New York Style Vegan Pizza
Serves 3-4Prep 20 minCook 25 minTotal 45 min
Prep and cook times are estimates — every kitchen moves at its own pace. None significant (assumes premade dough).
Foldable. Chewy-crisp. Loaded with melty mozzarella and savory sausage — this New York style vegan pizza tastes like the slice shops Carlos grew up on in Queens. We chased that perfect after-school slice for years before landing this recipe.
The secrets are simple: plant-based sausage browned until crisp at the edges, and vegan mozzarella melted low and slow until it's bubbling. It's fast, affordable, and endlessly customizable — mushrooms, peppers, whatever you've got in the fridge.
Watch it made
Directions
- Sprinkle flour onto a clean countertop and lightly dust the dough with flour.
- Place the dough on the counter and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a circle.
- Lightly grease a 14-inch pizza pan with 1 Tbsp oil.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and roll the edges into a crust shape. (If using a premade pizza crust, follow the package directions instead.) Optional: par-bake the stretched dough 4–5 minutes before topping — insurance against a wet middle.
- Slice the sausage thinly. Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat with 1 Tbsp oil and cook the sausage on both sides until browned. Sprinkle with oregano.
- Spoon the pizza sauce onto the dough and use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Optional: go light on the sauce — NY style is a thin swipe, not a layer; too much sauce is the #1 cause of a soggy center.
- In a medium pan over medium-low heat, add 2 Tbsp oil and the vegan mozzarella. Cook, whisking continuously, until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling. Spoon and spread the melted cheese over the pizza. Optional: any vegan mozzarella works here — a good pick is Violife.
- Arrange the cooked sausage over the cheese. Sprinkle the garlic powder, oregano, and sea salt over the entire pizza.
- Bake at 450°F for 15–19 minutes (or according to your pizza crust package). Optional: preheat a pizza stone or steel at max temperature for 45–60 minutes before baking — the single biggest upgrade to a NY-style crust: leopard-spotted, crisp bottom. Note: make sure the oven is fully preheated to 450°F before the pizza goes in.
- Let the pizza cool (if you can wait), then slice, serve, and enjoy!
