No yeast or xanthan gum is to be found in this amazingly easy Gluten-Free Pizza Crust recipe made with tapioca flour. This easy and delicious pizza crust has a delightfully chewy texture that is reminiscent of gluten-filled pizza crusts. It can be made thick or thin; and makes great cheesy breadsticks, also! It is a versatile family favorite of ours that we make EVERY Saturday night (for years now!) for our homemade pizza night. I am so happy to finally share it with you, and I hope you love it, too!
I’m really excited to be sharing this gluten-free pizza recipe with you guys as it’s been a long time coming! It is a Saturday night staple in our house that the whole family greatly enjoys. We serve it with a salad and call it a meal! It so deliciously cheesy and chewy…even those that are not gluten-free LOVE it.
Why This Recipe Works
- A super easy recipe! All you need is one bowl to quickly hand mix.
- Reminiscent of your favorite gluten-filled takeout pizzas! It has a delightfully chewy, bready, cheesy texture that is certain to please all the carb-lovers out there.
- Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Yeast-Free, Xanthan Gum Free, Soy-Free and Nut-Free.
- A versatile recipe. You can use the crust for pizza or breadsticks, and there is room for error where the ingredients are concerned (be certain to read the ‘Tips’ section further along this post!).
- Positively DELICIOUS!
How to Make The Best Gluten-Free Pizza:
- Preheat the oven.
- Throw all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour into pans.
- Bake, top, and bake again!
- Slice and enjoy!
Easy peasy.
Top Tips for Making Gluten Free Pizza
There is room for error with this pizza crust recipe. I have genuinely made this over 100 times now, and here are some variations that work:
- Low on flour? Add a little more cheese to compensate.
- Low on cheese? Add a little more flour to compensate.
- Do not have or want to use butter? Use olive oil.
- Do not have or low on mozzarella or parmesan cheese? I frequently use shredded cheddar in the crust and it works great.
- Want a thick crust? Pour it as thick as you like in a round or square cake pan. Just make the initial bake a little longer. When I want a thick crust, I pour the batter into two pans instead of three and I bake for 20 minutes instead of 15 minutes the first go-around.
- Want a thin crust? Pour and divide the batter into 4 pans instead of 3. Do not change the initial bake but instead bake for only 3 minutes instead of 6 on the second bake.
- Want a bit more of a bite to your pizza? Use 1 cup of milk
- Want a softer, chewier pizza? Use 1 1/2 cups of milk.
- Low on milk? This is a flexible ingredient in this recipe. I’ve frequently used only 3/4 cup with success in a pinch.
- Do not have milk? Water works just fine as far as texture and outcome goes! I just find milk adds a bit of a richer flavor.
- You can omit or add any spices of your choice in this recipe.
- You can use any toppings of your choice. You can make thin pizza, thick pizza, traditional red sauce pizza, pesto pizza, alfredo pizza, breadsticks, garlic breadsticks, cheesy breadsticks, you name it.
- This pizza recipe works well when halved or doubled!
What are the Toppings as Shown?
After the initial bake, we like to run a stick of butter over the tops of the crusts, sprinkle with more Italian seasoning, and top with mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese. We then slice one into triangles, one into squares and one into rectangles (the kids love the variety of shapes!) and then serve with a side of marinara or pizza sauce for dipping (for the adults; the kids love as is!).
How to Store
Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat on a cookie sheet in a 350° F oven for 5-10 minutes or until warmed throughout.
Can I use a different flour in this Homemade Gluten Free Pizza Crust?
This recipe was developed solely with tapioca starch in mind. Tapioca is what gives it a chewiness and stretchiness that is reminiscent of gluten containing flours! Having said that, while I haven’t tested it, if you’re feeling experimental, you can try replacing the tapioca starch with arrowroot starch (similar properties). If you do so, I would love to hear how it goes! A reader did inform me that replacing half of the tapioca flour with a gluten-free flour blend works well, too!
Can I use a pizza stone, cookie sheet or pizza pan to make this Easy Gluten-Free Pizza Crust?
Unfortunately, no. This pizza crust batter is very liquid-y and sticky prior to baking and only works in baking pans with high edges that act as a sort of pizza mold. On the plus side, this makes this a very easy gluten-free pizza crust to make! It might not be what you’re used to working with, but trust me, it turns out beautifully once baked! For more information about what pans (and ingredients) I like to use, please visit the ‘Shop This Recipe’ section right below the recipe.
More Gluten-Free Pizza Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Red Lentil Flatbread Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pizza Crust
Coconut Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free)
Quinoa Flatbread Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Millet Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Butternut Squash & Lentil Flatbread Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free)
This is sincerely one of my favorite recipes ever to grace this blog and if you try it, I would LOVE to hear how it goes! This gluten-free pizza dough recipe should not disappoint! And if you have any questions, I’m always a message away. Thank you for visiting and I hope you ENJOY! xo.
If you try this recipe please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, share this post, use Pinterest’s “tried it” feature, or take a photo, & tag me on Instagram and I’ll share it! Thank you so much! <3
Delicious Gluten-Free Pizza Crust – An Easy Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1-2 garlic cloves grated or minced
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk of choice I use unsweetened almond
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle a little olive oil into three 8-9" round and/or square cake pans or cast iron skillets. If your pan(s) of choice are not very non-stick, I recommend lining them with parchment paper. I love using my copper bake pans for this recipe.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cheese, salt, baking powder, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Stir.
- Pour in melted butter and stir again.
- Pour in eggs and milk and then stir swiftly, scraping down the sides as needed until all of the flour is combined with the milk and eggs. The batter will be quite wet.
- Divide the batter between the cake pans. I like to use an ice cream scoop to pour a scoop into each pan evenly until all batter is dispersed.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top as desired.
- Turn the oven up to 400°F.
- Bake for 6 minutes longer, and then turn the broiler on and broil until the toppings are melted and turning golden (2-3 minutes).
- Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
All I can say is: OMGGGG! My 16 yr old picky eater requested pizza at 1:00 am. As the usual recipe I would use wasn’t available, I looked up for other gf pizza crust recipes and came across this one. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best dayum pizza crust ever! As I don’t have any tapioca flour, I used King Arthur measure-for-measure gf flour, and the crust turned out amazing! Can’t say “thank you!!!!” enough for this recipe!
Hi, Jerilyn! This absolutely made my day. 😊 I’m so happy you and your 16-year-old loved the pizza, and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and share your experience. It truly means a lot to me! I’m also glad to hear the King Arthur gluten-free flour worked so well!
I may have used a bit too much flour when halving the recipe. My crust turned out buckled and wavy. It tasted ok though.
Can the pizza crust be frozen after baking? Can you add sauce e and cheese to freeze also. Premake.
Hi, Donna! Thank you for visiting! Yes, most certainly. To do this, bake for the initial 15 minutes, add the toppings, and then freeze. When you’re ready to cook, bake from frozen at 400°F for approximately 10–15 minutes. I hope this helps! 😊
Would this work in 2 12” cast iron skillets?
Yes! That would be perfect.
Thank you for this recipe. 😊 Is there a substitution for eggs if one wanted to make this a vegan crust?
Hi, Havi! This recipe does work with flax eggs as a replacement for regular eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds + 3 tablespoons warm water per one regular egg). The texture will be a little different, but still quite delicious. I hope this helps!
Not sure what I did wrong, but came out verrry gummy. Outer crust was good…but inside not so much. Any suggestions on what I may have done wrong? Even cooked it a bit longer to make sure it was done. Will probably try again and maybe use a different size pan.
Hi, Sue! Can I ask if you made any modifications to the recipe and also what size pan you used? The crust is a chewy crust but it should not be gummy. If it is gummy it could be a few different things, including the brand of tapioca flour used, too much liquid, not enough cook time, altitude etc. I would maybe try a different brand of tapioca, use slightly less liquid, cook a little longer, use a large pan and allow the crust to cool and set a bit before slicing and see how it works out for you. I’m sorry you had this experience!
Hi Kristen
May I ask what brand of Tapioca was used in the recipe? Thanks for your reply. I will try it again
I usually use Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills.
This works GREAT as a bread machine pizza dough with a packet of yeast added if you like a more aerated, bread-like crust.
I did not change a thing, other than adding yeast. I used the regular “dough” setting on my bread machine.
The aeration is considerable — enough that this dough is no longer runny and you can spread it our on a pizza pan or cookie sheet that doesn’t have sides like a fry pan.
The other thing is you could really get four or five thinner crusts out of the same recipe this way.
I used my first crust for pizza. the second crust I simply baked as flat bread and was delighted to realize it rose high enough to use a sharp knife to split it into a pita for a giant sandwich!
I froze the third crust into quarters and take them out as needed for quick pizza slices / pita sandwiches. (I put them in the air fryer on the lowest setting (200-250 F for a few minutes to defrost first if I am splitting for sandwiches or pita chips for dipping).
Note 1: this is such a generous quantity of crust that I won’t add dry Italian seasonings to the dough in future as you can barely perceive them combined with zesty pizza toppings — but you can taste them in sandwiches/chips and may not want to (I don’t like oregano etc with tuna salad, smoked salmon cream cheese, curried chicken salad, etc.)
Note 2: I know some cooks feel using baking powder & yeast in the same recipe is counterproductive but this is not the case, in my experience, you really do get more aeration.
Note 3: I am not sensitive to Xanthan gum in small quantities, so I may add a pinch to the mix next time if I try to get four or five thinner pizza shells out of this recipe rather than three.
amazing thoughts I had but didn’t act on… lol did it give any yeasty flavor is what I want to know though? I halved it and kept overnight in ninja jar and blended before precooking single pies in cast iron skillet using a springform round to build up to the edge. flip after it seems dry on top. I used the brown crumbles from ghee in skillet to give a more complex flavor and thought it very nice!
