In this post, I share my thoughts on the best brands of gluten free pizza crusts from the freezer and also list some of my tried and true homemade gluten free pizza crust recipes!
As I lamented when discussing the best gluten-free pizza in NYC, gluten-free pizza crusts have fallen far short of their other high-carb counterparts, despite the fact that there have been as many innovations in gluten-free foods as gluten-free pasta and breads…even gluten-free in the past decade Bagels.
However, there have been some advances recently, particularly in restaurants where it’s now common for even the corner pizzeria to offer a gluten-free pizza crust option.
Some of these gluten-free pizza crusts are better than others, and unfortunately, the pillow-soft persuasion is harder to find when it translates to ready-made grocery store meals.
Ever since I posted this crazy gluten free pizza recipe a few weeks ago, you’ve all been asking for my thoughts on the best brands of gluten free frozen pizza crust and my favorite homemade options including Gluten Free Chickpea Pizza Crust and Best Gluten Free Breakfast Pizza Recipe.
As you die-hard readers know, Charlie and I owe our sanity during the pandemic to our weekly TGIF Friday Pizza Night (I’ll let you see what the extra F stands for), especially since I’ve spent so much of it working on my gluten-free cookbook in the kitchen . And since we cook a lot in the pantry and cook a lot, it meant we tried A LOT of gluten-free frozen pizza crusts.
This post covers the entirety of gluten free pizza crust territory, and I’m also sharing a few fan favorites that I’ve yet to try, but will of course embrace in the name of rigorous research.
A dietary restriction often comes with other preferences: vegan, paleo, keto, low-FODMAP, and the like. So I tried to figure out which gluten-free pizza options were the best among these other subsets of needs.
Fear not, there’s a world of pizza enjoyment out there no matter where you fall on the restriction spectrum.
Read on for the best gluten free pizza crusts, store bought and homemade.
And as always, please leave your favorites in the comments so I know what to try next, or sleep at night knowing you’ll agree with my taste in gluten free pizza crust!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
The Best Store Bought Gluten Free Pizza Crust (Frozen & Packaged)
It should be noted that for some reason, gluten-free pizza crusts that are naked, with no toppings, are harder to find than ready-made gluten-free frozen pizzas to heat and eat. Unfortunately, the variety in your local market will most likely gravitate toward the latter. So what is the best gluten-free pizza crust to buy?
But we all know how fun pizza making at home can be, which is why this post covers the crust options available to people who want to try their own gluten-free pizza recipe.
My choices are listed in order of preference.
Since variety is an issue and you may be short of choices, I’ve also listed a few options below that I don’t particularly recommend, but that might be available to you.
Cappello’s Paleo Gluten Free Pizza Crust
This is my favorite crust that balances texture, flavor, and health. It’s made with simple Paleo ingredients, mostly almond flour. But it stands up properly and gets really crispy in the oven. Like most gluten-free pizza crusts, it’s on the small side, so we usually need a whole cake at a time. Your ready-made margarita also makes a good canvas for when you don’t feel like sourcing your own sauce and cheese. It’s not certified low-FODMAP, but the ingredients aren’t problematic. They also now have a keto version.
Banza Chickpea Flour Gluten Free Pizza Base
Banza is new to the gluten-free pizza scene, but their chickpea flour crust gets a nice crunch without tasting too much like buttery chickpeas (a flavor I don’t mind but is definitely present in my homemade version…see below). ) For those of you looking for a high protein option and don’t mind legumes, this is my vote.
Little Northern Bakehouse Vegan Gluten Free Pizza Base
This is one of the rare durable pizza bases and feels more like a flatbread. But it gave pretty excellent results. This is definitely the best vegan option in the mix. Do note, however, that they mold fairly quickly, so it’s best to keep them in the freezer if you don’t intend to use them right away. Here are a few more pics of them taken in my kitchen!
Simple Mills Paleo Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
If you don’t have space in your freezer but want to stick with a paleo-gluten-free pizza crust, Simple Mills boxed mix is ​​an easy semi-homemade option. You don’t have to add much to the batter and you have the added pleasure of being able to mold the crust into any shape you want. I would also give this mix the superlative of the overall healthiest gluten-free pizza crust. Unfortunately, that’s how it tastes.
