As a vegetarian for over a decade, I’ve eaten quite a few veggie pizzas. Truly fantastic veggie pizzas are few and far between. So, I combined all of the elements I’ve enjoyed over the years to create my own “ultimate” veggie pizza recipe. This is the best homemade veggie pizza I’ve ever had, and I hope you’ll say the same!
This vegetarian pizza recipe will delight vegetarians and carnivores alike. It’s fresh and full of flavor, featuring cherry tomatoes, artichoke, bell pepper, olives, red onion and some hidden (and optional) baby spinach. You’ll find a base of rich tomato sauce and golden, bubbling mozzarella underneath, of course.
The trick with loaded veggie pizzas, as many pizza shops seem to forget, is that they require a few extra minutes in the oven to develop full flavor and structure. Don’t stop baking until the cheese is deeply golden in spots. Otherwise, you might end up with floppy pizza that doesn’t live up to its true potential.
Start with my easy whole wheat pizza dough, and this recipe is ready in about 45 minutes, start to finish. This vegetable pizza is quicker and healthier than delivery!
Watch How to Make Veggie Pizza
Veggie Pizza Toppings
This pizza starts with a base of my whole wheat pizza dough. As an alternative, use one pound of store-bought pizza dough, which you can divide by two to follow my recipe exactly (or just make one large pizza—that also works with store-bought dough).
Then we’ll add the following. This recipe is truly very flexible—you can skip any of them if you don’t like ’em or don’t have ’em. Use more of one for less of another. Easy!
Pizza Sauce
You have a few options here. You can use my go-to pizza sauce recipe, which is truly so easy! Or, use your favorite marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought.
Baby Spinach
Layer some fresh spinach between the pizza sauce and mozzarella to sneak in some greens.
Part-Skim Mozzarella
I love part-skim mozzarella here because it turns more golden and bubbly than fresh mozzarella.
Artichoke
Canned or jarred marinated artichoke is an easy addition here. I sliced my jarred quartered artichokes in half again to make bite-sized wedges.
Bell Pepper
Fresh bell pepper becomes nice and tender during the pizza’s short stint in a high-heat oven.
Red Onion
Red onion mellows significantly in the oven, but you omit it for sensitive palates.
Cherry Tomatoes
Halved cherry tomatoes offer reliably sweet tomato flavor and texture.
Olives
I particularly love Kalamata olives, which become a little shriveled and condensed in flavor.
Sliced Almonds
Ever had sliced almonds on your pizza? It’s a trick I’ve learned from a couple of local pizzerias. The almonds offer some toasty flavor and crunch. I’ve heard from some readers who really love this addition, and a few who don’t—it’s up to you!
Optional Garnishes
Hot from the oven, I like to top this veggie pizza with red pepper flakes, fresh basil leaves and finely grated Parmesan.
More Vegetarian Pizzas to Enjoy
Love this recipe? Here are more creative vegetarian pizzas on Cookie and Kate:
- Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza
- Barbecue Pineapple, Jalapeño and Feta Pizza
- Broccolini Almond Pizza
- Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Balsamic Red Onions
- Greek Pizza
- Kale Pesto Pizza
- Strawberry, Basil and Balsamic Pizza
Please let me know how your pizza turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Ultimate Veggie Pizza
- Author:
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Make the BEST veggie pizza at home! This mouthwatering vegetarian pizza recipe features fresh cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, artichoke, spinach and more. Recipe yields two 11-inch pizzas or 1 large (about 6 to 8 servings).
Ingredients
- 1 batch easy whole wheat pizza dough or 1 pound store-bought pizza dough
- 1 cup pizza sauce or marinara
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 to 3 cups (8 to 12 ounces) shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup jarred or canned artichoke, cut into 1” pieces
- ½ cup fresh red or orange bell pepper, cut into narrow 2″ strips
- ½ cup red onion, cut into thin wedges
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
- Optional garnishes: Fresh basil (small leaves or torn), red pepper flakes and/or finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. If you’re using a baking stone or baking steel, place it on the upper rack. Prepare dough through step 5.
- Spread pizza sauce evenly over the two pizzas, leaving about 1 inch bare around the edges. Evenly distribute the spinach on top of the sauce, followed by the cheese (use all three cups if you want a cheesy pizza as shown here).
- Top the pizzas with artichoke, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, olives and almonds (if using).
- Bake pizzas individually on the top rack until the crust is golden and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes (or significantly less, if you’re using a baking stone/steel—keep an eye on it).
- Transfer pizzas to a cutting board and sprinkle with with fresh basil, red pepper flakes and Parmesan, if using. Slice and serve! Leftover pizza keeps well in the refrigerator for 4 days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Make it nut free: Omit the almonds.
