This is an incredibly easy gluten-free Mashed Potato Pizza Crust that will suit almost anybody with allergies. Yes, you can make pizza out of a potato pizza base! It is vegan, oil-free, and has a slight, cheesy and nutty flavor and a crispy edge that bakes up beautiful and golden!
POTATO PIZZA CRUST
This is the ultimate gluten-free pizza crust. Why? Because I created it to basically adapt to any dietary need. It is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free option, egg-free, egg substitute-free, gum-free and sugar-free and of course, only 7 ingredients! All of those are usually listed in a pizza crust recipe or especially, a gluten-free pizza crust. It also does not contain 3-4 different flours and gums like pretty much all gluten-free pizza crusts contain! You only need to purchase 1 flour!!
POTATO PIZZA DOUGH
The magic for this gluten-free pizza crust…….is potatoes!! A delicious potato pizza dough that is so easy to make! I love using potatoes in recipes that you wouldn’t normally think to use them. This idea came to me after the amazing success of my Sweet Potato Caramel Muffins. I just had to try potatoes again, but instead in a pizza crust. I have been using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust blend, which is great, but it has 6 flours, 2 gums, sugar, yeast and oil and also requires egg/egg substitute! It is fine for an easy fill-in, but I wanted to create something healthier, easier and much more flavorful. THIS IS IT.
HOW TO MAKE A MASHED POTATO PIZZA CRUST
Step 1. Mix the dry ingredients.
Step 2. Add the cooked potatoes to a food processor and process until they are a mashed potato consistency. Add the almond butter and briefly mix in. Add this potato mixture to the dry ingredients.
Step 3. Roll the dough out into a 12 inch round pizza shape that is no more than 1/4 inch thick.
Step 4. Bake the pizza dough before adding the toppings. Since this is mostly potatoes, it needs to be baked twice.
Step 5. Add any toppings you like and bake again until golden brown.
WHY THIS POTATO PIZZA CRUST ROCKS
- no bakers yeast or rise time
- gluten-free
- oil-free
- only 7 ingredients (+salt)
- healthy
- sturdy and firm
- holds its shape well thanks to the starchy potatoes
- it’s the perfect potato pizza crust base for my Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce!
MORE VEGAN RECIPES USING POTATOES
- Vegan Cream Cheese Alfredo
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Smoky White Bean, Potato and Poblano Pepper Stew
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
Potato Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 6 medium red or gold potatoes, unpeeled (740g) You can also do a mix of gold potatoes and russet, but not ALL russet
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (130g) potato starch, not potato flour
- 1/4 cup (32g) superfine oat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons (24g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons (48g) creamy almond butter (or tahini for a nut-free version, sunbutter is not recommended)
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- This is not a wheat crust and is made without yeast, so don't expect it to rise the same way or have the same light/airy texture of a wheat crust. It is made with mainly potatoes, after all, but so delicious! It is a more dense, thin crust, so, it's not a thick, fluffy type of crust. It is kind of like a giant hashbrown, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside!
Instructions
- I have updated this recipe to exclude the boiling method of the potatoes and slightly changed the recipe to make the dough much easier to work with! It is super easy and even better now!MAKE SURE to weigh out exactly 740 grams of potatoes, as this is the exact amount you will need for the recipe. It is important to follow each step for the best results. Cook your potatoes wrapped in a damp paper towel in a microwave in small batches (with the skins on) until very soft. If you don't want to use a microwave, then you can bake them. Obviously, this will change the overall time for the recipe.
- While the potatoes are cooking, combine the dry ingredients into a medium bowl well with a whisk: potato starch, oat flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a pizza pan with parchment paper, do not use foil!
- Take the cooked potatoes and roughly chop them and add them to a food processor and blend until broken up well. Add the almond butter and blend until they resemble mashed potatoes and no longer have chunks. Note: if you don't have at least an 11 cup food processor, you may need to blend in 2 batches.
- Now add the potato mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to mix the ingredients, pressing it together into a dough. After it starts coming together, use your hands to knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes or so and bring it all together into a smooth ball (as pictured).
- Add the dough to a large sheet of parchment paper and roll it out into a round 12 inch circle. If measured everything correctly, it should roll out easily and not stick to the rolling pin. If for some reason it is sticking, place another piece of parchment paper underneath the rolling pin. Since the parchment will slide around a bit while rolling, you will repeatedly start rolling from the center and then use your hands to form the shape evenly. Make sure it is even along the edges and no more than 1/4 inch thick. Piece together and smooth the edges. This crust will puff up a bit, so it's important it is rolled out thin.
