Make your own vegan and gluten-free pizza with this easy recipe that is nutritious as well! Prepare the homemade cashew-based mozzarella while the crust is in the oven, then put it all together for a gourmet pizza anyone can enjoy!
Saturday night is pizza night in my house with three young kids. It gives me a break from cooking dinner for the family and the kids absolutely love it. But while ordering a regular pizza to many satisfies the whole family, it doesn't quite work that way when one is vegan and gluten-free.
So while pizza night for the family still means having to prepare something else for myself, it doesn't mean I can't join in on the pizza fun! I've developed two different types of pizza crust recipes over the years and have perfected my own vegan mozzarella that even my cheese-obsessed husband loves. So when pizza night rolls around, I definitely can enjoy a few slices too!
Why You'll Love this Vegan and Gluten-Free Pizza
- Easy
- Nutritious
- Vegan, gluten-free and yeast-free
- Delicious!
The Gluten-Free Crust
I judge the quality of a pizza by the crust. Toppings certainly complete the pizza, but that is all for nothing if the crust is no good!
This recipe offers two options for a delicious pizza crust that serve as the perfect base depending on what you prefer and what you may have on hand. One is made with almond flour and the other is made with chickpea flour. Both use simple ingredients but differ on the nutritional value offered.
The almond flour option uses a gluten-free flour blend of almond flour, arrowroot starch and potato starch. It is a bit more of a traditional pizza crust between the two and is paleo-friendly as well.
The chickpea flour option is more of a specialty crust that I like to season with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper for some added taste. It provides a serious nutrition boost as chickpeas are a wonderful source of plant-based protein.
Both of these crusts form more of a batter than a gluten-free dough, so you simply need to pour it into the cast iron skillet. No rolling pin required!
The Toppings
The beautiful thing about pizza is that when it comes to toppings, anything goes. Add your favorite veggies such as spinach, caramelized onions, green peppers and sautéed mushrooms for a fully loaded veggie pizza or keep it simple with just tomato sauce, plant-based cheese and basil.
This recipe is meant to provide the foundation and therefore just covers the basics for a simple vegan and gluten-free Margherita pizza, but feel free to add any other favorite toppings as you wish!
The three staples of a classic vegan pizza for me is tomato sauce, vegan cheese and fresh basil. I generally use store-bought pizza sauce as there are so many delicious vegan options that are made with whole ingredients.
Using store-bought vegan cheese is another story though. While I do enjoy certain brands of dairy-free cheese, when it comes to pizza I find that homemade vegan mozzarella is so much more satisfying (and stretchy!). Made with just cashews, tapioca starch and maple syrup, it is easy to whip together and is ready in under 10 minutes. It is the best vegan cheese for pizza!
How to Make this Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza
Making homemade pizza from scratch is easier than it sounds. You can make the vegan mozzarella while the crust is in the oven, so your pizza will be ready in under 30 minutes! See the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. Prepare the pizza crust. Whether you are making the crust from chickpea flour or almond flour, the process is generally the same. Combine the ingredients according to the recipe card and pour into a cast iron skillet greased with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven.
2. Prepare the vegan mozzarella cheese. Blend the cashews, tapioca flour, maple syrup, water and salt in a high-speed blender for one minute until very smooth. Pour the mixture on a preheated saucepan and stir for 5-10 minutes until it becomes thick and stretchy.
3. Add the pizza toppings. Top the pizza crust with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, fresh basil and any other desired toppings.
4. Bake the pizza. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
5. Garnish, slice and serve. Once removed from the oven, add more fresh basil and/or sprinkle with garlic powder, red pepper flakes or any other desired seasonings. Remove it from the pizza pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Enjoy immediately.
Pizza Variations
There are infinite ways to enjoy pizza but the best way is the way you want it! While the tried-and-true combination of marinara sauce and cheese is a classic, pizza doesn't necessarily need to have tomato sauce or cheese.
If you're looking for some inspiration the next time you make pizza, go with a pesto and roasted beet pizza or a skillet white pizza with caramelized onions, roasted garlic and basil!
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know! Leave a comment or rating below and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine so I can see your delicious pizzas!
Print
Easy Vegan and Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza (2 Crust Options)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make your own vegan and gluten-free pizza with this easy recipe that is nutritious as well! Prepare the homemade cashew-based mozzarella while the crust is in the oven, then put it all together for a gourmet pizza anyone can enjoy!
Ingredients
- Crust: choose from a chickpea flour crust or almond flour crust
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- Vegan mozzarella cheese:
½ cup raw cashews, soaked, drained and rinsed
1 ⅓ cups filtered water
¼ cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fine salt
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the pizza crust. Whether you are making the crust from chickpea flour or almond flour, the process is essentially the same. Combine the ingredients according to the recipe card and pour into a cast iron skillet greased with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven.
- Prepare the vegan mozzarella cheese. Blend the cashews, tapioca flour, maple syrup, water and salt in a high-speed blender for one minute until very smooth. Pour the mixture on a preheated saucepan and stir for 5-10 minutes until it becomes thick and stretchy.
- Add the pizza toppings. Top the pizza crust with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, fresh basil and any other desired toppings.
- Bake the pizza. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
- Garnish, slice and serve. Once removed from the oven, add more fresh basil and/or sprinkle with garlic powder, red pepper flakes or any other desired seasonings. Remove it from the pizza pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Enjoy immediately.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Oven
Leave a Reply