A delicious, homemade healthy pizza recipe that’s made low carb with an almond flour crust and high protein with a beautiful, protein pesto. This easy grain free blackberry pesto pizza recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner or lazy weekend recipe that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Hands down, this bright and zesty flavor combination makes this the best healthy pizza recipe for summer.
Let me guess. It’s pizza night, and you’re thinking about spicing it up from the usual margarita style or pepperoni. Between my Vegan Buffalo Ranch Pizza and my 5-Minute Enchilada Pizza, I think this blackberry pesto pizza recipe is perfect for weekday summer nights. This healthy pizza recipe (that originally started out as a TikTok trend) has totally transformed the flavor possibilities of pizza night in our household.
When one of our Healthier Together community members sent this blackberry pesto pizza recipe idea to me from what she’d seen trending on TikTok, at first I was like “ew”. But then, I was like, “this sounds great!” So, I whipped Zack and I up a couple pies, and it WAS great! Sweet and salty, bright and zesty, and loaded with filling protein and nutrients. It’s basically a salad’s worth of greens in each super tasty saucy bite.
A healthy pizza recipe for weight loss
Words that don’t go together often, but totally should: weight loss and pizza. I firmly believe that eating pizza (and everything else you love) is a part of a balanced diet. But if you want to eat pizza without feeling greasy and gross, I have the perfect trick for making a healthier pizza for weight loss at home.
We learned in this episode of the Healthier Together Podcast that if we balance our glucose levels by combining protein, greens, and healthy fats, we do wonders for our health (like our blood sugar, digestive system, hormones, sleep, and ability to lose weight). In this pesto pizza recipe, I saw pesto as the PERFECT opportunity to add in greens and protein to make the perfect pizza recipe for weight loss and optimal health! More on all of the wonderful health benefits that are in this pizza below.
Ingredients in my homemade protein pesto
I made this gorgeous, easy grain free pizza recipe with my favorite box of almond flour pizza dough mix and my favorite homemade, protein-packed basil pesto. Here’s what you’ll need to make the pesto:
- Walnuts: proven to be a great food for weight loss and relieving anxiety and depression
- Hulled hemp hearts: high-fiber and high-protein seeds that are shown to give you energy and promote lower body weight
- Basil: this powerful fresh herb is researched for its anti-inflammatory and stress-combating effects
- Garlic: studied for its powerful effects on cardiovascular disease and the immune system
- Honey: this antioxidant-rich natural sweetener is shown to promote weight loss and control blood sugar
- Lemon: researched for its ability to boost immunity and make skin glow
- Extra virgin live oil: this anti-inflammatory oil is shown to promote heart and brain health
- Fine grain sea salt: rich in trace minerals that are proven to be a great source of micronutrients
- Black Pepper: filled with antioxidants that is being studied for its ability to prevent cancer
Make blackberry pesto pizza ahead of time
Easy weeknight meals don’t get simpler than this grain free pizza recipe. You can make everything ahead of time, and just assemble and bake when you’re ready to serve!
- First, make the pizza dough. Follow the instructions on your favorite pizza dough mix box (I used Simple Mills brand, which makes 2 8″ pizzas) and form the dough into two, equally sized balls. Wrap the dough balls individually in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Make the protein pesto by combining all pesto ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- When you’re ready to eat, form the dough balls into two pizza crusts and bake according to the package instructions. Once the crust is cooked, spread the pesto on top of the pizza crusts, add shredded Parmesan cheese (plant-based or regular) and sliced blackberries. Return the pizza to the oven until the cheese bubbles.
- Top the pizzas with torn basil leaves and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Then, cut each pizza into four slices and serve!
Can I customize this healthy pizza recipe?
This healthy pizza recipe is already gluten free, grain free, and optionally dairy free, but there’s always ways to tailor my recipes to EXACTLY what you’re craving or what’s on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Swap grain free pizza crust for flourless cauliflower crust, zucchini crust, or big, roasted Portobello mushroom caps.
- Switch up the cheese! I used shredded Parmesan on my pizza, but I bet shredded mozzarella, buffalo-style mozzarella, and burrata cheese would be delicious here.
- Top it with a fried egg! On a lazy weekend summer morning, this recipe turned into a sweet and savory breakfast pizza would really hit the spot.
Enjoy, and tag me if you make it on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!
Print
Blackberry Pesto Pizza
Description
Makes 8 slices of pizza or two personal pizzas
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup hulled hemp hearts
- 2 cups packed basil, plus more for topping
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4–1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 box of your favorite pizza dough mix
- 1 small clam shell of fresh blackberries, sliced in half
Instructions
- Make the pizza dough by following the instructions on your favorite pizza dough mix box (I used Simple Mills brand, which makes 2 8″ pizzas). Form the dough into two, equally sized balls and then roll it out into your pizza crusts. Bake according to your package instructions until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, toast the walnuts for the pesto. Place a large skillet over medium heat and gently toast the walnuts until fragrant and golden, about two to three minutes.
- Add the toasted walnuts to a food processor with the hemp hearts, basil, garlic, honey, lemon, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time while the food processor is running to create a leafy paste.
- Evenly distribute the pesto on top of the pizza crusts and spread until covering the whole base of the pizzas. Add shredded cheese (if using) and sliced blackberries. Return the pizzas to the oven until the cheese bubbles.
- Top the pizzas with torn basil leaves and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper.
- Cut each pizza into four slices and serve!
