Best Paleo Pizza Crust (Nut-Free)

Looking for a good paleo pizza crust recipe? This is it! I’ve experimented with a few versions and this crust is the nicest I’ve made. It’s crispy and a little chewy, just like the real thin crust pizza should be. You can use this recipe to make mini pizzas as I did or create traditional large round or square versions.


Paleo Pizza Crust (Nut-free, Grain-free)

This paleo pizza crust recipe is slightly unconventional but hey, nothing is conventional about the paleo diet. The crust is grain-free and also nut-free so you can use it to make little pizzas for kids’ lunch boxes. I used cheese on mine because I can tolerate it, but feel free to omit it. I’ve provided some nice topping ideas below.

 

How To Make Paleo Pizza Crust

As you’re making the pizza crust, you will be wondering if it’s actually going to work because there is no kneading of the dough. Well, this is a slightly different kind of crust. Follow the instructions in the recipe below and it should work.

Dry Ingredients

For this recipe, I am using grain-free and tree nut-free flours. One part is tapioca or cassava flour. Tapioca flour is a little finer and that’s what I used for the mini pizza crusts in the pictures and it can be found in most supermarkets and health food stores. Cassava flour (very similar but not as fine) would probably be even better!

Coconut flour can be found in most health food stores and online as well. If unavailable, replace it with white rice flour, quinoa or buckwheat flour if tolerated, or almond meal. In this case, use a little more than is specified for coconut flour.

Dairy-Free Version

Use ghee instead of butter, or around 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil should also work. For the toppings, omit the cheese or use aged Parmesan or sheep’s milk cheese if that is less problematic than cheddar or mozzarella.

Keep in mind that pizza is a sort of a treat! Whether it’s grain-free or not, it’s still pretty high in carbohydrates and should be enjoyed in moderation and with loads of veggies on the side. Serve with a crisp green salad, such as gem/cos lettuce or rocket with lemon, mustard and olive oil dressing

How to make paleo pizza crust step-by-step photos
 

What Is The Texture Of This Pizza Crust?

The texture won’t be quite the same as a regular pizza but it’s a pretty decent grain-free and paleo alternative that really satisfies. It’s thin, crispy and a little chewy. Once you’ve mastered this basic recipe, you can experiment with different toppings or try making a larger size pizza.

Paleo Pizza Topping Ideas

  • Tomato base, good quality ham or pancetta and pineapple.
  • Tomato base, caramelised onions, pan-fried mushrooms and radicchio.
  • Tomato base, salami, olives and Spanish onion.
  • Tomato base, rosemary roasted pumpkin and chorizo.
  • If you eat dairy: tomato base and Parmesan cheese or mozzarella, with fresh prosciutto and rocket on top.
  • Artichoke dip/pesto base with mushrooms and ham for an AIP pizza.

Let me know what you think of this pizza crust or if you have any questions in the comments. 

Paleo Pizza Crust (Nut-free, Grain-free)
 

What Readers Are Saying About My Paleo Pizza Crust

This is a WONDERFUL recipe! We’d been missing pizza since going paleo a few months ago, and this took care of the craving. Especially, since we learned that we can have some goat or sheep’s milk cheese on this program; we added dollops of soft goat’s cheese to the mini-pizzas. I really appreciate the detailed steps and hints. I’ll be making this every week! Yum!

★ – Stephanie 

I did have to use the arrowroot flour vs the tapioca. I have a bad reaction to the tapioca. It was still great! Thank you. The best crisp bottom. – Shauna

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Paleo Pizza Crust Recipe

Paleo Pizza Crust (Nut-Free)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: Irena Macri
Servings: 4
Course: Main/Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Print Pin Save
4.87 from 15 votes
Calories: 418kcal
This is a simple and nut-free recipe for a delicious, thin, crispy and a little chewy paleo pizza crust. You can make small or large pizzas and use whatever toppings you like following this base recipe.

Ingredients 

  • 2 medium eggs
  • 40 g butter or ghee, 1.5 oz. melted (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 2/3 cup cassava flour tapioca, or arrowroot
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour

