Little Caesars, the Detroit-based national pizza chain, has just introduced a vegetarian-friendly pizza topped with plant-based pepperoni slices.
Little Caesars partnered with Greenleaf Foods Field Roast brand, maker of plant-based meat and cheese products, to launch its Planteroni pizza in five U.S. markets, including Detroit. The plant-based pepperoni will also be a topping option for custom pizzas via the chain’s app or website.
At first glance, it looks like a regular pizza. But upon closer inspection, the plant-based pepperoni slices look bigger than regular pepperoni and it appears that there are more of them.
Little Caesars Planteroni is offered in Slices-N-Sticks.
The texture was a little too soft, tasters said, and unlike regular pepperoni with its sometimes chewy texture. Tasters also missed the slightly crispy edges of pepperoni.
Though others didn’t mind the texture.
Janelle James, a Free Press intern who is vegan and consumes a lot of meat substitutes, liked that the pepperoni was well seasoned. The spice reminded her of the taste of pork pepperoni. James also liked that the texture was thicker and not greasy like pork pepperoni.
Planteroni’s initial taste was a bit of a shock for tasters who had been expecting a traditional pepperoni flavor. While different, the flavor grows on you as the seasoning starts to linger.
Little Caesars Planteroni pizza was taste-tested by Free Press staffers.
It’s a fun addition for those looking for a non-meat option on pizza.
But keep in mind, pepperoni is the only plant-based item on the pizza.
The cheese, the chains blend of mozzarella and Muenster cheeses which is not plant-based, helps the pizza along as does the crust.
In select markets, stores will offer a regular size Planteroni Pizza for $8.49. It’s also offered as Slices-N-Sticks options with half Planteroni pizza and half cheese and butter breadsticks for $8. The pizza also launched in Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York City; Miami and Portland.
“Planteroni delivers a plant-based version of the delicious flavor of America’s most popular pizza topping, and you need to taste it to believe it,” Jeff Klein, chief marketing officer at Little Caesars, said in a news release. “This product is really going to surprise and delight our customers.”
Field Roasts’ plant-based pepperoni is made with pea protein and spices including fennel, cracked black pepper, garlic and paprika, according to a news release. Field Roast debuted the pepperoni earlier this year, and Little Caesars is the first national pizza chain to offer it in the United States.
At participating locations in the select markets, Planteroni Pizza will be available to for delivery using the Little Caesars app or pre-pay and its Pizza Portal pickup.
