• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Vegan Richa
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook(PREORDER NOW)
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • CookBooks
  • Shop
  • About
  • NEW! Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » pizza

    Deep Dish Pizza with Pretzel Crust

    Published: Sep 30, 2022 by Richa 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    This Vegan Deep Dish Pizza with Pretzel Crust, homemade vegan cheese sauce, mushrooms and spinach is perfectly saucy, melty, gooey and really easy to make from scratch! And the pretzel crust takes it to another level! Soyfree Nutfree option

    vegan deep dish pizza on a wooden board with one slice being cut

    Guys, I made this epic Deep Dish Pretzel Crust Pizza! That’s right, deep dish pizza meets pretzel! I’m a super fan of pretzels, and LOVE making my vegan deep dish pizza I was instantly obsessed with the idea of combining those two favorite foods.

    I knew I had to come up with a vegan version for you guys and as I just posted how to make this amazing  vegan cheese sauce, I knew that it had to be cheesy pizza. It’s actually not that difficult to make a batch of homemade pretzel dough – no boiling is needed here. Just brush the pizza dough with the baking soda wash and cornstarch wash and it will brown up and get all pretzel like!

    This delicious vegan pizza is not only filled with the cheese sauce, but it also has some mushrooms, and fresh spinach. All of that cheesy savory goodness served on a crisp Pretzel crust?! Unreal!  It’s a cheese pie in pizza form!

    If you haven’t tried olive oil crisped basil on pizza, you have to try it! It adds a fabulous flavor especially to the browned mushrooms over cheese sauce combination !

    vegan deep dish pretzel crust pizza topped with cheese sauce, mushrooms and spinach on a wooden board

    We use a cast iron skillet to give the pizza its signature shape. You can also use a cake pan.

    The major difference between traditional pizza dough and pretzel dough is that here, we brush the crust with a baking soda wash and prebake it before we add the cheese sauce and toppings. Pre baking ensures that the bottom doesn’t get soggy, which can easily happen in a deep dish pizza with thick saucy filling.

    vegan deep dish pretzel crust pizza with cheese spinach and mushroom filling on a wooden board

    Saucy, melty, gooey and easy to make – this vegan pretzel crust pizza is utterly delicious! You can play around with the toppings and add some tomatoes or bell peppers instead of or alongside the mushrooms, some marinated vegan chicken or soycurls and what not.

    Why you will love this deep dish pretzel crust pizza!

    • I mean deep dish pretzel crust!
    • it’s like pretzels and cheese sauce in pizza form
    • you can use other cheese sauce or fillings.
    • The crust is easy and versatile
    • It’s cheesy gooey comfort food cheese pie

    vegan deep dish pretzel crust pizza filled with cheese sauce, mushrooms and spinach

    More vegan recipes for pizza lovers:

    Gluten-free Almond Flour Pizza Crust

    Vegan Pizza Waffles

    Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls Recipe

    Vegan Pizza Snack Bites

    Vegan Margherita Pizza With Cashew Mozzarella

    Cheesy Pull Apart Pizza Bread

    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Cheesy Deep Dish Pizza with Pretzel Crust

    This delicious vegan pretzel crust pizza is filled with my delicious vegan cheese sauce and has some mushrooms and a crisp Pretzel crust! It’s a cheese pie in pizza form!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Resting time1 hr 5 mins
    Total Time1 hr 55 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Keyword: deep dish pizza
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 367kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the crust:

    • 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) warm water
    • 1 teaspoon active yeast
    • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoons semolina flour or rice flour or almond flour

    For the baking soda wash:

    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
    • For the cornstarch wash:
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • ½ cup (120 ml) water

    For the filling:

    • 1 to 1 1/2 cups vegan cheese sauce
    • 1 tbsp flour to mix in the cheese sauce
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
    • 1/2 cup packed fresh basil or baby spinach
    • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
    • Pepper flakes as needed

