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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    LAST UPDATED: June 4, 2019 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 30, 2018

    Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    Hearty chickpeas and roasted cauliflower in sweet and tangy homemade vegan barbecue sauce get piled onto thick and chewy pizza crust to make this mouth-watering vegan barbecue pizza!

    Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza with a Napkin in the Background

    I've been itching to make pizza lately. See, I started making sourdough bread recently, and I really wanted to exercise my newfound baking skills on some pizza crust. And let me tell you, sourdough pizza crust is killer.

    Sourdough pizza crust isn't actually a part of this recipe, unless of course you want it to be. If you've got some starter and know what to do, then go for it! That sourdough tang goes great with the zippy sweetness of barbecue sauce. But any old pizza dough will do!

    And no, in case you were wondering, I don't plan on sharing any sourdough recipes on the blog, mainly because I'm still a novice and far from capable of developing my own sourdough recipes at this point.

    Slice of Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza on a Plate with Drinking Glass

    But enough about the crust! What's important is the rest of this pizza. I've also been itching for some barbecue sauce, one of the best things about summer if you ask me, and barbecue on pizza is a match made in heaven.

    This is a vegan pizza where you whip up a pot of stuff on the stove and throw it on a pizza crust. It's actually my favorite type of vegan pizza because it's so easy to make and and always turns out delicious.

    Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    For this particular pizza, you'll be roasting some cauliflower while the crust bakes. While all that happens, whip up a quick homemade vegan barbecue sauce. Simmer some chickpeas in the sauce, and when the cauliflower is done roasting, toss that in as well. Once the sauce is thick and the cauliflower is tender, it's ready for slathering all over your crust.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Topping for Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza: Sauté Onion, Simmer Barbecue Sauce and Chickpeas, and Add Cauliflower

    Top with creamy avocado chunks and some chives, then devour.

    Overhead View of a Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Barbecue Pizza

    • Feel free to substitute your favorite premade barbecue sauce. You'll need about 1 ½ cups.
    • Wondering if the step of roasting the cauliflower is necessary? Well, it's not, but it definitely improves the texture, and since you're baking the crust anyway, why not?
    • If you're absolutely opposed to roasting the cauliflower, you can skip it. But add it to the pot at the same time as the chickpeas, so it has enough time to cook.

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Close Up of a Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza with a Napkin in the Background
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza

    Hearty chickpeas and roasted cauliflower in sweet and tangy homemade vegan barbecue sauce get piled onto thick and chewy pizza crust to make this mouth-watering vegan barbecue pizza!

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 495 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Crust

    • 1 pound pizza dough
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons cornmeal, optional

    For the Barbecue Chickpeas and Cauliflower

    • 1 ¼ cups ketchup
    • 3 tablespoons molasses
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 3 cups small cauliflower florets (about 1 medium crown)
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 1 ripe avocado, diced
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

    2. Roll the dough into a 12 to 14 inch circle and place it on a lightly oiled or parchment lined baking sheet.

    3. Brush the top of the crust with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and optionally sprinkle with cornmeal.

    4. Place the crust into the oven and bake until fluffy and browned, 18-20 minutes.

    5. Place the cauliflower florets into a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet and toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

    6. Place the cauliflower into the oven with the crust and roast for 15 minutes, until it begins to brown.

    7. While the cauliflower roasts and the crust bakes, stir the ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, soy sauce, liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt pepper and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.

    8. Coat the bottom of a medium pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.

    9. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

    10. Add the garlic and sauté one minute more, until very fragrant.

    11. Stir in the ketchup mixture and chickpeas. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil.

    12. Lower heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.

    13. When the cauliflower comes of the oven, transfer it to the pot with the chickpeas. Stir it in and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes more, until the sauce is thick and the cauliflower is tender.

    14. Spread the chickpea cauliflower mixture over the crust. Top with avocado and chives.

    15. Slice and serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Barbecue Chickpea & Cauliflower Pizza
    Amount Per Serving (1 slice (⅙ of pie))
    Calories 495 Calories from Fat 145
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 16.1g25%
    Saturated Fat 2.5g13%
    Sodium 1548mg65%
    Potassium 839mg24%
    Carbohydrates 78.9g26%
    Fiber 8.9g36%
    Sugar 19.3g21%
    Protein 13.3g27%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 4.3mg24%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jenna says

      July 30, 2018 at 7:08 pm

      I have a collection of bookmarked videos and recipes on sourdough, because I am thinking of taking that leap myself. I will probably order King Arthur brand starter to begin with. I figure since my homemade vegan yogurt attempts have so far not worked out as I wanted, why not move to something simple, like sourdough? Haha. Frustration awaits me! What are you using for starter? How is the bread-making going?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 03, 2018 at 3:51 pm

        Well, I've been failing for years at making vegan yogurt for years, and so far I've been pretty successful with the sourdough! I definitely recommend giving it a try. I actually made my starter from scratch, using spelt flour and the method if Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa (which has been a great resource so far). It took a good 10 days, but now it's kicking pretty good and I'm putting starter into just about everything I bake.

        Reply
        • jenna says

          August 06, 2018 at 5:30 pm

          Thank you! :) I am in the middle of King Arthur's sourdough-from-scratch method. AND I just containered my 2nd successful batch of vegan yogurt! https://detoxinista.com/how-to-make-vegan-coconut-milk-yogurt/

          I used her method. Success. Here's to a kitchen full of homemade sourdough and yogurt.

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            August 12, 2018 at 11:07 am

            Oh, thank you!! That looks promising! I might give the stove top method a try!

            Reply
    2. Yareli says

      August 01, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Such a good pizza, will definitely make it again!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 03, 2018 at 3:42 pm

        I'm glad to hear it!! Thanks Yareli!

        Reply
    3. Sue says

      August 05, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      Weird that nutritional info is provided but the crust isn’t specified ... maybe assumption is that all pizza crusts have the same calories etc? I use Califlour crusts And suspect my count would be way better.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 05, 2018 at 9:13 pm

        The nutrition info is always an estimate since there's always going to be variation among brands. For this recipe it's based on a basic wheat flour pizza crust. A cauliflower crust would have a different nutritional breakdown. This is the tool I use to calculate my nutrition info - you can give it a shot for this recipe using your cauliflower crust if you like: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076

        Reply
    4. Ashley says

      August 25, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      Do you have any suggestions for substitute ingredients (even if I have to use a few) for the ketchup. I’d rather use something a little more natural as a base to the barbecue sauce if possible. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 26, 2018 at 8:32 pm

        I would try a mix of tomato paste, vinegar and some type of sugar. I'm not sure of the amounts, but I'd say try mixing them up in a bowl until the flavor balance is similar to that of ketchup. :)

        Reply
    5. Geneviève says

      March 20, 2019 at 12:15 pm

      We had this for dinner last night and it is delicious!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 20, 2019 at 1:52 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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