Vegan BBQ Pizza

Prepare this simple vegan BBQ pizza in minutes with a smoky BBQ sauce base and versatile spiced tofu, tomato, and pineapple topping! Enjoy with a pre-made pizza dough/crust, flatbread, or make your own for a fuss-free, low-budget BBQ sauce tofu pizza!

Quick and Easy Vegan BBQ Tofu Pizza with Pineapple

Next time you’re in the mood for pizza, ditch the classic tomato sauce and cheese combo for a sticky, smoky-sweet vegan BBQ pizza. This cheeseless pizza is topped with BBQ sauce, spiced tofu, and pineapple for a moreish combination of sweet, savory, and smoky and a delicious plant-based version of a BBQ pizza!

Enjoy this smoky BBQ tofu pizza as the ultimate 5-minute prep ‘cheat’ pizza with a pre-made dough/ pizza crust or even make a flatbread vegan pizza with store-bought BBQ sauce. Alternatively, make everything from scratch. It’s up to you! Either way, making this easy vegan pizza is cheap, fun, and, best of all, super customizable.

You can also mix and match the toppings, choosing what you like based on what you have in your kitchen. Skip the pineapple if it’s not for you (but the sweetness does pair wonderfully with the smoky sauce, just saying). Add your favorite vegan melty cheese. Swap the tofu for a soy-free topping like smoked seitan. Basically, have fun with it.

This BBQ tofu pizza is bound to impress children and adults alike as a tasty, filling appetizer or main. Best of all, the estimated cost per serving works out at just $.75, as written! Looking for more simple BBQ sauce vegan recipes? Enjoy this BBQ tempeh (perfect for making a sandwich), BBQ cauliflower wraps, and BBQ cauliflower wings.

The Ingredients

This BBQ sauce pizza recipe requires very few ingredients, most of which are highly versatile, including:

• Pizza dough: There are plenty of base options to choose from for this vegan pizza recipe. Use gluten-free if necessary. You could use:
  1. Pre-made pizza dough
  2. Par-baked pizza crust
  3. Flatbread vegan pizza (using naan or Greek pita)
  4. Homemade pizza dough (i.e., this vegan calzone dough or this rapid rise pizza)
  5. Low-carb cauliflower pizza crust
• BBQ sauce: Use the barbecue sauce of your choice or make your own.
• Tofu: Use extra-firm tofu (pressed and diced) as it holds its shape. Alternatively, you could use your choice of vegan ‘chickn’ alternative as chunks, strips, or even shredded.
• Cajun seasoning: To season the tofu for this veggie BBQ pizza.
• Tomato: Use a diced regular tomato OR cherry/grape tomatoes halved or quartered.
• Spinach: It’s best to use baby spinach for this veggie BBQ pizza.
• Pineapple: We recommend using fresh pineapple for this vegan pineapple pizza. If using canned, drain it as well as possible and pat dry. If you’re not a fan of pineapple on pizza, you can also omit it entirely.

Optional Vegan Pizza Toppings:

This vegan BBQ pizza is incredibly versatile. Here are just a few ways to adapt or add to the recipe.

• Other vegetables: Here are some of our top veggies for a delicious veggie BBQ pizza.
  1. Sweet corn
  2. Diced bell pepper
  3. Finely chopped red onion
  4. Caramelized onion
  5. Sliced mushrooms or roasted mushrooms
  6. Grilled/roasted zucchini
  7. Grilled/roasted eggplant
  8. Chickpeas (seasoned or tossed in BBQ sauce)
  9. Roasted cauliflower
• Vegan Cheese: If you have some, add a melty vegan mozzarella or a smoked vegan cheese like Follow Your Heart smoked gouda.
• Vegan ham: Swap out the tofu for ham (or vegan bacon) for a ‘Hawaiian’ vegan BBQ pineapple pizza.
• Cumin: Add a pinch to the BBQ sauce to add depth. Smoked paprika is also delicious, and/or some cayenne pepper for heat.
• Herbs: You could sprinkle the baked BBQ pineapple pizza with finely chopped fresh parsley, green onions, or fresh cilantro.
• Spice: Add thin slices of jalapeno across the pizza for more of a kick. Alternatively, mix a little sriracha/chili sauce with BBQ sauce.
• Smoked tofu: If you want to omit the spicy tofu seasoning, you could use smoked tofu instead to add another layer of smokiness to the BBQ sauce pizza.
• Vegan ranch dressing: Drizzle the BBQ pineapple pizza with the ranch before serving.
• Avocado sauce: A drizzle of creamy avocado dressing would also pair well with the sweet and smoky flavors of the BBQ pizza.
• Vegan garlic butter: With a combination of garlic, vegan butter, and parsley, brush the edges of the crust before baking the homemade vegan pizza for extra flavor.

