Delicious Sweet Potato Pizza Crust Recipe

Cauliflower pizza crust seems to be all the rage right now, and while I like cauliflower a lot, I really love sweet potatoes. I decided to get creative in the kitchen and test out a sweet potato pizza crust made from mashed sweet potatoes. This pizza is gluten-free, grain-free, and can be made in just over 30 minutes.

Recipe Qualities

• Crowd pleaser
• Full of flavor
• Healthy
• Homemade

Ingredients Used

• Arrowroot starch
• Cassava flour
• Sweet Potatoes

 

The Health Benefits of This Sweet Potato Pizza Crust Recipe

1. Contains high amounts of vitamin A

Supplements are great, but if you’re eating a not-so-healthy diet, they aren’t doing you much good. Eating lots of plant-based foods offer up an extra dose of nutrition to help keep you healthy and may even fight or prevent the development of illness.

I chose sweet potatoes as the main ingredient in this sweet potato pizza crust because they pack a hearty punch of vitamin A. While vitamin A is essential for preserving eyesight, it also helps boost your immune system, support bone health, and may even help lower your risk of developing certain cancers.

As you get older, your body will start to slow down and deteriorate—and this includes your eyesight. You may be surprised to learn that you can slow that process by making sure you’re getting proper nutrients from the foods you eat.

One of the first vitamin A deficiency signs can be night blindness (also known as nyctalopia). Vitamin A is a fundamental component of rhodopsin, which is a pigment found in the retina that is extremely sensitive to light. [1]

If you suffer from night blindness, chances are you can still see normally during the day; however, because your eyes struggle to pick up light at lower levels, your vision is reduced at night.

Age-related macular degeneration is another common eyesight concern; it’s actually the leading cause of blindness. Oxidative stress damages the cells and quickens this process. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant and helps fight free radicals by reducing oxidative stress, which lowers inflammation. [2, 3, 4]

2. Contains vitamin C

Many people think that cassava flour and tapioca flour are the same; however, that isn’t true. Tapioca flour and cassava flour are from the same plant, but different parts of the plant. Tapioca is used more as a thickener, whereas cassava is used more as an alternative to baking flour—at a one-to-one ratio.

Cassava flour is featured in this sweet potato pizza crust recipe. It's high in vitamin C, which acts as a water-soluble antioxidant. With water-soluble vitamins, excess amounts will be flushed out through your urine and not stored in your body. This reduces the risk of vitamin C overdose/toxicity (which too much of a good thing can be harmful).

A deficiency in vitamin C has been associated with decreased immune function, fatigue, poor iron absorption, poor vision, and weakened bones, to name a few.

It has also been linked to higher levels of oxidative stress, leading to higher levels of inflammation, which results in an increased risk for developing severe illness. [5, 6]

3. Supports immune system health

The herb arrowroot contains high amounts of potassium, iron, vitamin B-6, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, riboflavin, and vitamin C. Given it's nutritional profile, I knew it had to be included in this sweet potato pizza crust.

Arrowroot is extracted from the roots (or rhizomes) of a plant called Maranta arundinaceaand has been shown to help reduce cell cytotoxicity. Cell cytotoxicity refers to the ability of certain chemicals to destroy living cells. [7]

Studies conducted on mice and rats in vitro and in vivo concluded these extracts boosted the production of cells, which lead to increased immune function. [8]

 

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust Recipe

This mashed sweet potato pizza crust takes a little over 30 minutes, so pop on your favorite playlist and dance your way to pizza town!

 

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yields: 8 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

 

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup mashed boiled sweet potato

1 cup cassava flour

½ cup arrowroot starch

1 cup tapioca flour (starch)

¾ cup hot water

½ cup avocado oil

½ tablespoon dried oregano

½ tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Toppings:

Pizza sauce, to taste (optional)

Sliced tomato, to taste

Chopped red or green bell pepper, to taste

Artichoke hearts, to taste

Black olives, to taste

Sliced mushrooms, to taste

Almond milk mozzarella, to taste

Chopped fresh basil, to taste

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the sweet potato pizza crust ingredients, kneading until well-combined. (Alternatively, you may choose to use a food processor.)

3. Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4. Place a generous amount of parchment paper onto the countertop, sprinkle lightly with additional flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it onto the flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circular shape (making sure it will still fit on your pizza pan).

5. Use the parchment paper to flip it onto the pizza pan.

6. Poke the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling and bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. Remove the sweet potato pizza crust the oven. Add all the toppings, except for the basil, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

8. Remove, top with the basil, and serve.