This is not my typical fare...
...but for whatever reason, I was recently struck by an insatiable hunger for vegan pizza.
By vegan I mean no cheese, no pepperoni...simply crust, sauce, and veggies.
Weird for me since I love cheese and don't think I've ever eaten a pizza without it!
I think the root of my craving began with Instagram.
Oh social media, you are my nemesis, but I do find you fascinating at times.
Instagram, if you've never partaken, is nature's indirect gift of random snapshots. You can pretty much find pictures of anything and everything (and I do mean everything) on Instagram.
While washboard abs and pouty faces abound, Instagram can actually be a neat resource for food inspiration. I like to search hashtags like 'healthy eating' or 'clean food' right around lunch time to discover new meal ideas.
I'm not a big fan of the posed food shots that ultimately look too pretty to touch, but rather I enjoy seeing what I think are pictures of what people are actually eating! Case in point, this vegan pizza was among the many photographs under the heading 'healthy food', and the description sounded so delicious that I had to recreate it!
My youngest daughter and I have been enjoying this for lunches lately, as it comes together in about 30 minutes. Though she likes hers with just sauce and cheese, I just pile on the sauce and veggies, and it's delicious!
If you've never tried it, vegan pizza is surprisingly scrumptious, especially if it's paired with the right sauce (ahem, this one is awesome!).
With no yeast or oil in the crust and tons of healthy vegetables atop, this is a great new way to try an old favorite!
Yeast-Free, Oil-Free Spelt Pizza Crust (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 c. spelt flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- ½ t. sea salt
- 1 t. garlic powder optional
- 1 t. herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning optional
- 1/3-1/2 c. water maybe a splash more...
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, spices) in a large bowl.
- Stir in the water, adding a little at a time after 1/3 cup just until the dry ingredients are all moistened, but not sticky to the touch.
- Knead for a minute or so, and let stand on your counter for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare toppings.
- Roll out the dough, using flour as needed.
- Place on a pizza pan and make a crust, if desired.
- Top with sauce and veggies (or cheese, if desired).
- Bake 15-20 minutes on the bottom rack of your oven until toppings are cooked through.
- Cool, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
My husband and I are especially fond of the added garlic and herbs, as this really adds a little something extra to the pie!
Topping ideas I love include:
-green or red bell pepper
-broccoli
-red onion
-spinach or other dark leafy green
-cauliflower
-olives
-roasted eggplant
-cherry tomatoes
If you're like I was with cheeseless pizza, I urge you to give it try once! I think (hope) you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Lay
I would definitely add spices to this recipe. It tasted very bland without them.
gill
Absolutely beautiful pizza base!! I cooked it for a bit before adding toppings, do I need to ?? xx
Lauren
Thanks, Gill! No need to pre-bake this one.
Dana
I was thinking of making the dough, and dividing it into mini crusts and freezing them. Do you think this would work?
Lauren
Hi Dana, I'm not sure, as I've not tried freezing this, sorry!
Sheri
I had a hard time rolling the dough out. It kept falling apart.
Lauren
Hi Sheri,
It sounds like you needed more water, how much did you use? It can vary, depending on how you measure your flour, so that's why I include a range amount.
Katie
I made this recipe today (doubled it), but I used all purpose flour (it's what I had on hand). I made stuffed bread with it. My family loved it. Thank you.
Koko Owusu
This is a really great recipe ~ low cost and super filling! Thank you so much <3
Randall
Awesome recipe! Double the amounts, though, for a hungry-man size 🙂
kimmythevegan
"…but for whatever reason, I was recently struck by an insatiable hunger for vegan pizza."
Ha! This happens to me at least once a week. Pizza is probably my favourite food. I am in the habit of making healthier versions though. And this sounds healthy AND delicious. Win win situation here!
Thanks so much for sharing on Healthy Vegan Fridays - I'm pinning & sharing =)
Hope you had a great weekend Lauren!
Lauren
Thanks so much Kimmy! 🙂
Cel
yay for more vegan recipes! is spelt gluten free? is there a gluten free substitute?
Lauren
Spelt is not gluten-free, though it contains less than wheat. I haven't tried any other flours here, sorry!