Donatos Just Made Vegetarian Pepperoni Pizza A Thing

When you're hankering for a quick bite, few things are more satisfying then a hot slice of pizza. The smell of fresh sauce and gooey, melting cheese alone is enough to make anyone go weak in the knees. There's no denying that pizza is a champion of the food world: We eat it anytime, anywhere, and at any temperature, whether it's at a restaurant for date night, on a street corner between meetings, or at home in the wee hours of the morning.

While there are many things to love about this doughy delight, the best part about pizza is arguably the combination of toppings that goes on the pie. Whether you prefer a drool-worthy barbecue chicken pizza, a meat lovers situation, or a simple Margherita pizza, there's truly something for everyone. 

That being said, not all pizza toppings are created equal, and some are certainly more controversial then others (hello, pineapple). Of all the toppings out there, pepperoni undeniably reigns supreme. Crispy, oily, and packed full of flavor, what's not to love about these slightly spicy bits of salami? YouGov polled roughly 6,000 adults in the U.S., and 64% of respondents said they're into pepperoni, making it the most-liked pizza topping in the country. If you, like them, love pepperoni but want to eat more plant-based foods in 2022, Donatos Pizza has the solution for you.

Donatos revealed in a press release sent to Mashed that it introduced plant-based pepperoni pizza on cauliflower crust to its menu at 170 locations on January 1, 2022. The Ohio-based pizza chain partnered with plant-based meat and cheese company Field Roast to create the meatless pepperoni, made with pea, potato, and fava bean proteins, along with a combination of garlic, black pepper, fennel, anise, cayenne, and paprika.

According to Veganuary, 32% of Americans set a goal "to eat more plant-based/vegan foods" in 2022. And with Donatos' new pepperoni option, pizza-loving fans can do just that, without giving up the food they love.

With its new vegan pepperoni, Donatos not only guarantees a sensory experience that's supposedly on par with traditional pepperoni, but it also offers a lower-fat, lower-sodium product with the same amount of protein as the original. With more and more chain restaurants hopping on the plant-based bandwagon, avoiding meat is easier than ever.