- Bake for 15 minutes (this is the 1st bake). It will be very golden and still soft, but will crisp up at the 2nd bake, so don't worry about it sticking to the paper still at the first bake
- Now that you've done the 1st bake of your pizza crust, let's add some yummy toppings! If you add veggies, make sure they are partially precooked. I pre-baked my bell peppers at 400°F for 10 minutes. I added BBQ sauce, bell peppers, field roast veggie sausage and olives on top.
- Now, for the 2nd bake! Bake once more for another 15-20 minutes until the crust is very crispy and a dark golden color. Enjoy!
Be careful! This is not “yeast-free” it contains nutritional yeast which is a deactivated yeast. As someone who cannot consume any yeast without a lot of problems, this would end badly for me. 🙁
Make sure if you serve this to someone who has issues with yeast, they know nutritional yeast is in it. Most people who cannot have baker’s or brewer’s yeast also cannot have nutritional yeast. Some can, though.
🙂 Still, awesome to see these types of things out there for us problem children. 🙂
Hi Amanda! Yes, I was referring to traditional yeast that most people think of and need to use to make a traditional pizza crust, but you are correct, I guess it is still technically some form of a yeast. I have updated the post. Thank you!
If you still want to make it, you could leave out the nutritional yeast…may be a little bit more bland in flavor, but nothing that some yummy toppings couldn’t make up for 🙂
Hello,
This is a very original idea! Thanks for sharing it. I would like to try this recipe, but try to eat vegan with no oil. Do you think this recipe would work without the nut butter or tahini? Were they added for flavor or for binding? Thanks again.
Yes, I don’t use any processed oils either. I only use nuts and seeds and puree them into “butters”, so they are still whole foods. I don’t add any actual oils to my recipes. The nut butter is there because the crust really needs the fat to give it moisture and help it crisp up…not so much as for flavor. If you leave it out, your crust will be much softer. One reader left it out and said her crust was way too soft, so I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out unless you don’t mind a different texture result.
I followed this recipe to a tee (using 2T tahini and 1T almond butter) and it was so delicious!! I couldn’t believe how crispy it got AND that the main ingredient is potatoes!! The recipe made 1.5 cookie sheets worth of crust. We had pizza with the one, and just at the other 1/2 sheet plain as ‘flat bread’. Both were equally delicious! This is definitely one to make again (and again!) 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that Tracey!! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I truly appreciate it!!
I used a pizza stone. No parchmant paper. Pizza totally stuck to the stone.
Erica, that is why I have noted in the directions that the dough is not like traditional wheat pizza dough, and noted that it will be very sticky and to use parchment paper. Using parchment paper makes it work perfectly. Everybody that has made it with parchment paper has had success.
I was craving pizza but didn’t had any Quick and easy crust recipe on hand… Then I found yours and decided to give it a try 🙂 I LOVED IT ! I love the fact that it’s still chewy on the inside. I just replaced red potatoes by regular potatoes and potato starch by corn starch because I didn’t had them and everything went fine . I definitely will check out your other recipes in the future 🙂
Justine-thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!! I’m so happy you loved it and it was such a success for you! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
First of all, let me say, I’ve been gluten free for over 2 years now and I’ve had every kind of GF pizza crust that’s out there….including Mellow Mushroom…..and this is by far the best pizza crust I’ve ever eaten!! This pizza crust is nothing short of pure genius, Brandi!!! It is so easy to make and so incredibly delicious!! My husband even said that it was better than Pizza Hut!! That is saying A LOT, because he has always loved pizza. Thank you Brandi!! =)
Melissa-your feedback made my day!! I’m super thrilled that you and your hubby loved it so much and wow what a compliment he loved it that much!!! Thanks so much for letting me know and for posting your photo of the amazing pizza on both Instagram and Facebook 🙂
This intrigues me!! I’ve been working on a gluten free crust too that is more of a sticky spread versus roll out yeast type. But I love the idea of potatoes. I’m putting this on my list. I have a bunch of pizza recipes I’ve wanted to post just looking for a good crust to link too! Hope this is it!
Thank you Sophia! Yes, this is definitely sticky…no rolling out…unless you put parchment over it and you can toally do the rolling them, but it won’t have a thick crusty edge, it will just be more like a flatbread thin crust. I hope you like it….so far everybody who has made it has loved it!! Even the picky hubby loved it and had no clue that the pizza I served him and he was eating was made from mainly ALL potatoes! 🙂
P.S. I already have another totally different crust recipe I’m working on as well…so yummy and so fun!
