Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Pizza

This Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Pizza is deliciously filling and so satisfying!

Who doesn’t love pizza? The crispy yet soft crust, delicious tomato sauce, loaded with your favorite toppings is truly something! There are so many different types of pizzas that I don't know a soul who doesn't love it! A pizza can be your solution for midnight cravings or a perfect treat to celebrate small achievements with friends. Whether it is a girls' night out, a movie night in, or game day, you can’t go wrong with pizza!

Now, if you want something a little extra on your vegan or vegetarian pizza, I have a fantastic idea. How about you make a vegan buffalo chickpea pizza? Yes, let's put a little creative twist on this pizza by using chickpea instead of chicken for our protein and drizzle on some delicious buffalo sauce for the perfect pop of flavor! Trust me, it is just perfect!

The reason I love pizza is that it's so versatile. You don't have to work through finding the right vegan substitutes. I mean, there are delicious vegan and vegetarian toppings galore! You can simply get a dough, add a sauce, some of your favorite vegetables, and top with vegan cheese. It is as simple as it sounds!

So, without any further wait, it's time to whip up this vegan chickpea Pizza with hot sauce. Let's get into it!

Can we make pizza dough at home?

Absolutely! The thing with premade dough is that it's convenient and time saving. If you are in a hurry or too tired to invest time, go for premade pizza dough. However, if you don't mind putting in a little extra time into pizza night, here is the recipe you must follow:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon table salt

3 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup warm water

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and salt.

Gradually add olive oil and warm water and stir using a wooden spoon. Then, slowly, and gradually add the remaining 1 cup of flour. Continue to mix until the dough is forming into an elastic ball. (It should be slightly sticky to the touch).

Brush the inside of a clean bowl with olive oil. Lightly dust your hands with flour, form the dough into a ball, and place it in the prepared bowl.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place. Allow your dough to rise for 30 minutes or so.

Making buffalo chickpeas

The main ingredient after the pizza dough is, of course, the buffalo chickpeas. These are the source of protein of the pizza and the star of the show. Now there are several ways of making this recipe. All you need is to prepare a buffalo sauce and toss the chickpeas in it.

You can happily use a premade vegan buffalo sauce, or you can make your own. By making your own sauce you can control the flavors and customize them as per your liking. But, if you like to keep it simple then stick to these steps:

Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas for this recipe for a quick and convenient method. The only effort you will have to put is into opening the can and rinsing them. However, you can also get dried chickpeas and cook them at home. It is a more affordable especially if you are making a lot of pizzas. Simply soak them for 6 hours or overnight and boil them until they are cooked through. Make them in an instant pot or pressure cooker for quicker results.

Vegan buffalo sauce: Use your favorite brand of buffalo sauce or you can substitute it with sriracha.

Topping ideas

There are so many amazing topping ideas for this Vegan buffalo pizza. You can customize it according to your liking and create some amazing combinations. Here are a few topping ideas for you to try:

Artichoke: Artichoke might sound like an unusual ingredient for a pizza topping, but it sure doesn't taste bad. You can use a white sauce base and the pizza will taste great.

Vegetables: You can use whatever vegetable you like. Add sliced Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Corn kernels, Cauliflower florets, broccoli, etc. The sky is the limit!

Herbs: Fresh herbs are aromatic and very flavorful. You can add either fresh or dried herbs to bring out an Italian feel to this pizza. I love adding freshly chopped Basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary, but you can add basil alone as well.

Olives: Green or black olives are one of my husband's favorite on a pizza.

Mushrooms: You can also add mushrooms. Make sure you sauté them lightly first!

Hummus: If you don’t want to use tomato sauce as a base sauce for your Vegan chickpea pizza, no worries! Add hummus instead. It is creamy, rich, and delicious.

White sauce: You can also make a white sauce for the base sauce instead of the tomato sauce. All you have to do is blend soaked cashews, a splash of non-dairy milk, arrowroot starch, salt, black pepper, and olive oil until you get a creamy consistency. Thanks to the arrowroot starch, the sauce won’t make your pizza soggy but will help in giving it a creamy texture.

Garlic sauce: You can make a garlic sauce using the basic vegan white sauce. Just add roasted or fresh garlic cloves, Italian herbs, and onion powder. It is a delicious savory sauce with bold flavor.

Celery ranch sauce: Although a simple vegan ranch is perfect for drizzling on your vegan pizza, you can also make it more flavorsome. Use the white sauce as a base, add ranch seasoning, celery seeds, apple cider vinegar, and enjoy!

Tips To Remember When Making Buffalo Chickpea Pizza

When making buffalo chickpea pizza, keep a few things in mind for the best results:

When making dough at home, make sure the water you are using for activating yeast is warm. It shouldn't be boiling hot or very hot otherwise, it will kill the yeast. Trust me, and you don't want to be a yeast killer!

To ensure the yeast is blooming, keep an eye on the yeast and water mixture. When you start seeing foam, it means the yeast is working just fine.

If you want gluten-free dough for your vegan pizza, use a gluten-free flour blend instead of whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.

If you are using several vegetables, like spinach, bell peppers, and mushrooms, sauté them lightly first. This way, the natural moisture in them will be gone, and your pizza won't be soggy.

You can slice vegan mozzarella cheese instead of shredding it. You can also use vegan parmesan cheese for this recipe.

Can I make this pizza ahead of time?

Although you can't make the whole pizza ahead of time, you can prepare the individual components ahead of time and store them for later use.

Prepare all the vegetables and place them in the refrigerator at least 12 hours before using them.

You can prepare the buffalo chickpeas and refrigerate them for about 2 days.

You can also prepare sauces in advance. Place them in an airtight mason jar and refrigerate. They will last for up to 3 days.

Lastly, you can also prepare the dough at least 8 hours before baking the pizza.

This way, you just have to roll out the dough, assemble the pizza and bake it.

How to store leftover vegan buffalo chickpea pizza?

Once the pizza reaches room temperature, wrap the slices in aluminum foil or in an air-tight container and place them in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, air-fryer, or the oven and enjoy.

You can also freeze leftover pizza and reheat it in the oven. However, it won’t have the same texture and will be a bit soggy. Freezing also depends on the sauce you are using. If you are using white sauce, I don’t recommend freezing the pizza.

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