A Delicious Pizza For Toddlers That’s Actually Nutritious
For the record, we completely understand if you’re skeptical, maybe even annoyed or angry, at that title. Let pizza be pizza again, you say. Must we ‘hack’ everything in this world?, you cry. We get it. And we are not saying the recipe that follows should replace the pizza you and/or your child loves; think of it more as an opportunity to do more with pizza. Say, for those times when your child asks for pizza for the second–third? fourth?--time in a week. Or, for those times when you want to get your kiddo to eat more fiber/vegetables/protein and just can’t figure out how to do so. The crust is easy to make*–four ingredients and five minutes is all you need–and high in protein; the sauce has a lot of protein, fiber, and vegetables, too. And it’s coated in cheese–your kid won’t know any better about all that good stuff going on underneath.
(Note: because the pizza is already so high in protein, and because young kids tend to prefer cheese pizza, we are not standardizing any topping; however, feel free to add ground meat or a dice of your child’s favorite vegetable to the pizza.)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 can Refried black beans
- 1/2 Zucchini
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Barbecue Sauce (optional)
- Peel the skin off the zucchini and then grate–either by using a handheld grater or blitzing in a blender or food processor–into the smallest shreds possible; place zucchini shards into a colander and allow to drain for 10-20 minutes. Be sure to squeeze out any remaining liquid before using.
- Make some dough: In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt; stir or sift to ensure contents are mixed. Add in the olive oil and yogurt, then stir quickly and vigorously to combine; use your hands, as needed, to help the mixture clump into a packed ball of dough.
- Make some dough, Pt. 2: Set up a flat surface (i.e., a cutting board) and sprinkle flour on top of it; transfer the dough ball to the surface. Use your hands to squeeze, press, and push that dough ball all around (i.e., “kneading”) until it becomes firm enough to shape; add more flour if still sticky and/or falling apart too easily. Form into a round–and don’t fret if it’s not pizzeria perfect–by using a roller and/or your hands to flatten and expand. If you have the time, allow the dough to chill in your fridge for 30 minutes–that’ll allow it to firm up.
- Preheat oven to 425. Warm the beans per the can’s directions, then add in shredded zucchini; stir to embed the green bits throughout the bean spread. Optional but recommended: stir in barbecue sauce. Remove from heat.
- (Note: see the next section first if you intend to use a pizza pan.) Spread the bean-zucchini mixture over the flattened dough, then cover with shredded cheese and add any toppings you’d like.
- Drop the oven temperature to 400, then follow one of these
- If you want a crispier crust and don’t have worries about the stability of your dough, put the pizza directly on the center rack of your oven–but put a pan beneath–and cook for 12-13 minutes
- If you want to cook the pizza on a pizza pan: place on pan and cook for 13-14 minutes. For a crispier middle, heat the dough in the oven for 1 minute before topping it with bean spread and cheese.
The recipe picture shows a typical triangle/slice cut, which is great for photos but not so hot for small children; I recommend employing the ‘party’ cut (i.e., tavern style) and slice into small squares, which you can then further reduce into the appropriate bite size for your child. Also recommended: a squeeze of lime on top helps cut the richness of the sauce; ketchup and barbecue sauce to dip in can assist, too.
If your child is (too) comfortable with tomato sauced pizza, it may help to slowly increase the proportion of bean to red sauce. You can start by doing half-and-half: just tomato sauce on one side; black beans on the other. (Mix the zucchini into the tomato sauce). If you’re worried your child would prefer neither, here’s a thought: barbecue sauce. I’ve done this pizza with barbecue sauce instead of black beans–and shredded chicken instead of turkey–and it was a huge hit.
Pro tip for yourself: topping slices with salsa verde–or any salsa or sauce with notable acidity–really elevates the flavor.
You can of course utilize pre-made crust or dough! Just skip the dough-making steps in the recipe.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
