Delicious Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Healthy Homemade Pizza Recipe

Well, it’s finally the weekend after a seemingly never ending week. A stressful week coupled with chilly, damp weather outside is really making me crave good old comfort food. And not just any comfort food …. pizza to be more specific.

Pizza is probably the meal I’ve missed most since I changed my diet about 9 years ago. Back in the day, I probably ate pizza at least once a week, Having worked in NYC for many years, pizza was always the easiest to-go item to pick up during a quick lunch break or on the walk after work to the subway. After I removed gluten and dairy from my diet, finding the perfect gluten free crust and dairy free cheese alternative has been quite the challenge. Finding decent fake “cheese” has been the trickiest by far. But lately, there are more and more viable options to choose from at the supermarkets and big box stores.

Well, after much trial and error, I think I found the perfect crust and cheese combination to satisfy any pizza comfort food craving. Plus, the healthy homemade recipe below requires very little prep time and uses some ingredients that you already have in your kitchen. I picked up the other ingredients, such as the crust, “cheese” and sauce using Whole Food’s curbside pickup service – which has been my favorite way to shop during this pandemic. You simply order via the Amazon app, select a pickup time, and park in one of their grocery pick-up designated spots. An employee will pack your groceries in your trunk and you will be on your way. It’s completely free! (Delivery is also available if that is more your jam, but fewer slots are available and delivery charges apply.)

Finding the Best Crust & Cheese

The easy recipe below uses Cappello’s Naked Pizza Crust – a frozen grain free, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, certified paleo, soy free and non-GMO ready-to-use pizza crust. The crust is made with an almond, arrowroot and cassava flour base. It also includes a few other clean ingredients such as cage-free eggs, organic coconut milk, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, psyllium husk, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and honey. It’s not only the cleanest gluten free crust that I could find, but also the tastiest. This crust retails for $6.99 at my Whole Foods. (Cappello’s also makes the best tasting gluten free fettucine. Check out there other products here. And my review of Cappello’s Grain Free Butternut Squash Ravioli here.)

Like I mentioned earlier, finding good cheese alternatives has been quite the challenge. The simple recipe below features Violife’s Just Like Mozzarella Shreds, an excellent vegan alternative to shredded mozzarella cheese. It’s honestly the closest in taste and texture to cheese that I could find – without the odd aftertaste common with most dairy free cheeses. It also melts very similar to real cheese. Although it is not quite paleo because it contains some rice starch, it has a clean and simple list of ingredients. It’s not something that I would purchase often, but I give it a pass to use on occasion to satisfy a comfort food craving. It retails for $5.29 at my Whole Foods location.

Ingredients

What you will need for this healthy homemade pizza:

• Cappello’s Naked Pizza Crust (frozen)
• Violife Just Like Mozarella Shreds (a few handfuls)
• Pizza sauce (I used a 1/2 of a small jar of Rao’s pizza sauce)
• A few pinches of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of minced onion seasoning (or garlic or any other seasoning that your prefer)
• A handful of arugula or basil for finishing

Steps

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees. Per Cappello’s instructions, place the baking sheet in the middle rack while the oven preheats. (I sprayed the sheet with an olive oil cooking spray.)
2. Remove Naked Pizza Crust from the plastic and cardboard tray. Place the crust on the preheated baking sheet.
3. Add the pizza sauce and spread it to cover the pizza crust.
4. Sprinkle salt on the sauce and add the minced onion or any preferred seasoning.
5. Add a layer of the Violife Just Like Mozzarella Shreds. (Note: don’t pile on layers of cheese otherwise it won’t melt evenly.)
6. Cook until the cheese is golden brown (13-20 minutes based on your oven speed).
7. Remove from the oven and add the arugula or basil.
8. Serve and enjoy!

This is a once-in-a-while treat that will be sure to satisfy any pizza craving. Beyond indulging in the occasional comfort food like pizza, here are some tips for how to de-stress during stressful times. Here’s to a nice, relaxing weekend for us all!