Avocado Pizza Crust with basil pea pesto, asparagus, peas and cashew cheese dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and ready in 30 minutes!
This is a green dairy-free and grain-free avocado pizza crust that is kid tested all the way! I made it 3 times over the weekend to make sure the recipe is perfect and both my 3 and 6 year old told me it is their new favorite pizza! They even got leftovers for lunch the next day, totally excited about it too! Although I will say the 3 year old loved it just as is with the veggies on top. The 6 year old wanted "real cheese" on top and loved his with the avocado crust, pesto and mozzarella on top. To each his own, right?
Over the weekend my husband took Big C to his workshop to make a periscope out of wood and 2 small mirrors. He's a contractor so whenever the two of them think of something to create my hubby draws the designs and the two of them get to work. This sure comes in handy when I want floating book shelves or built-ins throughout the house:-)! We try switch of spending one-on-one time with the boys so I had little C while they were gone. Little C LOVES, I mean LOVES to cook so my other man comes in handy for me! I can do what I enjoy done while spending quality time with him:-)
We had a bunch of avocados that needed using up and I saw a similar recipe in a magazine using avocado and gluten-free flour for a vegan crust. Little C was in charge of adding the ingredients to the food processor for all three layers and the toppings. Here's how they go:
First layer- avocado pizza crust. It's gluten-free, grain-free and made with only 5 ingredients.
Second layer- basil pea pesto. Sounds interesting, right? Actually at first I added too much salt to the recipe and needed to dilute it. Since peas were going on top of the pizza, I decided to add more nutrients into the recipe with ½ cup of peas in the pesto. It turned out delicious and a great way to get extra veggies! I made it a second round to make sure it was perfected.
Third layer- cashew cheese dressing. I love the rich flavors of this cashew cheese dressing. It is a simple cashew cheese recipe without soaking the nuts first and made with more subtle flavors to balance the rich pesto. The nuts are not soaked first so it has a crunchier consistency but if you want you can totally soak them first too. You can also use this vegan ricotta cheese which is thicker.
Fourth layer- greens pizza toppings! Can we take a moment to talk about the toppings. They are beautiful, seasonal in the Spring and delicious! We love grilled or roasted asparagus so when I had leftovers in the fridge I decided to chop them up and add them on top. A few fiber-rich peas and finely sliced shallots and you are ready to go!
Now that the ingredients are ready, layer the pizza and bake at 500 degrees for 12-15 minutes. A no-rise dough and a 30 minute meal! Oh and add the cashew dressing after it's done cooking:-)
If you like pesto, this pizza will blow your mind! It is packed full tons of flavor! Not to mention it is also rich in heart-healthy avocado fats, calcium, fiber and plant-based protein!
What are some of your favorite healthy vegan toppings? Add them on and comment below because I would love to hear your favorites!
And if you make this recipe please share it and tag me at #delightfulmomfood @delightfulmomfood - Happy Cooking! 🙂
📖 Recipe
Avocado Crust Pesto Pizza (Vegan & Grain-Free)
Ingredients
Avocado Pizza Crust
- 1 avocado
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup potato starch or tapioca flour or gluten-free flour blend starting with ⅓ cup until the consistency forms a ball
- 2-3 Tablespoons water
- pink Himalayan salt dash of
Basil Pea Pesto
- 4 ounces basil about 2 handfuls
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup peas cooked
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ½ lemon juice (about 1 Tablespoon of the juice)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Cashew Cheese Dressing
- ½ cup cashews raw or roasted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 4 Tablespoons filtered water
Toppings
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- ½ cup asparagus grilled, roasted or raw, and chopped
- ¼ cup peas cooked
- green onions diced, green part
Instructions
Avocado Pizza Crust
- Add the avocado, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon baking powder, dash of salt and 1 cup tapioca flour (or ⅓ cup gluten-free flour and add more as needed until it forms a ball) into a food processor. Blend to smooth then slowly add in 2 Tablespoon water until it forms a dough. Add 1 more tablespoon of water if needed (tapioca flour needs less water and gluten-free flour will need more).
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Prepare a baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Sprinkle tapioca flour or gluten-free flour on the parchment paper then using your hands press the dough down to form a large circle.
Pea Pesto
- In a food processor add the basil, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup peas, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Blend on high for about 30-45 seconds to form a pesto.
- Add about ¼ cup pesto on top of the avocado pizza crust. Top with shallots, asparagus and remaining ¼ cup of peas. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- While the pizza is baking make the cashew dressing.
Cashew Dressing
- In a food processor add ½ cup cashews, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast and 4 tablespoons water. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.
- When the pizza is done serve topped with cashew dressing and fresh green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Kamigram says
Can you prepare the dough ahead and keep it in the freezer until needed?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Yes, you can make this dough in advance and freeze it by forming it into a disk and wrapping it tightly in plastic then in an airtight container.
Alisha Ross says
Pizza is my favorite thing to cook with the kids. It is one food that their “help” can actually be help. You can’t really screw up putting toppings on, and they love to customize their own little pizzas.