Our favorite additions building from the base recipe are a combination of red onion slices, sweet corn, and a sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro after baking, with or without a dairy-free cheese. However, experiment with the toppings however you please.

How to Make Vegan BBQ Pizza?

If you’re planning to make the vegan pizza dough from scratch, then you’ll need to do that first. Otherwise:

• 1) First, preheat the oven to the temperature listed on your pizza dough packaging (or at 180C/360F if using a flatbread). At the same time, press and dice the tofu and dice the pineapple and tomatoes (or chop in half if using cherry tomatoes).

• 2) Then, add the tofu to a bowl and toss it with the Cajun seasoning. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

For a vegan BBQ ‘shredded chickn’ pizza, shred the tofu using the large holes on a box grater.

• 3) Pan-fry the tofu for 5-7 minutes. Add a little oil for slightly crispier results.

• 4) Meanwhile, roll out the pizza dough and spread the BBQ sauce over it, leaving an inch of crust space.
• 5) Next, add the spinach leaves, the tofu, the pineapple, and finally the chopped tomatoes (in that order).
• 6) Drizzle the tofu pizza with a bit more BBQ sauce, then transfer to the oven and cook on a baking sheet according to the dough packaging instruction, until golden brown. Finally, slice, and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

Once baked, store any leftover BBQ pineapple pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

You can reheat the cheeseless pizza in the microwave in 1-minute increments until heated through. Alternatively, reheat them in the oven at 300C/150C until warm (7-10 minutes).

How to Serve?

Enjoy the homemade vegan pizza alone as a hearty meal or enjoy a slice or two with sides such as:

• Salad: Like this simple chickpea kale salad, shredded Brussel sprout salad, a simple vegan Caesar salad, etc.
• Fries: i.e., baked sesame fries, carrot fries, zucchini fries, garlic parsley fries, etc.

Or even dishes like potato salad or coleslaw. You can also enjoy the BBQ pizza on game days as part of an appetizer spread with other dishes like buffalo cauliflower wings, onion rings, and other vegan finger food.

FAQs

Can I substitute the pizza dough?

Yes, there are several options you can use as your pizza base, including making a vegan flatbread pizza (using naan or pita) or even a tortilla. The cooking time will vary depending on which you use, requiring just enough time to heat everything. You can optionally use the broiler too, if preferred, for more ‘char.’

Can I make Mini Pizzas?

If using pizza dough, then absolutely. Simply divide the dough into more pizzas.

Can I omit the pineapple?

Of course. We know it’s a controversial pizza topping, so skip it if preferred.

Can you freeze the pizza?

Technically, I think it would be okay to freeze, but since it’s so quick and simple to prepare from scratch, I prefer not to. If you want to try, allow it to cool entirely, wrap slices in plastic wrap and freeze for 2-3 months. You should be able to reheat it from frozen.

Do I need to pre-cook the tofu first?

This will make the tofu crispier. However, it isn’t 100% necessary, as it will cook in the oven, regardless.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Ensure the dough isn’t too thick: If you’re using dough rather than a par-baked crust, make sure that you shape it nice and thin (¼-inch maximum) so it crisps up in the oven.
• Experiment with toppings: There are many ways to adapt this recipe to your liking. Adjust the crust, base, toppings, etc. We’ve included a list of possibilities.
• Distribute the toppings evenly: That way, you won’t end up with any softer, ‘wet’ patches or dull, empty patches. It’s also important not to overload the veggie BBQ pizza with toppings, or it may not cook through properly.
• If you have a pizza stone, use it: This will help achieve a super crispy base.
• To reduce carbs: Experiment with low-carb pizza crusts like a cauliflower pizza crust.
• For more BBQ flavor: Marinate the tofu in BBQ sauce, too, for a more traditional ‘BBQ chickn’ style topping, rather than the Cajun spices.
• For a soy-free vegan pizza recipe: Substitute the tofu for shredded jackfruit, chickpeas, or more veggies like cauliflower (either seasoned with the Cajun seasoning or tossed with BBQ sauce).

More Vegan Pizza Recipes

• Mediterranean hummus pizza
• Thai style pizza
• Breakfast tortilla pizza
• Pizza rolls
• Portobello mushroom pizza bites
• Pizza bagels

Photos by Alfonso Revilla