The roots of pizza may be traced back to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, who covered flatbreads with olive oil and spices. The Neapolitans are credited for introducing tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and cheese in the 1700s.
The simple cuisine was introduced to America by Italian immigrants seeking industrial labor in the nineteenth century, who settled in locations such as Brooklyn, New York. It was there that the crusty bread topped with tomatoes and cheese became popular and spread across the United States.
Pizza is becoming a popular dinner all around the world. Toppings vary from plain smashed tomatoes with spices and oil to anything a creative chef may come up with.
But what about pizza fans with certain dietary requirements? While I am not a vegan, many of my friends are. They cannot (or will not) ingest animal or dairy products, therefore vegan toppings and modifications are at best restricted.
What should a non-cheese, non-meat pizza fan do? I was motivated by their predicament, and as a pizza fan, I joined my vegan friends and returned to Brooklyn to enjoy some of the greatest vegan pizza Brooklyn has ever created for this often-overlooked cafe.
Looking for something to do while you’re not eating vegan pizza? Discover the finest things to do in Brooklyn by clicking here!
Not in the mood to dine out tonight? Click here to have Grubhub deliver right to your door from the greatest vegan eateries in town.
When in New York, don’t miss out on the following activities that will help you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- New York Greenwich Village Secret Food Tour with Private Tour Option
- New York’s West Village Food Tour
- New York Experience: Brooklyn Food, History & Culture Tour
- NYC: Empire State Building General & Skip-the-Line Tickets
- 60-Minute Cruise Around the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
- New York City: Manhattan Island Helicopter Tour
- New York One World Observatory: Skip-the-Line Ticket Options
Visiting more places in the area? See our other guides:
- 10 Must-Try Jersey City Restaurants
- 5 Best Restaurants in LeRoy, New York
- 10 Must-Try Restaurants In Rochester NY
- 7 Best East Tremont Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Batavia Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Saratoga Springs Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Churchville NY Restaurants
- Five Best NYC Ice Cream Shops
- 5 Best Restaurants In SoHo NYC
- NYC’s Best Pasta Restaurants
- The 7 Best Albany Restaurants
- Where To Find The Best Pizza In New York City
- Seven Must-Try Ithaca Restaurants
Contents
The Best Vegan Pizza Brooklyn Has to Offer!
Paulie Gees Pizza Shop
110 Franklin Street
Paulie Gees Slice Shop’s late 1960s atmosphere is the ideal setting for amazing pie.
This 46-seater, built with orange bench seats, oak paneling, and a black and white tiled floor, is one of the nicest spots. In the corner sits a vintage TV set with molded plastic seats and an Atari game system just waiting for players.
The retro effect is completed with an antique Coke machine along the rear wall. The soundtrack (which is played loudly) is a self-curated collection of songs from the 1960s and early 1970s.
The long lineups are understandable for this Greenpoint establishment that only serves slices of pizza. Takeout and delivery are available, but the best way to eat Paulies Brooklyn pizza is right in the pizza shop, fresh out of the oven.
The vegan menu selections vary from plain tomato to a delectable Vegan Special, whether it is a circular pie split into triangles or squares, known as Sicilian style.
Vegan Vidalia; a crisp sesame seed Sicilian crust topped with slow-cooked tomato sauce, Vidalia onions, and Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Cheese.
The first thing I noticed was the crunch of the crust. The dough was riddled with microscopic holes that made the thickness of the piece seem as thin as air. This slice was a hit because of the bite, followed by the rush of delicious, sweet tomato sauce.
The Vidalia was roasted, bringing out the onion’s mellow, rich taste, and a small sprinkling of parmesan gave a salty accent. The flavor profile was delicate, and the combo was delicious.
The Vegan Special was the second option. Slow-cooked tomato sauce, NuMu mozzarella, Follow Your Heart Parmesan, Beyond Meat Sausage, pickled jalapeo, roasted onion, and a drizzle of sweet red peppers sauce are stacked in this circular pie. The inventive toppings piqued my interest, and as a non-vegan, I have to admit that this pizza was wonderful, and my taste senses really liked it.
The Brooklyn-made cheese is dairy, lactose, and casein-free. When melted, it becomes creamy and is totally plant-based. You don’t lose out on the texture or taste of regular mozzarella.
The crust was crunchy, and the components were spicy thanks to the jalapeo pepper and red pepper drizzling. The sausage was chewy (akin to typical sausage), with a savory taste of fennel and spices. Pies from Paulie Gees cost $30.00, and slices are $4.50.
Pro Tip: Lines build during lunch, so hurry to this vegan pizza eatery as soon as it opens at 12:00 p.m.
Pizzeria Screamers
347-844-9412620 Manhattan Ave
Screamers Pizza is an all-vegan restaurant with outlets in Crown Heights and Greenpoint. The Greenpoint Screamers is a small shop with just a few tables. It has an 80s vibe with white subway tile walls covered with punk period stickers.
The pizzeria takes pride in its unique offers and vast vegan pizza menu, which includes at least 22 distinct kinds of pies as well as a comprehensive list of individual toppings for creating your own vegetarian selections. You may buy a complete pizza (varying from $20 to $30 for a big), but it also serves slices (from $3.25 to $4.25).
The disadvantage of the Greenpoint location is that room is limited, and the location is busy. If no tables are available, you may eat outdoors on the bench next to the shop or take the slices to go. You’ll adore the flavor combinations and sheer ingenuity of each pie, whether you eat in or take it out.
