Oh did I have fun with the #365dairyfree challenge this week! Some of my new recipe trials were pretty basic, but things got interesting with dinners and baking. And along the way, some fun ideas emerged. Spring break is ahead, followed by summer, and I know many of you will need fun ways to keep kids busy. Don’t worry; I think this Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Pizza will definitely entice them to help you out in the kitchen.
This recipe was inspired by my favorite convenient treat growing up, mint chocolate chip brownie sundaes. Recently, I had some serious cravings for that nostalgic dessert, but no mint chip dairy-free ice cream on hand. Frosting immediately came to mind (I love all sugary toppings), and with St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, I thought, “Why not make it green, too?!”
The end result is an insanely good brownie pizza with a naturally-colored mint cream cheesy frosting. It all comes together easily, without top allergens, when using Enjoy Life Brownie Mix and Dark Chocolate Morsels. As an added bonus, these brownies are already spiked with chocolate chips for a triple chocolate dessert!
Dinnertime Fun: Building a Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Pizza Bar
But kids can’t live on sweets alone (okay, maybe they can, but it isn’t the best idea for parental sanity). So why not let them make their own savory pizzas, too!
Getting Kids Involved: Kids of all ages can adorn their individual pizzas with whatever sauces and toppings they like. Older kids may be able to help with making the easy three-step pizza dough (possibly even baking) and with prepping and plating the toppings.
Pizza Crust: Make the crusts personal-sized and pre-bake as directed. I use the Enjoy Life Pizza Crust Mix with Ancient Grains shown prepared in the pictured above. One box makes 6 meal-worthy crusts or 8 crusts for little appetites. This mix is a new must in my house because it is so darn easy, stocked with heat-stable probiotics, pumped with a little protein, made with several nutrient-rich flours, and free of top allergens, so everyone at the table can enjoy. In other words, it’s tough to beat.
Tons of Toppings: It’s unbelievable how many ways you can top a pizza – even cheeseless! Here are some ideas to get you started (comment if I missed any of your favorites!) …
- The Meat of It – pepperoni, bacon crumbles, Canadian bacon, fully-cooked allergen-safe sausage, chorizo, kielbasa, chopped chicken, capicolla, salami, prosciutto, meatballs, anchovies, shrimp, vegan pizza “meats”.
- Produce Picks – mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake, portobello), olives (black, Kalamata, green), bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange), tomatoes, pineapple, garlic (raw or roasted), onions (raw or caramelized), sweet corn, artichoke hearts, baby spinach, kale, capers, leeks, potatoes, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant (thinly sliced or roasted), bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers (or other hot peppers), diced green chiles, zucchini, broccoli, green onions / scallions, pepperoncinis.
- Feelin’ Saucy – traditional pizza sauce, peanut sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic olive oil, dairy-free pesto, salsa, enchilada sauce, hummus.
- Bonus Bites – dairy-free cheese shreds, black beans, fresh herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, dill, etc!), crushed red pepper, hot sauce.
365 Dairy-Free Recipe Challenge Update
With the 365 New Dairy-Free Recipe Challenge, my goal is to trial at least 365 new-to-me recipes this year, and that doesn’t even count all of the retesting to perfect many of those dishes. I’ll be using the hashtag #365dairyfree here and on social media to share many of the trials, successes and flops! This past week I trialed all of the following allergy-friendly recipes for the first time:
- Brown Irish Soda Bread (My new love – recipe to be posted!)
- Turkey Meatballs in Sriracha Sauce (Adapted this recipe from Budget Bytes – we loved it!)
- Citrus-Yogurt Smoothie (Trying out some superfood combos – needs work)
- Italian Chicken Bake (Not bad, but the technique needs work)
- One-Skillet Lemon Chicken and Zucchini (Tried a dairy-free version of this recipe!)
- Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Pizza (Oh yes, and it’s so guilt-fully good)
This mint chocolate chip brownie recipe post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods – my personal favorite for everyday chocolate chips (minis, morsels and chunks, oh my!) and nutritious baking mixes.
