Heart Healthy Pizza by Mark Sutton is a compact, idea-packed cookbook that rewards a little time and curiosity. Organized into clear sections—crusts, sauces, cheese-like toppings, whole-pizza concepts, and useful chapters on plant-based eating, fats and oils, legumes and grains—the book provides a practical framework for creating nutritious, no-added-oil pizzas.
Each chapter opens with helpful tips and techniques. The book offers more than 60 topping sauces, several bottom sauces, and a variety of crust options including gluten-free choices. Many of the sauces are versatile enough to use in bowls, salads, or pasta dishes as well as on pizza. The recipes also include soy-free and nut-free options to suit different dietary needs.
From the author: “The Heart Healthy Pizza cookbook contains over 100 delicious no-added oil, plant-based recipes for making pizza. Through the imaginative use of grains (oats, quinoa, millet, and others) as well as legumes (such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas, dal) and various vegetables, unique ‘cheese-like’ sauce recipes are made that range in taste and texture from a delicate velvety sauce to a custard firmness. Most are gluten-free. Coupled with recipes for crusts (including gluten-free versions), several bottom sauces and total pizza concepts, this easy to use book will help anyone create scrumptious and delectable pizzas.”
What I would have liked to see in the book: photographs of finished pizzas. Since many of the sauces are made from grains and beans and behave differently than dairy cheese, photos would help readers visualize consistency and final texture. The layout of the recipes reads in paragraph form and could benefit from clearer spacing or formatting so it’s easier to follow in the kitchen.
There are many creative sauce and crust combinations in the book, which can feel overwhelming. A few suggested pizza pairings—linking individual sauces to specific crusts and toppings—would make it easier to put the ideas into practice. Some of the cheese-like sauces have similar textures and flavors; consolidating a few could leave space for example pizzas that show how each sauce performs when baked.
Despite these small critiques, the book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to experiment with plant-based, oil-free pizzas. The sauces are intriguing and adaptable; they won’t melt like dairy cheese, but they can be built up in flavor and texture to suit personal preference.
I made the Southwestern Special pizza from the book, using many of the suggested toppings and a Millet Avocado Oregano sauce. I chose the Black Bean Wheat crust but swapped in pinto beans. Next time I’ll toss the beans with chili powder, salt and Tabasco first for better seasoning. If you’re not used to oil-free, non-dairy “cheese” textures, this will be a different experience, but the pizza is filling and flavorful.
Steps I followed
Shape the crust, layer chopped spinach, sliced tomatoes and pinto beans (seasoned to taste), add onions, corn and olives, pour the millet-avocado-oregano topping over the pizza, finish with cilantro, salt and chili powder, then bake.
I used slightly less topping sauce for the photos; add more to taste. The finished pizza is hearty and satisfying.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of the book from Mark Sutton for review. The opinions presented here are my own.
Southwestern Special Pizza with Wheat Black Bean Crust and Millet Oregano Sauce (adapted from Heart Healthy Pizza)
Allergen information: dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free.
Crust: Basic pizza dough or Black Bean Wheat crust (recipe below) or any preferred gluten-free crust.
Layering ingredients:
- 1 cup raw spinach, chopped
- Sliced tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- Chili powder to taste
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup corn
- Sliced black olives
- Red Tabasco sauce (optional)
- Quinoa-Artichoke-Sunflower Seed Sauce (or Millet-Avocado-Oregano Sauce below)
- Ground black pepper or paprika
Method:
- Preheat oven to 425–450°F (depending on your oven).
- Spread chopped spinach over the shaped dough.
- Top with tomato slices, then scatter the pinto beans (seasoned if desired).
- Add a light sprinkle of chili powder and layer the onions.
- Add cilantro, corn and olives, and dot with Tabasco if using.
- Pour the topping sauce evenly over the pizza and finish with pepper or paprika.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until toppings are heated through.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked millet
- 1/4 cup avocado, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon wet mustard (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- About 1 cup water (add gradually)
Method: Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding water slowly between pulses, until the mixture reaches a thick, smooth, pancake-batter consistency. Processing time may vary with millet texture. Makes about 2 1/4 cups—enough for two 12″–14″ pizzas.
Wheat and Black Bean Dough
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup black beans (about half a 15 oz can)
- 1/3 cup water (for pureeing beans)
- 2/3 cup warm water (for yeast)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar (or preferred sweetener)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Method:
- Rinse and drain the beans, then puree with 1/3 cup water until smooth, adding extra water in tablespoons if needed.
- Whisk warm water, sugar and yeast with the bean puree.
- Combine flours and salt, then add gradually to the yeast mixture, mixing or stirring as you go.
- Knead until elastic, cover and let rise for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Shape dough on a lightly oiled, non-stick baking sheet.
- Arrange toppings and sauces on the shaped dough and bake 15–20 minutes, until cooked through.
Notes: Whether making dough by hand or with a bread machine, you may need to adjust flour or water by a tablespoon or two to achieve the right elasticity. This recipe yields two finely textured 12–14″ crusts.
Recipes printed by permission of Mark Sutton.
You can purchase the book from usual retailers. Mark is generously giving away a copy to a U.S. reader; enter the giveaway as directed on the original blog post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway