How to Make Naturally Gluten-Free Rice Crust Pizza

Are you looking for a super quick and easy gluten-free pizza crust alternative?

How about a gluten-free pizza crust that uses no complicated flour blends, no processed gums or starches and is also yeast free?  That's right, this rice crust pizza is truly naturally gluten-free.

You can make this easy gluten-free pizza recipe with fresh or leftover rice.  You can also make a dairy free version by substituting dairy free cheese alternatives or leaving out the cheese altogether. 

The best part about this naturally gluten-free rice crust pizza - you can mix it up in a few minutes and while it’s in the oven baking you can chop up your toppings. 

About This Naturally Gluten-Free Rice Crust Pizza Recipe

This recipe makes two gluten-free rice crust pizzas. 

You'll have two lovely crisp, flavor filled pizza bases to which you can add whatever toppings you like.  

And it's truly Naturally Gluten Free.  There are no ingredients here that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.  Just real rice, eggs and cheese along with some seasoning and your favorite toppings.

Remember our natural continuum?  I would put this rice pizza crust way to the left into the green.  Yay!

About the Ingredients

What's the Best Rice to Use for This Pizza Crust?

You can use any rice you like for this pizza crust.  I made the pizza in the photos from Minute Rice.  I’ve also made this with brown rice and parboiled rice.  You could try basmati or Arborio rice as well.

Can You Use Leftover Rice to Make Pizza Crust?

Yes, absolutely.  In fact this is a perfect way to use up leftover rice.  Are you making fried rice or Mexican rice for dinner?  Make a little extra rice and save the leftovers for pizza.  If your leftover rice is a little dry and hard, rehydrate it a bit by adding a little water and warming it up in the microwave.

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Why This Recipe Works

You might be wondering, "how can a bowl of rice become a gluten-free pizza crust?"

It’s the eggs.

Eggs have incredible binding power.  You see this in how eggs enhance gluten free baking.   For this pizza crust recipe, the eggs hold the rice mixture together to make a perfect crispy base for your pizza. 

The other binding agent in this recipe is the cheese. 

The cheese in the crust enhances the flavor as well as adding some more binding power.  Mozzarella works well and you can guess why.  That ooey gooeyness adds to the stickiness of the mixture and helps to hold it together. 

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Rice Crust Pizza

You can easily make this rice crust pizza dairy free by eliminating the cheese in the crust.  The egg will still hold it together. 

If you like you could substitute dairy free cheese or if you can tolerate goat or sheep milk cheese then by all means use that. 

I have a cow's milk intolerance so I made the pizza in the photos with a combination of goat cheddar and goat mozzarella. I added a little Pecorino Romano to kick up the flavor. 

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Is There a Vegan Version of This Recipe?

Unfortunately not.  

I usually try to provide a vegan version of my recipes, but in this case, the eggs are not replaceable. 

I did try it with flax eggs and made a very tasty rice pizza bowl 😊  Sadly it didn’t hold together well enough to slice and dish out like pizza.

What about the ground flaxseed you ask?  Flaxseed is an optional ingredient.  It does have some binding power but not enough to hold this rice based pizza crust together.  I added flaxseed for the fiber and nutritional boost. 

What Are the Best Toppings to Use?

You can use whatever toppings you like.  

For the sauce, your favorite gluten free pasta sauce will work fine.

Since you have two pizza crusts to work with, you can make them both the same or make two different versions.

I often do one meat and one veggie, or one Hawaiian and one with whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge.

Suggestions:

• Chicken with red onion and chili pepper
• steak with mushrooms and green pepper
• ground beef with chopped onion and tomato
• sliced sausages with pineapple and green pepper 
• mushrooms with goat cheese and spinach

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Equipment Needed

You'll be happy to know this is a basic recipe with a simple equipment list.  You may have everything to need in your cupboard.

• mixing bowl 
• cheese grater
• two pizza pans
• pizza cutter
• parchment paper
• pizza lifter
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Putting It All Together

Making this gluten-free rice crust pizza is a simple 4-step process.

1. Mix the ingredients together.

2. Bake the pizza crust.

3. While the crust is baking, chop up your toppings.

4. Top the pizza and bake for another 15 minutes.

The Recipe

How to Make Naturally Gluten Free Rice Crust Pizza

By Patty Maguire – Naturally Gluten Free,

You can make this easy gluten-free pizza recipe with fresh or leftover rice. You can also make a dairy free version by substituting dairy free cheese alternatives or leaving out the cheese altogether. The best part about this naturally gluten-free rice crust pizza - you can mix it up in a few minutes and while it’s in the oven baking you can chop up your toppings.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 9 to 12 servings
Tags: Gluten Free, Vegan Option

Ingredients

• 3 c cooked rice, white or brown. Cooled to room temp or slightly above.
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 4 eggs beaten
• 5 c shredded cheese - mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella and whatever else you like
• 1 tsp each of dried basil and oregano (optional - this is to add flavor to the crust)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed (optional - this add a little extra nutrition and binding power)
• 4 tsp cornmeal (optional - this is to keep the crust from sticking to the pan. You can also use parchment)
• 2 c pizza sauce - your favorite pasta sauce will work great.
• Your favorite pizza toppings.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease two pizza pans with coconut oil and sprinkle with cornmeal if using. Or grease the two pizza pans and line with parchment paper.


2. In a large bowl, mix the rice, salt, eggs, 1c of the cheese, herbs and flax seed if using.


3. Spoon ½ the rice mixture on each pizza pan. Spread evenly and press firmly to form a crust.


4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. While your rice based pizza crust is baking, get your toppings ready.


5. Remove the pizza crusts from the oven, spread w pizza sauce then add your toppings and cheese.


6. Bake for another 15 minutes. Then lift the edge of the pizza crust. It should be a lightly browned and it should hold together. If it's not quite ready bake for another 5 minutes.