For the toppings

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or other cheese
  • 12-15 cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • A handful of pitted olives sliced
  • A few chilli flakes optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 250 C / 480 F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs with melted (but not hot) butter or ghee, seasoning and water, until fluffy. If using olive oil, no need to warm it up.
  • Then add the tapioca flour and coconut flour and mix through well. You should have a thick batter consistency - think muffin batter. If it's not as thick as in the pics, add a little more of either of the flours.
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat oven tray (no need to grease). Depending on the size of the tray, you might have to pre-cook the bases in two batches or use two trays in the oven at the same time.
  • Depending on how many you can fit, scoop 2 or 4 dollops of batter on to the tray. I used about 2-3 tablespoons of batter per pizza base. Leave enough space around each dollop to flatten it into a thin round pizza base.
  • Using a knife spatula or a the back of the spoon, flatten each dollop into a flat, thin pancake (more like a thick crepe). Use a circular motion to spread the batter, don’t worry if it’s a little uneven as it will melt and flatten out slightly once in the oven. See image above.
  • Make sure the oven is hot when you put the bases in. Place the tray on the middle shelf and bake for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned. If using two trays, you might need to rotate them from top to bottom as the oven temperature can vary. Allow a little more time in this case. Otherwise, repeat with the second batch if needed.
  • Once slightly golden brown, remove the bases from oven and add the toppings.
  • While the bases are baking, mix together the tomato paste, olive oil and dried oregano in a bowl.
  • Spread a teaspoon or so over each pre-cooked base. Top with a few tablespoons of cheese, grate more if needed, a few slices of tomatoes and sliced olives. Sprinkle with some chilli flakes if you wish. Reduce the heat of the oven to 200 C / 400 F and pop the pizzas back in for about 5-6 minutes, until the cheese has melted and browned lightly.
  • The bases should easily slide off the parchment paper. If not, slide a spatula or a knife underneath to let them loosen up. Serve with a crisp green salad.

Notes

Please note, the nutritional breakdown below is for 1 mini pizza with the toppings I used in the recipe including cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1051IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 3mg
Keywords: Pizza Crust, Dough, Gluten-Free, Pizza, Grain-Free, Nut-free
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedandloved or tag #cookedandloved
 
Irena Macri
By Irena Macri

About the author: Hi, I’m Irena Macri. I share delicious recipes that I have cooked and loved. I am a published cookbook author, have been food blogging for over 10 years and have a Diploma in Nutrition. You will find many healthy recipes as well as my favourite comfort food. More about me here | Subscribe to my newsletter and freebies

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Comments

51 Comments
  1. Is this a fairly crisp crust ? It looks like it would be. I love(d) thin crust pizza, and this looks like it might be just the recipe I’ve been looking for 🙂

    1. It turned out quite crispy but the key is to spread the batter quit thin. If you spread it thicker, then adjust the cooking time to make sure it cooks through. It has a little chewy texture in the middle, kind of like a normal pizza.

  2. 4 stars
    Thx looks great. Will it work as one large pizza or better small? Also good to use a pizza stone? Thx

    1. I think it would work as a larger pizza as well but not too large. You might need to adjust the cooking time so it cooks in the middle. To be on a safe side, I suggest making small ones first so you get an idea of the texture you get and the cooking time in your oven, and then experiment with larger sizes. I would not recommend the pizza stone because the batter is not like a regular elastic pizza dough. I have no idea if it would stick to it. However, you could place the parchment paper on the pizza stone and do it that way. You could do a little test and see, I’d been keen to know how it goes.

    1. You can try arrowroot flour or cassava flour (similar to tapioca). Alternatively, if you can tolerate it, try some rice flour or potato flour. The next on the list would be buckwheat or quinoa flour.

  3. 5 stars
    Made this tonight! Tastes just like a normal pizza. So glad you put photos of the process up, it looked very ugly when i was putting the dough on the parchment but it turned out great! Keep up the good work, love love LOVE your cook books 🙂

    1. Thanks Sarah! I’m glad they worked. I was the same as you while making them. Before I put them in the oven I thought ‘Oh gosh, this is not going to work’ but it totally did. Hence I said in the recipe not too worry if it looks weird while you’re making it 😉

  4. 5 stars
    Oh gosh! This is super fun – my girls have been asking if we can have pizza soon and I have these ingredients! I am doing this tomorrow! Thank you!

  5. 5 stars
    Hi Irena, I’m dairy free, I’m wondering if I substitute coconut oil or olive oil for the butter would it work as well? Thanks in advance.

    1. Yes, I think they will still work. You can try making a small batch to test so you don’t waste too many ingredients. Ghee might also be an option if you can tolerate it.

  6. Why are you telling folks to replace flours with a ‘grain’ flour (aka: rice) if they can’t find coconut or another, when it’s supposed to be paleo?

  7. 5 stars
    This was really great! For my first attempt, I thought my oven was at 480, but it was not, I then had to adjust the cook time. Despite my goof-up, it came out browned and crisp at the edges, with a slightly chewy center. My 20 yr. old “pizza loving son,” thought it was Excellent!
    Thanks, Irena, we will definitely make this again.

    1. You’re welcome Ann Marie. I’m glad it worked out for you even with the ‘goof-up’ Goof-ups is how I end up with awesome recipes 😉

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. I made it a few times, and forgot to come back and leave a comment.
    I made mine, topped with sliced tomatoes and then cheese. So yummy.
    Froze well and was a fantastic on the go lunch or kids lunch given it is nut free.
    Stumbled across this recipe again today by chance and reminded about it. Will whip up a big batch for kids lunches and freeze soon!

    THANK YOU!

    1. Thanks Melanie! And good got know that it freezes well as I had some readers asking about it. It’s such a handy recipe and you can make so many different versions with different toppings.

