Vegan Breakfast Pizza – topped with vegetables, tofu scramble, and tempeh bacon – is the perfect dish for weekend brunch! It can be made ahead for a weekday breakfast treat, and it can also be enjoyed as breakfast for dinner! This easy recipe is vegan, so it's egg free and dairy free, and it's easy to alter it to suit your tastes.
Vegan Breakfast Pizza
Dennis’s birthday is on December 24th, which isn’t a very fun day for a birthday. As a child he didn’t enjoy the day, but over the years he’s grown to not dislike it so much.
I try to make the day enjoyable for him, starting with a big breakfast. I like to cook something special, like 2016’s Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Sandwiches. A few months ago, a friend mentioned a vegan breakfast pizza that he had while on vacation, and I filed the idea away for the next birthday breakfast. I surprised him with it last month, and he loved it! We had enough leftover that we had it for breakfast on Christmas morning, too.
When thinking about what I was going to make, I had thought about creating a biscuit crust for the pizza. But then I realized that that was just too much work for me so early in the morning, so I scrapped the idea and used a pre-made whole wheat crust from Whole Foods instead. If you are feeling ambitious, feel free to make your own crust. If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your crust is gluten-free.
How to make a Vegan Breakfast Pizza
This recipe is easy to make!
- First you preheat your oven to 450°.
- Then you make the tofu scramble. You heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Crumble your tofu and add it to the pan, and then you add the nutritional yeast and spices, and stir well to coat. Cook your scramble for 10-15 minutes, until tofu begins to brown.
- Now you make the vegetables. You heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, and add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have browned and are fragrant. Add the kale and cook for a few more minutes, until they turn bright green and begin to wilt.
- Next you make the pizza. Place your prepared pizza crust on a pizza pan. You spread the tomato sauce over the top, and then add the tofu scramble, vegetables, and tempeh bacon. Cook your pizza for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the ingredients are cooked throughout.
- Finally, you remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle on the cashew cheese. Slice it and serve it!
If you know you’re going to be pressed for time in the morning, you can pre-cook all of the toppings. Just assemble the pizza and pop it in the oven in the morning, and breakfast is ready in minutes!
How to Customize your Breakfast Pizza
Since it was early morning and I didn’t want Dennis to know what I was up to, I used premade tempeh bacon. If I had more time, I would made my own. I also used pre-made tomato sauce, but if you’d prefer to make your own, go for it!
- You can use any of your favorite vegetables as toppings. Try red peppers, sliced zucchini, or broccoli.
- Vegan sausage can be used instead of tempeh bacon.
- If you don't like kale, you can use spinach, arugula, or swiss chard.
- Store-bought nondairy cheese can be used instead of cashew cheese sauce.
Vegan Breakfast Pizza is just as good cold as it is fresh from the oven, so you’ll want to make sure you have leftovers. It’s great for those days when you’re craving breakfast for dinner, too!
Vegan Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
For the Tofu Scramble
- 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil
- 1 14-ounce block of firm or extra-firm tofu drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
- pinch of cayenne optional
For the Vegetables
- 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil
- ½ medium-sized onion minced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 ounces mushrooms sliced (about 2 cups)
- pinch sea salt
- ½ bunch kale stems removed, chopped (6-8 leaves)
For the Pizza
- 12” – 15” prepared pizza crust
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 ounces strips tempeh bacon chopped
- 1 cup cashew cheese sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°
- Make the Tofu Scramble: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the tofu and add it to the pan. Add the nutritional yeast and spices, and stir well to coat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tofu begins to brown.
- Make the Vegetables: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have browned and are fragrant. Add the kale and cook for a few more minutes, until they turn bright green and begin to wilt
- Make the Pizza: Place the prepared pizza crust on a pizza pan or pizza stone. Spread the tomato sauce over the top, and then add the tofu scramble, vegetables, and tempeh bacon. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the ingredients are cooked throughout.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle on the cashew cheese. Slice and serve!
More brunch recipes you may like include:
- Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Sandwiches
- Sante Fe Breakfast Quesadillas
- Vegan Quiche Lorraine
- The Vegan Popeye Tofu Scramble
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, pizza for breakfast? Yessssss please!
Dianne
Thank you, Becky!
Susan
This sounds great. I love pizza, and all sorts of things on pizza! I made a breakfast pizza for my mum's birthday this year, with a biscuit base and gravy as well as scrambled tofu. But it was for dinner, so I had lots of time to get everything ready. Definitely good to have some shortcuts for early morning pizza!
Dianne
Thanks, Susan! The pizza that you made for your mom sounds delish!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
What a fantastic idea! I've never had breakfast pizza before. I'll definitely be making one soon!
Dianne
Thanks, Amy! I hope you enjoy it!