    Instructions

    • Make your crust; add the warm water, active yeast, and sugar to a bowl. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. Then add in the olive oil, flour, salt, and semolina and mix really well.
    • Press and mix to make it into dough. If the dough is too sticky add more flour one tablespoon at a time. Cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel and let the dough sit in a warm place or in the warm oven (110ºF to 130F) for at least 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has risen significantly.
    • Sprinkle some flour on the dough and transfer to a floured surface. Knead the dough into a ball then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking dish. You can either use a 7.5inch cast iron or similar size cake pan or springform pan.
    • Using some flour on your hands, push the dough on the pan and then on the sides of the pan until is 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall on the sides. Let this dough sit to rise near the warm oven for 20 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, make the cornstarch slurry;  mix the cornstarch in the water then heat the mix in a saucepan or the microwave until it’s boiling. Mix really well to thicken evenly and set aside.
    • Make the baking soda wash: Heat up the water for the baking soda wash until hot. Mix the baking soda into the water. Brush the baking soda wash all over the crust, brush twice on the edges.
    • Then let this wash dry out a little bit for 2-3 minutes. Then brush the cornstarch slurry all over the crust, especially on the edges of the pizza crust. Bake this pizza crust in a preheated 450ºF (230 C) oven for 10 to 11 minutes. In the meanwhile, prep your toppings and set them aside.
    • Add one tablespoon of flour into the cheese sauce, mix really well and set aside. You can also use my mozzarella cheese here (no need to add flour to this cheese sauce) or you can use any other creamy cheese sauce or Alfredo sauce. Depending on the cheese sauce, if it’s thick enough, you can add flour or not.
    • Remove the pizza crust from the oven. Then fill it with the cheese sauce. The. Spread the sliced mushrooms. Then toss the spinach or the basil in olive oil and black pepper and spread the leaves all over the pizza. Add some pepper flakes.
    • You can also brush the crust with a little bit of olive oil (optional). Then put this pizza back into the oven. Reduce the heat to 400ºF and bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the edges have turned golden brown.
    • If there is too much browning you can put a piece of parchment paper on top of it to reduce the direct heat. Check at 16 mins
    • Remove the pizza from the oven and let it sit for five minutes for everything to settle a little bit. We like to wait for an additional 5 minutes so the cheese sets more and you don't make a mess when you cut into it.
      Then Slice and serve!

    Notes

    To make this gluten-free, use my gluten-free pan crust or use my other flour crust.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Cheesy Deep Dish Pizza with Pretzel Crust
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 367 Calories from Fat 135
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15g23%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Sodium 690mg30%
    Potassium 247mg7%
    Carbohydrates 47g16%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 11g22%
    Vitamin A 352IU7%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 32mg3%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    vegan deep dish pizza in a black skillet topped with spinach and mushrooms
    Ingredients:

    • I use a mix of all-purpose flour and semolina flour for my pizza dough and we let it rise by adding yeast which we activate in some warm water and sugar. Semolina adds sturdy ness to the dough which is essential for a deep dish pizza. You can also use rice flour as a substitute
    • olive oil adds richness to the dough
    • For that pretzel look, we brush the risen dough with a baking soda wash and a cornstarch wash:
    • As for the cheese filling, I recommend you make my vegan cheese sauce or this cashew cheese or my liquid mozzarella . if you are using some other sauce , remember to add some flour into it so it thickens and sets during baking
    • sliced mushrooms and baby spinach are the perfect toppings for this cheese pizza but fresh basil and tomatoes would also be divine
    • I like this pizza with a touch of heat to balance out all that rich cheese so a good sprinkling of Pepper flakes is a must for me

    Tips:

    • To make this gluten-free, use my gluten-free pan crust Don’t make it too deep. Bake the crust then add fillings and bake again
    • The water you mix the yeast with should only by lightly warm, not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast.

    ingredients needed for making vegan deep dish pretzel crust pizza

    How to make Vegan Deep Dish Pretzel Crust Pizza

    a small glass bowl with water yeast mixture

    Make your crust; add the warm water, active yeast, and sugar to a bowl. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. Then add in the olive oil, flour, salt, and semolina and mix really well.

    dry ingredients for pretzel crust pizza dough in a bowl

    Press and mix to make it into the dough. If the dough is too sticky add more flour one tablespoon at a time. Cover the dough with a wet kitchen napkin and let the dough sit in a warm place or in the warm oven (110ºF to 120 deg F) for at least 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has risen significantly.


    pretzel crust pizza dough in a glass bowl

    Sprinkle some flour on the dough and transfer to a floured surface. Knead the dough into a ball then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking dish. You can either use a 7.5inch cast iron or similar size pan or springform pan.

    a black cast iron skillet being lined with pretzel pizza crust dough

    Using some flour push out the dough on the pan and on the sides of the pan until is 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall on the sides. Let this dough sit to rise near the warm oven for 20 minutes.

    Meanwhile, make the cornstarch slurry;  mix the cornstarch in the water then heat the water in a saucepan or the microwave until it’s boiling. Mix really well to thicken evenly and set aside.

    Heat up the water for the baking soda wash until hot. Mix the baking soda into the water. Brush the baking soda wash all over the crust, then brush again on the edges.

    prebaked pretzel crust in a skillet

    Then let this wash dry out a little bit for 2-3. minutes. Then brush the cornstarch slurry all over the crust, especially on the edges of the pizza crust. Bake this pizza crust in a preheated 450ºF oven for 10 to 11 minutes. In the meanwhile, prep your toppings and set them aside.

    vegan cheese sauce being added to prebaked pretzel pizza crust

    Add one tablespoon of flour into the cheese sauce, mix really well and set aside. You can also use my mozzarella cheese here (no need to add flour to that cheese) or you can use any other creamy cheesy sauce or even Alfredo sauce. Depending on the cheese sauce, if it’s thick enough, you can add flour or not.

    a prebaked vegan deep dish pizza topped with cheese sauce and sliced mushrooms

    Remove the pizza crust from the oven. Then fill it with the cheese sauce and spread the sliced mushrooms. Then toss the spinach or the basil with olive oil and some black pepper and spread the leaves all over the pizza. Add some pepper flakes.

    vegan pretzel crust pizza in a black skillet topped with mushrooms and spinach

    You can also brush the crust with a little bit of olive oil (optional).   Put this pizza back into the oven. Reduce the heat to 400ºF and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the edges have turned golden brown.
    Check at 16 mins. If there is too much browning you can put a piece of parchment paper on top of it to reduce the direct heat.

    Remove the vegan pretzel crust pizza from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes for everything to settle a little bit. We like to wait for an additional 5 minutes so the cheese sets more and we don’t make a mess when we cut into it. Then slice and serve!

    sliced vegan deep dish pretzel crust pizza on a wooden board

    Storage

    Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Reheat in the oven covered with parchment.
    Freeze: Place a single layer of slices on a big dinner plate and top with a layer of parchment  paper, foil, or parchment paper, and keep stacking, alternating pizza and paper, until all the pizza’s on the plate. Wrap the whole thing tightly up in plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge. Stored this way, your cheese pizza won’t dry out.

     

    vegan pretzel crust pizza with cheese sauce, spinach and mushroom as well as pepper flakes cooling on a wooden board

     

     

     

    Sharing is caring!

    Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on WhatsApp Share on Twitter Share on Email
    « Sabut Moong Dal – Creamy Green Mung Beans
    Layered Carrot Halwa Coconut Burfi Vegan »


    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment and Rating Cancel reply

      If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online and I love hearing from you all!

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Emily

      October 02, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      Made 2 small pizzas as that’s the pan size I had and gosh they turned out soo good! The crust is perfectly sturdy and not dry, the cheesy filling! And I loved the crisped spinach and mushroom on top!

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 02, 2022 at 4:51 pm

        Awesome

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

    More about me →

    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International
    vegan richa cookbook flavor companion
    My exclusive 16 Spice Set
    Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

    FOLLOW US

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

    Popular

    • 18 Best Vegan Recipes of 2022
    • Vegan Tofu Nuggets
    • Best Easy Vegan Recipes of 2021
    • Restaurant Style Aloo Gobi

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || Indigo || Book Depository

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Copyright and Disclaimers

    Resources

    • Indian dals/lentils names
    • Indian pantry
    • Our vegan journey
    • Vegan Substitutes

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitter

    Contact

    • Recipe Index
    • My Favorite Things
    • Advertise, Work With Me

    Cookbooks

    • Vegan Richa’s Indian kitchen cookbook
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday kitchen cookbook 
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Book

    All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

    Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa