Gluten Free Pizza Crust

What?  Did you really think I’d leave you hanging with a mozzarella cheese recipe and nothing to put it on?  Well, if you did, I am here to remedy that.  I’m giving you this amazing gluten free pizza crust that also happens to be vegan.  You’re welcome.

I have tried quite a few gluten free pizza crust recipes and so many of them are just okay.  The texture is weird, they’re gritty, or they take a million years to make (cauliflower pizza crust, you are delicious, but so very time consuming).  This recipe comes to together quickly and tastes just like a thin crust pizza should…crispy on the bottom with just a little chewy softness on top.

How to Make Gluten Free Pizza Crust

Make a flax egg

You’ll want to start your crust making process by making a flax egg.  A flax egg is a vegan egg substitute that works extremely well in vegan baking.  To make one flax egg combine 1 tablespoon flax meal and 3 tablespoons water, mix well and set aside for at least 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes the flax will absorb a lot of the water and become gelatinous, just like the texture of a raw egg.  You can then use this just as you would use a regular egg in baking recipes.  I used to make this gluten free pizza crust with real eggs, so if you’re of that persuasion you can also use a regular large egg.

Combine the flours & wet ingredients

This gluten free pizza crust is a combination of three different flours that you probably already have around if you do any gluten free baking.  If you’re new to gluten free baking its worth investing in these flours if you think you’re in it for the long haul.  These three flours are tapioca starch (or flour), coconut flour and almond or sunflower seed flour.  If you haven’t heard of tapioca starch before you can read more about it in my mozzarella cheese post.  Coconut flour is a highly absorbent flour and cannot easily be used in place of other flours, so don’t try to substitute it one-for-one.  (Side note: I have developed a sensitivity to almonds over the past year, I think due to my high consumption, so have switched over to making my own sunflower seed flour.  I used to make this pizza crust with almond flour and it turns out exactly the same.  So, either is okay to use.)

Next you’ll whisk the olive oil, non-dairy milk, and flax eggs in a separate bowl.  Once fully combined, pour over the dry ingredients.  Use a silicone spatula to fully incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  This will feel like a pretty wet dough, and that is okay.  Set the dough aside for about 10 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb some moisture.  When you come back to the dough after 10 minutes you’ll have a more workable dough.  But be aware, this will not be like a traditional pizza dough, but will feel more like a cookie dough.

Roll out the pizza dough

Line a pizza pan or sheet pan with parchment paper.  Next, you can either pat the dough out with wet hands (to prevent sticking), or place another piece of parchment on top and roll out with a rolling pin.  You’ll want to roll it about 1/8-1/4″ thick.  If you rolled out the dough with parchment on top, peel the top piece of parchment off.

Par-bake the pizza crust

Next you will bake the pizza crust in a 425F oven for 13-15 minutes, or until just starting to brown on the edges.  Keep the oven on!

Time to decorate!

Once the pizza crust has been par-baked it’s time to decorate your pizza!  This is the fun part!  I love pizza because it is a blank canvas for whatever flavor combinations you can dream up.  Start with a sauce; my favorites are pesto or cashew alfredo, but marinara or a thai peanut sauce are close runner ups.  Next, add whatever toppings you desire; sauteed or roasted veggies such as mushrooms, broccoli, carrots and onions are great picks.  If you’re using fresh greens like spinach or kale, add them to the top of the pizza about 2 minutes before its finished baking and they will be perfectly wilted.  Most greens contain a lot of water that will release when baking, so to avoid a soggy pizza put them on near the end.  Unusual ingredients like avocado and pine nuts can be fun ingredients to try out too.  Finally, add some vegan cheese to the top if you desire, like my stretchy vegan cashew mozzarella.  This mozzarella is great dolloped on top if you just made it, or if it’s been chilled you can carefully grate it on a large box grater.

Bake it

Now, put the pizza back in the oven with all of it’s beautiful toppings and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to brown and the edges of the crust are a deep golden brown.  And that’s all folks!

What are your favorite pizza toppings?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  I’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy!