Perfected Black Bean Pizza Crust

I'm starting out Lettuce Beet Diabetes by posting a pretty solid recipe. You could say I was inspired to finally start this blog today because I owed it to health enthusiasts everywhere to share this very recipe. I can't take all the credit for it, it really is the love child of my boyfriend and I. He loves making homemade pizzas, but being that I avoid dairy and white flour, I never shared his beautiful creations with him. So slowly, he started to modify his crusts by reducing the flour, switching to whole wheat, reducing the oil...until one day I suggested he add beans to it. (I love adding beans to everything - they are a nutritional powerhouse!) Fast-forward to over a year later and we have the perfect pizza crust recipe to present to you. It is fast, easy and really, really good. And did I mention it is vegan and gluten-free? With no further delay, I present to you: Perfected Black Bean Pizza Crust.

It's tasty, it's pretty, it's simple (only 3 ingredients!), and it's much more blood sugar friendly than traditional pizza crust. Scroll down for the recipe! I mean...just look at this drool-worthy slice.

Perfected Black Bean Pizza Crust
by Bailey West
B.S. Nutrition/Dietetics
serves 2 - 4

1 15-oz. can black beans
1 cup oat flour
1 flax egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make a flax egg by combining 1 T flax meal with 3 T warm water. Set aside until gelatinous.
3. Pulse the beans in a food processor until they are thoroughly broken down.
4. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well, kneading until a dough is formed.
5. Using parchment paper, begin rolling out  the dough onto your favorite pizza pan. I usually roll mine out to be about 1/4" thick.
6. Pre-bake the crust for about 10 minutes.
7. Add toppings and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 - 10 minutes. I like to broil mine for a couple minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Bailey's favorite toppings:
sauce options: tomato sauce, hummus, Victoria Vegan's vegan Alfredo sauce
topping options: artichoke, Kalamata olives, spinach, tempeh, mushrooms, Daiya mozzarella cheese

Josh's favorite toppings:
sauce options: Newman's Own tomato basil pasta sauce
topping options: bell pepper, onion, spinach, fresh mozzarella or your favorite raw cheese

Once you get your pie in the oven, keep an eye on it. Ours usually cook for 20 - 30 minutes, but the crust is pretty giving with cooking time. It doesn't burn easily. Depending on many variables, your crust might need more or less time than ours, so just be attentive.

This post was updated 12/17/17.