Oh my. This is one of the best gluten-free and grain-free pizza crusts I've ever had!
My recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread, otherwise known as pão de queijo, has been a beloved recipe on the blog since 2018. I remember when I first tested this recipe, I thought about what a delicious pizza crust the dough would make. I got into the kitchen recently and tested it as pizza dough and I was definitely correct – it worked out beautifully! I added just a tiny bit of coconut flour to the original recipe to give the crust a little more body. I like to use a hard sheep’s milk cheese in the crust such as Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper. or manchego However, parmesan would also work.
If you've tried this recipe as rolls, then you already know how delightfully fluffy they are. Similarly, this pizza crust puffs up beautifully! I used an offset spatula to shape the crust, and it was a little sticky to work with, but it held its shape when baked and ended up being perfect.
We topped ours with a mix of sautéed zucchini, red onion, baby Bella mushrooms, and red bell pepper. The veggie combination with the cheesy crust was delicious. For the cheese on top, I use Buf brand grass-fed buffalo mozzarella, because it's easier for me to digest than cow's milk cheese. The kids loved their pizzas simply topped with cheese and it was so fun to let each one top their own with sauce and cheeses of their choice.
For those who will ask if these can be made dairy-free, the cheese is what creates the heavenly texture of this dough, so you would need a very pliable Dairy-Free alternative. I haven't tried it myself, so instead I recommend looking into this recipe for a Dairy-Free Pizza Dough, or the Yeasted Pizza Crust in Eat What You Love (page 265), which is my personal favorite (and nut-free)!
Stefanie
We love your recipes. I’m working on figuring out how to make some of them and ship them. My daughter is away at college and the cafeteria chef is awful. He has made her sick a few times. I have negotiated her not being required to have a meal plan. I’d love to send her this crust. We can’t have dairy. Can we omit the cheese? Is there another option? Thank you for all you do.
Holly Sale
Danielle, do you think Pecorino Romano would work since it is very similar to Parmesan (like you use in the video above) but it is a sheep‘s milk cheese. We can’t have cow dairy and I can’t find manchego here. Thanks in advance and God bless you and your sweet family!
Jennifer Bartlett
Holly, I used straight up parmesan last night and the crust was OUTSTANDING.
Miquelle Scheidle Smith
I live in Utah and while these ALWAYS taste delicious I can never get the to be consistent. Admittedly I had never watched the video…after watching it today I noticed that the dough in your video is crumbly before adding the eggs, mine is always more smooth. Do you think with the altitude I may need more arrowroot? If yes, should I just add enough to get the crumbly look? Also is doesn’t seem like you wait that long for the mixture to cool before adding the eggs and cheese, is the video edited or do you really not wait very long? Thank you! LOVE LOVE LOVE the recipe, it’s a family favorite!
Pati Clark
That 🍕 looks delish !!!!
T.S.
Loved it!! So yummy. I found the crust was “sturdier” once cooled to a warm temperature, as is true with all crusts I guess! Thank you again for what you do. I’ve emailed you personally in the past and just want to say it again, your work and service has literally saved my life from not only a downward physical health spiral but a mental health spiral of isolation. I am able to share in family meals with some variations to fit my needs (and allow my family to meet their wants) because of your recipes!
Amber
This is THE BEST gluten free pizza crust I’ve tasted. I did mess up the first time (didn’t add enough arrowroot), and the pizza spread out a lot and was very thin. Still tasted great! Have made it several times since and substituted olive oil for ghee. It’s worked great every other time. Once you get the hang of it, I definitely recommend doubling the recipe and freezing the leftovers. It makes it so much faster to whip up a quick pizza on a weeknight!
Danielle
Thank you!!
Jennifer Bartlett
I totally agree, Amber! I’ve noticed that once I tested all of my dry measuring cups and measuring spoons to make sure they are 100% accurate, then started using a leveler, and measured my liquids in a proper liquid measuring cup, recipes started turning out the way they’re supposed to!
Danielle, I would never be able to thank you enough for what you have done for our community of kids with Celiac (at a minimum). Your books have been a lifesaver for my family.
Danielle
You are so welcome!
Kelsey
Can we substitute the eggs??
Danielle
I haven’t personally tried it with egg substitutes so I can’t tell you 100% how it would turn out. Post when you try it egg-free and what your method was! It might be helpful to other readers that are also look for egg subs for this recipe. =D
Alissa
I can’t have dairy. Is there a substitution for the cheese?
Danielle
Yes! You can sub the regular cheese with a dairy-free version.
Donna Perla
My family & I love this recipe, but I’ve discovered I have a sensitivity to almonds. Is there a substitute you can recommend for thre almond flour?
Danielle
Hi! You can use cashew flour if you can tolerate them.
DiligentChef.com
Thank you for this great recipe, Danielle! Followed your recipe exactly with no issues. Turned out super yummy and all my family loved it! Pinning!
Danielle
You’re so welcome! I’m happy you and your family all loved it!
Joan
So I’ve tried this twice now and it is VERY runny, what am I doing wrong? I went back and read that you used your cheese bread recipe and added coconut flour. Your cheese bread had almond flour in it too, the above recipe doesn’t list it. Is that why this isn’t working for me?
Virat Sharma
I found this recipe online, and it looked and sounded so lovely and tasty that I decided to try it out for myself. It was a huge hit with both my spouse and myself. What wonderful flavors from such a simple dish (I love those kinds of recipes), and the taste feels like something I toiled over for hours to achieve, haha. Thank you for sharing this information, it is really appreciated. Much Love From Amma Ruchis .
Purna
Can I use regular milk instead of coconut milk?
Arlene zegel
any chance I can sub in almond or more coconut flour. I try to avoid arrowroot and tapioca flour
Danielle
I haven’t tried it like that but you can always experiment! Let us know how it turns out – it might be helpful to another reader who has the same intolerances you do. Enjoy!!
Jenn
I noticed someone asked about the almond flour, but looking at the website recipe, I don’t see any almond flour listed in the ingredients. Am I crazy and just missing it, or is it missing? Lol. I would love to try it but not sure of the almond flour amount. I am new to grain free and have to change everything for health reasons and thought this would be a great start to helping me learn. Thank you!
Danielle
Hi! This recipe doesn’t use almond flour.
Barb
I so wanted this to turn out for me. Sounds so delicious. My batter is very runny….what did I do wrong? I double checked all my measurements.
Danielle
Hi! So sorry this didn’t turn out but without being present in the kitchen with you, it’s impossible to know what went awry. I hope you give it another try!