This 5-Ingredient Quinoa Pizza Crust has become a true favorite with my family.
My oldest daughter, Jade, has recently been having more trouble with eczema. She had a really bad breakout in mid-April, and we've been fighting ever since to get her skin under control.
After attending Living Without's Food Allergy Fest at the beginning of May, I became much more aware of gluten allergies and how pervasive wheat flours can be even when you think you're NOT consuming them.
The Mexican food restaurant we were going to, for example, makes both corn and flour (wheat-based) tortillas on the same equipment, allowing for cross-contamination between foods, which can easily ignite an allergy reaction in a sensitive individual. When my daughter began reacting to the corn chips we normally snack on there, I started really getting serious with buying all gluten-free products for her, and she started doing much better.
One of the things she has missed most is pizza, so I'm happy to be able to offer her this delicious, easy, gluten-free version of the Italian pie.
A few of you (including my daughter) had mentioned that the original recipe was a bit thick, so I created this thin-style version, which is a bit more rustic, but still as tasty and simple to make!
I hope you enjoy this video tutorial for one of my daughter's favorite yummy meals.
Thin Quinoa Pizza Crust
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed, soaked 8-24 hours, drained, rinsed again
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons water
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Process the soaked quinoa with the baking powder, salt, and water for 2-3 minutes until the batter is smooth (no lumps).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with oil.
- Pour and spread the batter out to your desired thickness (1/4-1/3 inch thick).
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes.
- Top your crust with your desired topping choices.
- Bake for another 5-10 minutes until toppings are cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Heather
I wanted to chime in about the eczema from food. My daughter had a horrible case that spread to her entire body when she was little. We found relief with Digest Gold enzymes. We gave her one with everything she ate. Within a week she was completely cleared up. Obviously she had gut issues so we worked on healing her gut through the GAPS diet and now she doesn't have the food issues. But the Digest Gold was a lifesaver!
Lauren
Thanks for the info Heather. We've tried a few digest/probiotic supplements without luck, so I'll definitely look into the Digest Gold, especially if it helped your daughter. 🙂
Matt Robinson
Love the idea of the quinoa crust! This is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to make this for my little guy, he would love it!
Lauren
Thanks Matt! I hope he does, and thanks for sharing on Twitter! 🙂
Saniel
Can I double the recipe and get a bigger pie? Also could I make several crusts ahead of time and freeze for later date. Would be great for hubby on my no cook days
Lauren
Hi Saniel,
I think that would work! I would just freeze it after the first bake (before adding toppings). Not sure about doubling it, as this recipe pretty much takes up an entire baking sheet, but you could make two. 🙂
Joanna
This look like it's probably a bit more sturdy than the cauliflower crust...is that true? It looks wonderful! 🙂
Lauren
Thanks Joanna! Yes, I'd say this is the most sturdy of the alternative crusts I've made. 🙂
Cinde
Hi! This recipe looks wonderful! Could you please provide a link to the written recipe so I can add it to my Pinterest? Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Cinde,
The recipe has been updated for your pinning convenience. 😀
dawn
KUDOS! great video and GREAT makeup girl!
plus yummy recipe. LOL
Lauren
Hahahaha, thanks Dawn!! xoxo
Lisa H
Hi Lauren, just wanted to throw my two cents in...I am also GF(no celiac, just extreme sensitivity). Your daughter may well be reacting to the corn all on its own, not just from cross contamination. Corn and oats both have their own form of gluten(protein) that can be detrimental to people that have problems with wheat gluten. (I personally can't eat either one)I went GF two years ago but noticed I was still having problems every time we went out for Mexican food or whenever I ate anything with corn. Sure enough it turned out to be the corn itself and once I stopped it, the problems stopped. An elimination diet is probably not a bad idea for your daughter. I hope things work out for her!
Lauren
Thanks for your input Lisa, we've been considering corn as well, but we're thinking that wheat/gluten are the 'big' issues for her. I totally appreciate your comment though, and I hope you enjoy the pizza if you try it! 🙂
Lisa H
Oh, yeah, this pizza crust looks great! Can't wait to try it!
Sharon
This looks incredible! Pretty ironic as I actually tried this crust last week and used a longer square pan like this one to make it more 'breadstick' style. It was so tasty! It's such a good recipe Lauren. Thanks so much for sharing.
