Are you ready to create the best Vegan Pizza you’ve ever had? A pizza so creamy, so savory, and so loaded with fresh, vibrant toppings that you’ll completely forget it’s dairy-free? This incredible, from-scratch recipe is a total game-changer. The secret is a luscious, rich, and surprisingly easy-to-make homemade Cashew Cream that serves as the perfect “cheese” and sauce base, creating a result that will impress everyone, vegan and omnivore alike.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s your new guide to a “better than delivery” plant-based pizza night. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a flawless, crispy-chewy crust, how to layer on the freshest seasonal vegetables, and how to create a magical, creamy sauce from a handful of wholesome ingredients. This is a stunning, satisfying, and deeply delicious meal that celebrates the best of plant-based cooking.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Plant-Based Pizza Night
What makes this Vegan Pizza so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, from-scratch creamy cashew sauce and its beautiful, vibrant rainbow of toppings. The “cheese” and sauce are one and the same: a brilliant, homemade cream made by blending soaked raw cashews with nutritional yeast, lemon, and garlic until it’s unbelievably smooth, rich, and savory. This luscious cream is spread onto a classic pizza crust and topped with a fresh, seasonal medley of broccoli, corn, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. The entire pizza is baked in a very hot oven until the crust is golden and the vegetables are perfectly tender and roasted. A final, fresh drizzle of more cashew cream takes it over the top.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 45 minutes (plus cashew soaking) |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This “Better Than Takeout” Pizza
This iconic dish uses a handful of fresh, wholesome ingredients to create its signature creamy and savory flavor.
- The “Magic” Creamy Cashew Cream: This is the secret to a rich, luscious, and completely dairy-free pizza.
- Raw Cashews: It is absolutely essential to use raw, unsalted cashews. When they are soaked and then blended in a high-speed blender, they break down into an impossibly smooth, silky, and rich cream that is the perfect, neutral base for our sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is the non-negotiable secret weapon for any great vegan cheese sauce! Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is sold as a yellow, flaky powder. It has a wonderfully savory, nutty, and distinctly “cheesy” umami flavor. It’s also a fantastic source of B vitamins.
- The Rainbow of Veggies: A beautiful, seasonal combination of fresh and pantry-staple vegetables.
- Broccoli, Fresh Corn & Cherry Tomatoes: This trio provides a wonderful combination of textures and flavors. The broccoli becomes tender and slightly charred, the corn adds a pop of sweetness, and the cherry tomatoes become wonderfully juicy and jammy.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: A handful of oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes adds a fantastic, intense, sweet-tart, and savory umami kick.
- The Crust: A 1-pound ball of your favorite store-bought pizza dough is a fantastic shortcut. You can also use a homemade pizza dough.
Step-by-Step to the Best Vegan Pizza
This delicious meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Part 1: The “Magic” Creamy Cashew Cream
- Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon sea salt.
- Instructions:
- Soak the cashews (The Most Important Step!): Place your raw cashews in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours. This is the crucial secret that softens the cashews so they will blend into a perfectly smooth, silky cream.
- Blend: Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the fresh water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is unbelievably smooth and creamy.
Part 2: Prepare the Toppings and the Dough
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the chopped broccoli, the cherry tomatoes, the corn kernels, the chopped red onion, the sliced jalapeño, and the diced sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything to coat. Step 3: Let your 1-pound ball of pizza dough sit out at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make it much easier to stretch. Step 4: Sprinkle a little cornmeal in the center of a large, 14-inch pizza pan or a baking sheet. Place your dough on the pan and use your hands to gently stretch and press it into your desired shape. Step 5: Brush the outer edges of the dough lightly with olive oil.
Part 3: Assemble and Bake Your Pizza
Step 1: Spoon a few large scoops of your prepared cashew cream onto the center of the dough and spread it into a thin, even layer, just like you would with a traditional pizza sauce. Step 2: Sprinkle the seasoned vegetables evenly over the top of the cashew cream. Step 3: Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and cooked through, and the broccoli is tender and has some beautiful, roasted spots. Step 4: Remove the pizza from the oven. Drizzle it generously with some more of your fresh cashew cream. (If your cashew cream is too thick to drizzle, you can simply stir in a little water to thin it out.) Step 5: Top the hot pizza with the fresh basil, fresh thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Slice and serve immediately.
