12 Pizza Crust Alternatives That Aren't Dough

It's undeniable that pizza is a crowd pleaser. But after having it at so many birthday parties, school events, and fundraisers, it can get slightly repetitive. And let's be real, pizza also isn't known for its health benefits and nutrients. While toppings, sauce, and cheese are all important components of a pizza, switching up the crust could be the game-changer you're looking for.

Whether you want to enjoy pizza in a more nutritious manner or you simply want to change things up from the basic pizza you can find everywhere, a simple dough substitution can help you out. If you're making homemade pizza, working with dough can be a drag. So using a crust alternative has more perks than just improved flavor and nutrients. It also makes it easier to make pizza, so pizza nights can happen more often! Whatever your reasoning is for wanting to find a substitute for traditional pizza dough, we've got you covered. We've compiled a list of 12 dough alternatives that offer a range of benefits so you can find the perfect way to elevate your pizza.

As far as pizza dough alternatives go, few are as popular as bagels. Pizza bagels gained popularity in the 1980s and '90s thanks to the invention of Bagel Bites. With fun jingles and ads, the Bagel Bites brand solidified its identity as a cultural icon, paving the way for pizza bagels down the line. Now, pizza bagels are an easy, convenient way to enjoy pizza while indulging in nostalgia.

Bagels are a great crust alternative for many reasons. They're easy to find at the grocery store, relatively cheap, and they come in a multitude of flavors, meaning you can enhance your homemade pizza flavor even more. They're also a good dough substitute because of their sturdy, dense nature. They hold sauce, cheese, and toppings well. The most difficult part of working with bagels as pizza crust is the iconic hole in the middle. To avoid having your sauce and toppings fall down the hole, try to be cautious when making your pizza bagels.

Known by most as a breakfast staple, English muffins can also serve as a solid replacement for pizza dough. These versatile breads are not only used for sandwiches, they also make great bases for open-faced dishes like eggs Benedict, or in this case, pizza.

Perfect for toasting, English muffins will give you a crunchy base for the pizza sauce and toppings of your choosing. The porous texture inside allows for the sauce to be soaked into the English muffin, adding another layer to the overall experience of eating an English muffin pizza. The sturdy nature of English muffins means you can add plenty of sauce, cheese, and toppings without having to worry about anything falling through. The size of these breads makes portioning easy and makes them versatile enough to eat as a snack or a meal.

If you have had an English muffin before, you know it can be difficult to get them to split evenly. If you plan on giving English muffin pizzas a go, try squeezing them lightly on the edge while rotating in a circular motion to split them in half. This hack helps split the muffins evenly, setting you up perfectly to use them as a base for your next pizza night (or snack time).

A versatile bread recognized around the world, naan is served with a variety of meals. While it normally accompanies main courses as a side dish, you can turn it into a delicious entree by using this flatbread as an alternative for pizza dough.

This fluffy flatbread is typically baked in a tandoor. This method gives naan its distinct air pockets, charred sections and flavor, and light and fluffy texture (similar to Neapolitan pizza crust). Using naan for your pizza will provide you with a base that is strong enough to hold all of your toppings, but still soft and chewy. It's also the perfect size for personal pizzas.

Because most naan is already baked, there's no need to spend extra time baking the naan before putting on your sauce and toppings. This is especially true since doing this could potentially dry it out, making it lose its signature texture. Simply put your sauce, cheese, and toppings on the naan and bake it just long enough for your cheese to melt. If you are looking to spice up your pizza even further, try out a flavored naan!

Craving a thin, crispy crust for your pizza? Try using tortillas in place of pizza dough. Tortillas are a great alternative to use, especially if you are on a budget or in a time crunch. They are easily accessible and are a fun way to change up your dough while sticking true to the shape of traditional pizzas.

Tortilla pizzas can be made in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the air fryer. Simply cover the tortilla in sauce and cheese, and add your favorite toppings. Make sure to not go all the way to the ends with the sauce, however, since there is no extra crust to keep it from spilling over.

If you want to elevate your tortilla pizza, you can try making tortillas from scratch. While they may not end up looking as aesthetically pleasing as store-bought tortillas, using homemade ones will bring a flavor to your tortilla pizza that just can't be found in store-bought tortillas. They are relatively easy to make, and an easy way to step up your tortilla pizza game.

Cheese is a crucial component of the perfect pizza. Take it a step further by making it the base of your pizza, too. This low-carb and gluten-free crust choice is an innovative way to amp up the protein in your pizza while giving it a unique flavor.

To make a cheese crust for your pizza, mix two eggs with your choice of cheese and whatever seasonings you would like in a food processor. Then, spread your mixture onto a pan and bake until the cheese is golden brown. Top the crust with your choice of sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake again until the cheese on top is melted.

Because of the ingredients that make up the crust (like the abundance of cheese), the result will be a soft, chewy base. If you're not a fan of super crunchy crusts, this is a great option for you. This baked cheese, dough alternative not only offers a different texture base, but also adds a rich, toasty flavor to your pizza.

A staple in Italian cuisine, it is no surprise that eggplants make a great alternative for traditional pizza dough. While pizza and eggplants may not be a conventional combination, the flavor pairing of eggplants and tomatoes is a classic one. Both summer produce, the tangy juiciness of tomatoes is perfectly balanced by the more mild, earthy flavor profile of eggplants. Alongside enhancing the flavor of your pizza, eggplants also offer a wide range of nutrients, making them a healthier, more flavorful alternative to regular pizza dough.

