Butternut squash pizza with roasted chickpeas is fun, delicious and packed with plant-based protein for a filling and healthy pizza you’ll want to make again and again! It can also be made gluten and dairy free.
Take pizza night up a notch with this delicious and nutritious recipe for butternut squash pizza! March is National Nutrition Month which is as good of a time as any to challenge yourself to add more nutrition to the foods you already eat on a daily basis. I like to do this by simply adding a handful of greens to my meals, etc.
The bottom line is you don’t have to swear off pizza to be healthy (and any dietitian who tells you otherwise is wrong! 🙂 ), but you can make pizza at home that’s better for you!
To me pizza crust is like a blank canvas to add more nutrition to, and that’s just what I did for this butternut squash pizza with roasted chickpeas! Most pizza is lacking in protein and fiber, and is high in sodium, fat, carbs and calories. Thanks to the butternut squash, kale, and chickpeas on this pizza you’re getting more fiber than you would on a regular pizza, which will help to fill you up from less.
The roasted chickpeas are also giving this pizza a healthy dose of plant-based protein thats helps make this pizza into a more filling meal. Lately, roasted chickpeas have been my favorite thing to snack on and they are so easy to roast and flavor however you would like. I got the idea to put them on a pizza for a little extra crunch and I love how it turned out and hope you do too!
health benefits of butternut squash
Butternut squash is a super versatile winter squash that is filled with good nutrition. Thanks to its orange flesh, butternut squash is high in beta carotene that gets converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for vision, immunity, and proper development.
This orange squash is also a good source of vitamin C, E and fiber. It’s easy to roast up and add to salads, grain bowls or have as a side dish.
ingredients for butternut squash pizza with roasted chickpeas
- butternut squash — I used pre cut butternut squash that I got at Trader Joe’s
- chickpeas — Also known as garbanzo beans, I used canned.
- pizza crust — my two favorites are this one from Simple Mills and this one from Cappello’s.
- marinara or pizza sauce — This is my favorite brand that I put on everything!
- baby kale — Not a fan of baby kale? Swap it for arugula or spinach.
- parmesan cheese — Dairy free? Omit the cheese or swap it for nutritional yeast.
- avocado oil — This is the best oil to use when cooking at high temps. Perfect for roasting the chickpeas and butternut squash in this recipe.
- dried oregano
- garlic powder
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
how to make butternut squash pizza
Making this pizza is super easy! There are two steps for roasting the chickpeas to get them crunchy and roasting the butternut squash before you assemble the pizza.
Then, dress your pre-made pizza crust with all of the toppings, bake it and add extra baby kale leaves and cheese on top when it’s done!
To make this pizza gluten free: Opt for a gluten free crust. My two favorites are this one from Simple Mills and this one from Cappello’s.
To make this pizza dairy free: Omit the cheese or swap it for nutritional yeast or a vegan equivalent of shredded cheese.
Butternut Squash and Baby Kale Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 cup butternut squash cubed
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil divided
- 1 tbsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 pre-made pizza crust
- 1/4 cup marinara or pizza sauce
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.
- Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet and use a paper towel to rub them dry. Remove any of the skins that come off.
- Season chickpeas with 1 tbsp. avocado oil, oregano and salt and pepper. Prepare butternut squash cubes on another baking sheet with 1 tbsp. avocado oil and a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Bake both for 15 minutes. Flip the chickpeas and bake for another 10 minutes until crispy.
- Assemble the pizza by adding the sauce to your crust, topping it with roasted butternut squash, chickpeas, cheese, and baby kale.
- Bake according to pizza crust instructions.
- Remove from oven and top with additional baby kale leaves, cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.
This post contains affiliate links to products I use on a daily basis and recommend. I want to let you know that I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, but they wouldn’t be there if I didn’t genuinely like the product!
more delicious recipes like this one
- greek quinoa salad with crunchy chickpeas
- pumpkin chickpea blondies
- mexican cauliflower rice
- blueberry lemon oatmeal cups
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