Vegan Spicy BBQ Chickpea Pizza
This spicy BBQ chickpea pizza is like a vegan version of BBQ chicken pizza, with a little bit of a kick! It’s a plant-based weeknight dinner you’ll want in your regular rotation.
I have no shortage of vegan pizza night options here on Jessica in the Kitchen, from Grilled Peach, Basil and Vegan “Goat” Cheese Pizza to Sweet Potato and Kale Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle and even Tasty Tortilla Pizzas. But if you have a weakness for sticky, sweet barbecue sauce, then this BBQ chickpea pizza might just be the one for you!
The inspiration for this recipe struck sometime after I discovered how to make roasted chickpeas—and after I first combined these humble little beans with barbecue sauce to make my BBQ Chickpea Buddha Bowls. I just knew I wanted to put BBQ chickpeas on all the things, so: why not pizza?
Why You’ll Love This BBQ Chickpea Pizza Recipe
Here’s why this vegan BBQ chickpea pizza is a keeper:
- Easy. Making this BBQ chickpea pizza is simple: just pour, toss, assemble, and bake.
- Versatile. I use my Strawberry BBQ Sauce, but go ahead and use your favourite, whether it’s homemade or store-bought. You can also swap in store-bought pizza dough instead of making your own.
- Irresistible. Sweet, spicy, savoury, and cheesy—what’s not to love?!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Whole wheat pizza dough or dough of your choice – I use my vegan pizza dough recipe, but you can also use this gluten-free vegan pizza dough.
- Chickpeas – Use canned for convenience, or cook your own chickpeas and use 1 1/2 cups.
- Tomato sauce – I use my Homemade Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce.
- Sweet BBQ Sauce – You want something with sweetness to contrast with the other flavours in this recipe.
- Hot sauce – Use as much or as little as you like!
- Vegan mozzarella cheese shreds – Most store-bought plant-based cheese shreds are formulated to melt.
- Red onions
- Plum tomato
- Garlic powder
- Olive oil
- Parsley – Optional, for garnish.
How to Make Vegan Spicy BBQ Chickpea Pizza
This simple vegan pizza comes together lickety-split! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 500ºF. Place the dough on a pizza stone or a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.
- Season the chickpeas. Toss the chickpeas with the barbecue sauce and hot sauce in a small mixing bowl.
- Assemble. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough. Top with the cheese, tomato, onions, and chickpeas. Sprinkle garlic powder over the entire pizza, then drizzle olive oil over the top.
- Bake. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the cheese is melty, and the dough is baked through.
- Serve. Let the pizza cool slightly, then garnish with parsley. Slice and enjoy.
Tips for Success
This vegan spicy BBQ chickpea pizza is a cinch, but here are some additional tips to help you make sure it turns out perfect:
- Use a thick BBQ sauce. One that’s too thin will run off of the chickpeas instead of coating them.
- Keep an eye on the pizza. Check it at 14 minutes to see if it’s done. Some types of pizza crust will take longer than others.
- Make the chickpeas extra crispy. You can broil the pizza for a few extra minutes after it’s done cooking to brown the cheese a bit and make the chickpeas crispier. Watch the pizza the entire time, though—it can burn fast!
Variations
Sliced pineapple is a super delicious addition to this BBQ chickpea pizza—especially if you want to amp up the sweetness a little more.
For a more traditional (but still vegan!) take on BBQ chicken pizza, swap my vegan chicken for the chickpeas. For some crispy-crunchy freshness, add Healthy Coleslaw to the top just before serving.
How to Store
Store leftover pizza wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in a 425ºF oven until it’s warmed through, or in the microwave.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze this BBQ chickpea pizza for up to 3 months; wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn. For faster, more even reheating, let it thaw in the refrigerator before warming it up according to the instructions above.
More Vegan Pizza Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan BBQ chickpea pizza recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan BBQ Chickpea Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 whole wheat pizza dough or dough of your choice, gluten free or otherwise
- 1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup fresh tomato sauce
- 6 tablespoons sweet bbq sauce
- 1 – 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
- A few slices of red onions
- 1 medium plummy tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- drizzle olive oil, optional
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 F degrees. Place the pizza on a pizza stone (preferred) or baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas, bbq sauce and hot sauce in a bowl to combine. Set aside.
- On the pizza dough, spread the tomato sauce over the pizza. Top with the cheese, the tomato slices and the onion slices. They can overlap the edges of the crust if you’d like, or you can leave it bare for a solid crust edge.
- Add the bbq chickpeas on top. Sprinkle garlic powder all over the entire pizza.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 14-17 minutes, until cheese is melty, and the dough is ready. Check to ensure it isn’t burning after the 14 minute mark. If you want you can broil the pizza for a few extra minutes afterwards – just watch that it doesn’t burn!!
- Remove, let cool slightly, and enjoy! Top with chopped parsley for garnish if you want.
Notes
- To store: Store leftover pizza wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in a 425ºF oven until it’s warmed through, or in the microwave.
- To freeze: Freeze this BBQ chickpea pizza for up to 3 months; wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn. For faster, more even reheating, let it thaw in the refrigerator before warming it up according to the instructions above.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This looks incredible!! I love the beautiful presentation and the incredible flavors. Chickpeas are the best!
This is so fun! What a great idea. Also I love how authentic you seem to be. Your style and passion for blogging is contagious. Thank you for sharing your life!
what kind of hot sauce do you use? And if you were to buy what kind of BBQ?
Hi Ashlee,
We use this hot sauce! https://jessicainthekitchen.com/scotch-bonnet-pepper-hot-sauce-roasted-garlic-carrots/ If you’re looking for a great vegan bbq Annie’s is great: http://www.annies.com/products/condiments-sauces/organic-annies-original-bbq-sauce I hope that helps!
This was great! Made it tonight with homemade pizza dough. Would definitely recommend as a quick, easy meal idea.
That’s great Taryn. So happy that you enjoyed it, thank you for your kind words.