Vegan Mexican Pizza loaded with all of the toppings is healthier (and more delicious!) than its fast food cousin.
When I was in high school, I was on the Academic Games team (nerd alert!). I was actually not great at the games themselves, but I was great at stopping at Taco Bell for a Mexican Pizza on the way to every. single. game.
Seriously, y’all, I was obsessed with Mexican pizzas! When I went vegetarian at 16, I learned that I could still eat my fast food fave by asking them to leave out the beef crumbles. But there was no great vegan Mexican Pizza option on their menu.
I mean, really, it was all about that gooey cheese. At least, it was for me.
More cheesy recipes: 10 Minute Vegan Cheese Ball, Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese
I went vegan in 2006, which means that I’ve spent over a decade without Mexican Pizza in my life. Then, the other day, out of nowhere, a Mexican Pizza craving hit me, and here we are.
Making Your Taco Bell-Style Vegan Mexican Pizza
This recipe is seriously simple, and you can alter it to suit your tastes.
Start with small tortillas. For the most Taco Bell-like experience, choose white tortillas, but you can use wheat or even corn, if that’s your jam. I won’t judge you.
To keep this recipe easy, I’m using canned refried beans and canned enchilada sauce. If you want to make these things from scratch, by all means, go for it! I applaud you. Whatever you decide to do, slather the beans, sauce, and vegan cheese between a couple of those small tortillas.
Now, you’ve basically got a refried bean sandwich, and you’re ready to top! The recipe below calls for adding some toppings before cooking and some after. Feel free to mix this up with whatever toppings are calling your name!
The only critical toppings, as far as I’m concerned, are the enchilada sauce and the vegan cheese. Other than those, you can follow your tastebuds.
Once you’ve topped your Mexican Pizzas, toss them into the oven, and bake to crispy, cheesy, saucy perfection. Then, use a pizza slicer to cut them into quarters before serving.
Vegan Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 small flour tortillas – Whole wheat is fine, but if you want it to taste like a store-bought Mexican pizza, use white.
- 1 15 ounce can vegan refried beans – Look out for lard in the ingredients.
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives – drained
- 1 1/4 cups vegan cheddar shreds – OR vegan mozzarella shreds OR a mix
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion – Green and white parts are fine.
- 1 Haas avocado – sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Arrange 4 of the tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet, and spread each one with a generous amount of the refried beans*. Spread about a tablespoon of enchilada sauce on top of the beans, then top with a tablespoon of vegan cheese.
- Top with a second tortilla, pressing gently to flatten to the top of the pizza**. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce onto the second tortilla. Sprinkle the tops with the tomato and olives, then cover the top of each Mexican pizza in another 1/4 cup of cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas get crispy on the edges. Use a pizza cutter to gently slice into quarters, then serve topped with the green onion and a side of avocado slices.
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