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This smashed Sweet Potato Pizza recipe will become your new favorite comfort food. Made with just 1 ingredient and no flour, it is naturally gluten-free, low calorie and vegan-friendly. You will love experimenting with toppings!
I saw it on TikTok and still can’t believe this works. Did you know that if you smash a baked sweet potato, then top it with tomato sauce and mozzarella you get pizza?
Hands up all pizza lovers out there. I’ll go first, raising one hand while holding a slice of pizza in the other. Maybe because I’m Italian or maybe just because it tastes cheesy and divine, pizza has always been my favorite comfort food. Back to my childhood, we used to order it every Friday – my favorite was Americana, a Margherita loaded with French fries and sausage.
Years have gone by, but my love for pizza hasn’t faded. Weekends are for the traditional. But on weeknights we usually make my easy protein pizza at home. Always eager to try new recipes, I couldn’t resist giving the viral sweet potato pizza a go. It may seem a far cry from the traditional, but trust me, it’s just as delicious. You, your family, and friends will love it!
Ingredients
- Sweet potato – As promised, the crust has just 1 ingredient. I recommend using a medium orange-fleshed sweet potato, but Japanese sweet potato works great too. Avoid white potatoes, as they don’t mash as well.
- Pizza sauce – You can make your own pizza sauce at home, buy it from the store, or use BBQ sauce. For the homemade recipe you will need tomato sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper and optional seasonings such as dried oregano or onion powder.
- Toppings – From roasted vegetables to chicken and tofu, feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings. I had mine with thin slices of red onion.
How to make sweet potato pizza
Step 1 – Bake sweet potato. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. In the meanwhile, cut the sweet potato lengthwise into 2 halves, then place over the baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is soft.
Step 2 – Smash and top. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the surface with oil to prevent sticking. Place the cooked sweet potato between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan, gently smash it down. Then, carefully roll it out into a thin, even, round pizza shape.
Step 3 – Bake pizza. Top the crust with sauce, shredded mozzarella and your favorite toppings. Transfer your pizza back to the oven and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 – 12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Alternative baking methods
- Air fryer – Air fry the potato as described in my Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato guide, then smash it into a round and top. Put it back in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 – 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
- Microwave – Instead of baking it for 40 minutes, you can also microwave sweet potato until soft, for about 3 minutes. Once cooked, smash it, add toppings and bake in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.
Recipe variations
You will love how versatile this recipe is. The healthy sweet potato pizza crust can be topped with all your favorite foods, they will boost flavor and texture. Here are some of my favorite variations.
- Add veggies – Top with diced tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini or eggplants, slices of Portobello mushrooms, broccoli or cauliflower.
- Make it meaty – Boost taste and protein with shredded chicken, pulled pork, cooked ground turkey, bacon or ham.
- Go Mediterranean – Top it with sliced onion, black olives, creamy feta cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Swap out cheese – Substitute or complement mozzarella with other cheeses such as shredded cheddar, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese or cottage cheese.
- Make it dairy-free – Replace mozzarella cheese with nondairy alternatives, such as vegan cheddar or vegan Mozzarella.
Matteo’s tips
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease it with oil, before smashing the potato. This is a key step, as it prevents the pizza from sticking to the sheet.
- Smash it into a thin crust, around 0.2 inches (0.50 cm) thick. If the base is too thick, your pizza will turn out soft and mushy. We want it to be crispy.
- Don’t exaggerate with toppings, especially vegetables. If you pile too much on a flourless crust, it won’t bake properly and will stay soft. But with just the right amount, the base crisps up beautifully and can be sliced just like a regular pizza.
How to store and freeze
To store. Let cool completely, then place your pizza over a flat plate and cover with wrapping paper or aluminum foil. As an alternative, slice it and place into an airtight food container. Store in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days, reheat in hot oven before serving.
To freeze. After it has cooled, slice into portions and pack it into freezer-safe zipper bags. Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake the frozen sweet potato pizza at 350°F (180°C) for about 5 minutes.
More sweet potato recipes
- How to make baked sweet potato
- Microwave sweet potato
- Air fryer baked sweet potato
- Air fryer sweet potato fries
- Sweet potato chips
- Sweet potato pancakes
Sweet Potato Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- 1 medium sweet potato, about 10 oz (300 g)
Toppings
- 2 to 4 tbsp pizza sauce, see notes for recipe
- 3 to 4 tbsp shredded mozzarella
- olive oil, optional
- toppings of choice, sliced onion, roasted vegetables, chicken breast, ham
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Cut the sweet potato lengthwise into 2 halves, then place over the baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until soft.
- Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the surface with oil to prevent sticking. Place the baked sweet potato over it.
- Place the baked sweet potato between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan, gently smash it down. Then, carefully roll it out into a thin, even, round pizza shape. Remove the upper piece of parchment paper.
- Top the crust with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella and your favorite toppings.
- Transfer your pizza back to the oven and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 – 12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Homemade pizza sauce
- Combine tomato sauce with a drizzle olive oil, a pinch salt, a hint of oregano, garlic powder and onion powder (to taste).
- If not using pizza sauce, top the crust with tomato sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
