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The Ultimate Vegan Pizza Recipe with Almond Ricotta Cheese and Coconut Bacon

Vegan pizza on a plate
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
30 min
Yields
4 servings

If you can’t eat dairy or just want to try out a healthier alternative to cheese-laden pizza, then you’re going to love this vegan weeknight dinner recipe. Making your own dairy-free ricotta “cheese” is easy when you use almonds, which pairs perfectly with fresh, zippy basil pesto, marinara sauce and slivered kale. You’ll really impress everyone with the simple homemade crust recipe, but you can always use a pre-made one instead if you don’t have time to make it from scratch. Take your vegan pizza toppings up a notch by trying out coconut “bacon.”  Even if you aren’t vegan or want to share this dairy-free dinner recipe with your friends, you’ll find the savoury and slightly sweet bacon alternative adds the perfect crunch and a unique smoky taste that everyone will love.

As you’ll see, making your own vegan cheese is easier than it seems.

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ingredients

Almond "Ricotta"

1
cup slivered blanched almonds
1
Tbsp lemon juice
1/4
tsp sea salt
1/2
cup water
1/2
small clove of fresh garlic, chopped

Coconut “Bacon”

2
cups coconut flakes, unsweetened
1
Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1
Tbsp tamari
2
tsp maple syrup
1
tsp smoked paprika

Pesto

1
cup basil leaves
1/2
cup extra virgin olive oil
2
Tbsp hemp seeds or pine nuts
1
tsp lemon juice
1
small garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Homemade Pizza Crust

1
packet rapid rise yeast (or 2 tsp of baker's yeast)
1
cup warm water
1
Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2
cups spelt flour or whole wheat flour

Additional Ingredients

2
cups green kale, finley chopped
2
cups marinara sauce
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directions

Notes

Add 8 hours to soak nuts for "almond ricotta" recipe below

Step 1

For the almond “ricotta,” place the almonds in a bowl and cover with water so the nuts are fully submerged.

Step 2

Place on the counter and let sit overnight. Alternatively,  soak the almonds early in the morning and then finish the rest of the steps later in the evening. You’ll want the nuts to soak for 8 hours.

Step 3

After the nuts have soaked, drain them out of the water and rinse off.

Step 4

Place the rinsed off nuts, lemon juice, sea salt, 1/2 cup of water, and garlic in the food processor. Blend for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You can scrape the mixture down the sides of the food processor to make sure it blends evenly.

Almonds in a food processor
Step 5

Pour the blended almond mixture into a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 6

For the almond “bacon,” preheat oven to 350ºF.

Step 7

Toss together the ingredients so the coconut is evenly coated in the oil, tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika.

Step 8

Spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Almond "bacon"
Step 9

Bake for 5 minutes, check and stir around. Make sure to keep your eye on the coconut so that it doesn’t burn (it can go from fine to burnt really quickly).

Step 10

Once the coconut is beginning to crisp on the edges, remove from the oven.

Step 11

Let it cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

Step 12

For the pesto, rinse off the basil well and make sure to dry it with a paper towel or tea towel.

Step 13

Add all of the ingredients to the food processor and blend for 30 seconds to a minute, until everything is finely chopped.

Step 14

Add sea salt and pepper to your taste preference.

Step 15

For the homemade pizza crust, in a large bowl, mix the packet of yeast in warm water and stir for 1 minute until dissolved.

Step 16

Add in the olive oil and flour. Using your hands, knead the dough until a smooth ball forms. Add extra flour to the bowl if the dough is too sticky.

Step 17

Cover the bowl with a towel and let sit on the countertop for 15 minutes.

Step 18

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Step 19

If you’d like to make 2 pizzas, divide the dough in half to make 2 balls.

Step 20

You’ll need to roll out the ball of dough to make a circular crust. The best way to do this is by placing a large piece of parchment paper on the counter. Sprinkle some flour over top. Then place the dough in the center. Place a second sheet of parchment paper over top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circular shape. Then carefully pull off the piece of parchment paper that’s on top.

Step 21

Poke a few holes in the crust with a fork.

Vegan pizza mise en place
Step 22

Slide or lift the piece of parchment paper with the crust on it onto a large baking sheet.

Step 23

Bake for 5 minutes.

Step 24

Remove from the oven and keep on the baking sheet.

Step 25

For the pizza assembly, preheat oven to 375ºF.

Vegan pizza assembly
Step 26

Spread the marinara sauce out evenly over top of the crust.

Step 27

Sprinkle the chopped kale over top of the sauce.

Step 28

Add dollops of the almond ricotta cheese and pesto.

Step 29

Bake for 15 minutes until the kale is cooked.

Step 30

Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle the coconut “bacon” over top.

Step 31

Serve immediately by slicing into pieces.

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