Switch up your regular tomato pizza for this vegan white sauce pizza for a fun change. It is quick and easy to prepare and absolutely delicious, even without any cheese! The garlic and generous amount of dried herbs make the white sauce so flavorful, which pairs so well with mushrooms and artichokes. You'll love it!
I used to think that a pizza made without tomato sauce was a big no-no until this vegan white sauce pizza came alive!
The white pizza sauce is so creamy, garlicky and also feels super rich. I also love how it adds a subtle cheesy flavor that works great on a cheese-free pizza. Plus, if you eat pizza on a regular basis, then swapping for a white sauce recipe makes for such a fun change. So delicious!
The flavor is just perfectly tangy and with a good punch of garlic flavor. Using a lot of dried herbs and nutritional yeast also enhance the flavor so much. And it is easy to make! All you have to do is prepare a basic vegan bechamel sauce and then flavor it generously.
This white sauce also is made completely nut-free and without using any cashews. This means no soaking any nuts nor blending required. A nut-free pizza sauce also makes this recipe completely school-safe, so you can use leftovers to fill your kid's lunch boxes.
I chose to combine the white sauce based pizza with mushrooms and artichokes, which worked out so perfectly. I mean, mushrooms are essential on a white sauce pizza, right? You can also use a store bought pizza dough or crust or follow my directives to make a homemade gluten-free buckwheat pizza crust.
Happy pizza making! 😀
Why you'll love this recipe
- Rustic pizza all made from scratch!
- Versatile topping ideas.
- A cheese-less pizza that never tasted so delicious!
- The white sauce gives the pizza a great creamy and rich bite.
- 100% dairy-free, nut-free and plant-based (+ gluten-free option).
- The vegan white sauce can be used other ways such as over noodles, in vegetable gratins or to dip breadsticks/focaccia!
Ingredients you'll need
For the vegan white pizza sauce
- Olive oil: essential to create the roux for the bechamel pizza sauce.
- All-purpose flour: whole wheat should work too.
- Plain plant-based milk: be sure to use an unflavored and unsweetened milk for this savory recipe.
- Nutritional yeast: adds deeper flavor and a subtle cheesy little something.
- Dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, etc): use a mix and match depending on what you have or your taste. Other ideas include Italian mix and red pepper flakes.
- Garlic and onion powder: for amazing flavor.
- Lemon juice: adds a tangy flavor that's essential for a pizza sauce. Also enhances the flavor from the nutritional yeast.
For the pizza
- Pizza crust: I used my easy buckwheat crust, but use your favorite pizza crust!
- Mushrooms: this recipe works great with a mix of different kinds of mushrooms such as white, cremini, shiitake, enoki, portobello, etc.
- White onion: or red onion.
- Artichokes: optional, but adds a nice flavor and more texture.
- Dried thyme: works great with the mushrooms, swap for dried oregano or basil.
How to make this vegan white sauce pizza
Make the white pizza sauce
Add the olive oil to a small sauce pan and warm up on medium heat. Then, add the flour and whisk right away and constantly until it bubbles (roux). Let it simmer for about 1 minute and then pour the milk over while whisking vigorously. Add all the flavoring ingredients (nutritional yeast, salt, dried herbs) and keep whisking to combine.
Keep cooking the sauce while whisking on/off until it comes to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes until desired thickness. Once the sauce is done, set aside to cool and add the lemon juice. Also taste and adjust flavor to your liking.
Pre-bake the pizza crust
If you make my buckwheat crust, then you will have to shape and pre-bake the crust for a few minutes before topping it. Same thing if you make a regular pizza crust, I recommend to pre-bake it for a few minutes so the white sauce does not overcook.
You can also buy some already pre-baked pizza crusts like this one from whole foods where in that case, you can skip this step. When I make a regular pizza dough, I usually follow this recipe from Ricardo Cuisine (famous chef from Quebec!).
Top the pizza and bake
Once the pizza crust has pre-baked, then generously spread the white sauce over (you might have some extra left), then distribute the onions and mushrooms over the sauce. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and dried thyme and add the artichokes.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables look done.
Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Helpful tips
- When making the bechamel, be sure to first cook the flour very well so there is no raw flavor to the sauce. I'll usually let the oil+flour simmer while stirring for 1-2 minutes before adding the milk.
