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This paleo pizza recipe tastes just like the real thing! Made with almond flour, cassava flour, and yeast, the crust has an airy, chewy texture, and it’s surprisingly easy to make. This paleo pizza recipe is topped with a dairy-free fresh mozzarella that melts and stretches!
![A whole paleo pizza recipe crust with a slice cut out](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-5.jpg)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I feel like this recipe is the food blog equivalent of a mic drop.
It’s real damn pizza. It’s not even that: it’s real damn Italian-style pizza. It’s what we ate at the little pizzeria by the Duomo on our honeymoon in Italy; it’s what we fed Leo at that little Italian-owned restaurant on the plaza in Barcelona. It’s that pizza in our minds, with the crust, crisp on the outside and tender on the outside, layered with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, by which we judge all other pizzas.
And it’s paleo. What! How!
![A slice of paleo pizza with an airy crust](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-6.jpg)
I’m pretty sure it’s sorcery. And if this perfect paleo pizza is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. There, I said it!
It occurred to me when I was writing my article about how to use cassava flour the other day that, though cassava flour can get a bit sticky on the inside when used in volume, it could make the perfect pizza crust. But I wanted to bloom some yeast and let the paleo flour blend rise, adding to the depth of flavor of the crust, plenty of air pockets, and a tenderness that you wouldn’t get from an unrisen dough.
How To Make It
Essentially, I took my perfect food processor pizza dough recipe and made a few small changes: swap out the all-purpose flour for a paleo blend, focused around cassava flour, add eggs for binding, and a bit of sweetness for the yeast to really bite into. The result was perfection. A crust that was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, soft but firm, and really relatively easy to work with. I plopped a ball on parchment paper, pressed it out into a thin circle, and slid the parchment paper onto a preheated baking sheet in the oven. Tada!
![Paleo pizza crust with dairy free mozzarella and basil leaves](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-2.jpg)
I really hope you try this perfect paleo pizza recipe, so you can share in the excitement! Make sure, in your dumfoundedness, you snap 6-7 different angles of the crust and tag me in them. I’m right there with you! How is this real life?!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- The paleo pizza dough creates a crust that’s light and airy yet chewy. Just like regular ol’ gluten-laden pizza!
- It uses yeast to create a paleo pizza dough that really rises, and it smells amazing.
- The dairy-free “fresh mozzarella” is easy to make and melts and stretches like real mozzarella.
Variations
- Top this paleo pizza crust with dairy-free “mozzarella” shreds, if you prefer, or you can leave the cheese off entirely!
- Use real mozzarella if you tolerate it well. Raw if you can find it. It’s an amazing combo!
- Finish the pizza with whatever creative toppings you’re into. We like anchoves, pepperoni, and pickled jalapeño slices. Or crack on egg on it – so good!
- Grill your pizza: preheat a pizza stone or baking sheet on the grill. Make the pizza as directed but cut the parchment paper down to close to the pizza dough’s size after topping. Slide the prepared pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and cook with the lid closed about 7 minutes, or until the crust has risen and there are dark spots on the “cheese.”
![A slice of paleo pizza with an airy crust](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-3.jpg)
![A slice of paleo pizza with an airy crust](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-4.jpg)
Tips
- This paleo pizza dough recipe will not look like a regular ball of pizza dough. It’s going to look like a thick cake batter, but that’s totally OK!
- Make sure you sprinkle lots of cassava flour on top of the paleo pizza dough when you’re forming the crust. It will be very sticky otherwise.
- Preheat a baking sheet in the oven then carefully slide your paleo pizza, with the sauce, cheese, and toppings, from parchment paper on one baking sheet to the preheated baking sheet. Check out my video below to help understand that process. Baking on a preheated sheet makes all the difference in that authentic taste!
How To Make It
Bloom your yeast: stir the yeast and honey into the warm water and let sit until foamy and fragrant, about 10-20 minutes.
![Bloom yeast with water and honey](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions.jpg)
In a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine flours and salt and pulse to combine. Then stir in the bloomed yeast and olive oil and pulse until combined. Add in eggs and process until smooth like a cake batter, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary. Transfer mixture to a medium or large mixing bowl; cover with a clean dish cloth and let sit in a warm place 60-90 minutes.
![Combine flours, olive oil, salt, yeast mixture, and eggs in food processor](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-4.jpg)
![Process until smooth like cake batter](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-5.jpg)
Meanwhile, make your dairy-free fresh mozzarella: combine all mozzarella ingredients in a high-speed blender, preferably a personal blender container, as this makes it easier to get a very smooth texture. Blend on high speed then transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly. It will become clumpy and might even appear to seize up, but keep whisking! It will turn into a thickened, gooey texture. When this happens, continue to whisk for another minute. Transfer to a jar and chill.
![Blend together mozzarella ingredients then heat and whisk constantly](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-6.jpg)
Preheat oven to 500º F with a baking sheet, turned upside down, in the bottom 1/3 of the oven.
After 60-90 minutes, your paleo pizza dough should have risen a bit, but it will not be doubled in size. Divide the dough into two equal parts and, working with one half at a time, scrape out onto a piece of parchment paper about the size of a baking sheet. Sprinkle with plenty cassava flour and pat into a disc, about 1/2 inch thick.
![Pat out half of paleo pizza dough](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-7.jpg)
Using the back of a spoon, spread tomato sauce onto paleo pizza crust, leaving about 3/4″ inch for crust. Using a disher, scoop out little balls of “mozzarella” and place evenly around the crust, or sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano and freshly cracked black pepper then place fresh basil leaves around.
![Spread sauce on paleo pizza crust](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-8.jpg)
![Use a disher for dairy-free cheese on top of paleo pizza crust](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-9.jpg)
Slide the prepared pizza, on the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet, turned upside down.
![Slide prepared pizza onto overturned baking sheet](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-10.jpg)
Open the oven and gently slide the prepared pizza with parchment paper onto the preheated baking sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cheese has a couple dark spots and crust has risen a bit.
![Slide pizza on parchment onto preheated overturned baking sheet](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-11.jpg)
Carefully remove, leaving baking sheet in to retain heat for the remaining pizza, and use a pizza cutter to cut into slices after a few minutes of resting time. Repeat with remaining paleo pizza.
![Cut paleo pizza into slices](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-make-paleo-pizza-directions-12.jpg)
What If the Dough Is Too Runny?
It’s important that you follow the recipe exactly and use the exact amount of arrowroot, almond flour, and cassava flour specified. That said, it will not look like a ball of dough. Instead, the dough, prior to rising, will look like soft serve or a thick cake batter. Gluten is what makes regular pizza dough ball together, and we ain’t using any of that! So it will not be a ball, but it should not be like soup, either. If your is like soup, you’ve almost certainly included the wrong measurement of an ingredient. I’ve tested this recipe multiple times and have the same result each time.
![Perfect paleo pizza dough](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/perfect-paleo-pizza-1-2-700x1050.jpg)
It’s also important to bloom the yeast properly. It will take about 20 minutes, but this will help with the consistency and taste, too.
Can I use any kind of cassava flour?
I’ve only used Anthony’s but I’ve heard it works well with Otto’s, too! That said, I love Anthony’s in general and think you should stock up on their cassava flour. It’s affordable and consistent in my experience.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Perfect Grilled Pizza
- Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Whole30 Caesar Dressing
- 40 of the Best Paleo Recipes Around
- Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad (Whole30)
- Breakfast Egg Roll in a Bowl (Whole30, Paleo)
![A whole paleo pizza recipe crust with a slice cut out](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/paleo-pizza-5-500x500.jpg)
Perfect Paleo Pizza (Cassava Flour Pizza Crust and Dairy-Free Mozzarella)
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- high-speed blender
- medium saucepan
- whisk
- Jar or other container
- Food processor with dough blade
- Large bowl
- Baking sheets (2)
- Disher
- parchment paper
- Tongs
- pizza cutter
Ingredients
Paleo Pizza Crust
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 ⅓ cups cassava flour
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- 1 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Dairy-Free Fresh Mozzarella
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked in hot water 4 hours if not using a high-speed blender
- 1 ½ teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 cup water
Paleo Pizza
- extra cassava flour for dusting
- ⅔ cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- fresh basil leaves
- pepperoni or other toppings
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in warm water. Let stand until super foamy, doubled in size, and very fragrant, about 20 minutes.
For the Dairy-Free Mozzarella
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly. The mixture will become clumpy and will possibly seize up, but keep whisking! It will become smooth again. When it does and is thickened, whisk another minute, then transfer to a jar and chill while you continue with the recipe.
For the Pizza Crust Dough
- Once your yeast has fully bloomed, make the pizza dough. With the dough blade fitted on your food processor, combine almond flour, cassava flour, arrowroot, salt, and olive oil in the food processor bowl. Attach lid and pulse a couple times to combine.
- Pour in yeast-water mixture and process until smooth and well combined. Add eggs and process until combined, scraping down the sides occasionally, if necessary. Process for 60 seconds to knead dough, then scrape out into large bowl.
- Let rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until increased in size (It will not double). While dough is rising, prepare any pizza toppings.
For the Pizza
- Once dough has risen for 60-90 minutes and has increased in size, preheat oven to 500º F and insert a baking sheet upside down on the lowest rack.
- Divide dough into equal halves. Scrape one half onto a sheet of parchment paper and cover with cassava flour. Pat out into an even circle about ½" thick.
- Spread half of the tomato sauce on the pizza dough, leaving a thin crust. Remove your paleo fresh mozzarella from the fridge and drop spoonfuls onto the tomato layer as shown. I use a small disher and it works perfectly. Grind fresh black pepper over the mozzarella and sprinkle with dried oregano.
