Grilled Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Pizza with Hemp Seed Cheddar

This grilled vegan BBQ jackfruit pizza with hemp seed cheddar was designed with summer in mind. Grilled pizza is topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit, tangy hemp seed cheddar cheese, zesty hemp seed ranch, red onions, and fresh cilantro.

This post is sponsored by Manitoba Harvest; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m so sorry for skipping my usual Monday post this week. I’ve been on vacation in Colorado since last Friday and as I settled into the calm and peace of downtime with Dan, I realized that I needed a computer and social media detox.

The time away has been restorative and rejuvenating. After feeling like a frazzled ball of stress for the past month or so, I finally feel like myself again.

We’ve spent the last two days hiking the mountains in Telluride, and I’ve never been more grateful for vacation. If you haven’t been to Telluride and you have the chance to go, I cannot recommend it more. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and everyone we’ve met has been refreshingly kind. I’ll share all the fun details of the trip in a post later this week or early next week but just wanted to let you know what I’ve been up to the past few days.

Alright, now onto the extra good stuff…

This pizza was designed with summer in mind. Grilled pizza is topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit, hemp seed cheddar cheese, hemp seed ranch, red onions, fresh cilantro, and a sprinkling of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts.

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve created a few recipes with Hemp Hearts over the past several months, and it’s because they’re my absolute favorite seed. They’re rich with complete protein and offer a creaminess when blended which makes them great for plant-based dressings, cheeses, and sauces. Plus, they can be quickly sprinkled on top of salads, smoothies, and even pizza.

To make this pizza, you’ll start by cooking up the BBQ pulled jackfruit. The recipe is similar to the one I posted a couple years back. Make sure to use canned young green jackfruit in brine or water as opposed to syrup or you’ll end up with a dessert-like BBQ pizza. If you haven’t cooked with jackfruit before, it’s a magical dream fruit. In its young state, it resembles heart of palm in texture, and it soaks up whatever flavors you toss at it. Plus, when cooked, it shreds into tender strands that resemble pulled chicken or pork in a way that is almost eerily similar.

While the BBQ jackfruit is simmering, make the hemp seed ranch by adding all ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth. This ranch is creamy, tangy, and subtly zesty. Its acidity complements the other flavors of the pizza and offers balance and brightness. Next, you’ll make the hemp seed cheddar by adding all ingredients to a blender, blending until smooth, and whisking over medium heat until thickened. It might sound complicated to make your own cheese, but it’s surprisingly simple and comes together in under 10 minutes.

Once you have the toppings ready to go, it’s time to grill. Heat your grill over high, roll out your pizza dough (I use store-bought, but you can certainly make your own), brush it with olive oil, and slide it onto the grill. The dough cooks up quickly, so in just a few minutes, you’ll want to flip it over and start topping. Brush the top of the pizza with BBQ sauce (I recommend making this one if you have 10 minutes to spare), spread the BBQ jackfruit over the sauce, dollop on the hemp seed cheddar, and sprinkle on the red onions. Close the grill and cook for another handful of minutes or until the bottom of the crust has nice grill marks and the toppings are warm and the onions are slightly wilted.

Then, you’ll drizzle on the hemp seed ranch, garnish with fresh cilantro, and sprinkle on a few more hemp seeds. Slice, serve, and allow your taste buds to do a little happy dance.

This is, hands down, my favorite vegan pizza recipe. It’s packed with grilled summer flavors, yet balanced and bright. If you’re looking for something to make for a 4th of July cookout, this is a crowd-pleasing option. It tastes wildly unhealthy but is actually just the opposite. It’s packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals, and it’s nice to know exactly what goes into each element. No additives or funny preservatives, just whole, plant-based goodness.

5 from 4 votes

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Grilled Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Pizza with Hemp Seed Cheddar

This grilled vegan BBQ jackfruit pizza with hemp seed cheddar was designed with summer in mind. Grilled pizza is topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit, tangy hemp seed cheddar cheese, zesty hemp seed ranch, red onions, and fresh cilantro.

Course Pizza

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 2 to 4

Author Ashley Melillo | Blissful Basil

Ingredients

BBQ Jackfruit

• 1 20- ounce can young green jackfruit in water or brine
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce of choice or 1/2 cup of my 10-minute tangy maple bbq sauce
• 1/4 cup water

Hemp Seed Ranch

• 1/4 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 scallion, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Hemp Seed Cheddar

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water
• 1/4 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pizza

• 12 ounces pizza dough (I used half of a bag of Whole Foods' multigrain dough)*
• olive oil for brushing
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced very thinly into rounds
• 1/4 cup loosely-packed cilantro, stems removed
• 1/2 tablespoon Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

Instructions

BBQ Jackfruit

1. In a colander, drain and rinse the jackfruit. Cut the core of the jackfruit (the triangular tip) from the flesh and discard, leaving only the stringy portion of the jackfruit.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Add in the jackfruit flesh and toss to coat.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium and add the seasoned jackfruit. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes to bloom the spices.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce and water and pour it over the jackfruit. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the lid from the skillet and use 2 forks to shred the jackfruit. Continue to simmer with the lid off for another 5 minutes or until the barbecue sauce is reduced, stirring occasionally.

Hemp Seed Ranch

1. Meanwhile, make the hemp seed ranch by combining all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blending on high until smooth. Spoon into an airtight jar and refrigerate until assembling.

Hemp Seed Cheddar

1. Meanwhile, make the hemp cheese sauce by combining all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blending on high until smooth. Pour into a medium sauce pan and heat over medium. Whisk continuously for 5 minutes or until thickened. As it cooks, you may notice greenish flecks from the blended hemp seeds -- this is normal and to be expected with hemp seeds.

Pizza

1. Heat grill over high, ensuring that the grill grates are free of buildup and debris.
2. Meanwhile, lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out your pizza dough to desired shape and size. Don't stress about creating a perfect circle or rectangle, this is a rustic pizza so a freely-formed shape is welcome. Transfer the pizza dough to a pizza peel or maneuverable cutting board and brush the top with approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Once the grill is hot, reduce the heat to medium and carefully oil the grates with olive oil. Carefully flip the dough onto the grill, oiled side down, close the grill lid, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until the bottom is golden-brown. Then, brush the top, uncooked portion of the dough with olive oil and carefully flip the pizza.
4. Once flipped, brush the top of the pizza with the 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce and spread the jackfruit over the pizza. Then, use a tablespoon to drizzle or dot the top of the pizza with the hemp seed cheddar. Top with as much of the sliced red onion as desired. Close the grill lid and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza has golden-brown grill marks. Carefully transfer the pizza back to the pizza peel or cutting board. Drizzle with the hemp seed ranch and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. Slice and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*You can also use a precooked flatbread pizza. Simply reduce the grill time.