Gluten-Free Vegan Pizzas | “Red” Tomato Eggplant Pizza and “Green” Zucchini Pesto Pizza
These gluten-free vegan pizzas are two quick weeknight pizzas built on a ready-made gluten-free crust: a “red” one with tomato, eggplant and mushrooms, and a “green/white” one with pesto, zucchini and fresh basil. Both are topped with grated vegan cheese, and both come together with under 10 minutes of hands-on prep before they go in the oven. If you want pizza night without the gluten and without anything from an animal, this is the easiest place to start.
The toppings, the gluten-free crust and the fact that they’re guilt-free and vegan make these pizzas the best ones I’ve ever tried so far, and trust me, I’ve tried quite a few. I sometimes crave more fast-food-like meals, such as pizzas or burgers, but even though most of those recipes can be classified as junk food, I always try to make them as healthy as possible. I made a “red” and a “green/white” version, and I really couldn’t say which one I liked more. They were both perfect in their own way, and the actual prepping time was below 10 minutes, so if you’re lazy like me, this is a major plus.
Two pizzas, one shortcut crust
The whole idea here is to skip the dough-making entirely and let good toppings do the work. I used the pre-made gluten-free pizza base pack by Schar, which I strongly recommend. One pack gives you two bases, which is exactly why this recipe is built as two different pizzas instead of one. If you can’t find that brand, any thin pre-made gluten-free crust will work the same way. When ordering delivery pizza I always prefer the thin crust option, and a thin gluten-free base behaves the same: it crisps up instead of staying doughy in the middle.
What goes on each pizza
The “red” pizza starts with a base of tomato paste loosened with a little basil, then gets sliced fresh tomato, thinly sliced eggplant, sliced button mushrooms and julienned onion. The “green/white” pizza swaps the tomato base for pesto sauce and tops it with thinly sliced zucchini, more mushrooms and onion, and a few fresh basil leaves. Both finish with a few tablespoons of grated vegan cheese. A quick note on that cheese: I can’t remember the brand’s name and I threw away the pack, but any vegan melting cheese is fine here, so pick whichever one you already like and trust.
How to get a crispy crust every time
Slice the eggplant and zucchini thinly so they roast through in the same time it takes the crust to crisp; thick slices stay watery and steam the base instead of letting it brown. Don’t drown the crust in sauce either, since a thin, even layer of tomato paste or pesto keeps the center from going soggy. Bake at 200C/392F for 20 to 30 minutes, and watch for the edges turning golden and the vegetables losing their raw look. One thing I loved is that I ate the margins of the crust too, because they were super-crispy and tasted really good, which is unusual for me because I usually leave them aside.
What to serve alongside
Because each pizza is light and vegetable-forward, it pairs nicely with something fresh on the side or a warm bowl to round out the meal. A scoop of vegan Olivier salad turns pizza night into a fuller spread, and on a colder evening a bowl of vegan red lentil soup works as a starter. If you’re feeding a crowd that loves the gluten-free comfort-food angle, you can also put out my vegan mushroom lasagna for the carb lovers at the table.
Make-ahead, storage and more pizza ideas
You can slice all the vegetables and stir together the tomato-basil and pesto bases ahead of time, then keep them covered in the fridge so assembly takes a minute when you’re hungry. Leftover baked slices keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days, and they reheat best in a hot oven or toaster oven rather than the microwave, which keeps the crust crisp instead of rubbery. I don’t recommend topping the bases and storing them raw, since the vegetables release moisture and soften the crust before it ever bakes. If you want to keep experimenting, here are my other two pizza attempts to browse: a gluten-free baked tart that leans savory, and if you love this gluten-free-and-vegan combination, my gluten-free vegan pancakes are the sweet side of the same idea.
If you try the red eggplant pizza, the green zucchini-pesto one, or build your own topping mix on these bases, please rate the recipe and leave a comment telling me which version won you over and whether you ate the crispy crust margins too. Trust me, you’ll love them.
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Gluten-Free Vegan Pizzas | “Red” Tomato Eggplant Pizza and “Green” Zucchini Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pack Schar gluten-free pizza base contains 2 pizza bases
"Red" Tomato Eggplant Pizza:
- 2 Tbsps tomato paste + 1 tsp basil
- 1 to tomato chopped
- ½ eggplant thinly sliced
- 2 button mushrooms sliced
- ¼ onion julienned
- 3 Tbsps grated vegan cheese
"Green" Zucchini Pesto Pizza:
- 2 Tbsps pesto sauce
- ½ zucchini thinly sliced
- 2 button mushrooms sliced
- ¼ onion julienned
- some fresh basil leaves
- 3 Tbsps grated vegan cheese
Instructions
- Spread the sauce (tomato/pesto) over the gluten-free pre-made pizza crust.
- Add toppings and put in oven at 200C/392F for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Both pizzas are built on a pre-made gluten-free pizza base and use only plant-based toppings: tomato, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, fresh basil, tomato paste, pesto sauce and grated vegan cheese. As long as your gluten-free base, pesto and vegan cheese are all certified vegan and gluten-free, the finished pizzas are both.
The red pizza uses a tomato-paste-and-basil base topped with fresh tomato, thinly sliced eggplant, mushrooms and onion. The green/white pizza uses a pesto base topped with thinly sliced zucchini, mushrooms, onion and fresh basil leaves. Both are finished with a few tablespoons of grated vegan cheese, and one pack of bases makes one of each.
I used the pre-made Schar gluten-free pizza base pack, which comes with two bases and is the reason this recipe makes two pizzas. If you can’t find that brand, any thin pre-made gluten-free crust works the same way. A thinner base crisps up better than a thick one.
Spread the sauce, add the toppings, and bake at 200C/392F for 20 to 30 minutes. Watch for the crust edges turning golden and the vegetables losing their raw look. Slicing the eggplant and zucchini thinly helps them cook through in the same time the crust crisps.
Any vegan melting cheese works here. The recipe uses a few tablespoons of grated vegan cheese per pizza, so choose a brand you already like and trust for melting. Grating it rather than using thick slices helps it spread and melt evenly over the toppings.
You can slice the vegetables and mix the tomato-basil and pesto bases in advance and keep them covered in the fridge, so assembly is quick. Avoid topping the raw bases and storing them, since the vegetables release moisture and soften the crust before baking. Leftover baked slices keep two to three days and reheat best in a hot oven or toaster oven.
Tried the zucchini pizza the other day and I was amazed by how fast and nutritious it is. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Ruxandra! Your recipes always amaze me and I want to try a lot of them, if only I had the time!
You’re welcome! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!