Pesto Pizza with Chickpea Crust

Originally posted April 9, 2015.

Make pizza night extra special with this Rustic Pesto Pizza with Chickpea Crust. It's easy to make and full of flavor!

For those of us that deal with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, don't worry, we can still enjoy all the deliciousness of a good pizza crust. Most gluten free pizza crusts taste like stiff cardboard, am I right?! But this crust tastes great, and can be modified from thick to thin & crispy.

Personally, I love pizzas that are not over-loaded with toppings. The simpler the better! That is why I stick to a thin layer of pesto, fresh tomatoes and onions to top. If you are looking for a completely vegan version, you can find dairy free pesto and Parmesan & Mozzarella cheeses at most grocery stores.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas
• 1 ½ cup chickpea flour (or any gluten free flour)
• 1 egg (or chia egg*)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
• 1 tomato
• ½ red onion
• ½ cup pesto
• Parmesan cheese (desired amount)
• Mozzarella cheese (desired amount)

Instead of using eggs in this recipe, you can substitute with a "chia egg". Chia seeds are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. To create a "chia egg" you will need to soak 3 tablespoon chia seeds in 6 tablespoon of water for about 5 minutes. It will become gelatin like.

HOW DO I MAKE PESTO PIZZA WITH CHICKPEA CRUST?

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place drained chickpeas, chickpea flour, egg (or chia egg), garlic salt, and Italian seasoning into a food processor. I typically run the processor for about a minute, so that all the ingredients are well incorporated. Then I spread the dough onto a pizza stone or prepared baking sheet.

Once you have the dough as thick or thin as you desire, brush it with olive oil and bake for approximately 15 minutes. While dough is baking, I like to use this time to chop the onions and tomatoes.

After the 15 minutes are up, remove the dough from oven and top with pesto, onion, tomato, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the crust gets a golden brown color, and the cheese is melted.

FAN OF PESTO RECIPES? CHECK OUT THESE FAVORITES BELOW:

• Pesto Pasta with Roasted Chicken & Peppers
• Pesto Turkey Meatballs
• Perfect Pesto Egg Salad
• Homemade Kale Pesto
• Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Bacon
• Grilled Chicken Pesto Wrap

Pesto Pizza with Chickpea Crust

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Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas
• 1 ½ cup chickpea flour (or any gluten free flour)
• 1 egg (or chia egg*)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
• 1 tomato
• ½ red onion
• ½ cup pesto
• Parmesan cheese (desired amount)
• Mozzarella cheese (desired amount)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place drained chickpeas, chickpea flour, egg (or chia egg), garlic salt, and Italian seasoning into a food processor. I typically run the processor for about a minute, so that all the ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Spread the dough onto a pizza stone or prepared baking sheet.
4. Once you have the dough as thick or thin as you desire, brush it with olive oil and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
5. While dough is baking, chop the onions and tomatoes.
6. After the 15 minutes are up, remove the dough from oven and top with pesto, onion, tomato, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the crust gets a golden brown color, and the cheese is melted.