- Before adding the artichokes on the pizza, drain them very well and even pat them dry using a clean towel or paper towels so you don't add extra water to the pizza.
- If looking to make a nut-free recipe, then be sure to use a nut-free plant-based milk such as oat milk or soy milk. Also make sure it is not sweetened nor with any vanilla flavoring!
- Similar to my vegan cauliflower gratin recipe, you can cook some chopped onions into the small pot before making the roux (browned oil + flour) to add more flavor.
- You can make the pizza sauce ahead if you like to meal-prep so it is much quicker to prepare the pizza when ready to eat.
- I slice the veggies thinly and I like them not too cooked, so I top the pizza with the veggies still being raw and then bake in the oven. But, feel free to first cook them (the onions and mushrooms) in a non-stick pan before garnishing the pizza if you prefer your vegetables well done.
Other topping ideas
I find the white sauce + mushrooms being the ultimate combo for pizza, but there are many other garnishing ingredients you can use depending on your taste and what you already have. Here are a few more ingredients to try:
- Thinly sliced tomatoes
- Caramelized onions
- White beans
- Red pepper
- Vegan bacon bits for a subtle smoky flavor
- If you are into vegan meat/cheese alternatives, then try adding sliced vegan sausages or vegan cheese.
- Spinach or kale (you will have to first wilt the leaves in a pan or steam them)
- Roasted zucchini
- Jackfruit
Once the pizza is done, then there are more toppings you can include such as:
- A few dollops of vegan walnut pesto
- If you have some truffle oil or salt, then add some over the pizza for a huge boost in flavor
- Red pepper flakes for a little heat
- Fresh basil
- Arugula
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Lemon zest
- Cashew ricotta
Storage
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for about 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through. I also used the microwave to reheat (only a few seconds) and it worked out well too.
I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I am not sure that the white sauce would freeze and thaw well.
How to make it gluten-free
It is quite easy to make this white pizza completely gluten-free!
First of all, use a gluten-free pizza crust. I found this gluten-free pizza crust mix from Bob's Red Mill that would be perfect in this case. My buckwheat pizza crust is also completely gluten-free.
Second, when making the bechamel for the pizza sauce, then use any of the gluten-free flour available on the market.
More vegan white sauce recipes you might like
- Basic vegan bechamel sauce
- Vegan white pasta sauce
- Vegan white sauce zucchini lasagna
- Vegan cauliflower gratin
- Creamy braised white beans
- Vegan white queso dip
- Tahini garlic pasta
- Vegan garlic pasta bake
- Vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce
Also, check out these vegan bagel bites and flatbread bruschetta for more pizza ideas!
I hope you like this vegan white sauce pizza as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan White Sauce Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients
For the white pizza sauce
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cup plain plant-based milk - unflavored and unsweetened, use soy or oat milk for a nut-free recipe
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley or oregano
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
For the funghi pizza
- 1 batch of pizza dough (16 oz) or buckwheat pizza crust - see notes
- ½ yellow onion - finely chopped/sliced
- 4 oz assorted mushrooms - thinly sliced
- canned artichokes - drained, patted dry and roughly chopped (I used ¾ of a 14 oz can)
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper - to taste
- arugula or fresh basil - for serving, optional
Instructions
Make the pizza sauce
- In a small sauce pan, add the oil and warm up on medium-high heat. Then, add the flour and whisk while cooking for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the milk and whisk well.
- While the sauce is warming up, add the garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, dried herbs and salt. Whisk often and keep cooking on medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set aside to cool down.
Make the funghi pizza
- Pre-heat the oven to 375º.
- If you are using fresh pizza dough or my buckwheat pizza crust, then start by shaping/rolling it and pre-bake for about 5-7 minutes (if doing my buckwheat pizza crust, the surface should look a little dry with a few cracks after pre-baked).
- Take out of the oven and spread as much of the white sauce as you want over the crust. Then, top with the onions, mushrooms and artichokes. Sprinkle with the dried thyme and a little salt and black pepper. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables look done to your liking.
- Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh basil, vegan parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container for 2-3 days and reheat using the oven or toaster oven.
- Other garnishing ideas include roasted zucchini, wilted spinach or kale, red pepper, white beans, caramelized onions, etc.
- Once the pizza is done, you can top with red pepper flakes, fresh basil, truffle oil or salt, vegan ricotta cheese, walnut pesto, arugula, vegan parmesan cheese, etc.
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