Change things up and try this vegan pesto pizza with juicy blackberries, fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts.
Sponsored by So Delicious®. As always, all opinions are my own.
When it comes to pizza, I'm usually a traditional tomato sauce kind of person. Why mess with a good thing, right? Well, this vegan pesto pizza is proving otherwise.
There are fresh, juicy blackberries and basil leaves, nutty toasted pine nuts, spicy black pepper, and a creamy herb pesto sauce that's made with dairy-free coconut milk yogurt so there's not any actual cream. I'm breaking all of the traditions with this recipe.
A vegan pesto pizza with fresh blackberries is a tasty plant-based lunch or dinner, but I also think this could even work for brunch. I found all of the traditional and not-so-traditional ingredients for this recipe, including the juiciest organic blackberries, from Sprouts.
How to Make Vegan Pesto Pizza
Prep work:
To get ready to make this vegan pesto pizza, you first need to prep the dough and preheat the oven. I also recommend toasting the pine nuts in advance, but that step is optional.
Set the pizza dough on the counter and allow it to warm up to room temperature.
Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're using a pizza stone, you can put it in the oven at this point so it also preheats. (If you don't have a stone, make homemade pizza on a baking sheet.)
Blend the creamy pesto sauce:
The next step is blending up the creamy pesto sauce to go on top of the pizza. You can use either a blender or a food processor for this step. Just toss all of the ingredients in the container, cover, and blend or process until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
This herb pesto is a blend of fresh basil leaves, So Delicious® Coconutmilk Yogurt Alternative, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It may be simple, but this sauce has plenty of flavor.
The creaminess from the yogurt is what really takes this pesto sauce to another level. Beyond the flavor and creamy texture, So Delicious® is my go-to brand for dairy-free yogurt alternatives because their parent company Danone North America is a Certified B Corporation®.
Top the pizza:
Once the pizza dough is warmed to room temperature, roll it out on a floured surface to about a 12-inch diameter. Transfer the dough to the preheated pizza stone or a greased baking sheet and add the toppings.
First, spread the creamy pesto sauce on top of the rolled out dough, leaving a little space around the edges for the crust. Then, sprinkle fresh blackberries and black pepper on top of the pesto sauce.
You could bake off the pizza at this point, but I like to add a little extra pizzazz by brushing the edges of the crust with olive oil and sprinkling with salt. This adds a little pop of flavor and helps the crust get nice and golden brown in the oven. Worth it.
Bake:
Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or however long it takes for the crust to turn golden brown.
Garnish:
Once the pizza is out of the oven, there are a few more toppings to add on before you slice it up and serve.
First, a good amount of fresh basil leaves. I just tear them so there's no need for a knife and cutting board. Then, pine nuts. I prefer to toast them first. Finally, a few dollops of coconut milk yogurt to give this pizza that extra bit of creamy texture that I find is often missing from dairy-free pies. So good.
How do you toast pine nuts?
You can toast pine nuts on the stovetop, in the oven, or even in the microwave. My favorite way to toast nuts is in the oven because you can batch cook a bunch at once, and the oven toasts the nuts more gradually and evenly than other methods.
To try it, first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the pine nuts are golden and aromatic. It's pretty easy and the nice thing is you can take care of this prep months in advance.
Is pizza dough dairy-free?
Most pizza doughs are naturally vegan and dairy-free. My favorite recipe calls for just a few ingredients: flour (I use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat), instant yeast, salt, oil, and beer. If you're purchasing premade dough from the store, just double-check the ingredients.
Does the dough have to be at room temperature?
If your pizza crust is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, you'll want to take it out and set it on the counter to warm before you roll it out. Bringing the pizza dough to room temperature helps it stretch without tearing or breaking.
Can you make this vegan pesto pizza nut-free?
You can easily make this recipe nut-free by swapping in sunflower seeds for the pine nuts.
Looking for more vegetarian pizza recipes?
Try these:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Cranberries and Goat Cheese
- Roasted Garlic Caprese Pizza
- Vegan Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Naan Pizzas
- 2 cups fresh basil 2 ounces
- 1 (5.3-ounce) container plain So Delicious Coconutmilk Yogurt Alternative
- ⅓ cup pine nuts toasted if desired (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pizza crust at room temperature
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
- 1 5.3-ounce container plain So Delicious Coconutmilk Yogurt Alternative (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted if desired
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with pizza stone inside if using.
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Add basil, coconutmilk yogurt alternative, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor container. Pour in olive oil and blend or process on high 30 seconds, or until creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick or not mixing together, add another tablespoon of olive oil and blend or process again.
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Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface, remove the pizza stone from the oven, and transfer the dough to the stone (use a greased baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone). Spread pesto sauce on the dough, leaving about a half-inch of crust uncovered around the edges. Sprinkle blackberries and black pepper on top. Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil and sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil leaves, Coconutmilk yogurt, and pine nuts. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.
To toast pine nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes, or until golden and aromatic.
Nut-free variation: Substitute sunflower seeds for the pine nuts.
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