4.4K
Homemade crust topped with nutrient-packed kale pesto, crispy kale and fresh mozzarella makes The Best Kale Pesto Pizza! If you’re a kale lover, you will absolutely love this recipe!
It’s almost Friday and that means one thing.. pizza night! Making pizza at home is my absolute favorite. Pizza gets a bad reputation because of all the bad ingredients, oils and tons of cheese. By making pizza from scratch at home you can easily adjust and substitute ingredients to make it healthier!
This kale pesto pizza calls for my favorite and the best I’ve ever had homemade pizza dough. You can check out the video how it’s made here.
BEST HOMEMADE PIZZA CRUST
Flour. You can use pizza flour, all-purpose, whole wheat or white whole wheat which has a milder flavor and softer texture than a regular whole wheat. White whole wheat is as nutritious as whole wheat flour but it bakes and tastes better. If you prefer the taste and texture of regular pizza but want the natural nutritional benefits then you need to try it out! I also like to mix 1 1/2 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat.
Oil. I like to use avocado or extra virgin olive oil. Adding oil to crust affects the texture and flavor of the crust, as well as it makes it much easier to stretch. Avocado oil has a neutral taste while evoo is more flavorul.
Yeast. I like to use instant yeast. Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast doesn’t have to be proofed first. It can be mixed straight into the dry ingredients with the same result!
Sweetener. It increases the yeast’s activity and adds a nice flavor. You can use raw sugar or honey.
Water. Use very warm water to speed up the rise time. 105-110F is the perfect temperature. Be careful not to go over 130F because that will kill the yeast.
Salt. I love using pink himalayan salt in all my recipes.
BEST KALE PESTO
The base of this pizza is a kale pesto. It’s made 100% vegan so if you’re vegan, just skip or substitute the cheese! I also added some basil for extra flavor, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t have it on hand!
Kale leaves
Fresh basil
Nuts. You can use almonds, walnuts, cashews or pistachios!
Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Water, filtered
Garlic cloves
Nutritional yeast
pink himalayan salt, black pepper
Top it all off with some chopped kale. Mix kale with olive oil, salt, pepper and rub with your hands to soften the leaves. After pizza is baked, kale gets crispy and delicious! Of course it’s better to eats the pizza right away, but you can easily refrigerate it and heat it up when needed!
Do you love this kale walnut pesto pizza? Check out some of my other favorites:
Grilled onion mushroom white pizza
Sun dried tomato pizza with feta and arugula
Best homemade pesto margherita pizza
If you make this kale and basil pesto pizza yourself, don’t forget to use the hashtag #natteats and tag @natteats so I can see your creations! Feel free to reach out via email or leave a comment too. If you’d like to stay updated with my recipes, go ahead and visit my Facebook, Instagram or subscribe!
PrintThe Best Kale Pesto Pizza
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 inch x 2 1x
Description
Homemade crust topped with nutrient-packed kale pesto, crispy kale and fresh mozzarella makes The Best Kale Pesto Pizza! If you’re a kale lover, you will absolutely love this recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
DOUGH
2 1/2 cup all-purpose, whole wheat or pizza flour
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp sweetener such as raw sugar, honey etc.
2 tbsp oil extra virgin olive oil
1 cup very warm water (between 105-110F)
1 tsp salt
KALE PESTO
2 cups kale
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts, almonds or nuts of choice toasted
1/3 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water, filtered
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt salt
black pepper
TOPPINGS
2 cups kale, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or the bowl of stand mixer with a hook attachment, mix flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
- Then, add oil and water. Mix using the dough hook on a low speed or with a spatula until dough comes together. If the dough doesn’t stick together, add more water. If it’s too wet add a little more flour.
- Knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface or continue with the dough hook. Your dough should be smooth and elastic. Poke it with your finger as it should slowly bounce back. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover and let it sit in a warm place for minimum of one hour. I like to lightly heat up an oven, turn it off and place the bowl inside. The dough should double in size. When done, roll out all the dough to make one large pizza or cut in half to make two pizzas.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Combine all the ingredients in high speed blender or food processor and blend until everything is combined but still a little bit chunky. In a medium bowl, place chopped kale, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix using your hands to soften the leaves.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease one large baking sheet or two 12” pans. Roll out the dough and place on the pan. Spread the kale pesto, top with fresh mozzarella and chopped kale.
- Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.
Notes
1. Use all-purpose, whole wheat or a specific pizza flour to make the dough. My favorite is to mix for example 1 1/2 cup all purpose and 1 cup pizza flour or whole wheat.
2. If using active dry yeast remember to dissolve them. First mix the yeast with warm water, sweetener and oil and let it stand to activate for about 5 minutes. Instant yeast can be mixed straight to the dry ingredients.
3. Use very warm water to speed up the rise time. 105-110F is the perfect temperature. Be careful not to go over 130F because that will kill the yeast.
- Prep Time: 1 hur 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes