Vegan Flatbread Quinoa Pizza Crust Recipe (Gluten-Free)

This gluten-free vegan flatbread pizza recipe is going to be your new favorite quick and easy dinner! You don’t need to knead the dough or wait for it to rise, this homemade pizza is ready to eat in just 40 minutes! Crispy on the edges, soft in the center, and topped with meaty mushrooms, artichoke hearts, baby arugula, and the creamiest vegan garlic aioli! 

*This recipe was originally posted on 1/20/18, but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 1/4/20. 

I love pizza, It’s one of my favorite foods of all time! Doesn’t everyone love pizza? For me, it’s right up there with creamy vegan mac and cheese, the best vegan scalloped potatoes, and hearty vegan meatloaf…YUM! 

If you’re like me and you also like to make pizza from scratch at home, then I think you’re going to love this recipe just as much as I do! This gluten-free vegan bread recipe is so quick and simple to make and it only requires 5 ingredients to make the dough!

My issue with making homemade pizza dough is that you have to make the dough, wait for it to rise, and then you have to knead it. I really don’t like kneading the dough, even if it means I get pizza after doing it. Kneading dough is time-consuming, it makes a mess on the counter, and it hurts my hands.

Related Post: No-Knead Whole Wheat Chia Bread (this bread makes the best avocado toast!) 

Having to wait for the dough to rise means that you have to plan ahead if you want pizza for dinner. I don’t always remember to plan ahead and prep the dough earlier in the day so I can eat the pizza at a decent dinner time. 

That’s how this delicious vegan flatbread pizza without yeast came to fruition! You can blend this quick quinoa flour and water flatbread dough in a blender in just a few minutes and then you can bake it right away! You don’t have to wait for the dough to rise, knead the dough, or even cook the quinoa! It’s so quick and convenient! 

To be fair, this isn’t a traditional pizza dough, it’s more of a thin vegan flatbread pizza. However, because it’s made with quinoa, the dough is naturally gluten-free and it gets perfectly crisp while it bakes. It’s quite tasty! 

You don’t even need one of those special perforated pizza trays, all you need is a regular old sheet pan. Just blend, bake, and eat! Homemade pizza crust doesn’t get any easier than this!

Related Post: Vegan Zucchini Pizza Bites

Reasons Why You’re Going to Love This Pizza

• The vegan pizza dough is made in the blender, so you don’t have to knead the dough by hand. 
• You don’t have to wait for the dough to rise.
• Easy clean-up since the pizza bakes on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
• This flatbread pizza recipe is naturally gluten-free.
• From start to finish, this vegan pizza recipe only takes 40 minutes to make!

What’s the Difference Between Flatbread and Pizza?

The main difference between flatbread and pizza is that flatbread is made with unleavened yeast or no yeast at all. Without active yeast (or any yeast), the dough will be flat.

This gluten-free flatbread recipe doesn’t contain any yeast, so it doesn’t rise at all. It’s more like a thin crust pizza that’s crispy on the edges and softer in the middle. 

Is Pizza Dough Vegan?

Most pizza dough is naturally vegan, but you should always ask to make sure. This gluten-free quinoa pizza dough is 100% vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. The dough consists only of quinoa, water, Italian seasonings, garlic, and salt. 

Tools You’ll Need

• High Powered Blender (This is the blender that I have and use almost every day!)
• Large Baking Tray (Look for a pan that is PTFE & PFOA-Free)
• BPA-Free Silicone Spatula
• Pancake Spatula (You don’t NEED a pancake spatula to make the pizza, but it makes it a lot easier to flip the crust)
• Parchment Paper (I use this brand because it’s unbleached and chlorine-free)
• Large Pizza Cutter

How to Make Vegan Flatbread Pizza

Step #1 – Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Add the uncooked quinoa, Italian seasonings, water, garlic clove, and salt to a high powered blender. Blend the mixture until the batter is smooth.

Step #2 – Line a large baking tray with unbleached parchment paper and pour the batter onto the tray. Use a silicone spatula to smooth out the dough evenly into a large oval shape. Try not to spread the flatbread too thin, or it will get very crispy on the edges. Aim for 1/4 inch thickness.

Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasonings over the dough for extra flavor.

