Serves 4 humans
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant 1/2 cup (480 ml) almond flour 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 egg white coarse ground sea salt, to taste coarse ground black pepper, to taste dried oregano, to taste 1-2 tablespoons grass-fed butter 6oz (170.1 g) tomato paste 1 onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, sliced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450F (230°C). Trim the end off the eggplant and use a food processor (or handheld box grater) to quickly grate it. Add the grated eggplant to a large mixing bowl along with almond flour, minced garlic, egg white, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and oregano. Feel free to add any additional herbs or spices at this point to season the crust to your liking. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Roll a piece of parchment paper out over a pizza stone, or 15x10 rimmed baking sheet. Butter the parchment paper everywhere the crust will be. This will be important when it comes time to flip the crust. Pour the eggplant mixture out on the buttered parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten out the dough into your desired shape. Transfer the stone to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. While the crust is cooking, prepare your topping ingredients. Remove the crust from the oven. Use the parchment paper to help you flip the crust over. Not much of the crust should stick to the paper since you buttered it, but have a butter knife handy just in case, to help remove the parchment from the crust once flipped. Discard the parchment paper. At this point the crust should be slightly cooked throughout. Transfer the crust back to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. If the edges don't look completely done, give it a minute or two more, but keep your eye on it so it doesn't burn. Pull the crust out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350F (180°C). Smear tomato paste, chopped onion and peppers on top of the crust. Alternatively smear Pesto on the crust and finish off with your favorite toppings. Return the pizza to the 350F (180°C) oven and cook for another 10 minutes. Take the pizza out, let cool for 5 minutes. Cut and serve.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You'll Love
This hearty eggplant crust pizza turns grated eggplant and almond flour into a golden, sliceable base. It is the veggie-forward pizza night answer: the crust bakes up firm enough to hold tomato paste, onions, and peppers without a fork and knife. Best of all, the whole thing stays grain-free and paleo-friendly.
Pro Tips
- Squeeze the grated eggplant in a clean towel before mixing if it looks watery — excess moisture is the number one reason this crust stays soft in the middle.
- Butter every inch of parchment paper before spreading the mixture. That grease layer is what lets you flip the par-baked crust cleanly instead of peeling it off in pieces.
- Let the flipped crust cool 10 minutes before topping; it firms up significantly as it sits and will carry the toppings far better.
- Pesto smeared over the crust instead of tomato paste is a great low-moisture swap that keeps the base crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different flour instead of almond flour in the eggplant crust?
Almond flour keeps this crust paleo and gives the best tender bite. A small amount of coconut flour would soak up far more moisture, so if you swap, use only a tablespoon or two.
How do I keep the eggplant crust pizza from sticking?
Butter the parchment paper thoroughly and flip the crust using the paper as a sling. If a little sticks, run a butter knife under the parchment to release it before peeling.
Can I make the crust ahead of time?
Yes — bake and flip the crust, let it cool, then wrap and refrigerate it for up to two days. Add the toppings and finish at 350F straight from the fridge.
Is this pizza dairy-free?
The crust itself uses egg white and no dairy, and the butter on the parchment can be replaced with avocado oil. Keep the toppings dairy-free with tomato paste, onions, and peppers.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Add the grated eggplant to a large mixing bowl along with almond flour, minced garlic, egg white, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and oregano. Feel free to add any additional herbs or spices at this point to season the crust to your liking.
- Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
- Roll a piece of parchment paper out over a pizza stone, or 15x10 rimmed baking sheet. Butter the parchment paper everywhere the crust will be. This will be important when it comes time to flip the crust.
- Pour the eggplant mixture out on the buttered parchment paper.
- Using your hands, flatten out the dough into your desired shape.
- Transfer the stone to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- While the crust is cooking, prepare your topping ingredients.
- Remove the crust from the oven. Use the parchment paper to help you flip the crust over. Not much of the crust should stick to the paper since you buttered it, but have a butter knife handy just in case, to help remove the parchment from the crust once flipped.
- Discard the parchment paper. At this point the crust should be slightly cooked throughout.
- Transfer the crust back to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. If the edges don't look completely done, give it a minute or two more, but keep your eye on it so it doesn't burn. Pull the crust out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 350F. Smear tomato paste, chopped onion and peppers on top of the crust. Alternatively smear Pesto on the crust and finish off with your favorite toppings. Return the pizza to the 350F oven and cook for another 10 minutes. Take the pizza out, let cool for 5 minutes.
- Cut and serve.