You are amazing, Brandi, a yeast-free and “POTATO” pizza crust?! I’m all over it now…Dannnngg, I must try your sweet potato caramel soon!!!!!! My copain loves thin and crispy crust and I love the thick, fluffy type of crust, haha, we are very much the opposite! But if it’s a giant hashbrown….YES I would eat it all and anything for potatoes! 🙂
Thanks so much Rika!! Oh, yes, you won’t be dissapointed, I promise!!! This pizza crust is really good too, different, but delicious and so far, everybody that has made it has loved it, which makes me super happy!
Do you think fresh ground peanut butter would work for this recipe? Thanks!! This looks delicious!
Hi Lauren! Sure, I don’t see why not, as long as you don’t mind it possibly giving a peanut butter flavor! Let me know how it turns out! Peanut butter tends to be stickier and less creamy/oily than roasted almond butter, but I think it should still work. Just make sure to let it cook long enough to crisp up.
Wow, that crust looks amazing! I’ve tried cauliflower crusts and have really liked them and I’m sure I would like this one too. Your poor husband! You are such a great wife and I’m sure he’s SO HAPPY to have you and your “skills.”
Thanks so much Melanie! I’m thrilled people are loving it, it is really good!
I love this idea – question, could you use sweet potatoes do you think? I tend to eat sweet potatoes over white potatoes due to the carbs involved. I know sweet are “wetter” but do you think it could work? I thought it could especially due to the second bake you talked about with the ingredients. I think I need to try this. Cheers Brandi!
Cindy-I honestly don’t think sweet potatoes would work quite as well since they are sooo hard to get crispy in the oven as is, where as red potatoes crisp up much easier. I think they would be totall soft and mushy. You can certainly try, but that is just my thought. I love sweet potatoes too, but I also love the nutritional benenfit of red potatoes as well and it’s a great nuetral flavor for the pizza crust. If you try it with sweet potatoes, let me know!
This crust looks absolutely delicious, I have never tried a yeast free crust until yesterday actually 😛
Got to try your recipe as well!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! It is different, for sure, but works wonderfully!
How crazy is this?! Crazy good! As soon as I saw the word “hash brown,” you had me!
Ha! Thanks Annie..yep, like a hashbrown minus all the extra grease!! Haha!
This is super cool Brandi! I don’t have food allergies of any kind and do kind of get a kick out of making traditional pizza dough, rise and all, but I know a lot of people don’t do well with yeast or gluten. So interesting about your hubby and cauliflower. I wonder what cauliflower contains that aggravates things for him…?
Your toppings look so good too! I love olives and would love to try that Field Roast sausage.
Thanks Emma, it was sooo good! Oh yes, I don’t mind fooling with yeast either, I’m a baker through and through! But I’m also lazy sometimes and rushed for time like most people these days, so a fast, easy version is appealing. The great part is this crust crisps up just like “regular”crust. It is not as fluffy and more of a thin style crust, but I actually prefer thin crust and don’t want to just eat tons of pizza dough when I’m eating pizza, haha! I am working on a fluffier style one as well though, just to have a variety on my blog 🙂
Cauliflower contains high purines and it is high purine foods that cause a buildup of uric acid in his body when then turns into a horrible gout flareup and crutches for days or weeks. Mushrooms, asparagus and of course all meat and dairy are big NO. Also, caffeine, corn syrup and artificial sweeteners are very bad. The list is longer than my arm, so I have to be a freakin scientist in the kitchen to be able to feed him.
I see. I know about uric acid. I think it’s associated with kidney problems too.
P.S. I’m a thin crust pizza girl too! 😉
IS THIS THE GIGI APPROVED RECIPE because it’s PRETTY DARN CLOSE AND I AM OBSESSED!!! With a few tiny modifications I could gobble this up in a heart beat!
Aww thanks girlie!! So, I’m dying…what ingredient can you still not have…oats??
Brandi, do you remove the parchment paper after you bake the crust by itself or do you leave the crust on the parchment paper for both baking sessions? Thanks!
Hi Kimm! Update. Actually, you need to keep the parchment paper on there for both bakes, otherwise it will be really difficult to move and may still stick. I tried it without the paper on the 2nd bake and it was an issue transporting it.
Wow, who knew this was possible to make? I must try it at some point, as soon as I have a fully equipped kitchen to use and abuse, thanks for the recipe 🙂
Haha! Awesome, thank you Franca and I hope you enjoy it!
This looks so good! I can’t believe that it is so simple, it looks so delicious and it sounds amazing. I’d love to try this, but would it be possible to use regular potatoes rather instead of red potatoes?
