High-Protein Vegan Pizza (48g Protein)

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This high protein vegan pizza is a whole personal pie you eat by yourself — 48 grams of protein, under 600 calories, no yeast, no rise, no kneading. The crust bakes up genuinely chewy (not cardboard), it’s topped with smoky, bacon-style soy chunks and a cashew mozzarella — it comes together in about 50 minutes start to finish. This makes four personal pizzas.

I got so tired of “protein pizza” meaning one sad cauliflower slice you’re still hungry after. I wanted a whole pizza that still fits my macros. The chewy crust base is the genius of Francesca Bonadonna (@plantifullybased) — I don’t touch perfection, I just multiply it!

Why you’ll love this pizza

• 48g of protein in a whole pizza — a chewy vital-wheat-gluten crust plus a protein-packed topping means you eat the entire pie, not a slice, and still hit your macros.
• Topped with OOE soy chunks — my Only One Earth soy chunks crisp up smoky and bacon-y and add 13g of protein for ~140 calories as a topping. They’re a complete plant protein (PDCAAS 0.94) with real fiber. Coming soon on amazon! You can use any TVP.
• No yeast, no rise, no knead — the dough is mix-and-spread. From craving to first bite in about 50 minutes.
• Under 600 calories, ~14g fat — macro-friendly enough to be a real dinner, not a “treat day.”
• High fiber — between the crust and the soy chunks you’re getting a genuinely filling pizza, not an empty-carb one.
• Meal-prep + cook-for-one friendly — par-baked crusts freeze, and there’s a single-pizza scale-down below.

Ingredient notes (the ones that matter)

• The vital-wheat-gluten crust (credit where it’s due). The crust base is Francesca Bonadonna’s (@plantifullybased) — vital wheat gluten does double duty here, giving you a chewy, bready crust and ~32g of protein per pizza before you even add a topping. You’ll find vital wheat gluten near the flour at most grocery stores.
• OOE soy chunks (the smoky topping). These are my Only One Earth soy chunks — rehydrated, marinated in a soy-maple-smoke glaze, and crisped until the edges caramelize. At 25g dry per pizza they add ~13g of protein for ~140 calories, and they’re a complete protein (all nine essential amino acids, PDCAAS 0.94) with about 4g of fiber.
• Cashew mozzarella. Raw cashews + tapioca starch + miso blended smooth, then cooked until it turns stretchy and glossy. The 2 tbsp of oil is genuinely optional — I forgot it once and didn’t miss it (skipping it saves ~60 cal / 7g fat per pizza). Short on time? A store-bought vegan mozz works too.
• Nutritional yeast goes in the crust for a savory, cheesy backbone — it’s also a little protein and B-vitamin bonus.
• Marinara — just ¼ cup per pizza. Use a good jarred sauce; no need to make your own.

How to make high protein vegan pizza

1. Preheat to 425°F. No high-speed blender? Soak the cashews in hot water now so they blend smooth later.
2. Soak, squeeze, season the chunks. Rehydrate the soy chunks in hot broth ~15 min, squeeze them dry, then toss in the smoky-maple marinade and let them sit while you do everything else.
3. Mix the crust. Whisk the dry ingredients, add water + apple cider vinegar, and mix to a wet dough. Divide into 4 and spread thin on greased pans or make a huge pizza like me and split in 4. I know the dough might look suspicious but trust the process!!

4. Par-bake the crusts 5 minutes. Do not skip this — it’s the difference between crisp and soggy, and soggy pizza is a personal setback.

5. Make the cheese. Blend the mozz ingredients until totally smooth, then cook in a small pot over medium, whisking constantly, 3–5 min until thick and stretchy. It goes from soup to cheese in about 30 seconds — don’t walk away.
6. Top and bake. Sauce, spoonfuls of mozz, then scatter the chunks like you mean it. Bake 15 minutes.

7. Finish with dried oregano and chili flakes, slice, and eat the whole thing!

Substitutions & swaps

• Store-bought mozz shortcut: swap the cashew cheese for 1 cup store vegan mozz across the batch (¼ cup per pizza). Saves a step and ~35 cal each; you lose the homemade stretch.
• Gluten-free? Not this one — the crust is built on vital wheat gluten, so it sits out the GF conversation. (Contains gluten and soy; cashews too if you make the homemade mozz.)
• Lower fat: leave the optional oil out of the cashew mozz (–60 cal / –7g fat per pizza). It really doesn’t need it.
• Protein swap: no soy chunks on hand? Soy curls work as a topping, but the OOE chunks hold their shape and crisp best.
• Spice it up: hot honey (maple + chili) drizzle, or extra chili flakes and a pinch of smoked paprika in the marinade.

Pro tips for the best crust

• Par-bake, always. Five minutes before topping is the single biggest anti-sog move.
• Don’t crowd the pans. Spread the crusts thin with room around them so they crisp instead of steam — bake in batches if your oven’s tight.
• Watch the cheese like a hawk. It thickens all at once; pull it the second it’s glossy and stretchy or it’ll seize.
• Caramelize the chunks. That smoky, crisp edge is where the “bacon” flavor lives — give them the full 5–6 minutes.

Storage & meal prep

Par-baked crusts freeze beautifully — make a batch, freeze them flat, and you’re 20 minutes from pizza any night. Fully baked pizzas reheat at 400°F for 5–6 minutes to bring the crust back. Skip the microwave — that’s where crusts go to die. The marinated chunks and cashew mozz keep ~5 days in the fridge, so you can prep components ahead and assemble to order.

What to serve with this pizza

A whole protein pizza is a meal on its own, but a big peppery arugula salad with lemon cuts the richness perfectly. If you’re building out a high-protein plant-based rotation, this slots right in next to my high-protein vegan butter chicken, vegan teriyaki soy chunk bowl, and sweet potato taco bowl.