This is hands-down the best Vegan Pizza Sauce you'll ever make! It's refreshing and full of fresh flavor. Your pizza crust and all your favorite toppings will taste great with this delicious sauce.
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If you are looking for a simple but delicious pizza sauce recipe, give this one a try. Fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil come together to make the best vegan pizza sauce you'll ever have.
Pair it with a pile of tasty veggies (like this vegan pizza) and you're set for a feast!
This Vegan Pizza Sauce is...
- Vegan
- Naturally gluten-free
- Made with fresh tomatoes
- Easy to make
- Made with 5 ingredients
Spread it over your favorite vegan pizza dough, and you have a simple meatless dinner that the whole family will love!
And don’t forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet too! It’s packed with my favorite easy substitutions to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
How to Make Vegan Pizza Sauce
- Start by mincing the garlic, chopping the basil, and dicing the tomatoes.
- In a pan on the stove, heat up the mixture for around 7 minutes or so.
- Stirring often, reduce heat and toss in the basil, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Cook for around 10–12 minutes, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Once done, slather sauce over your pizza crust, add toppings, and bake.
Tips and Tricks
Ripe Tomatoes
I recommend picking ripe tomatoes for this sauce. You want to use bright red tomatoes that offer a nice gloss. You know a tomato is ripe when you gently squeeze it and feel that the tomatoes are slightly firm with a little softness.
Allow the Sauce to Thicken
Make sure to allow the sauce to thicken. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will get. Once you have your desired level of thickness, taste the sauce and season it to your liking. You may find you want to add more salt and pepper, basil, etc.
Texture of Sauce
If you want your pizza sauce to be very smooth, you can use a stick blender to really break down the tomatoes as they cook. Or you can put the cooked sauce in a blender to smooth it up a bit before you use it. I prefer mine a little bit chunky.
Variations
Herbs and Spices
Feel free to adjust the flavor of your homemade pizza sauce to your liking. Just add in your favorite herbs or seasoning, and let them bring some flavor. Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil are great choices.
Canned Tomatoes
If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned whole tomatoes. Just know that some canned tomatoes do taste slightly metallic.
I highly recommend using fresh tomatoes, but if you don't have fresh, go right ahead and reach for a canned tomato of your choice.
Vegan Pizza Sauce FAQs
Can I make pizza sauce in advance?
Yes, go right ahead and make your pizza sauce in advance if you would like. Just whip it up, allow the sauce to cool a bit, then transfer into an airtight container.
This pizza sauce can be stored in the fridge for 4–6 days. Then use sauce as you would like when you're ready to make some pizza.
Does homemade vegan pizza sauce freeze well?
You bet! If you want to make a larger batch and then freeze the leftover pizza sauce, go right ahead. Just place sauce in a freezer bag or airtight container and pop it in the freezer.
Note: The sauce will expand as it freezes, so leave room at the top of the container.
Is marinara sauce the same as pizza sauce?
Marinara sauce is a different type of tomato sauce, but many people interchange marinara sauce, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce for making pizza.
All of these sauces are very similar, but they do offer different flavor components.
How to thicken pizza sauce?
The key to thickening pizza sauce is to just let the sauce cook down a bit on the stove. As the sauce cooks, it will release the extra moisture and create a thicker tomato-based sauce.
While you're here, be sure to grab my free e-cookbook packed with reader favorite vegetarian recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup loosely packed basil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Mince garlic and basil; dice tomatoes.
- Combine garlic and tomatoes in a pan over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for a further 10–12 minutes until nice and thick.
- Spread sauce over your pizza crust in an even, thin layer to about ½”/12mm from the edge. Adjust amount based on preference.
- Pile on vegetable toppings and shredded cheese.
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