This pregnancy has been so strange and my cravings for greens, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and other Italian foods has been strong. There’s only so much pizza you can eat (even opting for healthier options) before you start to feel guilty for the baby growing off the nourishment you take in before you find healthier alternatives. This recipe is one I’m super excited about because it’s actually really easy to make, and is delicious!
Chickpea crust pizza was a whole new idea to me until I saw the Banza frozen pizza, and it was instantly like BAM. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner, I did do research in grad school on pulse crops for goodness sake. But this was so simple, the crust takes just a few minutes to whip up and bakes into a solid crust in less than 15 minutes.
What you’ll love about this chickpea crust pesto pizza?
- It’s a vegan friendly pizza. If you don’t do dairy or you eat vegan you can still modify this to suit your diet.
- Gluten-free and high protein crust. If you are trying to cut carbs, or up your protein, this is a great option. Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, while containing many minerals and vitamins you don’t get from grains.
- It’s easy. You can have this pizza thrown together entirely from scratch in under 45 minutes. Skip delivery because this is delicious and easy.
- You don’t need to knead dough or let yeast work. The crust is just a couple simple ingredients and since it’s a batter versus a dough you don’t need to do any of the hard work.
How to make the chickpea crust pesto pizza?
- Heat your cast iron skillet in the oven while it is preheating.
- Mix together the salt, pepper, and chickpea flour. Slowly add the water in stirring. Once you’ve mixed it well, let the batter sit until the oven is preheated.
- Remove the cast iron skillet and add 1.5 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Then pour the batter over it and spread so it is even throughout the pan.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 13 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the toppings. Start with pesto, then spread the cheeses, sun dried tomato, garlic, spinach, basil, and oregano over the top.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes. Watch because it doesn’t take long for the toppings to start to burn. We like our sun-dried tomatoes to be a bit dark, but if you don’t, you may need to remove from heat sooner.
- Cut into 8 slices, and enjoy!
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Pesto Feta Chickpea Pizza [GF][Vegan Friendly]
A delicious pesto, feta, and sun dried tomato pizza made on a chickpea flour crust.
Servings 8 slices
Calories 177kcal
Ingredients
Chickpea Pizza Crust
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste or about ¼ tsp of each
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
Pesto Pizza Toppings
- ⅓ cup pesto
- 5 string cheese sticks roughly chopped, sub 5 oz shredded vegan mozzarella for vegan
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp feta sub violife feta for vegan
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup spinach chopped
- ¼ tsp basil dried
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Chickpea Pizza Crust
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a cast iron skillet inside while it preheats.
- Mix together the salt and pepper with the chickpea flour.
- Slowly stir in the slightly warm water. This batter will be runny, it's nothing like typical wheat dough.
- Leave the batter sit to thicken for a few minutes until the oven is preheated, then remove the cast iron skillet (CAREFUL – it will be hot).
- Add 1.5 tbsp olive oil to the pan and make sure it covers the bottom surface well. Add the remaining olive oil to the batter and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the skillet and if needed, spread with a spoon to ensure it is evenly spread.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Make the Pesto Pizza
- At this point you will add the toppings. Start with the pesto. I've grown fond of the Trader Joe's vegan pesto and spread it on the pizza crust evenly. (If you like a thick coating of pesto, feel free to add more, but don't overdo it too much or it may not be supported by the thin crust.)
- Next add the mozzarella cheese sticks and spread over the top. Do the same with the feta, garlic, and the sun dried tomatoes. Top with the spinach and then sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watch toward the end so you can remove as things start to turn black.
- Cut and serve!
Notes
For vegan pizza make sure your pesto is made vegan, I love the trader joe’s vegan pesto. Also use vegan cheese (violife makes feta and there are several options for mozzarella).
This isn’t a large pizza (it compares to an average cauliflower crust pizza or if you’ve eaten a Jack’s or really cheap pizza).
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25pizza | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
Let me know what you thought of this recipe in the comments below and if you enjoyed, I’d love if you could leave a rating! Thanks for reading.
Cassie