Spicy & Creamy Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Pizza with White Garlic Sauce and Celery Ranch
Prepare your taste buds for an explosion of flavors with this incredible Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Pizza! Featuring a luscious white garlic sauce and a refreshing celery ranch drizzle, this pizza is a culinary masterpiece that comes together in mere minutes, especially if you have your dough prepped. It’s a complete meal that’s entirely vegan, soy-free, and easily made gluten-free with the right crust, offering a vibrant, satisfying alternative to traditional pizzas.
Inspired by the iconic Buffalo chikun Pizza from Pizza Pi in Seattle, this recipe captures the essence of that beloved dish while making it accessible and wholesome for everyone. The combination of spicy and tangy buffalo chickpeas, rich and creamy white garlic sauce, and a cooling celery ranch dressing creates a symphony of tastes and textures that will have you reaching for another slice. It’s truly a delight, offering a perfect balance of heat, creaminess, and herbaceous freshness.
Imagine sinking your teeth into a slice where every bite delivers a punch of spicy buffalo-coated chickpeas, softened by a generous layer of savory garlic sauce, and brightened by the zesty notes of celery ranch. This isn’t just a pizza; it’s an experience. It’s perfect for a casual weeknight dinner, an impressive party dish, or a satisfying treat anytime you crave something hearty and flavorful.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Pizza
This pizza isn’t just delicious; it’s also incredibly versatile and caters to various dietary needs. It’s designed to be:
- **Completely Vegan:** No animal products whatsoever, making it perfect for plant-based diets.
- **Soy-Free:** Ideal for those with soy allergies or preferences.
- **Gluten-Free Friendly:** Easily adaptable with your favorite gluten-free pizza crust, ensuring everyone can enjoy a slice.
- **Flavor-Packed:** A harmonious blend of spicy, tangy, savory, and creamy elements.
- **Quick to Assemble:** With prepared dough, it’s a breeze to put together for a fast and satisfying meal.
The term “buffalo sauce” has a fascinating origin – it actually refers to Buffalo, New York, where the iconic spicy sauce was first created, not the animal. This plant-based version captures all the classic flavor without any animal products, making it a compassionate and equally delicious choice.
The Stars of the Show: Our Three Signature Sauces
This pizza stands out because of its three distinctive and complementary components, each playing a crucial role in creating a balanced and unforgettable flavor profile:
1. Spicy Buffalo Chickpeas
Chickpeas are an incredible plant-based protein, offering a hearty texture and a mild flavor that acts as a perfect canvas for bold spices. For this pizza, canned or pre-cooked chickpeas are tossed in a vibrant blend of hot sauce and sriracha, along with a touch of olive oil. Mashing a few of the chickpeas before mixing helps them absorb the buffalo sauce even better, ensuring every bite is bursting with that classic spicy, tangy kick. This step allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a robust topping that’s both satisfying and flavorful.
2. Creamy White Garlic Sauce
Forget traditional tomato bases! Our homemade white garlic sauce provides a rich, creamy foundation that beautifully complements the spicy chickpeas. Made from a blend of ground cashews, almond milk, and a thickening agent like flour or arrowroot starch, this sauce is incredibly smooth and decadent. Infused with roasted garlic (or garlic powder for convenience), onion powder, Italian herbs, and nutritional yeast, it delivers a deeply savory and umami-rich flavor with a hint of cheesy goodness. A splash of apple cider vinegar adds a subtle tang that brightens the entire profile. This sauce is not just a base; it’s a flavor enhancer, creating a luxurious mouthfeel and depth of taste.
3. Zesty Celery Ranch Dressing
No buffalo-flavored dish is complete without a cooling, creamy element, and our celery ranch dressing fits the bill perfectly. Using a portion of the white sauce base, this ranch gets its signature taste from a blend of ranch seasoning, earthy celery seeds, and another touch of apple cider vinegar for brightness. The celery seeds provide a unique, slightly bitter, and aromatic note that pairs exquisitely with the spicy buffalo, offering a refreshing contrast that cuts through the richness. Drizzled generously over the baked pizza, it adds a layer of cooling creaminess and herbaceous flavor, tying all the components together seamlessly.
Building Your Perfect Pizza: A Step-by-Step Guide
Crafting this pizza is an enjoyable process, especially when you consider how easy it is. Here’s a detailed look at how to bring it all together:
Prepping Your Dough
The foundation of any great pizza is its crust. While a store-bought crust works perfectly for convenience, making your own easy vegan pizza dough or a gluten-free crust can elevate your pizza to new heights. For a truly unique flavor, consider a white garlic crust. If you’re planning for more, simply double the dough recipe to make two pizzas.
Assembling the Toppings
- **Buffalo Chickpeas:** In a bowl, combine your hot sauce, sriracha, olive oil, and chickpeas. Gently mash a few chickpeas to help them soak up the sauce. Let this mixture marinate while you prepare the other sauces to allow the flavors to intensify.