Whole Healthy Frozen Gluten Free Pizza Dough
This is one of the few options available frozen in dough form. You simply thaw the ball and then roll it out like a regular pizza crust. I think part of the fun of making your own pizza at home is not just choosing the toppings, but the shape as well! This gluten-free crust is great for sheet metal pizzas and more free-form pizzas on the grill.
Versus All Grain Paleo Gluten Free Crust
I’m listing these among some of the other Paleo options because I find their plain crust to be a lot harder to find at markets than their ready-made pizzas, which I like but tend to be overloaded with cheese. However, this is a great option if you also avoid corn, nuts, and soy. However, it is NOT dairy free, vegan or low FODMAP. The main flour they use is tapioca starch and the base tastes a bit like pao de quejo (Brazilian cheese bread) which is delicious but not the lightest. NOTE: This crust is available from Thrive Market, which I highly recommend as a cheaper online retailer for GF brands that also meet other dietary restrictions. It’s cheaper than Whole Foods and not owned by Jeff Bezoz 🙂 Consider joining here.
Whole Foods Gluten Free Grain Free Cauliflower Crust
Full disclosure: This is the only cauliflower crust I’ve tried. I know some people like this. I thought it worked pretty well as the cauliflower was quite camouflaged and crispy. When making your own homemade cauliflower crust, it can be harder to get a really runny base. Overall, this crust tastes similar to the crusts above, but with the added benefit of veggies!
NOTE RECOMMENDED BUT OTHER OPTIONS:
Udi’s gluten-free pizza base
This used to be one of the few crusts available, and it’s both small and unsightly. Udi’s used to be the gold standard for gluten-free baked goods, but luckily other brands have entered the arena and far surpassed them in quality and taste.
Schar Gluten-free pizza crust
Similar to Udi but in Europe, Schar is the most well-known gluten-free brand. I think they surpass Udi’s in flavor but tend to be heavily processed with lots of soy, corn and other ingredients that I try to avoid in packaged foods. It’s low-FODMAP, though, so it’s a good option for these folks.
The best gluten free pizza crust recipes
What’s the best recipe for homemade gluten-free pizza? There are several approaches you can take, including undetectable options like single-use gluten-free flours.
Feed Me Phoebe Socca Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Using chickpea flour to make a gluten-free pizza crust is one of the quickest and easiest ways. It is also known as socca crust in parts of the Mediterranean. You simply combine equal parts chickpea flour and water, then beat in some oil and salt. Heat a skillet and cook the crust first, then add the toppings.
Cauliflower Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Cauliflower crust at home is a little more complicated and requires some dairy to hold the “dough” together. But it can be delicious!
Gluten-free flatbread crust made from cassava flour
Another single-ingredient flour that is easy to combine with water is cassava. It’s paleo too!
Feed me Phoebe Tortilla Pizzas
An easy homemade gluten free pizza crust option is to use a tortilla! Corn tortillas get nice and crispy in the oven, as you’ll see with these baked breakfast pizzas, but they can also be made with traditional Italian toppings for a quick fix.
Gluten Free Palette AP Gluten Free Flour Crust
If you don’t want a pre-made flour mix made specifically for pizza, this recipe uses gluten-free AP flour to create an easy crust with very few other additions.
Eat with Clarity Yeast Dough Gluten-free pizza dough
This one also uses AP flour but is a yeast dough that gets that pillowy soft rise.
Feed me Phoebe Deep Dish Polenta Pizza
Polenta can create a very crunchy base for pizza and tastes wonderful as an Italian alternative for traditional crusts. It’s also great for sculpting the shape and style of deep dish pizza in a pie plate!
The best gluten free pizza sauces
There are some great gluten-free sauces and condiments that make great pizza toppings, too. Aside from regular gluten-free tomato sauce, you can try:
Did I forget one of your favorite gluten-free pizza crust brands or dough recipes? Please let me know what you liked in the comments!