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35 Comments · March 21, 2017

Vegan Caprese Pizza

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This vegan caprese pizza is a dream come true. Crisp and bubbly pizza crust is topped with zesty garlic, tomatoes, homemade cashew mozzarella, balsamic reduction, and lots of fresh basil. This pizza comes together in a little over 30 minutes and makes for a satisfyingly quick vegan weeknight meal. I love how the freshness of the tomatoes, basil, and garlic pop off the savoriness of the cashew mozzarella and the sweetness of the balsamic reduction. 

Vegan Caprese Pizza
This post is sponsored by Alessi. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crisp, bubbly pizza crust.

Zesty scatterings of minced garlic.

Mounds of gooey cashew mozzarella.

Thinly sliced vine-ripened tomatoes.

Drizzles of tangy balsamic reduction.

Threads of fresh and lively basil.

Put it all together, and you've got yourself one fine vegan caprese pizza.

Vegan Caprese Pizza
Vegan Caprese Pizza

This vegan caprese pizza comes together in a little over 30 minutes and requires just a small handful of ingredients.

To make it, you'll start by rolling one pound of pizza dough (homemade or store-bought works great) into a thin, 15-inch circle. Slide it onto a lined pizza pan and bake for about 7 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust just begins to set.

While the crust bakes, you'll get to work on the homemade cashew mozzarella.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Homemade cheese?! 

But before you go running the other direction, hear me out. This vegan cashew mozzarella requires just six ingredients (and that's including water and sea salt). You may have seen it before (either in my cookbook, here, or here).

To make it, you'll simply blend together filtered water, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, arrowroot starch/powder/flour (all the same), apple cider vinegar, and sea salt. Then, pour the mixture into a saucepan and whisk over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.

That's it. It takes all of 10 minutes to make and serves as a tasty, approachable homemade stand-in for dairy-based mozzarella.

Next, remove the par-baked pizza crust from the oven and slather it with a bit of olive oil. Then, sprinkle with minced garlic, dot with the cashew mozzarella, and top with sliced Roma tomatoes.

 

Vegan Caprese Pizza
Vegan Caprese Pizza

Pop the topped pizza back in the oven for another 12 minutes or so.

Once the crust is baked to desired doneness, remove the pizza and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Then, drizzle to taste with Alessi Balsamic Reduction and top with lots of fresh basil.

Vegan Caprese Pizza
Vegan Caprese Pizza

For the photos, I used Alessi's traditional balsamic reduction, but their white balsamic reduction also works great on this pizza.

Both lend a subtle tang and caramelized sweetness to the pizza, enhancing its depth of flavor and complementing the acidity of the tomatoes and zippiness of the garlic.

Vegan Caprese Pizza

Once you've finished topping, drizzling, etc., slice the pizza however you please and serve.

I love how the freshness of the tomatoes, basil, and garlic pop off the savoriness of the cashew mozzarella and the sweetness of the balsamic reduction. Add to that the fact that this pizza comes together in about 35 minutes flat, and you've got yourself the makings of an approachable, flavor-packed weeknight meal.

Vegan Caprese Pizza

Vegan Caprese Pizza

Vegan Caprese Pizza
Print Pin
4.60 from 5 votes

VEGAN CAPRESE PIZZA

Crisp and bubbly pizza crust is topped with zesty garlic, tomatoes, homemade cashew mozzarella, Alessi Balsamic Reduction, and lots of fresh basil. This pizza comes together in a little over 30 minutes and makes for a satisfyingly quick vegan weeknight meal. I love how the freshness of the tomatoes, basil, and garlic pop off the savoriness of the cashew mozzarella and the sweetness of the balsamic reduction. 
Course Bigger Bites, Pizza
Cuisine plant-based, Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  • 1 pound multigrain pizza dough (allow it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling)
  • ⅔ cup filtered water
  • ½ cup raw cashews*
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
  • 2 to 3 ripe Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • Alessi Balsamic Reduction or Alessi White Balsamic Reduction
  • Handful fresh basil leaves, very thinly sliced
  • Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Line a round, vented pizza pan with parchment paper.
  • Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll the pizza dough out into a 15-inch circle. Transfer to the lined pizza pan and bake for 7 minutes, or until the bottom is just beginning to set.
  • While the pizza bakes, prepare the cashew mozzarella by adding the filtered water, cashews, nutritional yeast, arrowroot powder, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes, or until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan. Turn the heat on medium and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it just begins to thicken. Do not overheat. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Brush the top of the par-baked pizza dough with the olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic. Use a tablespoon to drop spoonfuls of the cashew mozzarella across the surface of the pizza. Top with the sliced tomatoes.
  • Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 8 to 14 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Generously drizzle with the Alessi Balsamic Reduction and sprinkle with the fresh basil. If desired, season with sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you're not using a high-speed blender (e.g., Vitamix, Blendtec), soak cashews in water for 2 hours or boil for 10 minutes to soften.

