Mini Chickpea Pizza Crust Pizzas

Straightforward chickpea pizza crust starts with a plain batter—no yeast, kneading, or rolling required. Bake it in a muffin tin, add marinara, broiled vegetables, and vegan mozzarella, and you have 12 mini pizzas for snacks, packed lunches, and meal prep. Vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free!

Introduction

A muffin tin might be my go-to piece of pizza-making equipment. No pizza stone, no stretching dough, no specialty skills: just a pan of little crusts ready for sauce, vegetables, and melted cheese.

My chickpea pizza crust is based on socca, the chickpea flour flatbread from Provence. You whisk together a few ingredients, let the batter rest, and pour it into the muffin cups. A short first bake sets the crusts before you add the toppings.

The mini size is especially handy for everyday eating. Pack a few for lunch, serve a couple for an afternoon snack, or make a batch to keep in the refrigerator or freezer for meals ahead. I have eaten them cold, warm, and hot—and happily recommend all three.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Straightforward crust preparation:Whisk a pourable batter instead of mixing and kneading dough.
• Made for lunches and snacks:Individual pizzas are straightforward to portion and pack.
• Meal prep friendly:Make 12 at a time, with refrigerated and freezer storage options.
• Vegan:Egg-free and dairy-free when made with plant-based mozzarella.
• Protein:a good source of plant-based protein, with 6.2 grams protein per mini pizza.
• Gluten-free and grain-free:Chickpea flour is the only flour in the crust.
• Satisfying toppings:Broiled vegetables, marinara, and melted cheese give each mini pizza plenty of flavor.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Chickpea flour:The foundation of the crust. Use chickpea flour, rather than cooked chickpeas or another gluten-free flour.
• Warm water:Combines with the flour to make a smooth, pourable batter. It should be warm, not hot.
• Olive oil:Goes into the crust and is also used to lightly brush or mist the vegetables. Another cooking oil can be used. Use any variety of olive oil (e.g., virgin, extra virgin) or the vegetables oil of your choice.
• Salt:Seasons both the crust and vegetables. Use plain table salt or fine sea salt.
• Zucchini:Cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick for broiling.
• Mushrooms:Slice about 1/4 inch thick.
• Roma tomatoes:Slice about 1/4 inch thick and broil with the other vegetables.
• Marinara sauce:Choose a prepared sauce you enjoy.
• Shredded vegan mozzarella:Use store-bought plant-based mozzarella or my kitchen-made vegan mozzarella. Choose gluten-free and grain-free products if needed.
• Fresh basil or parsley:Optional finishing herbs.

How to Make Mini Chickpea Pizza Crust Pizzas

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

• Broil the vegetables.Position an oven rack in the highest position and preheat the broiler. Arrange the zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes on a largebaking sheetin a mostly single layer. Lightly mist or brush witholive oiland sprinkle with salt. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the zucchini slices are browned. Let cool slightly.
• Prepare the pan.Preheat the oven to 450°F (approximately 230°C). Grease or spray 12 cups of a standardmuffin tin. Alternatively, use silicone muffin cup liners to line each muffin cup.
• Mix the crust batter.In asmall bowl, whisk thechickpea flour, water, 2 tablespoonsolive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth.
• Bake the crusts.Divide thechickpea flourbatter evenly among the prepared cups. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Top the pizzas. Remove the tin from the oven and use a spoon to spread each crust with 2 teaspoons marinara sauce. Top with zucchini and a sprinkle of cheese, then add tomato slices, mushrooms, and the remaining cheese.
• Bake again.Return to the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes longer, until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and lightly browned at the edges.
• Cool and serve.Cool in the tin on acooling rackfor 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cup and remove the pizzas. Serve warm or cool completely for storage. Top with basil or parsley, if desired.

Taste and Texture

The chickpea flour crust has a tender center and crisp edges, with a savory flavor that goes well with tomato sauce. Broiling brings browned flavor to the vegetables before they go onto the pizzas, and the melted mozzarella holds the layers together.

