Papa John’s Vegan Pizza & Menu Options

Want to order a vegan Papa John's pizza? Easy! We've outlined everything vegan on the menu and how to order a vegan pizza in a pinch. We cover the Papa John's toppings, crusts, sauces, salads, the allergen menu, and more. If you're a dairy-free diner or veggie pizza lover, read on for all of Papa John's vegan options.
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A logo for Vegan Papa John's guide with two slices of veggie pizza in the background.
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Ordering a vegan Papa Johnโ€™s pizza is honestly way easier than it sounds. You just need to know what to click and what to skip. Once you see how simple the swaps are, it all feels pretty no big deal. We’re here to make vegan Papa Johnโ€™s ordering feel totally doable and stress-free.

Weโ€™ll go over the crusts, sauces, and all the veggie toppings so you can build a pizza that actually sounds good to you. No awkward guessing at the counter. Just a simple, step-by-step way to order a pizza that fits what you eat and still tastes great.

Even though they’ve not quite caught on that they need to offer a vegan cheese and step up their salad game, we still love the ease of ordering and the fact that we can actually get a decent meal. That said, Papa John’s will always have a “pizza our hearts”.

Are you ready to pick out your plant-based, vegan Papa John’s pizza? We knead to know!

Ordering vegan pizza at Papa John’s is simple once you know what to ask for. Start by choosing the Original Hand Tossed dough (thin, original, or New York style), then pick a sauce like original, BBQ, or buffalo. Request a โ€œclean cutโ€ or โ€œno cutโ€ to reduce cross-contamination, ask for no cheese, and load up on veggie toppingsโ€”about five are usually included. You can round out your order with breadsticks, dipping sauces, and seasoning packets, or keep it super easy by ordering the Garden Fresh Pizza with no cheese.

Can You Order Papa John’s Vegan Cheese?

At the moment, there are no Papa John’s vegan cheese ingredients on the menu. If ordering vegan pizza delivery or eating at the restaurant, you will need to ask for no cheese. In the future, let’s hope that they will team up with Daiya, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s, or Violife so that we can order a plant-based cheese on our pizza. Let’s help to make this happen!

Note: In the UK, Australia, and Spain, Papa John’s does offer a vegan cheese for their pizzas.

Papa John’s Vegan Options

The Papa Johns vegan pizza options are pretty darn good! There’s even a page dedicated to all of their fully vegan pizza ingredients on the website. Here’s the lowdown on all the plant-based menu items they have to offer:

Vegan Pizza Crust

  • Original Hand Tossed Dough
  • Thin Crust
  • New York Style

Note: The gluten-free dough contains both eggs and dairy, so stay clear.

A scoop of Papa John's pizza sauce is being spread over an uncooked pizza dough circle.
Papa John’s Original Pizza Sauce. (Source: @papajohns Instagram)

Sides

  • Original Breadsticks (comes with 1-2 free dipping sauces)

Note: In the UK, Papa Johnโ€™s also offers these menu items: vegan potato wedges, vegan cheese wedges, vegan hot dog bites/scrolls, and cauliflower โ€œwings.โ€

A pile of plain Papa John's breadsticks on a dark gray countertop with a small side of garlic sauce in a clear glass bowl to the right.
Papa John’s plain breadsticks with a side of vegan-friendly garlic sauce. (Source: @papajohns Instagram)

Papa John’s Toppings

Very happy to see so many veggie options at Papa John’s! Which tasty toppings would you like to see? Comment below to let us know!

  • Banana Peppers
  • Green Peppers
  • Jalapenos
  • Mushrooms
  • Olives (black and green)
  • Onions
  • Pepperoncini
  • Pineapple Tidbits
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
A pile of fresh pepperoncini peppers with a pale, light green color.
The perfect veggie to add to your Papa John’s pizzaโ€“โ€“Pepperoncini! (Source: @papajohns on Instagram)

Papa John’s Vegan Sauce Options

  • Barbecue Dipping Sauce
  • BBQ Pizza Sauce
  • Buffalo Dipping Sauce
  • Original Pizza Sauce
  • Pizza Dipping Sauce
  • Spicy Garlic Dipping Sauce (yes, it’s accidentally vegan!)
A small white container of pale yellow Papa John's garlic sauce with lid to the right on a black background.
Papa John’s Garlic Sauce is vegan-friendly! (Source: @papajohns on Instagram)

Seasonings & Spices

  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Special Seasoning Packet

Note: The parmesan cheese packet is not vegan because it contains milk ingredients.

Drinks

You can order Pepsi brand fountain sodas or Aquafina bottled water at this pizza restaurant.