Lauren
That's awesome Sharon, I'm so happy you liked it! 🙂
Cinde
Thanks for posting the written recipe so quickly Lauren! I can't wait to make this for my family! 🙂
Mike@TheIronYou
I'm genuinely in love with your quinoa pizza crust, looks sooo good. And I can't tell you how much I love the video, it's awesome!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa
This is awesome! Never thought a crust could be so easy 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
ellie @ fit for the soul
Eeeeek, I loooooved watching your video! You're so gorg and eloquent--you make it easy to listen to your voice without feeling uncomfortable, lol. Errrr kind of how I feel when I see my own videos. How do you stay so calm??!! 😛 And this looks amazing--way to go for customizing food so well for your lil princess.
Lauren
Hi Ellie!
Aw, thanks so much! I'm actually SUPER nervous when I make the videos, but luckily it doesn't appear to translate. You don't come across uncomfortable at all! I need to get on those ab workouts!! 🙂
Rebecca
This looks great! do you have the nutritional info for it?
Lauren
Hi Rebecca,
The recipe has been updated to show that information. 🙂
Kari Peters
I love this idea! We've been trying to find a healthier version of pizza and so far no real luck, everything we've tried makes me sick. I do really well with quinoa though, so I can't wait to try this!!!
Lauren
Thanks Kari! It's the only pizza my daughter can tolerate, so it has become a lifesaver for me. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Galit
This is my first encounter with your blog, but most certainly not the last. I made this crust last night and it's really really good! I can't wait to make it again. Thanks
Lauren
That's great to hear Galit, I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
pam
when you say "soaked" do you mean in cold, warm or hot water? do you mean cooked quinoa? i have soaked my quinoa overnight and it doesn't look like yours in your video. yours looks cooked, whereas mine looks like quinoa in a bowl of water! nothing fluffy about mine!
Lauren
I mean uncooked, soaked in room temperature water (the temp really doesn't matter much). Mine has swelled from the water, but it isn't fluffy. Did you soak it at least eight hours? The longer you soak it, the larger the quinoa seeds become.
pam
thanks for your quick response! it's been 12 hours....i will let it soak longer then! i am so anxious to try this, it looks amazing! 🙂
pam
well the verdict is in....f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!!! I let the quinoa soak over 24 hours. all i put on as toppings were fresh tomato sauce and parm reggiano. Absolutely yummy! Thanks so much!!!
Lauren
Hurray Pam! I'm so happy it finally turned out for you. 😀
Fidelma
Hey Lauren,
I want to make the Quinoa pizza base and want to make sure I have the correct amounts to cook the recipe correctly. When you use the letter t does this mean a teaspoon or a tablespoon.? Sorry I just want to make sure.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Lauren
Hi Fidelma,
No trouble at all, t is for teaspoon. 🙂
Fidelma
Perfect thanks a million Lauren for your help 🙂
Jody
Really appreciate the two videos you've done so far. Hope I haven't missed any. I recently started following you on FB. Watching a recipe come together makes it a whole lot less intimidating. I'm a grandmother and cooking came pretty easy for me until I changed my entire way of eating and got off the gluten, dairy, etc. I've been craving veggie pizza lately, so will definitely try this. Thank you. Hope you will do more videos. My daughter and granddaughter are very sensitive to wheat/gluten and dairy too. It is hard giving up something so familiar, but learning all this new stuff is also fun.
Lauren
Thanks so much Jody! I have many more videos in the works and am happy to hear that you're enjoying them! 🙂
sarah
can i do this in a 9inch cake pan to make it round??
Lauren
Hi Sarah,
Just follow this post to make the recipe that way: https://www.oatmealwithafork.com/2014/03/03/5-ingredient-quinoa-pizza-crust-vegan-primal-gluten-free/
🙂
Saniel
I have red quinoa, it works just the same?
Saniel
I just made this turned out great with red quinoa will add more seasoning to crust like garlic powder, onion powder. Made some cashew cheese and spread on top. Little time consuming but worth doing because I know what is in my pizza. Thanks
Lauren
That's great Saniel, happy to hear it worked with the red quinoa. 🙂
Tiffany
I read both of your blogs on quinoa crust and am much more interested in thin crust. The other recipe requires a flip halfway through baking; does this one not require a flip because of its thin nature?