  9. 5 stars
    Hi, l made a batch of these with arrowroot flour instead of tapioca (hard to find organic tapioca flour in France!) and they turned out really well and amazingly like the old-style non-Paleo pizza but totally digestible. l love them! Has anyone made just 2 bigger ones from these quantities instead of 4 small ones or will it not cook properly? If l try it l’ll let you know.
    The only limit is your imagination when it comes to toppings so for my first batch l smeared on some sun dried tomato paste, chopped artichoke in oil, teeny bit of grated Comte cheese, a few Provencal olives and a bit of shredded parma ham. It was a deluxe little pizza and l ate them 4 days in a row for lunch with side salad and avocado ;))) Thanks for this really great recipe and for all you share with us. I Love your books too!

    1. Thanks for the tips Fiona. I am glad arrowroot flour worked just as well, I am sure there are other people who might not find tapioca. I’ve not tried making a bigger pizza but I think someone has done one and said it worked ok. You might need to adjust the cooking time so it bakes through in the middle. And thanks for your kind words too, I really appreciate them.x

  10. 4 stars
    I really want a pizza base that is grain free. On the Iodine Workshop, a comment was made that tapioca was a goitergen and being hypothyroid must avoid it. Not sure if arrowroot is also a goitergen.

    1. I don’t know much about the amount of goitrogens in tapioca (I know it does contain them), but it’s present in so many things we eat including highly nutritious veggies. It’s an individual choice, of course, but I believe that with those things the poison is often in the dose. It depends how often you make this and how many other high-goitrogen foods you eat in that week. Arrowroot would work as a substitute though, if that is a better option for you.

      1. I did have to use the arrowroot flour vs the tapioca. I have a had reaction to the tapioca. It was still great! Thank you. The best crisp bottom.

  11. 5 stars
    This is a WONDERFUL recipe! We’d been missing pizza since going paleo a few months ago, and this took care of the craving.(Especially since we learned that we can have some goat or sheep’s milk cheese on this program; we added dollops of soft goat’s cheese to the mini-pizzas.) I really appreciate the detailed steps and hints. I’ll be making this every week! Yum!

    1. Thanks Stephanie 🙂 I am super happy you enjoyed them. And yes to goat’s cheese!! Try making some with caramelised onions, prosciutto and goat’s cheese.

  12. 5 stars
    We made these for dinner last night, used almond flour , thought they were too wet so added some more and also some more tapioca as well. They came out good, we put 2 small ones on a tray, then one big one. The big one came out just as good as the small ones. There was some batter left over and it thickened up so was hard to spread, but it still came out well. I should have added some more water to thin it out. Hubby was stoked with these and we will be making them again. Next time I might try just adding extra almond not tapioca and see how they go. Love your recipes Irena.

  13. 5 stars
    Wow, fantastic recipe! My son has tons of food sensitives and this is the first time he’s been able to eat pizza with no worries about breaking into a full on body rash. He’s asking for it every day! All of your recipes have been stellar so far, and this one does not disappoint! Thank you so, so much. Sincerely, a mom who struggles feeding her son with delicious and paleo recipes (not easy!).

    1. Thanks so much, May. I was so happy to read your comment and to know that the recipe was a hit with your boy. I can totally imagine how hard it is to find recipes that fit his dietary requirements AND that he likes as well. More pizza nights!

    1. Hey Lauren, I haven’t tried it with an egg replacer so I don’t know for sure but you can make a little batch to test it out. I am looking at developing some egg-free wraps and pizza crust soon though.

  14. Would you be able to use this dough other then pizza crusts?
    I’m looking for a dough to make the hot dog mummy’s for Halloween

    1. Probably not for the hot dogs as you have to pre-bake the base first and then it’s not really pliable enough to wrap around things.

  15. 4/12/20

    I am wondering which brand of Tapioca flour is made in a tree nut free facility. I cannot seem to find any labeling for any of the products that I have found. Are you aware of any? I want to make Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao De Queijo). I have often found that products may not have tree nuts in them, but are produced in a facility that makes other products that do have them in them. I am highly allergic so it is a problem. I would appreciate your help. If there is a good substitute that would be fine, but it may alter the taste or consistency. The recipe that my daughter uses calls for 4 cups of tapioca flour.
    Thank you.

    1. Hey, Joanna

      I don’t have that kind of information. I would email a few brands directly and ask them how their flour is made and what the likelihood of contamination is.

      Sorry, I couldn’t be of more help but I hope you find the brand that suits you.

      Irena

  16. I tried making this tonight and followed it exactly but my dough was really thick like biscuit dough. I had to add a lot more liquid. Are the ratios different for cassava and coconut flour?

    1. Yes, if you’re using coconut flour, you will need a lot more liquid as it absorbs moisture much more than other flour types.

  17. Followed the exact recipe using 2/3 cup cassava and 1/3 cup coconut flour. my dough was very thick, like someone else had also commented. Ended up just rolling it out into a crust to bake, which turned out fine. But will try with arrowroot or tapioca next time instead of the cassava

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