 


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Comments

  1. Courtney says

    March 21, 2017 at 7:54 am

    I am so excited for this recipe! I made a pizza dough last night and was not sure what kind of pizza I was going to make tonight - well now I know and I can't wait :) Thank you!!

    Reply
  2. Abby @ Heart of a Baker says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:36 am

    Ohh this cheese sounds AMAZING! I'm all about homemade pizza, so this is right up my alley :)

    Reply
  3. Sarah | Well and Full says

    March 21, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    Oh my gosh, this pizza looks so insanely delicious, Ashley!! I would probably eat the whole thing in one sitting ;)

    Reply
  4. Celeste Jackson says

    March 21, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    5 stars
    This pizza look delicious! I wasn't aware that the Allessi brand had a balsamic reduction. I will put that on my grocery list for sure. Love the flavor of balsamic! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Meredith | Earth & Oven says

    March 22, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    Seriously obsessed with balsamic reduction- can't think of a better way to enjoy it than on that cashew mozz! ommggg yum!

    Reply
  6. Ashley says

    March 22, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    Beautiful! Vegan mozz is so delicious and I love have quick and easy it is to make. Just ordered your cookbook, btw =)

    Reply
  7. Grace | eat, write + explore says

    March 22, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    This looks beautiful! I'm currently au pairing for two very picky (non-vegan) kids and I've been trying to find a meal I can cook for all of us to enjoy! Will have to give this a go!

    Reply
  8. Stacey says

    March 29, 2017 at 11:23 pm

    I can't wait to make this!

    Reply
  9. Christina says

    September 15, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    4 stars
    This was really easy to make and was such a great dinner for a Friday night! The vegan mozz was delicious and definitely filled the void of cheese. Mine wasn’t as white though and pretty much blended in with the crust color- did I do something wrong?! The consistency was also a little closer to ricotta than mozzarella... Nonetheless, I’ll be making tho again!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      September 16, 2018 at 9:30 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Christina! It's possible that either you didn't blend the mozzarella mixture long enough or you overcooked it/overheated it in the pan (or both). Next time, try blending longer (or with greater force) and lean towards under-thickening when you're heating it in the saucepan. Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Meghan Palmer says

    March 13, 2019 at 8:58 am

    I tried this last night. It wasn't bad, but the cashew cheese was a little weird for me. More like ricotta, and it was yellow because of the yeast. I think I would've preferred it more spread out instead of dropped on to the crust. I did use flour instead of arrowroot, so maybe that's why.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 13, 2019 at 11:10 am

      Hi, Meghan! I'm so sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the cheese. Unfortunately, flour doesn't work as a substitute for arrowroot in this recipe and will yield a "cheese" with a curdled, ricotta-like texture as you described. Just fyi, if you decide to give it another try in the future, cornstarch works as a substitute for arrowroot (slightly different texture but thickens in a similar fashion).

      Reply
  11. Sylvia says

    March 14, 2019 at 4:16 am

    Thanks so much for this awesome idea. Please advise whether I could use almonds instead of cashews for this 'cheese'. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 14, 2019 at 9:20 am

      Hi, Sylvia! You can use almonds for the cheese, just be sure to soak them overnight and know that this swap will affect the texture (not as smooth as cashews). Enjoy!

      Reply
  12. Sylvia says

    March 15, 2019 at 12:19 am

    Awesome Ashley! Thank-you so very much!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 15, 2019 at 10:26 am

      You're welcome! :)

      Reply
  13. Patricia deWilde says

    June 29, 2019 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    I make this during the summer using fresh basil and tomatoes from my garden. It's one of our favorite Vegan pizzas!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 30, 2019 at 5:49 pm

      Oh this is so nice to hear, Patricia! Thank you for taking the time to share. So glad you're enjoying the recipe. :)

      Reply
  14. Sara says

    August 22, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    This sounds really good! Would using tapioca starch instead of arrowroot change the cashew mozz drastically?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 28, 2019 at 6:31 am

      Hi, Sara! So glad you enjoyed it. Tapioca starch should work just fine, but will yield a slightly tackier/gummier texture than arrowroot.

