This delicious pizza made with a bean and bread crust provides more protein than a regular dough-based crust. The beans also add a unique texture to this pizza. Beans and pizza might not be two things that you have thought of combining, but I bet you’ll make it again and again once you try it.
Ingredients
I used cannellini beans because they have such a good flavor and they’re soft enough to mash easily. They’re also used in lots of Italian dishes so they’re perfect for this bean crust pizza. If you’re curious about white beans, read all about them here. The whole-wheat bread helps it all stick together and it adds texture. When the crust is made, the rest of the ingredients are what you would use in any pizza – sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Making Italian Bean Crust Pizza
After you have formed this crust mixture into a ball, put it on a pizza pan and press it with your fingers until it’s a pizza-shaped crust. Bake it, add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and then bake it again.
Final Notes
We like mushrooms and black olives on our pizza, but you can add any toppings you like. When it’s ready to eat, cut it with a knife or pie server. Because it’s not a dough-based crust, you don’t need a pizza cutter, but you will need something under each slice to help it stay together as it goes from the pan to a plate. A spatula will work too. Eat this bean crust pizza with a fork alongside a fresh salad and call it a meal!
You can make the bean-bread mix for this pizza crust ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Later in the day or the next day, take it out, press it into shape, and make your pizza.
If you’re a vegetarian looking for complete protein, you’ll find it in this bean crust pizza. The beans and the grains in the whole-wheat bread combine to make a complete protein. If you like this bean crust pizza try Mexican bean crust pizza too.
Italian Bean Crust Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cannellini beans 1 15 oz can
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 piece of whole wheat bread torn into pieces
- 1 large clove of garlic
- About a cup of pizza sauce or to taste
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Your choice of toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain the cannellini beans.
- Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press.
- Tear the slice of whole wheat bread into small pieces.
- Put the beans, olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning into a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Use a fork to mash this mixture.
- Add the whole wheat bread pieces and use your hands to combine it with the bean mash.
- Form this mixture into a ball and transfer it to an oiled or non-stick pizza pan.
- Pat the mash onto the pizza pan to form a circle that is about ¼ of an inch thick.
- Pinch the edges so they’re a little bit higher than the rest of the crust.
- Bake the crust at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
- Pour on the pizza sauce and top it with the mozzarella cheese.
- Add toppings (optional).
- Put the pizza in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Slice with a knife and serve with a spatula or pie server.
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