Change it up: On top of the mozzarella, use any combination of the suggested toppings (up to 3 cups t0tal). The spinach and almonds are not essential.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Henri Levison
Appears nice. Thanks. A small tip; I always use a plaster plate to bake my pizza’s in the oven. This result in a crusty base, like it should be. I warm the oven, on max. with the plate in it, so it heats up as well. Like a stone oven. The pizza’s are ready within 5-10 minutes.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Henri! I appreciate the review.
pmshah
There was a pizza place in 70s on Devon in Chicago run by an American lady married to a REAL Indian. The vegetable pizza she served also had water chestnuts & egg plants as toppings. It was absolutely out of this world. I used to live in Forest Park and it was not very convenient to visit frequently. I however never missed a chance.
★★★★
Laura
Oh my. Is it dinner time?!?! That looks delicious!
Kate
I hope you love it, Laura!
Melissa
I will be making this tonight!
My daughter loves bacon and pineapple but I prefer vegetarian pizza too!
Thankyou for all your delicious recipes. I LOVE Your cookbook, so much so that I sent one to my daughter!
They say initially that we eat with our eyes
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Melissa! I hope this one is a hit. I’m delighted to hear you are enjoying my cookbook.
Lisa
Hey Kate I have your cookbook “Love Real Food” Kindle version and there aren’t page numbers only locations so I’ve searched & searched for your for your pizza sauce recipe to no avail. Any idea on how to locate – please help. Looks delish!!
Sasha
I have it both print and digital versions – yes, I love it that much:). To find the pizza sauce, use the search function to look for “marinara”.
Lisa
Thanks Sasha, I searched pizza sauce and didn’t get any results, but marinara had several!
Kate
Hi Lisa! I’m sorry for the trouble. I was referencing the marinara/red sauce that goes with the Crispy Kale Pizza with Marinara Sauce. Hope that helps!
Lisa
Thanks Kate got it!
andre lopez
I’m having trouble which cheese to chose
Curtis
Very good, I like that you suggest a high baking temperature. I’ve cooked pizzas at 575 – the hotter the better.
I also like a blend of cheeses, adding some Swiss and Provolone.
Good stuff, thanks!
★★★★★
Lorraine Gattuso
My husband makes homemade pizza every Friday, using combinations of whole grains and some white flour. Today I convinced him to try your recipe for dough and suggested toppings. It was incredibly delicious! Crust was perfect! The best part was that we didn’t have to wait for dough to rise in the bread maker. He didn’t preheat the pizza stones, cause we weren’t sure how we could transfer the pizzas onto them in the hot oven. With all the moist toppings, he also put the pizza on the bottom rack for a few minutes at the ens, to crisp the center crust. Thanks for this super recipe.
★★★★★
Kris
Parchment paper!
Lorraine
Just wondering about using parchment paper with oven temperatures above 425 which the instructions say are the limit. Is there a certain brand that can take higher temps? Thanks for the advice!
Kate
Hi! I don’t have issues with mine. I use a natural brown one. Linked in my shop page!
Jenna Fabino
Loved this pizza! I’ve never added almonds before and they were a revelation. I served this to non-vegetarians who are nervous about trying “vegetarian food” and they loved it – no one even noticed there wasn’t any meat.
★★★★★
Ashley
This was an awesome pizza! Loved the addition of the almonds. It reheated great for leftovers as well. :)
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you so much, Ashley.
valeriefoley
This looks. and sounds so lovely. I’m slow on baking and getting all the ingredients, but I’ll shoot for it. Thanks. Valerie
Amy
Made this tonight! Your crust is a little chewy and crispy which is perfect! Love that it has whole wheat flour. Your pizza sauce is out of this world so good! Love how easy it is to put together! Love all the veggie toppings and adding the spinach first is genius!
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic to hear! Thank you, Amy.
Cathy
This was delicious and a great way to use up extra veggies! I made it pretty close to as written, but I used store bought dough, my moms homemade marinara sauce, and I used kale vs spinach because that’s what I had on hand. Definitely will make again when I happen to have a similar combination of ingredients I need to use up. Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★
Meg
This looks amazing! I couldn’t agree more- it’s tough to find good vegetarian pizzas so I’ll have to give this one a try :)
Kate
Let me know what you think when you try it, Meg!
Liz
Our new favorite! We used a premade cauliflower crust from the store to make it Gluten Free. The spinach layer under the cheese is a great idea! Added dried parmesan.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Liz! I’m glad you loved it.
mangomama
This was delicious….thanks for a yummy recipe :-)
★★★★★
SeattleCyn
Have you tried microwaving the veggies on a paper towel? Only about a minute or so…just long enough for the juices to soak into the paper towel and not your pizza crust. I do this with tomatoes, onions and peppers.
Kate
Hi! I like to roast mine. But I’m happy you have a method that works well for you!
Lissa Gougeon
Dear Kate,
I use your recipes several times a week and if what I am looking for pops up in your blog, that is what I cook and it is always delicious. However, I have no idea when the post I just read was actually dated but I just read about Cookie’s lymphoma. Not a nice diagnosis at any time but especially now.
I just lost my 9-year-old Portie in April and have a new puppy who does not replace my dog but rather he just brings a different kind of joy to my life every day.
Loki and I wish you well. Hugs from Canada!