Lauren
Hi Tiffany,
That is true! If you like a thinner crust, this is the one you should try. 🙂
Bec
Has anyone else had troubles with making this? This recipe was going to be my life saver but I just can't master it! No matter how long I soak the quinoa, it seems to be too hard for the processor to blend it smoothly, and when cooking and then trying to pick up it all just falls apart. Help!
Lauren
Hi Bec,
It sounds like you're not soaking the quinoa long enough. How long are you soaking it? Also, if your quinoa is stale, you will need to soak it longer. It should be visibly larger than it was pre-soaking.
Lauren
Also, try processing it for 2-3 minutes, which it needs in order to form a smooth batter.
G
I couldn't get this to work in my food processor (KitchenAid) either, and I had soaked the seeds far longer than 8 hours. The seeds just rode around and around laughing as if they were on an amusement park ride. I transferred them to my blender, pulsed several times, scraping down the sides of the blender, until the mixture started moving smoothly. Then I let it blend until i had a batter. It worked! I took someone else's suggestion and added a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and garlic. Next time I make this, I won't bother with the food processor but may try my immersion blender, since it's easier to clean than the regular blender.
dee
Hi Lauren
Just wanted to give you a TWO THUMBS UP for a great pizza recipe! I am using a quinoa blend from costco so I didnt notice any size difference after soaking for 20 hours. Perhaps this is also the reason I needed to add another cup of the soaded quinoa to the recipe in order for it to be thick enough to spread. It turned out crispy and I thought it was going to be ruined but after the homemade pizza sauce was added it soaked a bit into the crust and the pizza was fantastic! this sauce recipe of yours is amazing...only used half of the pepper flakes and my kids even loved it!! total shocker because they are pick. this is the first gluten free pizza all of us have enjoyed without cheese! the sauce helps the sausage and pepperoni stick to the crust and it is absolutely amazing! My daughter who is gluten and dairy intolerant among other ingredients like tapioca startch and xanthum gum which is in most GF premade products, was so so happy to enjoy pizza that actually tasted like pizza!! This quinoa crust is amazing and blows away my almond flour pizza I used to make,
Thanks again for sharing!
Dee
Lauren
Thanks so much Dee! I'm so happy it was a hit for you! 🙂
Michelle
Do you soak the quinoa in the fridge overnight... or just on the counter (room temperature)?
Can't wait to make this!
Michelle
Lauren
Hi Michelle,
Soak it room temperature. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Michelle
So I made the thin crust tonight... it was AMAZING! Even with all my mistakes that I always make the first time I make things... it was great! I forgot to pre-heat... it was a little under in the middle but still wonderful! I put it in the over before it was heated all the way.
I made your pizza sauce!!! And even with all my mistakes... bought the wrong type of tomatoes, didn't measure the sauce correctly, didn't have all the herbs... it was AMAZING!
Can't wait to try again!!
Thank you!
Shanti Peace,
Michelle
Lauren
That's great Michelle, I'm so happy you enjoyed both recipes! 🙂
Jaclin
Hi there, is there anyway you can use cooked quinoa? I do not have the time to soak mine and I am also too impatient to wait to try this recipe?! Thanks-Jaclin
Lauren
Hi Jaclin,
Unfortunately, I haven't tried it, but I don't think it will work that way. Sorry!
Jen L.
Lauren - I made your pizza crust last night and we all loved it. It is tasty, earthy, and has so much structure. I went to bed thinking of others ways to use it. Have you used your recipe to create anything else? I was thinking a savory waffle of it might be tasty.
All the best,
Jen
Lauren
Hi Jen,
That's awesome, thanks for your feedback! I've actually considered a waffle recipe, but haven't gone through with any recipe testing yet. 🙂
Jill Harrington
Lauren,
I just found your site and am sooo excited about all your GF, Vegan recipes. Cannot wait to try this quinoa pizza crust. Thank you!
Lauren
Thanks Jill! I hope you enjoy the pizza! 🙂
Chantelle Jablonski
Lauren,
My Mom passed your website on to me. I believe she ran with you last week. We make gluten free pizza at home every Friday using a bread maker recipe, but I am anxious to try your recipe this week! My son has not been able to eat food from any restaurant. Even if they make the food on separate dedicated equipment, it is still in the same kitchen as gluten food. The gluten flour stays in the air for 24 hours no matter how well they clean it. So unless it is made in a totally separate isolated kitchen it still has too much cross contamination for us.