Vegan at Papa John’s Q&A

Does Papa John’s have salads?

At the moment, Papa John’s does not offer salads. If we contact the company and request this menu item, they may begin to serve them. Even a small side salad would make a great addition to a pizza meal, providing extra fiber and nutrients.

Is Papa John’s crust vegan?

The Original Hand Tossed Dough crust is vegan-friendly. The thin crust contains milk and the gluten-free crust contains both egg and milk.

Can I order a Papa Johns dairy free pizza?

If you ask for no cheese on your pizza and choose the Original Hand Tossed Dough crust, it will be dairy free.

Are the Papa John’s breadsticks vegan?

The Original breadsticks are vegan-friendly, but both the garlic parmesan breadsticks and garlic knots contain milk and/or cheese.

Is Papa John’s spicy garlic sauce vegan?

It is! Woo-hoo! It’s a super tasty addition to add on top of your pizza or using as a dip for the plain breadsticks. Delish! Papa John’s garlic sauce ingredients include: Water, sugar, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, salt, food starch-modified, natural smoke flavor, spices, onion, garlic, and natural flavor.

How to Use the Papa Johns Allergen Menu

Check out the Papa John’sย Allergen Menuย page to make sure that you are purchasing a vegan-friendly item. The menu items offered at Papa John’s donโ€™t seem to change very often, but you may want to double-check before you visit.

  • Browse the Papa John’s menu before ordering. Bonus: you can print out their vegan menu page here.
  • If ordering Papa John’s online or through a delivery service, make sure you clearly specify any substitutions you would like. If youโ€™re worried that your request may not be honored (or seen by the server at Papa John’s), it might be a better idea to go there directly to order.
  • Be careful when new and exciting seasonal products are offered at Papa John’s. Double-check the allergens and nutritional information to make sure the item is vegan before purchasing.

NOT Vegan at Papa John’s

  • Breadsticks (except the plain) – The garlic parmesan, garlic knots, and cheese sticks are all made with milk.
  • Thin & Gluten-Free Crusts – The thin crust is made with milk products (specifically whey) and the gluten-free crust has both whey and eggs.
  • All Desserts – The cookies, brownies, and cinnamon pull-apart all have milk and eggs in the ingredients. In the UK, the Cinnamon Knots are vegan-friendly.
  • Dipping Sauces – Blue cheese, cheese, and ranch sauces all contain milk. The honey mustard dipping sauce has honey in it.

Make Your Own Homemade Vegan Pizza

If you’re not able to find a good vegan pizza option in your neighborhood, take time to dish up delectable pizza in your very own kitchen. These recipes are not only quick to make, but they’re quite tasty, too! Find your perfect pizza recipe here:

Historic Vegan Moments in Papa John’s Pizza History

  • Because Papa John’s original sauce, crust, and plain breadsticks have been accidentally vegan for the past 30 years, there hasn’t been much change. But, we appreciate the vegan menu page and hope that they’ll soon offer a vegan cheese or plant-based meat to the menu asap!

Note: If you’re curious about becoming vegan, you don’t have to wait for January to try Papa John’s in Veganuary. Think outside the box and place an order for vegan pizza at Papa John’s today!

Creating a Kinder and More Accessible Vegan Papa Johns Experience 

Although Papa John’s has not yet included any dairy-free cheese or dessert options to their menu, we can still hope that our passionate vegan pleas will be heard. Since there are so few plant-based pizza choices on the fast food front, we’re feeling positive that Papa John’s will soon come up with some kick-butt vegan cheese choices and delightful desserts to devour. Wouldnโ€™t it be fantastic if they found a way to make an entire section of their menu vegan-friendly?  In the meantime, we can always write to, call, or contact the managers of any location to make our requests.

Share your preferred pizza crusts, toppings, and menu item wishlist on a Papa Johns vegan menu. Let us know on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram!

Have you found any other vegan Papa John’s pizza options? Did you find something amazing that we missed? Let us know by tagging #worldofvegan and sharing your favorite vegan-at-papa-johns creations with all of us!

This article is not sponsored and we are in no way affiliated with Papa John’s. At the time of this article, the menu items mentioned above are vegan. Since restaurants constantly update their menus and add or take away items, please keep this in mind when ordering your food. There may be new vegan Papa Johns options that are not listed or items listed here as vegan, which are no longer vegan. Take care to double-check.

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4 comments
  1. This was super helpful

  2. Andrea White says:

    hoping they team up with a vegan cheese company soon!!

  3. Have not eaten at Papa John’s in a long time. Now I will have to try some new vegan items out. That garlic sauce looks amazing … thanks for this great guide!

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