- **White Sauce Base:** Blend raw cashews, almond milk, flour (or arrowroot starch), salt, olive oil, and a generous dash of black pepper until completely smooth and creamy. This is your versatile base.
- **White Garlic Sauce:** Take two-thirds of the white sauce base and add your roasted garlic (or garlic powder), onion powder, Italian herb blend, nutritional yeast, and apple cider vinegar. Mix or blend until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- **Celery Ranch:** To the remaining one-third of the white sauce base, add ranch seasoning, celery seeds, and apple cider vinegar. Mix thoroughly until smooth.
Constructing and Baking Your Pizza
Once your dough is ready and your sauces are prepared, it’s time to build your masterpiece:
- **Shape the Dough:** On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll your pizza dough into a 10-inch round. Create slightly thicker edges to form a crust barrier, preventing the delicious sauces from flowing off during baking.
- **Brush with Olive Oil:** Lightly brush the dough with a little extra virgin olive oil for a perfectly golden crust.
- **Layer the Garlic Sauce:** Drizzle and spread a generous amount of the white garlic sauce evenly over the dough, leaving the thicker edges untouched.
- **Add Greens (Optional):** If desired, sprinkle a layer of fresh spinach or other greens, or even some thinly sliced vegetables like bell peppers or onions, over the garlic sauce for added nutrition and texture.
- **Buffalo Chickpea Topping:** Evenly distribute the buffalo-coated chickpeas over the greens. For an extra kick, drizzle a little more buffalo sauce from the marinade over the chickpeas.
- **Celery Ranch Drizzle:** Liberally drizzle the celery ranch sauce over the chickpea layer. This cooling element is essential for balancing the heat.
- **Vegan Mozzarella (Optional):** For an extra layer of indulgence, scatter some vegan mozzarella cheese shreds over the toppings. You can use store-bought or try any of our homemade vegan cheese recipes.
- **Bake to Perfection:** Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake the pizza for approximately 14 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are heated through. For an extra crispy finish, broil for an additional minute, keeping a close eye to prevent burning.
- **Serve:** Once out of the oven, drizzle any remaining garlic sauce or celery ranch over the hot pizza for an extra burst of flavor before slicing and serving. Enjoy immediately!
Buffalo Chickpea Pizza with White Garlic Sauce and Celery Ranch Dressing
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Ingredients
For the Pizza Base
- 1 recipe Easy pizza dough
- or my white garlic crust
- or any of my gluten free crusts
For the Buffalo Sauce Chickpeas
- 3 Tbsp hot sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 15 oz can chickpeas , or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
White Sauce Base
- 1/2 cup ground cashew
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp flour , or 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2/3 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- a very generous dash of black pepper
For the Garlic Sauce
- 2/3 of the white sauce from above
- 4 cloves of roasted garlic , or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp italian herb blend
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Celery Ranch Sauce
- 1/3 of the white sauce from above
- 1/2 tsp ranch seasoning
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
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Make the pizza dough according to the recipe. For two pizzas, use double the dough recipe.
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Prepare the Buffalo chickpeas: Combine all ingredients listed under “Buffalo Sauce Chickpeas” in a bowl. Lightly mash a few chickpeas to enhance sauce absorption. Let marinate while you prepare the sauces.
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Make the White sauce base: Blend all ingredients listed under “White Sauce Base” until smooth and well combined.
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Prepare the White Garlic sauce: Take approximately two-thirds of the prepared white sauce base and combine it with all “For the Garlic Sauce” ingredients. Mix or blend thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
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Prepare the Celery Ranch: Add the ranch seasoning, celery seeds, and apple cider vinegar to the remaining one-third of the white sauce base. Mix well until smooth and set aside.
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Shape the pizza dough into a 10-inch round with thick edges to prevent sauce overflow during baking. Brush with olive oil. Drizzle and spread the white garlic sauce generously over the dough. Optionally, add a layer of fresh spinach or other preferred vegetables.
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Evenly layer the buffalo chickpeas over the greens (if used). Drizzle a small amount of leftover buffalo sauce from the marinade for extra flavor.
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Drizzle a generous amount of the celery ranch over the chickpeas. Optionally, add vegan mozzarella cheese shreds or any of our homemade vegan cheeses.
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Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees F (220°C) for approximately 14 minutes, or until the crust is golden. For extra crispiness, broil for one minute, watching carefully to prevent burning.
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Before serving, drizzle any leftover garlic sauce or celery ranch over the hot pizza for an added burst of flavor.
Video
Notes
**Yields:** This recipe makes 1 large pizza or 2 small pizzas, serving approximately 8 people.
**Make Ahead:** The pizza dough, buffalo chickpeas, white sauce base, white garlic sauce, and celery ranch can all be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, making assembly even quicker.
**Storage:** Leftover pizza can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven for best results.
Nutritional values based on one serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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