Esther
Do you think this would work with quinoa flour and extra water to compensate for not soaking?
Lauren
Hi Esther,
I haven't tried, but you'd probably be better off googling a 'quinoa flour pizza crust' recipe, as this isn't set up to use flour.
Sarah
Hi Lauren,
Just had to say this this crust is amazing! I was looking for a new bread for a grilled sandwich and this was absolutely perfect! I was so happy to find something that works so well for my low fodmap diet needs; they are hard to accommodate! Thank you!!!!
Lauren
That's great, thanks for the feedback Sarah! 🙂
Tamii
Traditional baking powder has gluten. If that is what the recipe calls for, this recipe is not gluten-free
Lauren
There are baking powders that are certified GF.
Liz
Thanks for the recipe - my husband does not have a gluten allergy, but he is convinced he feels better when he eats less glutens, so we have been experimenting with quinoa crusts. I find that the flavor is usually pretty good!
Jenny
I tried your recipee tonight and it was AMAZING it turned out perfect. It is the best healthy subsitute for regular pizza crust that I have come across. The texture was very close to regular crust! I found I liked the outer "crust" the best because I spread it a bit thinner on the edges. Next time I might spread it all a bit thinner because it gave it more crunch which was awesome! I doubled the recipee and made two pizzas. The first one was consumed almost entirely by my boyfriend which says a lot! Can't wait to eat the leftovers tommorrow!
Lauren
That's awesome Jenny, thanks for your feedback! 🙂
lillebreastmilkjewelry
Made this tonight and it was a hit! Hubby, kids and I loved it. Thank you!
Lauren
Awesome, thanks for the comment!
Nancy
Do you think herbs could be added to the mix without compromising the outcome? I'm making this right now and hope to cut it into squares and use like bread!
Lauren
Hi Nancy,
I think that would be fine!
Jenn
I must admit that I was not sure how this would turn out as my food processor didn't seem to do the complete job (quinoa grains still visible in the paste/batter), but it worked out marvelously! Very tasty gluten-free crust, and so easy to make (much easier than traditional pizza dough!) I doubled the recipe to make two pizzas and I topped one of them with mozzarella and pulled pork with barbecue sauce. Yum! Thanks for the great recipe. My dinner guests enjoyed it as well.
Lauren
Great Jenn, so happy to hear it was enjoyed!
R
Hi, Lauren.
I have parchment paper that can only be heated to 400F. Could I put the crust on 400F for a longer time and the recipe turn out the same?
Thank you.
Lauren
I haven't tried, but that seems like it would work!
Maddie
Hello Lauren, I was just wondering if it was 1 cup of uncooked/un soaked quinoa or 1 cup of already cooked/soaked quinoa. Thank you!
Lauren
Hi Maddie,
Sorry for the delay! You begin with uncooked quinoa, soak it, drain it, and blend it. Hope that helps you!
Vegan Dr. Schoen
I'm wondering if I can make this with raw quinoa (impatient) using my Vitamix? Or perhaps the water that soaks into the quinoa is important to the recipe?
Lauren
Hi there,
Soaking the quinoa softens it and prepares it for blending...if you skip this step, you'll end up with a crust that has much more texture. I've soaked for as little as three hours and been fine, if that's an option for you...
Sonia
Hi there. Could you leave the oil spray out and just use parchment paper? I can't have oil. Thanks Sonia.
Lauren
I think you could, though you may get some 'stickage'.
Jahnavi
This recipe is the best discovery of my life! I’m so so impressed by its easiness and deliciousness. I’ve shared it with all of my friends... and made it twice this week. I don’t think I’ll bother will a yeasted wheat dough again. Next time I make it, I will experiment with mixing other pseudo grains into the quinoa—like buckwheat and amaranth. I will post on how it turns out!
I have a question, do you think it would come out ok on an oiled pan without parchment paper? We’re in quarantine and just ran out of parchment.
Lauren
Thanks, Jahnavi! I'm not sure, I would oil AND flour the pan really well. This one can really stick!
Katy
It’s a great recipe! Thx for sharing. Do you have a similar recipe for pizza dough but using quinoa flour? Thx! Katy
Natalie
I can't wait to try this recipe! I was wondering, could I make the base ahead and freeze it to then use later?
Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Natalie,
Sorry, I haven't tried that, so I can't say for sure.