A sturdier, tastier grain-free pizza
Though grain-free pizza crust options are not especially hard to come by these days, I find too often that they have the taste and texture of cardboard or are just too delicate to be picked up by the slice and enjoyed by hand. This Zucchini Pizza Crust is not only super tasty but should produce a sturdy pie, whose slices you can actually pick up and eat without fear of it falling apart in your hands. It’s also a great way to add some extra green veggies into your diet and use up some of the (often ample) zucchini from your garden each summer.
The key element for a stable zucchini pizza crust
Did you know that zucchini is roughly 95% water? It’s true! If you’ve ever made spiralized zucchini noodles or used them as a noodle alternative in lasagna, you’ll know that you’ve got to sweat the excess liquid out before you start cooking, or you’ll end up with a liquid mess and limp, soggy noodles. This process, known as disgorging, uses salt to pull the excess water out of your vegetables or fruit and is the most essential step in making a good Zucchini Pizza Crust. Thankfully, disgorging is a super simple process if you’ve got a good layer of cheesecloth and some salt.
How to disgorge zucchini
- Start by shredding or blitzing the zucchini. You can shred the zucchini by hand using a traditional grater for a grated consistency, or roughly chop the zucchini and blitz it in a food processor with the blade attachment for a slightly finer consistency. Both options work really well.
- Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and add a generous sprinkle of Kosher salt over the top, tossing gently to work it in. For this recipe, around 2-3 tsp should be plenty. Allow to rest for at least 20-minutes.
- After 20-minutes, transfer the (now swampy) zucchini into a few layers of good cheesecloth, twist the top so none will spill out, and start squeezing — I like to do this over the sink. As you squeeze, the zucchini will dispel a lot of liquid and you’ll end up with a much smaller pile of zucchini shreds that are now perfect for making Zucchini Pizza Crust.
Pro-tip for a sturdy slice
After baking, let your zucchini pizza crust cool on the pan before loading it up with sauce and toppings. Then, after baking with the toppings, let the pizza cool slightly again before slicing and eating. This will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy with sauce and toppings and help your crust stay together so you achieve a good consistency for picking slices up and eating by hand.
REHEATING PIZZA LEFTOVERS
It would be cliche if I made a joke about leftovers and pizza right now, so we’ll just skip that and assume you didn’t eat the entire pie for a moment. My two favorite methods for reheating pizza so it retains its crisp crust while remelting the cheese is in the oven or in a cast-iron pan on top of the stove.
Oven method: Bake on a sheet pan at 350 F / 175 C for 10-minutes or until pizza has reached your desired level of warmth.
Stovetop method: Set pizza in a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Allow to cook until the crust has reached your desired level of crispness. If the cheese isn’t melted enough for your taste you can add a few drops of water to the pan (away from the pizza) and cover the pan for a minute or two to allow the steam to melt the cheese further.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A food processor — OR — a traditional grater
- A large mixing bowl
- A few layers of cheesecloth
- A kitchen scale — OR — measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A wooden spoon
- An aerated pizza pan — OR — a baker’s half sheet
- Parchment paper
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more Grain-Free Dinner Inspiration?
Love this Zucchini Pizza Crust recipe? Here are some additional grain-free dinner ideas:
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce
- Greek Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
- Crispy Oven-Fried Fish
- Roasted Salmon with Feta and Herbs
- Tuna Nicoise Salad
- Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
- Beef-Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Looking for more Pizza Night inspiration?
These pies are not grain-free or gluten-free, but I know not all of my readers are either. Check out some of my favorite pizza recipes below:
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
- Taco Pizza
- Eggs Benedict Pizza
- Sausage, Fennel, and Calabrian Chili Pizza
- Pizza Quattro Stagioni
- Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, and Sauerkraut Pizza
Zucchini Pizza Crust
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rest Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 large pizza crust 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Zucchini Pizza Crust is not only super tasty but should produce a sturdy pie, whose slices you can actually pick up and eat without fear of it falling apart in your hands. It’s also a great way to add some extra green veggies into your diet and use up some of the (often ample) zucchini from your garden each summer.
Ingredients
- 3 heaping cups shredded zucchini (550 g)
- 2–3 tsp Kosher salt (for disgorging)
- 2 cups almond flour (204 g)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (13 g)
- 2 large eggs (100 g)
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated (200 g)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Optional: Your preferred sauce and pizza toppings
Instructions
- Disgorge (remove the excess water) the zucchini. Add the shredded zucchini to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt (2-3 tsp is plenty), tossing gently to work it in. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Line an aerated pizza pan or baker’s half sheet with parchment paper and reserve to the side.
- After 20-minutes, transfer the (now swampy) zucchini into a few layers of good cheesecloth, twist the top so none will spill out, and start squeezing — I like to do this over the sink. As you squeeze, the zucchini will dispel a lot of liquid and you’ll end up with a much smaller pile of zucchini shreds that are now perfect for making Zucchini Pizza Crust. Return the disgorged zucchini to the mixing bowl.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, eggs, parmesan, red pepper flakes, and oregano and mix with a wooden spoon until well-combined.
- Turn out the dough into your reserved pizza pan or baking sheet and spread into an even layer, about 1/3-inch thick.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, checking at the 25-minute mark. The crust should be starting to turn a nice light golden brown on top. Let crust cool slightly before topping.
- After you’ve dressed your pie in your preferred sauce and toppings, return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until your toppings are cooked to your preference. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
8/11/21 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th of pizza crust
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 712 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
Keywords: Pizza crust, zucchini, almond flour
what a great idea! I love that it’s gluten-free and has zucchini in it. I will be trying this real soon!
