For pizza-loving vegans living in the UK, 2021 started with a bang, as Papa John’s added three new vegan options to its (already amazing vegan) menu to celebrate Veganuary.
But what about vegans living in the US? Does Papa John’s have vegan options for them too? Let’s investigate and find out all about Papa John’s vegan options in the US!
What is Vegan at Papa John’s?
If reading (or hearing) about Papa John’s vegan menu in the UK has got you excited, you will be disappointed to know that Papa John’s is not the ultimate pizza place for vegans in the US. However, they do offer some plant-based options. Here’s a list of all the vegan options at Papa John’s for your convenience:
- Original Breadsticks
- Garden Fresh Pizza – customized
- Some Sauces
- Beverages
Papa John’s vegan options are pretty standard (you’ll find them at most pizza places). There is nothing too unique or exciting. However, there is certainly enough to ensure that you don’t feel the odd-one-out in a group by ordering just a side for yourself at a pizza place. You can get a vegan pizza from Papa John’s.
Keep reading to learn how to order a vegan pizza at Papa John’s and get answers to all your questions about eating vegan at Papa John’s.
Papa John’s Vegan Options – A Detailed Breakdown
§ Breadsticks
Not everyone is a fan of breadsticks. But, if you do like them in general, you would love the ones available at Papa John’s. They not only taste good but are also vegan-friendly, unlike many other pizza places. So, you can order them right off the restaurant’s standard menu without any customization requests. Just one quick note, though!
Make sure to get the original breadsticks. They also have Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks, which (obviously) are not vegan.
Start your vegan meal off right with Papa John’s vegan breadsticks. Don’t forget to get a vegan dipping sauce on the side (find the list below)
§ Vegan Pizza
Papa John’s doesn’t offer a vegan pizza. It does, however, offer a vegetarian pizza, which can be customized according to the vegan diet.
Another way to get a vegan pizza from Papa John’s is to create your own pizza.
Keep reading to learn about both the ways of ordering a vegan pizza at Papa John’s.
Quick Order
Don’t have time to choose each component of your vegan pizza? Place a quick order for a vegan pizza at Papa John’s. Simply ask for:
- Garden Fresh Pizza with Original Hand-Tossed Dough and without the cheese
Papa John’s Garden Fresh Pizza comes with five vegetable toppings – onions, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms, and vine-ripened Roma tomatoes.
Don’t like this veggie combination? Get a customized vegan pizza made! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it!
How to Create Your Own Vegan Pizza at Papa John’s?
Step 1 – Choose the Crust
Papa John’s offers a few different types of pizza crust options. However, only the ones made from the ‘original’ dough are vegan. These include:
- The Original, Hand-Tossed Crust
- Pan Crust
Papa John’s original dough is egg and dairy-free, so you can choose these crust options straight away, without any second thoughts.
Papa John’s Original Dough ingredients are:
As per the restaurant’s allergen guide, all other Papa John’s pizza crust varieties contain milk and/or eggs,
Step 2 – Choose the Pizza Sauce
There are two vegan pizza sauce options available at Papa John’s. These include:
- Pizza Sauce – the classic option
- BBQ Pizza Sauce – for a tangy, smoky flavor
Choose your favorite Papa John’s vegan pizza sauce to start building up your plant-based pizza.
Step 3 – Choose Your Toppings
Sadly, Papa John’s hasn’t introduced any vegan meat options in the US yet. So, you will have to stick with the good ol’ veggie toppings. Your options for vegan pizza toppings at Papa John’s include:
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Green Peppers
- Banana Peppers
- Jalapenos
- Spinach
- Green Olives
- Black Olives
- Fresh Mushrooms
- Pineapples
Load your pizza with your choice of veggies to enjoy a hearty and “healthy” vegan pizza from Papa John’s.
What about Cheese? Does Papa John’s Have Vegan Cheese?
Unfortunately, Papa John’s doesn’t offer vegan cheese in the US yet (they do so in the UK, and it’s high time that they bring the dairy-free cheese to the US as well). Until they bring their dairy-free cheese, called Sheese, to the US, you will have to skip it when ordering vegan at Papa John’s.
Pro Tip: Top your cheese-less vegan pizza with your own vegan cheese and pop the pizza into the oven for a few minutes to have the ultimate pizza experience.
§ Papa John’s Vegan Dipping Sauces and Seasonings
While dipping sauce is a must-have with breadsticks, you can also get a sauce or a seasoning packet with your pizza for a stronger burst of flavor and add a little more spice to it. Your options for vegan dipping sauces and seasonings at Papa John’s include:
- Pizza Dipping Sauce
- Buffalo Dipping Sauce
- BBQ Dipping Sauce
- Garlic Dipping Sauce
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Papa John’s Special Seasoning
§ Vegan Beverages at Papa John’s
There aren’t many exciting vegan drinks options at Papa John’s, so don’t get your hopes up. All you have are the good ol’ soft drink options.
Frequently Asked Questions
§ Does Papa John’s have a vegan pizza?
Papa John’s menu doesn’t include any vegan pizza. You can, however, get the vegetarian Garden Fresh Pizza customized by simply ordering it without the cheese. You can also get a custom vegan pizza made from scratch. Read the article for detailed guidelines on how to go about it.
§ Is Papa John’s crust vegan?
Only the Original/ Hand-Tossed Crust is vegan at Papa John’s. All other pizza crust varieties contain either milk or eggs, or both.
§ Does Papa John’s offer vegan cheese?
Sadly, Papa John’s doesn’t offer vegan cheese in the US. They do have a vegan cheese option in the UK, though. It’s called Sheese and is made from coconut oil.
§ Does Papa John’s have vegan pepperoni?
Papa John’s introduced vegan pepperoni made of jackfruit, at its locations in the UK in 2019. But, they have not launched any vegan meat topping in the US as yet.
§ Are Papa John’s breadsticks vegan?
Papa John’s original breadsticks are vegan. They do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived ingredient.
§ Are Papa John’s Garlic Knots vegan?
The fact that Papa John’s breadsticks are vegan can made many presume (or at least hope) that their Garlic Knots may also be vegan. But, sadly, they are not. Papa John’s Garlic Knots contain dairy in the form of Parmesan Cheese.
§ Is Papa John’s Garlic Sauce vegan?
Papa John’s Garlic Sauce is 100% vegan-friendly. It neither contains butter nor any other animal-derived ingredients and the main ingredient in the sauce is soybean oil. It’s certainly not the healthiest option but confirmed vegan.
§ Does Papa John’s have vegan desserts?
Like most other mainstream restaurants, Papa John’s doesn’t offer any vegan dessert options – all their desserts contain eggs and milk.
Have a sweet tooth? Make your own vegan dessert at home to go with your Papa John’s vegan pizza. Check out the following video for some simple and quick recipes…
Conclusion – Is Papa John’s Vegan-Friendly?
Papa John’s is certainly not a highly vegan-friendly restaurant (not in the US, at least). However, when eating at Papa John’s, you don’t have to rely only on sides either. You can get a vegan pizza at Papa John’s without the cheese.
If you don’t like the idea of having a pizza without cheese, you can top the Papa John’s vegan pizza with your own store-bought vegan cheese to have an authentic pizza experience.
Apart from a vegan pizza, you only have one other vegan food option, i.e., breadsticks.
All in all, Papa John’s isn’t a great place for vegans, but it is (a bit) better than some other popular restaurants.
Are you interested to learn about more pizza places and their vegan options? Check out my article Papa Murphy’s Vegan Options to find out what vegan pizza options this one-of-a-kind pizza company offers!