      Reply
  15. Millican Pecan says

    February 27, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    Our daughter has decided to "go vegan", and I was excited to find this recipe of her favorite pizza! Yum!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 28, 2020 at 10:11 am

      How exciting! Please send my best wishes to your daughter. Happy to hear you all enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for taking the time to let me know. :)

      Reply
  16. Konstantin says

    April 14, 2020 at 1:19 am

    4 stars
    Made this last night - absolutely delicious, thank you!
    My only question is: I feel like pizza gets a lot of its flavour, texture and looks from baking it very quickly at super high temp. I followed your instructions for baking this one, and was missing some of that slightly charred and intense pizza flavour. Is there a reason for baking it this way? Does the vegan cheese maybe not work well with high temperatures?
    Btw, I did not have arrowroot at home and used tapioca instead, which worked fine. Definitely a great addition to the recipe collection, thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      April 14, 2020 at 7:52 am

      Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Konstantin! Yes, the reason for baking at a lower temperature is to protect the arrowroot in the cheese. Arrowroot can lose its thickening power when over-heated. Having said this, it's possible that tapioca would fare better. The other option would be to bake the crust at a higher temperature, add toppings except for cheese, continue to bake at high temp and then add the cheese and continue to bake for just another couple of minutes to thicken.

      Reply
    • Ashley says

      April 14, 2020 at 7:54 am

      I should say it also depends on the type of crust you make/use as not all are designed for super high heat. Hope this helps clarify!

      Reply
      • Konstantin says

        April 14, 2020 at 2:12 pm

        Sounds delicious, thanks for getting back to me!

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          April 14, 2020 at 4:37 pm

          My pleasure, Konstantin! :)

          Reply
  17. Daniel says

    June 18, 2020 at 8:49 am

    Hi Ashley,

    looks really nice and I just so happen to have a yeast dough in the fridge ;) I'd like to try this but I'm confused about the yield.. is 1 pizza equal to 1 serving? Or does one pizza mean 3 servings?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 22, 2020 at 10:37 am

      Hi, Daniel! My apologies for the delay in getting back to you. One pizza is enough to serve about 3 people, give or take a person depending on appetite. I'll clarify in the recipe as, agree, it's a bit confusing! Thanks for pointing this out.

      Reply
  18. Robyn says

    September 30, 2020 at 2:51 am

    I would love to try this recipe. But I would need to make the cheese beforehand. Is that possible? Would there be something I need to change in in the preparation?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      September 30, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Hi, Robyn! The cheese is best made fresh, but if you need to prepare it partially beforehand, you can blend everything but hold off on thickening it until just before you add it to the pizza. I hope this helps! Enjoy.

      Reply
  19. Maja says

    December 03, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    Hi, Ashley, I just came across this recipe and I can't wait to make it! I'm especially curious about the vegan mozzarella. I was wondering whether it's possible to use sunflower seeds instead of cashews? I've heard of people making cheese substitutes out of them. I was wondering whether you know anything about it.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      December 04, 2020 at 11:13 am

      Hi, Maja! Great question. I haven't made this particular cheese using sunflower seeds, but I think it would work. I know for certain that it works using shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts). The only thing to be mindful of with sunflower seeds is that they'll impart a slightly earthier flavor to the cheese. Hope this helps. Would love to know how it goes if you give it a try!

      Reply
  20. cherie says

    November 06, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    What is balsamic reduction ?is
    it the same as balsamic vinegar?
    I loved the way the pizza has been cut do you mind sharing hows it's done
    Thanks n advance

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 04, 2022 at 7:15 pm

      Hi, Cherie! I'm so sorry for the delaying in getting back to you here. Balsamic reduction is balsamic vinegar that has been reduced (via simmering) to a syrupy consistency. And the cuts are made by cutting from left to right (beginning at the edge) or right to left (as opposed to starting in the middle). Hope this helps!

      Reply

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