Expect little socca-style crusts rather than chewy yeast dough. The combination of soft crust, broiled vegetables, and gooey cheese is what makes them so good.

Storage

• Refrigerate:Store cooled mini pizzas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freeze:Store cooled mini pizzas in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For meal prep, portion the cooled pizzas into containers so lunch or snack portions are ready to grab. Keep packed lunches chilled until ready to eat. Enjoy cold if you do not have a way to warm them.

Serving Suggestions

Serve a few mini pizzas with a green salad for lunch, or pack them with crunchy vegetables and fresh fruit. One or two make an straightforward savory snack, offer a platter for a casual gathering, too, or simply enjoy at dinner time as a new take on pizza night.

Their small size makes it straightforward to portion lunch according to your appetite. They are good cold as well as warm, so they are useful for lunches without microwave access.

Flavor Variations

Add a teaspoon of dried herbs, such as herbes de Provence, dried Italian herb seasoning, or dried basil, to the batter. You can also stir in chopped fresh basil, parsley, oregano or thymes leaves.

Add a 2 minced or mashed garlic cloves, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder, to the batter. You can also combine garlic and herbs (see above).

These little pizzas are a great way to use up leftover vegetables, and turn them into something brand new (nourishing pizza!). Replace the broiled vegetables with leftover roasted, steamed or sautéed vegetables, such as onions, red bell peppers, butternut squash cubes, broccoli or asparagus,

Add 1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the batter. I like to add a small amount (1/2 tsp) of sharp mustard to further bring out the cheese-y flavor, as well as some freshly cracked black pepper.

You can skip the vegetable broiling and use one or a mixture of no-cook vegetable toppings, such as finely chopped or shredded kale, pitted olives, or jarred roasted red bell peppers.

Tips for Success

• Use a standard muffin tin.The recipe makes 12 pizzas in standard cups.
• Grease each cup.Cover the bottoms and sides to help the pizzas release. Alternatively, use silicone muffin cup liners. Parchment paper liners are ok, but the pizzas tend to stick.
• Broil before topping.Look for browned zucchini before removing the vegetables from the broiler.
• Bake in two stages.Give the crusts their first 10 minutes before adding sauce and toppings.
• Let them settle.Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edges and removing.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chickpea flour:I do not recommend substituting another flour, such as oat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour, for this crust.Note:garbanzo bean flour, besan, gram flour, and ceci flour are all types of chickpea flour; any of these can be used in this recipe.
• Olive oil:Use another cooking oil of your choice, such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil (no coconut flavor).
• Vegan mozzarella:Use store-bought shredded plant-based mozzarella or mykitchen-made vegan mozzarella.
• Dairy mozzarella:If you do not need the pizzas to be vegan or dairy-free, dairy mozzarella is an option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chickpea flour is simply dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans) that have been ground into a fine powder. The flour is a similar texture to all-purpose flour. You can find it in the flour / baking section / health food section of well-sticked grocery stores and from online sellers. If you have a high speed blender,you can make your own: add the dried chickpeas to the blender and blend until ground into a fine flour. Sift the flour to remove any large, unblended pieces.

Note that chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, gram flour, besan flour and ceci flour are all chickpea flour. You can use any of these in the recipe.

It is a pourable batter, based on socca. Whisk it until smooth, let it rest, and divide it among the muffin cups. There is no kneading or rolling.

Yes. The batter can rest for up to 24 hours before baking. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for an extended rest.

I have not tested this particular recipe as one large pizza. I suggest using the standard muffin tin and the baking times given here.

No. The crust uses chickpea flour, water, oil, and salt without yeast, eggs, or baking powder.

Yes! I have eaten them cold, warm, and hot. They are a convenient option for packed lunches and snacks. Keep them chilled until ready to eat.

No, cooked whole chickpeas cannot be used in place of chickpea flour to make chickpea crust pizza. A reader also asked if hummus could stand in for chickpea flour. The answer is also no.