Pizza is one of the most popular foods around the world, with billions of pizzas eaten every year. While traditional pizza recipes call for cheese made from dairy, an increasing number of people are now looking for tasty dairy-free pizza options due to dietary restrictions, lifestyle choices or health reasons.
Dairy-free diets are on the rise, whether for medical reasons like lactose intolerance or casein allergies, ethical concerns about animal products, or simply as part of an increasingly health-conscious lifestyle. Fortunately, thanks to the growing variety of plant-based cheeses and other creative solutions, it’s easier than ever to make delicious dairy-free pizza that doesn’t compromise on flavor or texture.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss some of the best tips and strategies for making nutritious and satisfying dairy-free pizza at home from scratch, look at some of the most recommended store-bought frozen and refrigerated options for convenience, and highlight some of the top pizzerias across the United States offering vegan pizza on their menus. Let’s get started!
Tips for Making Dairy-Free Pizza at Home
While ordering dairy-free pizza from a restaurant or buying a frozen pizza can certainly be quick and easy options, making your own vegan pizza at home gives you total control over the ingredients and allows you to customize it to your taste and dietary needs. Here are some top tips for creating healthy, delicious dairy-free pizzas at home from scratch:
Choose the Right Dairy-Free Cheese
The cheese is one of the most important components when making a satisfying dairy-free pizza, so choose your vegan cheese wisely. Some good options include:
- Nut-based cheeses like almond or cashew – These offer creamy, tangy flavor and can often melt well. Look for prepared nut cheese shreds or blocks, or make your own.
- Coconut oil-based cheeses – Brands like Daiya and So Delicious offer shredded dairy-free cheeses made with a coconut oil base that melts nicely.
- Fermented cashew cheese – Fermented at home or purchased, cashew-based cheeses offer tangy flavor and stretchy, gooey texture when melted.
- Vegan mozzarella – Brands like Miyoko’s make great dairy-free mozzarella from cashews or other nuts that bubbles and melts like the real thing.
You can also blend up whole nuts like cashews or macadamia nuts with lemon juice, nutritional yeast and seasonings to make an easy creamy cheese sauce.
Use a High-Quality Pizza Crust
Finding or making a crust that is sturdy enough to hold all the dairy-free toppings but also crisp and lightly charred is key to pizza success. Options include:
- Pre-made gluten-free or vegan pizza crusts – Look for them fresh or frozen at health food stores or major grocers.
- Make your own dough – Whole grain or gluten-free doughs work well. Let it proof properly for the best flavor and texture.
- Cauliflower crust – A gluten-free option made by blending cauliflower, eggs, cheese and seasoning.
- Chickpea flour crusts – These vegan crusts bake up light and crisp.
You can also keep it super simple and use ready-made flatbreads, naan or pitas as your crust.
Load Up On Veggie Toppings
Pile your dairy-free pizza high with all your favorite vegetable toppings. Some tasty options include:
- Classic choices like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomato slices, roasted garlic, etc.
- Vegetables that add color like spinach, broccoli, roasted red peppers or eggplant.
- Starchy vegetables like potato or sweet potato slices, roasted in olive oil until browned and crispy on the edges.
- Fresh herbs like basil, oregano or parsley add brightness.
Roast the vegetables first for deeper flavor. Don’t be afraid to mix and match different veggie combos.
Add Plant-Based Protein
For a heartier, more filling dairy-free pizza, add some protein like:
- Sliced veggie sausage or seitan
- Marinated and baked tofu
- Tempeh bacon
- Sautéed mushrooms or white beans for a plant-based boost
- Caramelized onions, garlic or roasted red peppers
This amps up the nutrients and satisfaction factor dramatically.
Finish with Fresh Herbs and Spices
Don’t forget to finish your dairy-free pizza with fresh herbs, spices and other toppings. This adds lots of extra flavor. Try:
- Fresh basil, oregano, thyme or parsley
- Chili flakes, red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning for a kick
- Minced or roasted garlic, caramelized onions or shallots
- Lemon or lime zest, arugula, pine nuts or sunflower seeds
- A spritz of lemon or lime juice right when it comes out of the oven
Get creative and combine flavors you enjoy to make your signature dairy-free pizza.
