Vegan Stuffed Crust Pizza topped with melted mozzarella, caramelized onion, mushrooms and spinach, all on top of a flavorful, perfectly baked herb pizza crust. Friends, this is the stuff vegan pizza dreams are made of. And I promise, it's easier than you think!
I've been experimenting a lot recently with vegan cheeses, mostly the quick, meltable type, which led to brainstorming all the different ways this salty and epic cashew mozzarella could be used in recipes.
I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that homemade vegan mozzarella is SO. EASY. It's basically instant gratification.
In less time than it would take you to drive to the store and buy some vegan cheese, you can have this healthier and much more delicious version ON your pizza AND tucked inside the crust.
All of this recent experimentation is how I arrived at the idea to do a vegan stuffed crust pizza. Why had I never stuffed crust before? I honestly don't know, except for the fact that I've never really been a stuffed crust kind of person.
Even before going vegan, a cheese-filled, super heavy pizza just wasn't my cup of tea.But as my appreciation for homemade vegan cheese has evolved, my mind has opened to so many new possibilities.
People think going vegan is limiting. Au contraire, my friend! As pretty much EVERY vegan will tell you, the opposite is true. You discover so many new and exciting ingredients you've never tried before. Enter, tapioca starch.....
What You'll Need For the Cheese
Tapioca Starch
Before you take one look at this recipe and think, "What the heck are tapioca starch and agar agar, and where would I get them?" hear me out.
Tapioca starch is often used in a lot of gluten-free baking, so it's actually pretty easy to find in stores these days. But even if you can't get it locally, you can order it online. I recently purchased a 2 ½ pound bag of organic Anthony's Tapioca Flour online. You can also find tapioca starch in smaller packages, but if you think you'll enjoy making delicious vegan mozzarella at home (and I'm telling you, you'll want to put this cheese on everything), you won't regret buying the larger bag.
Tapioca Substitutions
Conveniently, you can substitute corn starch or arrowroot for the tapioca. See how awesome and accommodating vegan cheese is? 🙂 You won't get quite the same stretch that the tapioca provides, but the cheese will still be creamy and delicious.
Agar Agar Powder
The other specialty ingredient used in this mozzarella recipe is agar agar powder. Agar is a classic ingredient in Japanese cooking. In fact, my mom used to make vegetarian jell-o with it when I was a kid.
It's made from seaweed and once heated causes liquids to gel. It's great for vegan cheese making because it provides the structure and firmness most plant fats don't have (ahem, because they're not filled with saturated fat).
Do I have to use agar to make this mozzarella?
Nope! Like I said, it helps the cheese set slightly, which makes it easier to slice and portion it for the actual stuffing of the crust. I haven't tried using agar-free cheese to do stuffed crust, so I can't say how messy and difficult it might be. Try at your own risk! You know what? Messy pizza is the best pizza, so I say go for it! And the cheese that goes on top of the pizza is dolloped on anyway so it doesn't matter if it's gloopy.
Basically, if you don't already have agar on hand, don't let that hold you back. But if you envision yourself experimenting with firmer styles of vegan cheese, making stuffed crust pizza on the regular, or making vegan jell-o, I definitely recommend adding this versatile ingredient to your pantry.
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A few more ways to use vegan mozzarella:
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- Easy Vegan Quesadillas
- Mushroom Barley Risotto
- Tempeh Tacos
- Vegan Enchilada Casserole
Homemade Herb Pizza Crust
Working with dough of any kind can be intimidating. So if you're new to pizza dough my best advice is this: just go for it! (Are you sensing a theme here?)
The most effective way to get better at anything is to practice it, right? Also, there are a ton of helpful how-to videos online. Just do a little research, watch how the dough is handled, pay attention to textures, etc, and you'll have the hang of it in no time.
Don't want to make your own crust? No problem! You can buy pizza dough in the refrigerated section of most stores and even from local pizzerias. This is a great option when you're short on time.
No need for perfection when making stuffed crust pizza. Just make sure there are no holes in the dough on the underside of the cheesy area. If there are, melted cheese will escape!
Toppings for Stuffed Crust Pizza
The pizza you see in the photos is topped with onion, mushrooms, and spinach, so I've included these in the recipe below.
But you can obviously top your stuffed crust pizza any way you like. Try bell peppers, olives, vegan sausage, roasted garlic, kale, winter squash..... so many delicious options!
