Plant based pizza crusts are seriously delicious and make for primo leftover lunches. Introducing…Pumpkin Pizza Crust.
I’ve been electively gluten-free for several months now.
Generally I have adapted well except when hunger + unpreparedness = frustration. I guess convenience comes at a price. That price for me is the difficulty to find a meal that’s not just gluten free but something well balanced and not packed with sugar.
Dinner out generally doesn’t seem to be an issue for a meat-free gluten-free diner. In fact the options are vast and if not, chefs are very kind to adapt their menu slightly (without turning into ‘that’ customer who redesigns the menu completely).
Lunch or a bite on-the-run is more challenging. While I do like to be organised enough to feed myself without a mercy dash to a cafe or lunch bar, life happens. “Ahhh gluten free?…well there’s the salad” (pointing at a large bowl of limp lettuce) or a gooey gluten free chocolate brownie (as delicious as it sounds, isn’t going to be my daily lunch option of choice).
So when cafe dining isn’t an option on-the-run I generally resort to the supermarket. Many ‘health’ or ‘organic’ bays offer a great range of gluten free but again are packed with sugar or are super processed. My go-to is yoghurt and fresh fruit or for an absolute treat: a bag of salad and hot smoked salmon which makes for several single serves, meaning lunch time solutions are ready in the fridge to last a couple of days.
I digress.
This post isn’t to rant about cafe or restaurant options. It’s about taking responsibility. And while home-grown isn’t always possible home-made is. Our grand-parents didn’t assume that their dietary needs would be catered for down every side street in the block. They prepared and made things themselves. It took time, effort and love but it was perfect.
Plant Based Pizza Crusts
Left-overs rock for lunch. A slab of gluten free vegetarian pizza makes an easy and delicious reheat and eat meal. Pizza is a family favourite and homemade means you can create a culinary masterpiece to suite everyone’s taste.
I have a bread maker that is used daily. It makes beautiful bread for my Englishman and delicious pizza dough for the boys. While fabulous for everyone else I do need to think of myself and my gluten free needs and happy to experiment with plant based pizza crusts.
Putting aside gluten free flour, after great success with my Cauliflower Pizza Crust experience I’ve experimented with pumpkin as I had to be creative in the kitchen (grocery shop not looming for a few days).
Pumpkin Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed pumpkin, approx 1/4 medium pumpkin raw
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cups coconut flour
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp fresh coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (fan bake).
- Mix all ingredients together. It will be sloppy and seemingly unmanageable but with generously gluten-free flour dusted hands, press in to a baking paper lined pizza tin with your fingers. Use the back of a spoon to even out patches so the ‘dough’ is well distributed over the pan.
- Bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven, top with your favourite sauce and toppings and bake for a further 20 mins.
My meat-free gluten-free topping this time was mushroom, capsicum, avocado, fresh plums (after my gluttony of a harvest) and cheese.
I’m loving lunch leftovers. In fact the pumpkin itself was leftover from roasted pumpkin the dinner before! Waste not want not.
TIP: As I’ve found with other gluten free plant based bases, they are firmer the next day.
Enjoy!
September 27, 2021
Amazing recipe! I am celiac, so always on the lookout for gluten free. I have never seen this crust before-and I am ashamed to admit I have no idea what a flattie is. Making more of these crusts and freezing them!
September 28, 2021
Hi Carole, I’m glad you’ve discovered it and hope you enjoy the recipe for years to come! A ‘flattie’ is a term I use for flat-mate or room-mate, or someone you may share a house with (boarder, housemate etc). When I was a flattie we were on a tight budget so recipes in the ‘Food for Flatties’ section are tasty, can feed a team and have basic/low cost ingredients. Enjoy! >>Julie