I wanted to try a white slice, which is a vegan ricotta and melted mozzarella cheese pizza. The National Treasure pie is available at Screamers. Garlic oil, Violife ricotta, spinach, red onion, and roasted garlic topped this rendition. Since it is prepared with almond milk, the ricotta is the star of this slice.
The crust was crunchy, and the cheese was creamy rather than sugary, as I had expected. The roasted garlic tastes and crispness of the red onion gave a beautiful addition to the milder toppings. This vegan pizza was delicious, and I would return to this Brooklyn treasure for more at any time.
My second favourite was the Buffalo slice. I adore everything Buffalo, and this pizza strikes all the right notes. Screamers’ take on the popularity of putting Buffalo chicken on pizza.
The slice is topped with vegan cheese, Buffalo cauliflower, dollops of almond ricotta, ranch drizzle, and chives in this rendition. The ricotta and Buffalo cauliflower combo was excellent. The ranch drizzle just offered a sweet and sour taste that reminded you of chicken wings with a dipping sauce, but in a vegan form.
Although National Treasure remains my favorite, Buffalo was a close second. Who would have guessed that the greatest of Buffalo could be found in a vegan pizza in Brooklyn?
Vinnies Pizza Restaurant
Bedford Ave. (718) 782-7078148 Bedford Ave.
Vinnies Pizza has been in operation since 1960, and it is credited with introducing vegan pizza to Williamsburg 14 years ago. Vinnies is known for employing innovative recipes, the best ingredients, and making classic-style pizza.
This Williamsburg pizza joint is modest and has an old-school pizzeria vibe, with six tables and vintage decor that includes cartoon characters like as the Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Simpsons on the walls.
At the counter is a daily chalkboard covered in colorful drawings and specials that include pies laden with inventive toppings and combos. The amusing whiteboards are well-known and have appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Vinnies has various vegan alternatives available every day, with speciality pizzas costing $31.00 and slices costing $4.00. I went for the Parma Initiative, which has fried, baked eggplant prepared in-house.
The pizza looks and tastes like eggplant parmesan, with marinara, breaded eggplant, shredded vegan mozzarella, and shredded vegan cheddar cheese on top. The crust and eggplant were both crunchy.
Nothing is worse than a pizza with wet dough or eggplant. The cheeses were also wonderfully melted and not too thick that they overpowered the other toppings. The cheddar vegan cheese offered a nicely tangy taste character as well. That was fantastic.
I then sampled Mac’s Reprise. I prefer pasta on pizza, and the description of elbow macaroni with vegan sausage, vegan mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses, with a drizzle of spicy sauce seemed perfect. It was.
The chewy bite of the macaroni was there in the pie, and the combination of soy beef and cheese tasted everything from vegan. The flavor combination was delicious and pleasant, and it tasted fantastic. This was another slice that I appreciated. Congratulations to one of Brooklyn’s greatest vegan pizza shops.
Pizza by Two Boots
718-387-266-8555 Driggs Avenue
Two Boots has been serving innovative vegan pizzas with goofy names like the Earth Mother since 1987.
Two Boots is a massive operation. There are several tables available inside, including informal, high-top tables in the front and bigger tables in the rear.
The shop has a brisk take-out business, selling standard, vegetarian, or vegan pies for around $28.00 for a large. Just one vegan pie was available at the counter, but there are six on the menu if you order ahead of time.
I decided to try a piece of V is for Vegan pizza. Artichokes, red onions, shiitake mushrooms, sweet red pepper pesto, basil pesto, and Daiya cheese were among the ingredients.
This slice surpassed my expectations since I expected it to have many components. I was pleasantly pleased, and this rendition disproved the myth that vegan pizza is monotonous.
The flavors blended well, and the crust remained crisp despite the abundance of toppings.
The pesto, which imparted a salty, sweet pepper, and spicy basil bite to the delicately flavored artichoke and shitake mushrooms, was my favorite taste. The red onion retained its snap, and the crunch was pleasant.
A slice here costs $4.50, which is well worth it given the high cost of the ingredients.
If your boots are designed for walking, go over to Two Boots for some of Brooklyn’s greatest vegan pizza.
Adelinas
159 Greenpoint Avenue (347) 763-0152
Adelinas is a pleasant, comfortable restaurant featuring artwork by 1980s street artists and piled wine barrels in the corners. It is Brooklyn’s first establishment to offer natural wines, some of which are available on tap.
They provide Italian vegetarian and plant-based cuisine in a relaxing, sit-down setting, making for an unforgettable lunch. Adelinas provides a 12 Pinsa Romana style pizza with dough baked 48 hours in advance.
The Pinsa Romana has a soft interior and a crunchy outer texture. It is flattened by hand into a long oval shape and sliced into little squares.
The crust has a more nuanced taste than a standard crust since it is created with wheat, soy, and rice flour, more water, and less salt. The resultant fluffy dough is ideal for topping with delicious veggies and cheeses.
The il Funghetto vegan pizza with marinara sauce, vegan fresh mozzarella, and Chiodini mushrooms was my choice (small mushrooms that resemble little nails).
As a consequence, the mushrooms had a meaty, woody taste on top of creamy cheese and a mild marinara sauce. This Pinsa had a pillowy, cloud-like crust and a delicate flavor. I was in vegan pizza nirvana after pairing it with a natural sparkling white wine.
If you were to ask me what meal I could eat for the rest of my life, I would say pizza. The style and flavor of the Brooklyn vegan pizza variations I had on my tour of Greenpoint and Williamsburg surprised and pleased me.
Although I like meat and cheese, I would gladly return for more of these hand-crafted vegan pizza dishes from these Brooklyn businesses.