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Papa Johns Vegan Pizza: A Game-Changer
Papa Johns has now come up with their very own range of Papa Johns vegan pizzas, created by people who have a passion for both food and animal rights. Their “Papa Johns Vegan Pizza” range offers tasty alternatives to a large portion of meat-based pizza products on the market.
These pizzas are made with plant-based ingredients, so there are no products made from the by-products of animals or animal products in any of their products. They also provide 100% organic pizza dough.
I’ve tried a few different Papa Johns vegan pizzas, and the first pizza I tried was with “The Choc-o-Chip” pizza, and I was very surprised at how well this pizza turned out.
The pizzas they offer include:
- Spicy Vegetarian Pizza (available in three flavors): The spicy pizza contains no tomato paste and is perfect for vegans.
- Pizza Supreme with Vegetable Dipping Sauce: This pizza is the most interesting to me. This pizza offers a spicy dipping sauce, which I have not had before on a pizza. This pizza comes with pepperoni, red onion, and black olives, which makes for a great combination.
We would highly recommend the spicy vegetarian pizza as it is very tasty, and tastes more like a traditional pizza than the others. The delivery process is also very easy, with fast and simple-to-understand instructions on the delivery app.
Papa Johns’ Pizza has been a long-term partner to Meat Free Monday, and I think that this partnership has proven to be a beneficial one. They have continued to update their pizzas, as well as being completely gluten-free in the past few years.
If you’re looking for a healthy option for a great-tasting pizza, Papa Johns can do no wrong!
Does Papa Johns Have Vegan And Vegetarian Options On The Menu?
Yes, they do. They are listed on the menu as “Vegetarian and Vegan,” and they have gluten-free bread and wraps.
When ordering online you’ll see the menu options listed as “Vegan.” If you choose one of those options, the menu will indicate that it’s both vegan and gluten-free. If you want something on the menu that is labeled only as vegan, be sure to ask your server what is recommended.
Papa Johns does offer gluten-free bread and wraps but does not specifically mention them as vegan options. In the menu, they are simply labeled “Vegetarian.”
Papa Johns Vegan Pizza’s Focus On Plant-Based Ingredients
Papa Johns Vegan Pizza, the first nationwide plant-based pizza restaurant in America, was launched in San Diego by John Schnatter.
John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John’s, the world’s leading pizza franchise, launched a nationwide plant-based pizza restaurant in San Diego called Papa Johns vegan pizza in September 2018.
The move is the latest in a series of initiatives to take pizza to the next level and elevate the brand’s offerings to consumers. It is also the first nationally-opened plant-based pizza restaurant in America.
As with all Papa John’s restaurants, the new nationwide pizza concept will feature fresh-baked, artisanal plant-based pizza made from scratch in each restaurant and served hot from a brick oven. Plant-based pizza is prepared without any meat, cheese, egg, or dairy products.
John Schnatter, the founder and CEO of the Papa John’s pizza franchise, said the new menu is an exciting addition to the Papa Johns’ Pizza pizza chain.
“Our customers and consumers are seeking out more and more healthy, plant-based options, and the popularity of plant-based pizza is just another indication of their appetite for healthier fare,” Murphy said. “We are thrilled to introduce a plant-based pizza that’s made from scratch, with organic ingredients.”
More than 90 percent of current Papa John’s pizza customers already order the pizza at least once a week. Plant-based options will appeal to these customers while providing a healthy option for consumers that still crave pizza.
Pizza is the second highest-selling menu item at Papa John’s. The new nationwide pizza menu comes on the heels of Papa John’s release of its new website which allows consumers to search for Papa John’s pizza online with more than 10,000 items already available.
Plant-based pizzas are now available nationwide at all Papa John’s pizza locations, and the new menu will be available at more than 1,300 Papa John’s in the United States this summer.
The new menu features the following pizzas:
- Cinnamon Crust Pizza
- Cherry Tomato Pizza
- Dine-In – Whole Grain
- Garden Herb and Tomato Pizza
- Marinated Artichoke Pizza
- Veggie Supreme Pizza
Papa John’s Pizza is known for its thin, crispy crust and 100-percent real cheese, which has been in the pizza chain’s hand-tossed dough since the chain was founded in 1984.
On April 10, 2017, a new Papa John’s pizza was created to celebrate Washington D.C.’s vegan month, with vegan cheese and a vegan crust made from cornstarch and potato starch. Papa John’s pizza was a huge success and a lot of people came in to try it, which meant a lot of extra work for their employees. After much thought, they’ve decided to take the pizza one step further and make it a permanent addition to their menu.
As vegan and vegetarian options continue to grow in popularity, we are seeing a lot more pizza restaurants offering vegan cheese. Not only will this be another delicious option for vegans and vegetarians to choose from, but it’s also a safe option for those who are sensitive to GMOs, soy, and other ingredients.
Papa John’s is extremely grateful to the National Center for Health Research and to Whole Foods Market for their donation of the potato starch that was used to make the pizza crust. In addition to the donation of the ingredients, Whole Foods is working with the franchisees to help spread Papa Johns vegan pizza message, as many people are currently unaware that Papa John’s has vegan options.
“Papa John’s strives to be the best pizza company in the world. Providing new and unique Papa Johns vegan pizza is another way we can keep making a positive impact on the world. We are happy to be part of a company that is dedicated to providing health-conscious options,” said Daniel Garber, Director of Strategic Communications at Papa John’s.
What’s Next For Papa Johns Vegan Pizza?
Papa John’s has plans to make the Papa Johns vegan pizza gluten-free, and they also plan on introducing another crust option. They are currently working with Whole Foods Market to create a gluten-free crust, and they also plan on working on a brown rice crust in the near future. They are also planning on making more dairy-free cheese options for other menu items in the future.
“This donation will allow us to test the impact of a pizza crust made with vegetable-based ingredients on the taste and texture of pizza. Also, the donated crust will be part of a study exploring the nutritional benefits of eating the plant-based crust,” said Daniel Garber, Director of Strategic Communications at Papa John’s.
Papa John’s is an official sponsor of the upcoming VegFest, which takes place on August 10-11 at the Kansas City Livestock Auction
Award-Winning Pizzas By An Award-Winning Pizzeria
Since 2012, we have been serving award-winning pies crafted with simple, quality ingredients. Our vegan menu has also been selected as one of the best pizzas in the world. No matter what kind of vegan diet you’re on, we know you will appreciate the best food we can offer.
There are 4 kinds of vegan cheese to choose from – Parmesan, Cashew, Vegan Cheese, and our homemade.
We use quality, all-natural ingredients like organic tomato paste, and real spices like basil, garlic, and oregano, for the best flavor. You can order your pizza from us online or by phone.
Vegan Cheese For Papa Johns Vegan Pizzas
Vegan cheese is a fairly new and exciting topic in the dairy-free world and with new food options like Seitan Cheese and cheese made from cashews becoming more popular, more and more people are embracing the concept of plant-based foods.
As our plant-based diets continue to expand, we can also change our attitudes to how we think about cheese.
Instead of consuming it as a condiment to a meal, we can enjoy it on its own, like savory vegan cheeseburgers, as a cheese alternative, like non-dairy, vegan ricotta, or we can enjoy a cheese-flavored smoothie. So I thought I’d provide a brief explanation of the different types of vegan cheeses available and how they differ, the nutritional breakdown, and the best way to enjoy them.
When I made the decision to switch to a plant-based diet, one of the things that came up a lot was cheese. Dairy-free cheese is available but many people have not tried it, especially when it comes to plant-based cheese that is sold as a pre-made block. If you are new to the plant-based diet and are just starting to look for food options, look for plant-based foods that have nutritional value.
If you want to make the switch in a healthy way, start off by eating your cheese in small amounts and gradually build up your consumption to what you’d usually eat. Most of these cheese substitutes are made from almonds, cashews, or soy. You can also find cashew cheese but it is harder to come by, so my experience with this has been minimal.
Here is a chart of all the different types of plant-based cheeses available:
Vegan Cheese Types & What They Are Made Of
There are 4 main types of plant-based cheeses.
Non-dairy cheese – these are usually made from almonds, cashews, or soy and are high in healthy fats, and can be spread on crackers or toast. Cheese is made by first soaking ground nuts in water. The cheese is then strained and squeezed.
Tofu cheese – this type is made using shredded tofu and cultured with a bacterial culture similar to that of dairy cheese. Tofu cheese melts and is a bit softer than dairy cheese.
Soy cheese – if you love the texture of dairy cheese, then this type of cheese may be a good choice for you. Soy cheese is a harder cheese and can be used in baking.
Tempeh cheese – this is a fermented bean and soy-based cheese that has the same texture as dairy cheese.
You can also make cheese at home using coconut oil. Coconut oil has a rich creamy consistency that is the perfect recipe for plant-based cheese.
Papa Johns Vegan Pizza – Nutritional Breakdown Of Vegan Cheese
All plant-based cheeses are a great alternative to dairy cheese and contain a number of nutrients that may be lacking in a diet full of dairy cheese
Vegan Cheese For Pizzas
As someone who has had a serious pizza addiction for years, the recent “pizza day” has seen me try out dozens of pizzas. And after two weeks of eating vegan and following a vegan lifestyle, I now feel the need to try to write a review of the best Papa Johns vegan pizza out there.
Pizza is an interesting food because you can go to all sorts of lengths to make it just how you like it. You can cook it with vegan cheese if you so choose, and sometimes this Papa Johns vegan pizza cheese is very hard to detect. It could just be a thick layer of mozzarella covering a base. Or, it could be like the Papa Johns vegan pizza here – a layer of tofu.
I have been making my own pizza dough for years, using vegan ingredients for any possible animal products. I use a simple recipe from Bob’s Red Mill that I like very much.
The base pizza is usually made with wholewheat flour, but I usually use flour that is made from both whole wheat and white flour and which has a much softer texture. These two things combined with a bit of baking powder really help to give the base a great texture.
With this base, I add a vegan cheese, which is actually dairy-free (and can often be found in health food stores). This is a lovely cheese that I find to be not too strong tasting, and that has an authentic pizza cheese taste. And it’s an animal product that you don’t have to worry about (unlike dairy cheese).
After that comes some vegetables – tomatoes, peppers, olives, black olives, mushrooms, red peppers, vegan mozzarella, spinach. And I like to add some vegan herbs to the mix.
The final touch is some kind of vegan meat topping. And this could be tofu, tempeh, some kind of soy hot dog. I usually go for a topping that is similar to what I would use if I was making pizza with normal ingredients.
If I was going to make a pizza from scratch, I would use the cheese to make the pizza very light and use the tofu and vegan meat to give it more weight, more substance. I usually make my pizzas thin and crispy.
This pizza was really good, and was a welcome surprise! In fact, it’s really good. No animal products, no hormones, no antibiotics. Just plant-based ingredients, baked in a crispy pizza. I think I like it even better than the animal-based version I would be making at home!
For my last pizza, I used the base from yesterday’s recipe, and I used my own cheese to top the pizza. I was tempted to put some pizza sauce on the top, but in the end, I left it plain and just topped it with some marinated portobello mushrooms. So I guess you could consider this one a pizza for mushrooms.