To indulge in eggplant pizza, simply cut your eggplants into rounds, cover them in oil, and bake them until they are soft in the center. After that, you can add your sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you would like onto the rounds. Then, simply broil the rounds until the cheese is melted, and you are done! To ensure your eggplant pizza is as delicious as it can be, make sure you pick a good eggplant to start with. You will also want to salt the eggplant rounds before baking them to remove excess moisture. Since the eggplants are somewhat soft and small, make sure to be mindful and not overload your eggplant pizza with toppings to avoid them falling apart.

If you are looking to increase protein while indulging in the cheesy goodness that is pizza, chicken crust pizza is the answer. Chicken may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of things to use as a pizza crust, but this dough alternative is a great way to enjoy pizza if you're watching your diet or simply want to try something new to shake up your pizza experience.

While you can use ground, shredded, or even canned chicken to make the crust, ground chicken is the easiest to work with due to its consistency. To make this chicken crust, simply mix ground chicken with eggs and cheese until you have a mixture that can be flattened on a pan. During this step, you can also mix in any seasonings you would like to use to enhance the flavor of your pizza and crust. Because you are working with raw chicken, it is important to make sure the crust is fully cooked before eating. After baking the crust and fully cooking the chicken, finish it up by adding your sauce, cheese, and toppings, and then bake it again for the cheese to melt. This protein-heavy dough alternative will fill you up and satisfy your pizza cravings without having to wait for your next cheat day.

If you like to load your pizza with toppings, it's important to have a solid base that won't cave under the weight. Enter French bread. With its crisp crust, French bread serves as the perfect bread choice to use in place of pizza dough. The soft, airy interior of French bread combined with its more rugged exterior creates a textural duo that perfectly complements each other.

Alongside its structural integrity, the convenience of using French bread as a base for your pizza is another perk. Once you buy the French bread, all you have to do is lightly toast it, top it with sauce, cheese, and your toppings, and then bake it until the cheese gets golden and melts. It's almost too easy!

Have other types of bread that you need to use before they go stale? You can also use those as pizza dough alternatives. If your bread is extra stale, there is this hack to bring some life back into it before using it for pizza. Then, simply make the pizza the same way you would if you were using French bread. This is a great way to reduce waste while getting a good meal out of it.

Mushroom-on-pizza lovers unite. Serving as one of the most popular pizza toppings in the United States, mushrooms and pizza clearly pair well together. Take this flavor combination to the next level by using mushrooms as the base of your next pizza.

If you are simply looking for a crust that carries sauce and cheese without adding much else to your pizza, mushrooms are not the way to go. Mushrooms have a rich taste that, when used as a dough alternative, will bring an umami flavor to your pizza (which most doughs and dough alternatives won't do). Mushrooms are also unique in their ability to bring a savory flavor to dishes without adding a lot of fat, calories, or sodium.

Mushrooms not only add extra flavor to your pizza, but they also add a lot of health benefits. From lowering cholesterol to supporting immune system health, and even protecting brain health, mushrooms are filled with nutrients and have a positive impact on health.

If you want to make mushroom pizzas, look for mushrooms with wide, deep caps, as these will hold your sauce and toppings better. Because mushrooms are absorbent, it is important to remove excess moisture when cleaning them since that can lead to a soggy pizza. To avoid this, use either a damp paper towel to wipe away any dirt or make sure to pat them dry if you rinse them.

While pizza may be a beloved meal choice, it may not be what people lean toward if they are trying to impress a crowd. If you are looking for a way to level up your pizza in the aesthetics department and dazzle your dinner guests, swap out traditional pizza dough for puff pastry.

Using puff pastry instead of traditional dough will not result in a very traditional pizza taste. You will have a pizza with a light, flaky crust containing buttery layers. While this may not be the pizza texture and flavor you are used to, it can still be just as delicious. It is important to try and complement the lighter nature of puff pastry with your sauce and toppings, as opposed to taking away from it. Try using a lighter sauce, and fresh vegetables and herbs to enhance the airiness of the puff pastry.

Using store-bought puff pastry makes this dough alternative an easy and convenient replacement for traditional dough. Whether you are going for an appetizer or a main course, puff pastry pizza offers you a way to evolve pizza without compromising its integrity.

Pita is a versatile flatbread used in many different ways. While pita isn't traditionally used to make pizza, it serves as a great pizza dough alternative. Because of its neutral flavor profile, it pairs well with a wide range of ingredients. Using pita bread as a pizza crust offers you endless possibilities when it comes to flavor combinations.

To make a pizza using pita bread, simply cover it with your choice of sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake until the cheese is melted. Using pita is quicker and easier than using traditional pizza dough and is a great choice if you are looking for convenience. Pita bread also makes the perfect personal-sized pizza to enjoy for your next meal. To get the most out of pita bread's versatility, you can take inspiration for your pizza toppings and flavor combinations from the many different ways pita is used in other meals.

Possibly the most "out there" substitute on the list, polenta is a great gluten-free dough alternative that will enhance the flavor profile of your next pizza. Polenta is a traditional dish from Northern Italy made from cornmeal. It can be served as a porridge, fried, grilled, or, in this case, baked. Polenta is often served with meat and/or cheese. With a nutty, corn flavor, polenta pairs well with cheese. Using polenta as a pizza crust will bring complementary flavors to your pizza without taking away from the other components.

To make your polenta pizza, you'll need to get tubed polenta. Cut the polenta into slices, oil them, and add your sauce, cheese, and toppings. Then bake until the polenta is crispy and golden brown, and the cheese is melted. To take full advantage of the flavors that polenta has to offer, try pairing different cheeses with the polenta to elevate your pizza flavor even further.