- Slide the parchment paper (with the pizza) onto an upside-down baking sheet then carefully slide the parchment paper (with the pizza) onto the preheated upside-down baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Remove from oven by carefully pulling parchment with pizza onto a cool baking sheet using tongs. Repeat process with remaining pizza crust.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves randomly over entire cooked pizza. After resting a few minutes, slice into 8 slices per pizza and serve.
Video
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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What? This was 100% incredible! After 2 years of being grain free (mostly), this is the first time I have enjoyed pizza crust!! Thank you for this recipe. ❤️![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
I am so thrilled I could help!! 😀
Hi Cheryl,![4 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-4.svg)
Thank you for the recipe. My grandson and I made it for dinner this evening, however, …. I think we did something wrong. After following your recipe precisely, we ended up with a bowl of very LIQUID pizza dough.I just knew, from the look of it, that it would never become as thick as we needed! Luckily, I had some almond and arrowroot flour left, as well as some coconut flour. I added enough of these flours until the mixture became thicker. After “rising,” we were able to to spread it into a parchment lined pizza pan and the end result was awesome. My question. . . what did we do wrong?
Super impressed with this dough/crust!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Perfect! My dairy-sensitive family tolerates my homemade raw goat milk mozzarella really well, so this grain-free, nut-free crust will be the perfect compliment! Thank you!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
I only did the crust and DANG GIRL!!! Best gluten free crust I have ever had. Everyone was in disbelief that it was without any flour. This will be my go-to grain free crust forevermore. Thank you! ???![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
This made my day!! 🙂
I made just the crust recipe and used my own toppings. The crust turned out great. I prepared the second crust with my sauce and toppings and froze it. We have yet to eat the frozen pizza but my husband loved the first one. I have high hopes for the frozen version. If it turns out as well when I cook it, I will make more varieties and freeze them. Thanks!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Hi there,
How did the frozen crust turn out? I want to refrigerate one crust to take with me to a cooking class tomorrow and the other for next week at a friend’s house. Do you think I’ll get good results?
Many thanks for this recipe. I am now following the Plant Paradox protocol and am so grateful for a grain free pizza crust!
Frozen crust works great for me! Every time. Great to have on stashed in the freezer.
I love when I have some in the freezer!
I can’t wait to try this!! I’ve always made homemade dough myself and since we switched to a low carb keto style diet I miss pizza so much! We’ve tried the cauliflower crust and it’s ok… I was hoping to find a yeasted crust like this! I ordered all the flours from online and can’t wait to try! Thanks!
This recipe looks amazing! I’m a professional chef who has a mother who is now on Anti Inflammatory diet and Gundry. Have you ever use tiger nut flour? Could this be used in place of the almond or in conjunction? This type of baking/cooking is new to me. I’m buying a wood fire oven and want my mother to be able to enjoy pizza too. The first recipe I have found that uses yeast!!! Thank you again for sharing.
That’s too cool! And yes – I’ve used tiger nut flour but not nearly as much as I’d like. I think you could probably actually replace the cassava flour with it here. I’ll have to try that! We loooove this pizza crust so much. And we’re building our own wood fire oven, too!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Making this tonight and wanted to make sure I’m reading correctly. It’s one cup arrowroot powder and not arrowroot flour? Seems like a lot of powder.
Can you substitute cornstarch?
Could you convert cup measurements to weights for better accuracy? Many thanks
The recipe should work just right so long as you measure properly! i.e., spooning flours into cups, not scooping. I just retested and it’s lovely!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
I just tried making this and the dough looks more like a soup. I stuck to the recipe exactly. When it says 1 1/2 cup etc. you mean 1 cup and 1/2 cup, correct? Otherwise that would likely be the problem.
What cassava flour did you use? Are you in a very humid environment? We live in Memphis and always had great success, as have others in similar environments. 1 1/2 cup is 1 cup plus 1/2 cup![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Okay I’m glad it’s not just me. I’m kinda losing my cool over here. I promised my kids pizza, and we were SO excited… I followed directions EXACTLY and what I have looks like pancake batter. No “pressing” to be 1/2 inch thick. I’m lucky if I end up with a 1/8 thick crepe. What am I doing wrong?! Nothing gets to me quite as much as a failed recipe.
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you, but it’s most likely something that needs to be troubleshot. What type of cassava flour are you using? Some brands are known for frequently failing in recipes![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
The recipe says 1 and 1/4 cups of water and the dough is like pancake batter. I added approximately an additional 1 cup of cassava flour. Have made this recipe using Anthony’s cassava flour once and Otto’s cassava flour once. Both times the result was soupy unless I added more flour.
I actually just retested the recipe after receiving your comment and it worked beautifully for me as written. Are you making sure to properly bloom your yeast until has doubled in size? And rise your dough until it does the same? Make sure you’re also measuring your flours properly: spooning flour in to the measuring cups, not scooping it out.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)