And as far as sauce goes, use your favorite marinara, whether store-bought or homemade. Though I agree that homemade sauce tastes best, realistically, there are only so many components I'm willing to make from scratch at one time.
So I often save myself a bit of time by using jarred marinara. Try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper and black pepper to the sauce for subtle heat.
I hope you love this pizza as much as we do, and if you make it be sure to snap a photo before gobbling it up! I would LOVE to see your interpretation of Vegan Stuffed Crust Pizza.
Tag me with @myquietkitchen on insta or facebook to show off your gorgeous dairy-free pies! You can also rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let everyone know how it turned out.
Useful Equipment: 14-inch pizza stone
More Vegan Pizza Recipes
If you're into ultimate vegan cheesy things, don't miss this ----> Best Vegan Mac and Cheese!
Recipe
Vegan Stuffed Crust Pizza
Ingredients
For the cheese:
- ⅓ cup raw cashews or slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon agar agar powder (if using agar flakes use 2 Tbsp) - Helpful for making stuffed crust bc it causes the cheese to "set" but not needed otherwise.
- 2 tablespoon tapioca starch (can sub corn starch or arrowroot; cheese will still melt but will be less stretchy)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (the one that does not smell/taste like coconut), optional
- 1 cup water
Dough and Toppings:
- 1 batch seasoned pizza dough - tap for the recipe
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced root to tip
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large handful baby spinach
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- black pepper
- crushed red pepper
- Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle (aka vegan Parm), optional
Instructions
- First prepare the pizza dough. After the 1 hour rise, place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.
Make the cheese:
- Combine the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. (The mixture cooks quickly so don't walk away!) Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and cook for one minute, or until thickened (see photos above for reference). Immediately pour into ramekins or a mug, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Saute the veggies:
- Preheat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and onion to the pan, stirring to coat the onion. Cook undisturbed for several minutes. Lower the heat if the onion begins to brown. Stir and repeat the process until the onions are very soft and just beginning to caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes. *The idea is not to go to full caramelization because the onions will continue to cook in the oven on top of the pizza. If desired, add a pinch of sugar to enhance the onion's sweetness.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until their liquid has released and evaporated. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Set mixture aside until ready to assemble the pizza.
Stuff the crust and add toppings:
- After the dough has risen, move it to a lightly floured surface. Using the pads of your fingers, gently move around the perimeter of the dough, pressing out to increase the dough in size. For a 13-inch pizza, stretch the dough to 16 inches in diameter. The excess is what you will fold over the cheese.
- Reserve about ⅓ of the cheese for topping the pizza. Cut the rest into ½-inch-thick strips or pieces. Distribute the cheese around the perimeter of the dough, about one inch from the edge. Fold dough over the cheese, lightly pinching/pressing down to seal the inner edge.
- If you don't have a pizza peel, remove hot stone from oven. Gently fold prepared dough in half (like a taco shell) to make it easier to transfer to the stone. Carefully place dough on stone and unfold. Top with sauce, onion/shroom mixture, and the remainder of the cheese (simply pinch off pieces and dollop it on top). Add freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. If needed, broil for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the top. Let the pizza to cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and vegan parm, slice and enjoy!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Ella says
This was so good! I thought the vegan cheese would not work as well because I only had corn starch and no agar agar, but it was delicious!! Great recipe 11/10 would make again.
Lori says
Yum, that's awesome, Ella! Thanks for the feedback!
Michelle says
Hi! I'm planning on making this, but I don't have a pizza stone. Can I use a large baking sheet instead? Or would it be better to put it directly on the rack? Thanks!
Lori says
Hi Michelle,
You'll definitely want to put it on a baking sheet for support. Let us know how it turns out!
Chef Dream says
My vegan customers love this recipe. I added sliced zucchini squash and tomatoes !! Very easy to make
Lori says
That sounds delicious! So glad you like the recipe.
Amanda says
I love this recipe! I want to prep the dough and cheese 1-2 nights before I serve it, how would I do that?
Lori says
Hi Amanda, you can wrap the ball of dough in plastic and keep it in the fridge. Let it warm to room temp before rolling it out. You can also make the cheese in advance and store it covered in the fridge until you're ready to prep the pizza. Hope you enjoy!
Haley says
I need to make this recipe.
Lori says
It's a little work but also a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy it!