Yay an alternative to cauliflower crust. Don’t get me wrong, I love cauliflower, but it’s nice to see this crust made with another veggie.
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I have a cauliflower crust in the oven but I grow zucchini! What am I doing?! Great comment, great recipe idea! Thank you.
I love that you can pick this pizza dough up! How awesome, nothing is worse than not being able to eat pizza with your hands!! Your zucchini crust looks excellent! I can’t wait to try it!
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What a great way to use up some of the Zucchini’s from the garden! this looks awesome!
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I love zucchini pizza crust. Such a fun way to get the kids to eat more veggies. This sounds so delish. Love the flavor of parmesan in my pizza crust
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I love how you abbreviated the work zucchini! This is definitely a crust for fitness gurus. Would love to try making a margarita using this crust to see how it turns out. And great job on explaining how to get rid of the zucchini liquid. The moisture can certainly be an interference when mixing zucchini through other ingredients.
We loved this recipe!
I’m wondering is it possible to freeze dough for future cooking? Or would it be best to bake then freeze crusts?
I haven’t tested freezing this pizza dough out yet (because we gobble it up so fast) so I don’t know for certain. I would think that freezing the dough, rolled out and unbaked between two sheets of parchment paper might work better than baking then freezing. Because the dough holds so much moisture, I would worry that baking the dough, then freezing it and bringing it back up to temperature again may influence the texture and stability of the dough when you go to pick it up. I am super interested now though and am adding it to my list of things to test out! It would be wonderful if you could just pre-make a few batches of this and pull them out of the freezer for pizza night.
I experimented and did exactly what you said about parchment paper but I used wax paper instead. I was concerned about moisture as well. I found that it’s best to let it thaw completely before baking. Even then, the dough doesn’t taste completely “dry” but personally I thought it was still delicious. Results are best if you eat it on the same day you made the dough without freezing it but I had way too much zucchini on hand and didnt want to let them go to waste so thats why I froze those. I also made personal size crusts – larger sizes might won’t turn out as well due to more surface area needing to be baked. My pizza pan didn’t have holes on the bottom – that might make difference in terms of a more dry crust. I just remembered I also blended in squash and thsoe doesn’t seem to stay together as well as 100% zucchini. One pizza completely fell apart! But it was a still a delicious mess haha.
No regret and will continue to experiment.
I froze the zucchini and cheese together and then defrosted and added the other ingredients. It worked out well that way. I am not sure about adding the eggs to freeze but the hard part is the zucchini
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That’s actually a great idea. I will try that next time.
Not gonna lie, this isn’t gonna make it to the actual pizza part–I will have it eaten much before then! Yum!
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Hey what a great idea! I am always interested in new ways to eat Low Carb pizza! My favourite is the fathead pizza crust, but I will have to try this one for sure! Especially with all the zucchini from my garden I must use! Thanks!
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Ah a delight to make everyone eat veggies and eat pizza too! Loved the concept.
I love this! I have a gluten allergy, so I’m always looking for new gf pizza crusts to try out. Veggies in the crust is a healthy bonus! 🙂
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I never liked pizza, there I said it! But when the crust is so crispy delicious and healthy like this zucchini pizza I can eat a whole pizza. I made zucchini crust shrimp pizza for the first time a year back and since then that’s been our favorite family Saturday night pizza. I try to make it once a month or two. Thank you for bringing those memories back. Now I need to do zucchini crust pizza again 😀
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This is a great idea for anyone looking to cut flour or that might be gluten sensitive. It looks really hearty and would taste good with a veggie pizza!
I’ve been looking for a similar recipe for quite some time and I think I found it!) I LOVE pizza and need a good healthy pizza crust! Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely make it!)
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Wow this is such a great idea, I have lots of zucchini and I keep researching ways to use them up. Thank you!
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Wow, you really can make pizza crust with just about anything! I’m loving all of these veggie twist on the classic crust, and I’m definitely going to have to give zucchini a try!
How many cups is 5 medium zucchini?
what is the measurement of zucchini in cups
I based the nutrition facts off of 4 cups of zucchini.
I am, glad i found this recipe, right in time for my New year resolution plans! To eat low carb and healthy!
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I have to say this came out delicious!! Love the zucchini crust, I think better than a cauli crust. THANK YOU!
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I have always wanted to try to make an alternate crust, and this recipe is great because it is filled with helpful tips to ensure a successful crust. Thank you!
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Hubby and I love zoodles. Anymore, he won’t eat zucchini sliced and cooked. This is such an interesting concept I can’t wait to try it. We do salt the zoodles and wait before sautéing and it works like a charm. Using the zucchini as a crust would sure save on calories. Great recipe for the coming year.
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This zucchini pizza crust sounds delicious I need to give it a try I like zoodles, I never thought we can make gluten free pizza crust with zucchini.
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Any way to do it without the cheese? No dairy for me :(!
Unfortunately, because the parmesan is such a major component of this recipe and acts to provide structure to the crust, I don’t think you will get the same results with a substitution. If you wanted to experiment, I might start with a dairy free mozzarella – I’ve read that Daiya makes a good one. I’ve never worked with this alternative though, so I can’t vouch for it’s performance.
This recipe looks delish. I was thinking of making burgers for my low-carb family on Sunday. Do you think I could form these into 4″ circles and bake them to use as a substitute for hamburger buns? Would they hold up? Thanks.
Charlene, I have not tried this so I can’t comment on whether it would work or not. Please let me know if you do end up giving it a try, I would be interested to know how they turn out.