Step #3 – Bake the flatbread for 15 minutes and then remove the tray from the oven. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes or until you can touch the flatbread with your hand.

Step #4 – Carefully, put another large piece of parchment paper on top of the flatbread and hold it there with your hand. Use a pancake spatula to slide under the flatbread and flip it over on the tray. Slowly, peel off the top layer of parchment paper. It will stick a little bit but you should be able to get it off in one piece. 

Step #5 – Bake the flatbread pizza for 5 minutes and then remove it from the oven again. Top the vegan pizza with a thin layer of tomato sauce, mushrooms, halved artichoke hearts, and vegan cheese. Bake the pizza for 10 more minutes. 

Step #6 – Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a large pizza cutter to slice the pizza into 6-8 slices and then top it with baby arugula and vegan garlic aioli. 

How to Make Flatbread Pizza Crispy

By making the vegan flatbread only 1/4-inch thick and then baking the pizza at a high temperature will result in a crispy flatbread! 

Vegan Flatbread Topping Options

You could make a classic Margherita flatbread pizza or load it up with lots of veggie toppings. If you’re not a fan of the mushroom and artichoke combination that I made, you could mix it up with any of the following pizza toppings:

• Zucchini, Broccoli, Spinach and Diced Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Onions, Cauliflower and Kale
• Cherry Tomatoes, Onions, Fresh Basil or Pesto + a Balsamic Glaze
• Cucumbers, Curried Tofu, Diced Tomatoes + Sweet Chili Sauce
• Pineapple, Onions, Corn and BBQ Tempeh + BBQ Sauce
• Vegan Sausage, Butternut Squash, Bell Peppers and Onions

Can You Make the Crust in Advance?

Yes, you can make the pizza crust in advance, it reheats perfectly. 

Instructions to Make the Pizza in Advance

You can make the flatbread pizza with the vegetables and cheese toppings (except for the arugula and aioli) and bake it according to the recipe instructions 1-2 days before. When you’re ready to eat it, place the pizza on a parchment-lined baking tray and reheat it at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not burning. 

Let the pizza cool for a few minutes and then top with arugula and garlic aioli.

Instructions to Make the Pizza Crust Without Toppings in Advance

Or you can follow the recipe instructions to just make the pizza crust, without the sauce, cheese, and vegetables, the day before. This would be a good idea if you’re having a pizza party and want to prep the crusts in advance.

To do this, blend the dough and bake it for 15 minutes. Flip the vegan pizza and bake it for 15 more minutes. Let it cool completely and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. 

What to do With Leftovers

Store the leftover mushroom and artichoke flatbread in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The crust will get a little soft but you can easily reheat it and crisp it back up.

Instructions to Reheat the Pizza

Place the pieces of pizza on a parchment-lined tray and bake it at for 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until it’s hot. You could also warm it up in the microwave, toaster oven, or in a large pan over medium heat on the stovetop. 

Notes & Substitutions

• Quinoa Substitute: I haven’t tried making this vegan flatbread pizza recipe with anything except for quinoa, so I can’t say for certain if any other substitutions would work as well.
• Toppings? You don’t have to use mushrooms and artichokes, you can switch up the vegetable toppings that you use. I listed multiple options above. 
• Sauce Options: If you don’t want to use tomato sauce, you could substitute pesto spread (I really like the premade vegan pesto from Trader Joe’s) or BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce. 
• Not a fan of arugula? You could use sauteed spinach or kale instead. 
• Gluten-Free? This vegan pizza is naturally gluten-free!

Success Tips

• Check your bag of quinoa before you use it to make the pizza dough. If the quinoa doesn’t say that it has been pre-washed, then you need to rinse it yourself. If you don’t, the quinoa will taste bitter. 
• You must use a high-powered blender to make the pizza dough, a food processor won’t work for this recipe. The batter will be pretty thick and you have to keep bending it until it’s smooth and no lumps are left. 
• Make sure to line the baking tray with parchment paper (not wax paper!) so the flatbread doesn’t stick. It also makes cleanup a breeze. 
• You can make this quinoa pizza without a large pancake spatula but the spatula makes it a lot easier to flip the flatbread. 
• My favorite vegan cheeses to use for pizza are Violife mozzarella shreds, Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds or Miyokos mozzarella. 

Want More Vegan Quinoa Recipes?