I found this grain free pizza crust in my review copy of Everyday Grain-Free Baking by Kelly Smith. I quickly became a huge fan. It’s a variation that everyone will love regardless of your personal eating style.
Everyone has an opinion about grains these days. Some people limit them because they think it helps them lose weight, or because they follow a specific eating style. Others stay away from the gluten in grains out of necessity due to a diagnosed medical condition, or because it makes them feel better. Grains are in the spotlight right now for better or worse, no doubt.
I don’t speak much about the topic because opinions are so strong on every side of the argument. What I am happy about is that all this grain talk has given those with medically diagnosed gluten allergies many, many more food options and I think this is a great thing.
I can only speak to my own experiences. I am not gluten free or grain free. Neither make me feel bad as others claim they do, and yes, I have experimented with cutting them out. I completely respect that your story might be that your life changed after cutting them out, but that story isn’t mine.
One thing I have learned over many years, is that simple carbohydrates make it harder for me to control my weight. So as a result, and as this task gets harder as I age (and if you aren’t there yet, trust me, it does), I do a bit of carbohydrate cycling. We limit grain-based carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates, during the week. But with this, intuitive eating remains a priority. So if I’m presented with an amazing Bánh mì sandwich on a Wednesday and I really want it, well, I have it.
I also up some grains when I run longer distances. It’s going on about a year and a half of playing around with grains and running, and I simply cannot run well if I cut them out completely.
Okay, with that being said, let’s get to the point. What all this focus on grains and finding alternatives has me excited about are experiments in the kitchen! Whether I eat grains and gluten or not, I love playing around with nut flours, coconut flours, chickpea flour and all the other fun stuff available. If it weren’t for all this focus on the topic, I may have never explored these tasty ingredients like I do now.
When I was offered the opportunity to review Everyday Grain-Free Baking by Kelly Smith, I jumped at the chance! The book has 100 grain-free recipes that are so innovative. I loved reading through it and seeing all the different ingredients used to make some of my favorite treats. There are muffins, waffles, pies and cakes, to name a few.
The book has a helpful introduction about essential ingredients for grain-free baking, as well as tips for how to approach the process. I love that Kelly says, “Be a follower first and an adventurer second.” This is my biggest problem with grain-free baking. I tend to want to experiment right away, versus following the helpful recipes and guidelines already out there for success. It’s one of the reasons I’m so glad to now have this cookbook. It’s a great base to learn from and build upon.
Pizza is hands down my favorite food. I know, I know. I should probably be more adventurous, but there are so many types out there, I never get tired of it.
For this reason, the Pizza Crust in this book was calling my name. I had to try it. What is great about this version is that it stands up well to toppings, just like what it says in the book. That fact and the flavor makes it a better option for me versus the popular cauliflower crust. This Pizza Crust bakes up crisp and firm making it similar to the original version.
I was going to do a full pizza recipe for this post, but then I changed my mind. I decided it was better to let the crust itself shine so that you can see the final result before toppings. One thing I will add is that I ended up not using a sauce and I added roasted garlic to mine instead. Next time I will go for a standard tomato sauce because I think it would help balance the dryness of the nut flour crust.
You don’t have to be grain free or gluten free to enjoy a cookbook like this. As I mentioned, I’m not. It will open your eyes to all the alternatives that exist out there and challenge you to try new things. And if you happen to be grain free, well look out. You are about to have a kitchen full of awesome tasty treats with no reason not to eat them all! Enjoy!
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coconut flour
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Optional: 3-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (omit if dairy-free)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a pizza stone, or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and olive oil until well blended. Then add the coconut flour and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Using a spoon, stir in the almond flour and seasonings, plus the Parmesan cheese, if using. Continuing stirring until you form a dough ball.
- Flatten the dough onto the prepared baking surface. Cover with a sheet of parchment, then evenly roll out to form a 10-inch circle.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned along edges.
- Top with your favorite toppings and bake for another 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Use a pizza cutter to slice, serve warm.
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I may not be grain or gluten free, but I love experimenting with different flours! Would definitely love to try this crust!
I’m the same, Joanne! It was really great for a little variety and experimenting!
This is something completely new to me! I have never worked with almond flour or coconut flour but you have me curious now! Does the coconut and almond flavor really come through with this crust? What was the texture like?
Tracey,
Both flavors do come through in the flours. There wasn’t much coconut flour in this recipe so you can’t tell its in there. The almond isn’t overwhelming, but the crust is crunchy and a little nutty.
This looks amazing! What a fun recipe! I love pizza, but sadly I rarely eat it because I’m gluten intolerant… but this looks perf for me!! And I love that you have found what works for you! I can’t eat gluten… but I wouldn’t recommend cutting it out ‘simply because’… knowing that you prefer whole grains that works best for you is great!!!
Hi Cailee,
Thanks so much for your comment. If you haven’t yet, I definitely suggest picking up a copy of Kelly’s book. There are so many great gluten-free ideas in it!
Love this! I’m a grain limiter and will be back to experimenting with pizza crusts and grain-free breads soon. I like that this version only uses a small amount of coconut flour as a binder. I also like the addition of the seasonings to the crust as well!
The seasonings really help give it some flavor so that the nut/almond flavor isn’t overwhelming!
I’m the same way as you – I eat my grains and gluten without any problems, but I *love* experimenting with different non-wheat flours, and I love trying foods with different textures and flavors that result from this experimentation.
It looks like I had the same question as everyone else – whether the crust tastes like almonds. I see you answered it 🙂 Since it does taste nutty, I think I would experiment with different toppings on here that would work well with almonds, instead of trying to hide the almond flavor completely and trying to pretend this is a regular pizza.
Hi, Kate. Great idea. There are lots of topping combos that would go great with it! It wasn’t sweet like what almonds can be sometimes, but definitely nutty to me.