Hi Kyla! I haven’t tried it with regular white potatoes. I believe red potatoes are slighty more gooey when blended, but I can’t imagine why regulard wouldn’t work as long as you are blending them up to become gummy. Please let me know if you try it! 🙂
Hello! Thank you for the response. I just made it tonight, and it was fantastic! I had to add some water to the potatoes after they were blended since they weren’t as gooey, but it still tasted great. I also used sorghum flour instead of oat flour, because I didn’t have oats or oat flour on hand. My whole family loved it! I’m definitely going to have to make it again.
Thank you so much for that awesome feedback!! Yay, I’m so glad to hear it was a success and that everybody loved it! I’m also happy to hear that sorghum flour worked as a sub for oat flour. I also told another reader that brown rice flour would probably work as well, since it’s not a large amount in the recipe, probably a lot of dry flours would technically work. Thanks again for the feedback! 🙂
YAY! I’m always excited to see “yeast-free” because baking with yeast is always a fail for me 😀 I’ll wait to see what you recommend for Lucy above regarding a potato starch alternative, because I’m also in the dark about that. Yum yum! 🙂
Yes! No need to mess with all that here! Super easy and tasty, I might add 🙂 As far as subbing with potato starch, your best sub would be cornstarch. It may make the crust a tad drier, but since the potatoes create a more doughy interior crust anyway, I think it should still work. One thing to note-cornstarch doesn’t tolerate high temps as well as potato starch and will brown quicker, so keep an eye on it!
Let me know how it turns out if you make it! 🙂
Oh my goodness this pizza crust recipe sounds fantastic!!! One question, here where I live in Australia, I cannot for the life of me find potato starch anywhere, what do you think would be a good substitute?
Hi Lucy! Your best substitue would be cornstarch. It may make the crust a tad drier, but since the potatoes create a more doughy interior crust anyway, I think it should still work. One thing to note though is that cornstarch doesn’t tolerate high temps as well as potato starch and will brown quicker, so keep an eye on it! Please let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear!
It worked wonderfully, I used organic cornflour for the potato starch and it turned out great! My mum and brother (both non-vegans) loved it too!
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you so much for letting me know Lucy!!
Are you SERIOUS!? So potatoes are always, I mean ALWAYS a must for me to put ON TOP of my pizza, but as the crust!?! PURE GENIUS Brandi, you’ve done it again! I am SO making this STAT.
Aww Brittany, you are SO SWEET!! Thanks my friend! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!! It is different, but works amazing as a pizza crust, holds together and crisps up. Super yummy in the end result!
Nothing short of briliant, love the potato crust Great idea!! Looks delicious.
Thanks so much Suzanne!! xo
Can you bake the potatoes (step 1) instead of boil? I’d love to keep the nutrients in the potato rather than having them float away in the water. Will the recipe still work? (btw I LOVE your blog!)
Hi Jaya, I’m not sure, as I didn’t try it that way. I always bake my potatoes too, in normal recipes, but I boiled them so they would have more moisture and not form skins. They will dry out a lot in the oven, so I’m just not sure. If you bake them, just bake them just until tender, not browned and then make sure to blend them really well in the food processor. I think it would still work, since the potatoes are so sticky when processed, just when you add the other ingredients, keep stirring until it all comes together, because it looks dry at first, but then will turn wet and sticky. Please let me know how it turns out! Thank you!
Poor me, I can’t have oats or oat flour. What would you suggest I try?
Amber
Hi Amber! I think you could probably sub with brown rice flour, and it should work. It may be a little denser, but should still get crispy and still taste yummy. The crust is kind of like a hashbrown texture, crispy exterior, but soft and chewy interior. You could also try subbing with all potato starch instead, but it will be a little drier, but will technically still work. Just eliminate the oat flour and instead use 1 cup total potato starch. I think that should still work. Please let me know if it works!! Thank you!
Hey amber I’m curious to know did you try it without the oat flour ?
Hi.
I did not. Things have changed since the comment was published. I can have Oat flour now.
However, I have brown rice flour. So, I might try that substitute as well.
We have an oat allergy in the house as well. Thx
Crazy Girl!
I love that you have potatoes in the crust and I can just picture how nice and crisp the get. I’d definitely add in the red pepper flakes too. I’m going to try this one one the grill too cause I’m thinking it will work great cooking slowly.
Awesome.
Thank you Angela! It gets so golden and crispy, I was amazed. The interior is soft and chewy, definitely different than fluffy, yeasty pizza dough, but my hubby and I both loved it and so did a couple of my other family members, whom I had try it. My hubby didn’t even know if wasn’t like “regular” pizza crust. He was shocked when I told him it was almost all potatoes, lol!
I think the grill would be awesome, absolutely! I bet it would cook it through beautifully. Let me know if you try it, just make sure to use parchment!! It is STICKY 😉