Recommended Store-Bought Dairy-Free Pizza Options
When you don’t have time to make your own vegan pizza from scratch, there are more and more store-bought dairy-free pizzas hitting grocery store freezer aisles all the time. Here are some top recommended options to grab for a quick weeknight meal or lazy movie night:
Frozen Dairy-Free Pizzas
Keep a few of these fan-favorites on hand in the freezer for pizza emergencies:
| Brand | Pizza | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Amy’s | Rice Crust Spinach Pizza | Gluten-free crust, dairy-free cheese, spinach |
| Daiya | Cheezy Supreme | Dairy-free pepperjack, sausage, veggies |
| Sweet Earth | Hawaiian Pizza | Seitan “ham”, pineapple, vegan cheese |
| Digiorno | Rising Crust Supreme | Veggie pie, vegan cheese, gluten-free crust |
Refrigerated Dairy-Free Pizza Dough
Ready-to-bake pizza doughs to top as you like:
| Brand | Product | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Calise & Sons Bakery | Original Pizza Dough | Pre-seasoned, vegan, nut-free |
| Trader Joes | Pizza Dough | Pre-cooked gluten-free crust |
| Against the Grain | Cauliflower Pizza Crusts | 2 gluten-free cauliflower crusts |
With pre-made dairy-free pizza dough or crusts like these ready to bake at home, you can customize pizzas just how your family likes them and skip the delivery fees!
Top Vegan Pizzerias Across the US
If you don’t want to make or bake the pizza yourself, more and more restaurants are adding dairy-free pizza options to their menus due to popular demand. Here is a round-up of some of the top-rated vegan and vegetarian pizzerias serving incredible dairy-free pies across the United States:
East Coast
- Screamer’s Pizzeria (Brooklyn, NY) – Famous for their vegan slices and whole pies with cheese alternatives.
- Double Zero (New York City, NY) – Upscale plant-based pizzeria crafting pies with unique ingredients.
- Pizza Pi Vegan Pizzeria (Washington DC) – Specializing in French-style, thin-crust vegan pizzas.
- Vegan Pizza House (Philadelphia, PA) – Creative vegan pies like Avocado Bacon and Breakfast Pizza.
Midwest
- Boiler Room (Detroit, MI) – Brick-oven pizzeria offering vegan cheese and meat alternatives.
- Galaxy Pizza (Minneapolis, MN) – Vegan Minneapolis pizza joint with menu of 20+ pies.
- Blaze Pizza (chain in Midwest/East Coast) – Build your own fast-fired vegan pizzas.
- Melia’s Pizzeria (Chicago, IL) – Serving deep dish and thin crust vegan pizzas.
South
- Pizza Fusion (Florida chain) – Organic vegan pizzas with Follow Your Heart cheese.
- Revolution Pizza (New Orleans, LA) – Vegan options like the Vegan Hurricane made with spicy sausage.
- Postmates Pizza (Atlanta, GA) – Specialty vegan pies alongside meat-based options.
- Lil’s Pizza (Houston, TX) – Houston’s first vegan pizzeria serving up meatless pepperoni and more.
Southwest
- MATH – Make Art Tea House (Phoenix, AZ) – Eccentric pizzeria crafting prolific vegan options.
- Plant Power Fast Food (California chain) – All-vegan fast food with delivery including dairy-free pizza.
- Pie Life (Salt Lake City, UT) – Vegan thin crust pizza take-out joint.
- Zpizza (chain in CA and CO) – Choose from array of organic vegan toppings.
West Coast
- Golden Flower (Los Angeles, CA) – Vietnamese vegan pizzeria known for Banh Mi and pho-inspired pies.
- Virtuous Pie (Seattle, WA) – Seattle pizza shop crafting inventive vegan pizza weekly.
- The Parlor (Portland, OR) – Vegetable-based appetizers, sandwiches and vegan pizza in a punk-rock setting.
- Pizzanista (Los Angeles, CA) – Specialty vegan pizzas like the Mac Daddy and Pesto Chicken alternatives.
With so many appetizing dairy-free pizza possibilities conveniently available both for home dining and eating out, those following plant-based diets don’t have to miss out on this popular food. The key is finding or making vegan pizzas with high quality and nutritious ingredients that don’t compromise the cheesy, saucy flavor you crave.
Conclusion
There’s no need to suffer through lackluster dairy-free pizza simply because you’re avoiding animal products. With the right homemade combinations or store-bought pies, you can enjoy pizza that’s just as delicious without the dairy. Using nut or vegetable-based cheeses, loading up the veggies and herbs, and choosing or making a sturdy vegan crust are the secrets to success.
Luckily, more pizza restaurants and chains are expanding their plant-based offerings to keep up with rising demand. So whether you make it yourself at home, grab a frozen pizza, or dine out at a vegan pizzeria, you have ample options to get your dairy-free pizza fix.
The versatility of pizza also lends itself perfectly to creative revisions with a dairy-free twist. So get experimental with global flavors, seasonal produce and artisan ingredients to make your signature vegan pies. With some helpful tips and an adventurous spirit, a whole world of tasty plant-based pizza possibilities opens up to you!