Red Lentil Pizza – A Gluten-Free & Vegan Recipe

I’m a big fan of both red lentils and pizza!  Several years I discovered they could be combined and I have been making this red lentil pizza ever since. I can’t remember where I first got the idea for the crust (maybe this recipe?).  However, over the years I have made a few tweaks to get to the recipe below which has become one of my favorites for how indulgent it tastes, but how healthy it actually is.

This is pizza – sort of

This is not how you start your traditional pizza crust! But these are the only ingredients (plus water) that go into the red lentil pizza crust.

This recipe features all of your favorite pizza flavors, red sauce, melty cheese, and the toppings of your choice (for these pizza’s I went with black olive, mushroom and onion, Adam added pepperoni and bacon to his).  However, the crust does not even pretend to be the same as a traditional wheat pizza crust.

As long as you cook the crust properly and don’t top the pizza with too many wet ingredients, you will be able to pick up and eat a slice of red lentil pizza just like any other pizza.  I don’t find red lentils to have a particularly strong flavor, but the garlic and herbs in the crust help cover any “lentil” taste that might be there.  

It will look like and smell like a pizza while it is cooking.  You will get the same flavors of your favorite pizza, but you will have a different mouth-feel when it comes to the crust.  I encourage you to go into this meal expecting a pizza-like experience, and not pizza, and I think it will be a hit!  Just be sure you set expectations correctly – anyone biting into this hoping for traditional delivery-style pizza will be disappointed.

Benefits of red lentils

This is what your crust mix will look like once blended. Notice there may still be small pieces of lentil in the mix.

If you are looking to add more plant-based protein to your diet, this is a great place to start!  (Read more about the dramatic impact shifting to a diet rich in beans can make for you individually as well as for the environment here.)  

If you make four pizza crusts from this recipe, then each will contain: 26 grams of protein and 18 grams of fiber.  Need more convincing, the crust also provides so many of your daily vitamin and mineral needs including approximately: 50% of folate, 30% of iron, 28% of zinc, 18% of magnesium, and 12% of potassium.*

When you add a rainbow of vegetables for toppings, you are adding in even more good-for-you vitamins and minerals.

Picking your toppings

I can digest sheep’s milk cheese, so we used a combination of sheep’s milk cheese for this pizza.  You could use vegan cheese shreds.  Cow’s milk cheese is also an option if that is in your diet.  Or skip the cheese entirely and just top with an assortment of veggies and/or sauces.

When I am craving pizza, it is usually a traditional red sauce pizza.  However, I have also made these with pesto instead of red sauce and that is equally delicious.  (Get a few of my creative pesto options here.)

Avoid really piling on the toppings or adding any super wet ingredients to your pizza (you may want to pre-cook any vegetables that will give off a lot of water).  If your pizza gets too soggy, this crust will not hold together well.  Beyond this caveat, the sky’s the limit in terms of your creativity in topping these pizzas!

Cooking the red lentil pizza crust

This crust is super easy to cook (if you can make pancakes, you can make this crust), but it does take a little time.  Also, just like pancakes, you might have a tear in the first one or two you make, it always takes me a few to get into the rhythm.  

The batter is thick, these will not run if you would like to cook them on a griddle or in smaller sizes.  However, because the batter is  thick, you will need to intentionally spread out the crust to get it thin and even.  I like to use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the crust as soon as I pour it into the pan.  You could also use the back of a spoon to spread the batter.

Here are a few finished pizzas – one vegetarian, one with pepperoni and bacon, both with mushrooms, onion and black olives.

The trick to the crust is making sure it is spread as evenly as possible and you wait until the top is almost entirely dry before trying to flip it.  Also, while you might want to skimp a little on the olive oil, don’t.  It is important to make sure your cast iron skillet is oiled in order to be able to get your crust to release.  (Much of the oil soaks in to the cast iron, these are not greasy crusts.)

If you are nervous about flipping a 10-inch crust, then I suggest making mini-pizzas.  You could make these as small as a pancake to start (4-6”) and increase the size if/when you feel more comfortable.

Baking the red lentil pizza

Finally, I don’t line my baking sheets for this recipe.  I am careful to avoid spilling on the baking sheet when topping the pizza and I want to avoid trapping any moisture under the crust (a problem I sometimes encounter with parchment paper).  If you have younger kids helping with the topping, you may want to line your baking sheets for easier clean-up.  You could also top your pizzas on a cutting board and transfer them over to the baking sheet once topped to avoid toppings burning onto your sheet.

The only thing you will be cooking once these go in the oven will be the toppings (the crust is fully cooked before topping).  Depending on what you use to top your pizza will influence the bake time.  Most ingredients if sliced thin enough should cook in under 15 minutes.  If you want to bake your pizza longer, keep an eye on the crust to be sure you don’t burn the edges or bottom of your pizza.

Red lentil pizzas are best fresh out of the oven – if you need to bake them in batches, you may want to be mindful that each person has a pizza in each batch.  If you have leftovers, these can be re-heated in either the microwave for a few seconds or popped back in the oven, I do not suggest you eat them cold out of the refrigerator.

Reminding you that when topped reasonably, red lentil pizza is as nutritious as it is delicious – hoping this allows you a guilt-free pizza night!