Being the junk food enthusiast that I am, I’m always thrilled to come across a healthy recipe for one of my favorite snacks that tastes just as good as the sugar and sodium packed original. So when BU’s Spoon chapter paired with the Nutrition Club to hold a pizza-cooking event, I couldn’t wait to get in on it.
Our chapter thought this event was the perfect way to celebrate March being National Nutrition Month, and the three pizza recipes we used proved to be just as delicious as they were healthy. And really, who can possibly say no to a 3-course meal composed entirely of pizza? We sure can’t—and we know you can’t either, which is why we’ve compiled the recipes for the appetizer, entrée and dessert pizzas below.
Appetizer: Zucchini Pizza Bites
Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 25-35 pizza bites
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchinis
½ cup pizza or marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
¼ ounce turkey pepperoni (mini or quartered full sized)
Directions:
1. Wash and cut zucchinis into ¼ inch slices.
2. Place sliced zucchini on a greased baking sheet.
3. Top slices with pizza sauce.
4. Add a pinch of shredded mozzarella and pepperoni to each slice.
5. Broil in oven for about 2 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Optional: Grill or sauté zucchini slices with olive oil, salt and pepper before adding sauce and cheese.
Photo by Phoebe Melnick
Entrée: Individual Flatbread Pizza
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
Total Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients:
1 individual-sized whole-grain pita flatbread
¼ cup marinara, alfredo or pesto sauce
1 handful fresh spinach leaves
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 broccoli florets, chopped
¼ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
Oregano and red pepper flakes for taste
Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Spread marinara, Alfredo or pesto sauce onto pita flatbread.
3. Add shredded mozzarella.
4. Add desired vegetable toppings and spices.
5. Lay flatbread on aluminum foil-lined pan.
6. Cook in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Photo by Sarah Wu
Oat, Yogurt and Fruit Dessert Pizza
Recipe adapted from The Yummy Life
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
For the yogurt peanut butter frosting:
2 cups (16 ounces) Greek yogurt
¾ cup peanut butter (substitute other nut butter like almond or walnut if preferred)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons honey, or other preferred sweetener
For the oatmeal crust:
¼ cup grape seed, vegetable or coconut oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cups rolled oats
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (optional)
For the fruit:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Clementines
(optional to use any other fruit as preferred)
Directions:
For the yogurt peanut butter frosting:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Taste and add honey, peanut butter or yogurt as needed.
3. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
Photo by Christina Chu
For the oatmeal crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Line 12-inch pizza pan with parchment paper, extending 1 inch past the outer edge.
3. In a large bowl, combine oil, applesauce, brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
4. Add flour, oats, baking soda and flaxseed meal and mix well.
5. Transfer dough to parchment paper-lined pan and spread evenly using the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Bake 15 minutes until outer edge begins to brown.
7. Let cool for at least 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Frosting and adding fruit:
1. Slice strawberries and peel and separate clementines.
2. Move oatmeal crust from drying rack to serving plate.
3. Spread yogurt peanut butter frosting evenly across crust.
4. Arrange fruit as desired on top of frosting.
Optional: Serve right away or chill for up to 4 hours.
Photo by Sarah Wu
Looking for more healthy recipes? Check out these: