Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

When I hear someone says pizza, first thing that comes to my mind is comfort food with tons of flavour and deliciousness. Sweet potatoes are sweet, starchy and are rich in vitamin A, B6, C, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre that promote the growth of good gut bacteria which contributes to a healthy gut and who doesn’t like that, right?

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Sweet potatoes are so versatile, you can make them into dessert as well as savoury meals and you can even eat them raw and shred them into salads, the possibilities are endless.

This pizza crust is a healthy alternative to regular pizza and is perfect for anyone who can’t tolerate grains as it is gluten, grain and nut FREE. It is quick and easy to make with only two ingredients (Cassava flour is the second ingredient). It is a starch made by grating and drying the fibrous cassava root known as Yuca. If you are unable to use coconut or nut-based flours in recipes like almond flour, cassava is another great alternative for gluten-free baking.

The best part is that it is hand-held pizza crust just like a regular pizza crust, but you will have to see it for yourself. We are topping the pizza with beautiful baby king oyster mushrooms, peppers, onion, spinach and flavourful-citrusy pesto sauce that goes so well with sweet potato.

SWEET POTATO PIZZA CRUST

Yield: 4-6
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Bake time: 45 min
Total time: 1 hour 10 min

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Crust:

• 2 large sweet potatoes (8 cups cubed or 1200 g uncooked)
• 2 cups Cassava flour (find it here)
• ¼ tsp salt (optional)
• Pizza Toppings: Optional
• 1 package baby king oyster mushrooms (about 200 g) shredded with a fork
• 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (alternative to soya sauce)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ red pepper chopped
• ½ red onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
• Dash of cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt (optional)
• Handful fresh spinach

Tomato Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 lemon juiced
• ½ tsp of all-purpose seasoning or dried oregano
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Pesto Sauce:

• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds (I usually presoak my seeds for 30 min in hot water)
• 112 g or 4oz fresh basil (a big bunch)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line pizza tray with parchment paper (very important).
2. Peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes. Steam the potatoes in the pot for about 10 to 15 min until soft.
3. In a bowl add the potatoes and mash them until there are no lumps. Let them cool down before adding cassava flour. Once cooled add 1 cup of the flour, mix well and then add the second cup. Here you can use your hands and work the dough until a ball of dough develops.
4. Sprinkle the parchment paper with cassava flour so the dough doesn’t stick to it. Spread the dough by pressing it down with your hands from the center and pushing towards the edges of the tray. Pierce the crust in few places with the fork.
5. Bake in the oven for 30 min (set timer).
6. Make the tomato sauce by mixing all the ingredients in the bowl and then set it aside.
7. To make the pesto sauce place all the ingredients in a blender or magic bullet, except for the basil and blend until well combined and the seeds, are ground. Then add the basil and blend until combined, but you still see some texture of the basil (if you wish).
8. Prepare the toppings. Shred the oyster mushrooms with the fork. I recommend watching the video above for a visual instruction.
9. Preheat a non-stick pan to medium-high. Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil (or any you like) then add the mushrooms and sear them until brown, about 5 min. Add 1 tbsp coconut aminos, 2 garlic cloves, then onion and red pepper, all the seasoning and sautee for an extra 3 min and then set it aside.
10. Remove the pizza crust after 30 min. Here we flip the crust from the parchment paper onto a new parchment paper. Bake in the oven for another 15 minutes.
11. Take the pizza out of the oven after 15 min and spread the tomato sauce. Put some spinach on and put it back in the oven for extra 5 minutes.
12. Remove the pizza, top with all the toppings and mushrooms mixture.
13. Garnish with pesto and any other sauce or cheese you desire.

Tips:

• I recommend watching the video above this recipe for visual clear instruction.
• The round size of my baking tray is 14 inches wide.
• I do recommend at least making the pizza this wide, for the best results.
• Also, you can use parchment paper to press down and spread the mixture flat.
• You can steam and mash the potatoes the night before for a quick crust the next day.
• Make sure you set a timer for the pizza crust.
• You can use any toppings you like and vegan cheese if you desire.
• I recommend soaking your sunflower seeds for at least 30 min in hot water, for easy digestion. Seeds and nuts can be hard to digest if they are not soaked for some people.
• I get asked if you can use other flours. Yes, you can use gluten free, spelt or wheat flour if you are not avoiding gluten. The texture and flavour will be different but still delicious.