Pizza has always been a favorite food of mine. And homemade pizza is something I’ve loved making since I was a kid. It reminds me of my childhood. I loved choosing the topping and anxiously watching through the oven window until the cheese started bubbling. And I remember how hard it was to wait for the pizza to cool once it came out of the oven before digging in. I have some fond memories of pizza that’s for sure.

Pizza can have a reputation for being unhealthy, because, let’s be honest, most of the time it is. But when you take the time to make your own, something magic happens. Pizza can actually become healthy and still taste great! Just because something is healthy doesn’t mean it has to taste like cardboard or rabbit food. And this homemade pizza recipe is no exception. But it’s important to note that just because it’s homemade pizza doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy, because it’s up to you to choose healthier ingredients. The good thing is that you can control the ingredients in the crust, you can choose the toppings [more veggies please], and you can choose the cheese and how much. If you haven’t tried making homemade pizza, you’re surely missing out.

Coconut flour for gluten-free + grain-free eating.

For some people who have an intolerance to gluten, they may also find it helpful to decrease or eliminate grains from their diet. This means that even healthy whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal and quinoa are a no-go. And then there’s some people who just want to decrease grains in their diet because they choose to, or for other health reasons. Either way, subbing coconut flour can be a great choice. If you haven’t used coconut flour before, I’ll give you a little hint. It’s much more absorbent than other flours meaning that you need a lot less. Typically, you will use half of what is called for in a recipe using regular flour. And the texture is different than say a whole wheat flour that contains gluten. Gluten is what gives bread it’s elasticity and chewiness, so when using gluten-free coconut flour, don’t expect to get a light and fluffy dough.

[gathering the pizza dough ingredients.]

Gluten-free + grain-free pizza crusts that actually taste good and somewhat mimic actual pizza crusts are hard to come by. But I think this recipe is a winner. If you’re expecting a fluffy, doughy crust this recipe isn’t for you. But if you’re open to trying something new, I think you’ll like it. This pizza crust recipe is for my paleo or gluten-free friends out there. The “dough” comes together quickly and there’s no yeast so you don’t have to wait for your dough to rise. It actually resembles more of a pancake batter; and I know you’re probably asking yourself how that could possibly turn into pizza crust. But trust me, it just does. The eggs act as a nice binder which means that you can actually pick up the crust with your hands when cooked; it’s that sturdy.

 [pizza crust in the making.]

When you spread the batter out onto the parchment paper, it may seem like it’s super sticky. But when it bakes, the crust will easily slide right off the paper. And the bottom actually crisps up nicely. Don’t be afraid to spread the batter fairly thin either. The coconut flour is pretty dense so it can withstand the toppings once baked. So even if you think it’s not looking right or not spreading well, just give it some time in the oven and you’ll be surprised what it transforms into. And I like to add some herbs and spices into my crust to give it some flavor. Without the spices, you’ll notice the coconut flavor more predominately.

[ready for the oven.]

When I think pizza toppings I automatically think what different veggies I can add. Choose any variety of veggies that you like, but please make sure you’re adding at least some veggies. My most recent homemade pizza had a combo of bell pepper, onion, mushroom, tomato, fresh basil and chicken sausage. The more veggies you add, the healthier your pizza becomes, so don’t be afraid to load up.

[veggies galore.]

My mouth is officially watering. I think I’m going to have to add homemade pizza to the meal plan for next week! Check out the full recipe + directions below.

[right out of the oven.]

Coconut Flour Pizza Crust [gluten-free]

servings: 2 medium-sized crusts

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 3 organic eggs, whisked
• ½ cup full-fat, unsweetened canned coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add whisked eggs, coconut milk and water to a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine and make sure there are no lumps of coconut fat remaining. Next add in coconut flour, seasonings + sea salt and mix or whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of coconut flour [mix for about a minute to allow batter to thicken slightly]. The batter will be thick and sticky. Pour half of batter on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and, using a spatula, spread batter out into a medium-sized circle. Do the same with the other half of the batter. You can spread the batter pretty thin and it won’t stick to the parchment paper once baked. [I prefer a more thin crust when using coconut flour, because coconut flour tends to be a little bit more dry and dense than other gluten-free flours]. Bake crusts for 25-30 minutes until slightly crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven, add pizza sauce, cheese and topping of choice. Bake for another 10 minutes until cheese has melted. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below. Happy eating 🙂