The Ultimate Creamy Vegan Pizza (Easy Recipe!)
A vibrant and healthy recipe for the ‘Best Vegan Pizza,’ featuring a creamy homemade cashew cream sauce instead of traditional cheese. The pizza is built on a store-bought or homemade crust and is loaded with a colorful medley of fresh, seasoned vegetables including broccoli, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion. It’s baked at a high temperature until the crust is golden and the vegetables are tender and roasted, then finished with a generous drizzle of the cashew cream and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- For the Cashew Cream (inferred):
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- For the Pizza:
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped
- ⅓ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- Kernels from 1 ear of fresh corn
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped red onion
- ½ jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound pizza dough
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Note: The recipe for Cashew Cream was not provided in the source article and has been inferred.
- Make the Cashew Cream: Drain the soaked cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, 1/2 cup fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Prepare the Toppings and Pizza: Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chopped broccoli, cherry tomatoes, corn, onion, jalapeño, and sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Stretch the pizza dough onto a 14-inch pizza pan. Brush the outer edges of the dough lightly with olive oil.
- Spoon a few scoops of the cashew cream onto the center of the dough and spread it into a thin layer, leaving a border for the crust.
- Sprinkle the seasoned vegetables evenly over the cashew cream.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the broccoli is tender.
- Remove the pizza from the oven. Drizzle generously with more cashew cream (thin with a little water if needed).
- Top with the fresh basil, fresh thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This is a healthy, plant-based pizza that uses a creamy, dairy-free cashew sauce instead of cheese.
- Soaking the raw cashews in hot water before blending is a key step that helps them to become very soft, resulting in a smoother cream.
- The vegetables are added to the pizza raw and roast in the hot oven, which gives them a delicious flavor and texture.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in advance. The cashew cream can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also chop all your vegetables.
- Storage: Store any leftover pizza, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Sauce Base: If you prefer a more classic pizza, you can use a traditional red pizza sauce as the base and then add generous dollops of the creamy cashew cream on top, similar to a “cashew ricotta.”
- Use Different Seasonal Vegetables: This recipe is a fantastic template for whatever is fresh at the farmer’s market! In the fall, it would be delicious with roasted butternut squash and sage. In the spring, you could use asparagus and peas.
- Add a Drizzle of Balsamic Glaze: For a delicious, sweet and tangy, restaurant-quality finish, you can give the hot, finished pizza a generous drizzle of your favorite balsamic glaze just before serving.
Enjoy The Ultimate Plant-Based Pizza Night!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This homemade Vegan Pizza is a testament to the power of a simple, plant-based meal to be both incredibly comforting and wonderfully elegant. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a super creamy, dairy-free sauce?
The secret is to soak your raw cashews! Soaking the cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes is the crucial, non-negotiable step that softens them and allows them to break down in the blender into an impossibly smooth, silky, and creamy sauce with no gritty texture.
Q2: Do I really need a high-speed blender to make a good cashew cream?
A high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or a Blendtec) will give you the absolute smoothest and silkiest result. However, a standard blender will still work! You will just need to let it run for a bit longer (perhaps 2-3 minutes), and you may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender a few times to ensure everything gets fully puréed.
Q3: How do I keep my veggie pizza from becoming watery or soggy?
There are two main secrets! First, make sure you are baking your pizza in a very hot oven. The high heat is key to getting a crisp crust. Second, be careful with very high-moisture vegetables, like mushrooms or zucchini. If you are using those, it is a great idea to sauté them first to cook off some of their excess water before you add them to the pizza.
Q4: Can I make the cashew cream ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead sauce! You can prepare the entire cashew cream and store it in an airtight container or a jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will thicken as it chills, so you may need to whisk in a little water to get it to your desired consistency.
Q5: What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is a very popular ingredient in vegan cooking. It is sold as a yellow, flaky powder and has a wonderfully savory, nutty, and distinctly “cheesy” umami flavor. It is the absolute key ingredient that gives this sauce its authentic, savory, and cheesy taste without any dairy.