Lissa
Kate
Hi Lissa, thank you for your comment. I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. They are such a joy. Cookie seems to be responding well to the treatments so we are hopeful!
DEBBI HEROLD
REALLY ENJOYED THIS PIZZA KATE. USED PRE-MADE ROLLED PIZZA DOUGH. THANKS FOR THE GREAT PIZZA SAUCE RECIPE….DELICIOUS. I INCLUDED ALL YOUR VEGIES, NO ALMONDS, AND TOPPED WITH PEC ROMANO AND PEPPER FLAKES. THIS IS A KEEPER IN MY PIZZA FILE SINCE I’M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NON-MEAT PIZZA IDEAS. THANK YOU. OH – SINCE I USED A CLASSIC PIZZA CRUST WHICH WAS A BIT THICK, IT NEEDED ADDITIONAL BAKING.
★★★★
Angela
Kate, your ability to combine flavor, color and texture is an incredible talent. Thank you for sharing it with us. This pizza is amazing.
★★★★★
Gillian
Really good!!!
Mario Fiorilli
I had tried to make vegetarian pizza, with similar toppings, but not to hugely successful avail.
Your post guided me through the various layers needed to showcase the toppings. Sauce, spinach, cheese, then the toppings, including the sliced almonds. YUM!!
I did use a non-gluten pizza crust shell though which crisped up beautifully under convection. We were floored by the scrumptious results, truly.
Thank you Cookie + Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you found it helpful and enjoyed it, Mario.
Amanda Groves
I had never had pizza with almonds on it. I really liked that addition. I also like the tip for adding the spinach between the sauce and cheese. The topping combinations were ok, but not my fav – personal preference.
The whole wheat pizza crust not worth it. I have tried many recipes from this blog and Love Real Food cookbook and I think the pizza crust is the only thing I have made so far that I would not make again. It just wasn’t the right flavor and texture for pizza crust in my opinion.
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love the crust. Did it seem to rise at all? Thank you for your feedback, Amanda.
Jeanne
Made this tonight. Nothing but literally yums! Was too lazy to make the crust, and used that good organic molinaro`s crust and pizza sauce you get at Costco. And used violife mozzarella to keep it vegan. Lucky me, had all the other ingredients otherwise. Usually on pizza night, there is a couple slices left. Not tonight. Thank you for a great pizza! It’s the best!
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Jeanne. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Jay
Sorry Kate, Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian. I found it out accidentally couple of years ago.
By the way, very good recipes.
Love from London, UK.
Kate
Hi Jay! I’m sorry to hear you came across non-vegetarian options. You can find ones that are animal rennet free.
Amanda Kellen
I feel like this pizza single-handedly saved my life. It is THAT good. The first time I made it I didn’t have any mozzarella on hand, so I used ricotta instead. Lord Almighty, the creamy ricotta played beautifully with all the veggies and and textures – so much so that I can’t even bring myself to make it with the mozzarella. Also, almonds? On pizza? Who knew I needed this? I have literally been transformed. 10/10 would recommend to all my friends. Thanks for this gem!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing how you were able to make this work with what you have on hand.
Paola
Loved your recipe! Thanks for sharing! Keep up the good work!
★★★★★
Katharina
My new go to pizza recipe!! Can’t get enough of it, so much better than any normal pizza dough! Thank you so much for your wonderful website and all the veggie ideas!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Katharina! Thank you for your review.
Rex
Oh so gooood! Used my sauce left over from pasta ala norma(which was so easy and fabulous). Thank you for a hassle free time saving crust, it was easy. This was delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Rex!
Jean Collier
I am close to 80 years old & have over the last few years have developed a dislike of meat. I also have heart failure so I avaoid saslt & take care to eat low potassium. I know I am starting late in life but I want to do the best I can. Do you have any hints for me?
Kate
Hi Jean, sorry to disappoint! I would suggest meeting with a local registered nutritionist if you have specific needs.
Julie
A great pizza.We’ve got our vegetarian granddaughter staying so I wanted inspiration.Thanks.Julie
★★★★★
Helen Luksan
My new favorite pizza. Your cookbook is on my wish list. Delicious! Thank you :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it! Thank you for your comment and I hope you get the cookbook. :)
Liz
How do you make sure pizza won’t stick to the stone.
Kate
Hi, Making sure it’s preheated helps and I haven’t had issues with mine sticking.
Deb
Perfect instructions. Enjoyable meal for all 4 of us including 2 vegetarians. Made dough with plain flour a couple of hours ahead popping it in the oiled glap wrap in fridge as suggested.I had other things to organise for a dinner party. Took it out and rubbed in flour 15 minutes before rolling and once pulled into 2. Used passata as sauce, worked for all of us.We made our own pizza halves for a change of pace. Used spinach as suggested on top of sauce. My oven only goes to 240 so that’s where it was set and needed more time than suggested. Did preheat but that’s okay. Nice and crisp. Would not work if you like a thick doughy base. Thanks a lot. Will make this a go to.( May 13 2021)
★★★★★