil and Ener-G egg replacer needed for the mix}, 1/4  cup extra virgin olive oil, three garlic cloves grated or finely chopped, Daiya shredded mozzarella cheese, small head of broccoli chopped into florets, salt and pepper

Directions: {See above for crust directions.} Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and use your hands to coat all sides of the broccoli with the olive oil. Roast the broccoli for eight minutes. Set aside and bake the crust.

While the crust is baking for the first seven minutes, heat the quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil on medium-low in a small sauce pan. Add the garlic {I like to grate it right into the olive oil as it’s heating up.}. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt. The garlic will infuse into the extra virgin olive oil. You’ll know it’s done when it fills up the kitchen with the delicious smell of garlic. Don’t let it brown or burn.

After you’ve baked the crust by itself for seven minutes, pull it out. Slather on a layer of the garlic infused olive oil–making sure to include bits of the garlic. Then, layer on the mozarella cheese and broccoli. Season the top with freshly cracked black pepper and bake for seventeen minutes. Enjoy!