Yes, but yeasty in a good way, like traditional semolina/wheat crust. I’m ready to make this again today!
Noticed you made in a bread machine! I have a small bread machine, should I half the recipe you think?
You can’t beat homemade pizza dough. There is so much that you can do with it.
Absolutely delicious; thank you for this fantastic recipe! Very straightforward and easy to make. The dough came out perfectly. I will make it again!!
I have a few friends who eat gluten-free diets who also love pizza – saving your recipe now for all those future dinner parties!
I’ve been gluten free for about a year and pizza is one of the things I miss the most! But thanks to your recipe I can make delicious gluten free pizza that tastes just like regular pizza! Thank you!
This is very interesting. I will be trying out this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely can’t wait to try this. My question is can I cut down the salt in it?
Hi, Kathy – yes, you most certainly can cut down or even omit, if need be. It really just enhances the flavors a bit, but will work just fine without. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the quick reply. Even reducing it will help me a lot. Now, let’s have some pizza!!
I was finely able to make this tonight and it is excellent! Thank you so much for this recipe. It will be my go to from now on.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Very good for GF cheese bread/garlic cheese fingers. Also topped with bruschetta, parm and parsley, Very versatile!
Oh, that sounds great! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to share here. 🙂
This dough looks delicious. You could never know it is gluten free.
That pizza looks amazing. Recently I started the GF diet and now I’m excited to give your recipe a try.
We have got to try this! My youngest is gluten-free and loves pizza and we have tried so many gross pizza crusts.
Hi in the video the breadsticks look different then the pizza is it the same Recipe ?
Hi, Natasha! Yes, it is the exact same recipe (save for maybe a different brand of cheese/sauce) and I cut it like breadsticks in the video, but that’s just how we enjoy this pizza sliced! 🙂
Love that you can still make a ‘proper’ pizza crust that’s gluten-free. Thanks for all the handy expert tips too… can’t wait to try it!
Hurrah! I’m so excited to find a great GF pizza crust recipe at last!
This recipe is a game changer for my family! Not only did my 12 year old with celiac love this…but the rest of my family did too!! We made both regular and breakfast pizzas!! Topped with scrambled eggs , cheese, and whatever other toppings you want! My family of 6, along with friends, devoured them all!! I’m so excited about this! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear this! It really makes my day. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and share. 🙂
Would it be possible to make this without cheese? My son is dairy free.
Hi Lisa, I have not tested it without cheese myself, but several readers have made with dairy-free cheese with great results. If you omit it, it should still make a decent crust, but it will likely be less “chewy” without it. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s blown my mind and changed my world (literally) while I’ve been on a candida/anti-inflammatory diet. Deliciously chewy, the perfect base for cheese and topics, absolutely love it. Thank you!
This makes my day! I’m so happy to hear it. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. 🙂
What am I doing wrong? I cut the recipe in half and carefully measured, and didn’t substitute anything. The top looks beautiful, but the center is like pudding.
It’s cut into slices, and back in the oven. At this point, I’ve doubled the second bake time. I want it to be successful—can you help? Thanks!
Hi Myra – I’m sorry to hear that! What you’re describing sounds as if it hasn’t baked long enough, though I’m very surprised it still hasn’t set in the middle with double the bake time. If you are certain all ratios are correct, I could only guess that there might be a difference in oven temperatures or altitude, etc. May I ask what brand of tapioca flour you used? Again, I’m sorry you’re having this experience…that is very strange!
Hi, Kristin! Thanks for responding. I used the tapioca flour from nuts.com. If I try it again, I would make the initial bake longer, I think. Maybe it’s my oven? It’s an electric oven, but I preheated it. Thanks again!
I LOVE this recipe. It is so tasty, I honestly prefer it over any other homemade dough I’ve attempted to make. Also it’s so fast and much easier than any dough recipe I’ve tried. I’ve made it 3 times and played around with the flour a bit. I love it as it’s written but found solely tapioca was very chewy, like Brazilian cheese bread. To make it a little less chewy I did 2 cups tapioca flour, 1 cup 1:1 gf flour, and 3/4 cup of white rice flour. Still turned out great! And has little more “bread like” texture in my opinion.
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback. 🙂
Hi, can I use bigger pan! Thinking 12/15 ” pan?
Hi! Yes, you can. If you do that, you can use all the batter to make one larger, thicker pizza or you can pour about 2/3 the batter into a larger pan like that, and the rest into an 8-9″ for average thickness. I hope this helps!
I use a Jelly roll pan with great results.
I love how versatile this recipe is! It’s great for pizza or breadsticks and my family loves it! So delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you. 🙂
This pizza crust turned out perfectly and tasted just like regular pizza dough!! I couldnt believe how close it was without the xanthan gum! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I’m so happy! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and share! 🙂