Special Diet Notes: Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Pizza
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian, and generally top food allergy-friendly. The pizza bar ideas are also top allergy-friendly and optionally vegan!
- 1 box Enjoy Life Brownie Mix with Ancient Grain
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 ounces dairy-free cream cheese alternative (I used ½ package of Daiya)
- ¼ cup coconut cream (see note below)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon matcha / green tea powder (for color)
- Dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and flour (gluten-free, if needed) a pizza pan, or line it with parchment paper for easier removal. No pizza pan? The batter is relatively thick, so you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and shape the batter.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, and oil until combined and no lumps remain.
- Evenly spread the batter into your pizza pan (or on the baking sheet) - it is quite thick.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until firm around the edges. Let cool completely.
- Place the cream cheese alternative, coconut cream, peppermint extract (start with the lesser amount), vanilla extract, and salt in a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon matcha powder and beat until smooth.
- Adjust the taste and color by adding more peppermint extract, as desired (some are stronger than others - I used Simply Organic, which is quite potent!), and more green tea powder for color (it doesn't notably affect the taste).
- Chill in the refrigerator (or even freezer if you only have 15 minutes) to set up the coconut cream. Give it a quick whip before using.
- Frost the cooled brownie pizza with the frosting and sprinkle on chocolate chips - as many as you like!
32 Comments
love anything mint chocolate! And brownies!! This is such a Katie dessert. I need to find this brownie mix!
You do, you really do! 🙂
Mint Chocolate is hands down my favorite flavor of pretty much ANYTHING, EVER. This looks amazing!
Build your own pizza bars are such a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen and also to encourage them to make their own choices for what to eat for dinner! Also love the idea of dessert pizzas. So much fun!
I agree! Getting them to help prep the toppings, too, can help encourage them to try new toppings and vegetables as well!
What fun and creative ideas for a fast meals and desserts. The pizza looks like a lot of fun for the kiddos too. I’m pretty certain I would love that pie too! Pinned!
Thanks Julie! Yes, the pie is hard to avoid – it freezes well, too (with frosting), so I’ve been enjoying leftovers from our tests 🙂
This is an adorable idea and fun too- my daughter would love it! If she could, she would live on sweets alone, especially chocolate! I love that you used matcha powder to color the frosting naturally- very creative 🙂
I was just like her with sweets when I was younger! The matcha actually compliments mint, too, which makes it even better.
After making a pizza like this, I might have to skip dinner altogether and just head right for dessert! I’ve never made a dessert pizza, though I’ve always wanted to try one. This might be the first!
I know what you mean Amelia! I did have some BEFORE dinner one day, just to make sure I’d have room for dessert 🙂
If nothing else, I need to make that Mint Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting. Sounds decadent but also healthy! Also so pretty!!
I think it’s pretty awesome, and just thin enough for a dip, too!
This looks so good. My favorite combo is mint + chocolate ever since I was a little girl. This is a must make-ASAP!
Me too Megan, there is something that is just SO nostalgic about it.
Oh wow, I love this idea! It looks so yummy!
What a beautiful dessert! This would be a huge hit in my house. I love your 365 challenge, it sounds like a lot of fun!
Thanks Faith! It is a bit fun but more motivating than anything else.
I saw these mixes last week and was SO tempted to try the brownie mix! This brownie pizza is such a good idea!
I think the brownie mix is our favorite and a bit less guilt with the protein, probiotics and whole grains – at least that’s what I told myself as we polished off this pizza 🙂
This was made for me!! A minty brownie pizza??? Count me ALL in!
what a creative idea loving all the combinations and how easy it looks to make =)
This looks so delicious! My kind of dessert.
I am really wishing a slice of your brownie pizza could jump off the page and on to a plate in front of me! What a fun idea! That looks SO good!
Brownie pizza?!?!?! Brilliant! Mint chip happens to by a favorite ice cream flavor too! What a great idea!
Indeed, it’s such an under-rated flavor and so hard to get just right!
Holy cow! This looks so amazing!
Thank you Ashley! It tastes pretty darn amazing, too 🙂
Yesssss making this!!
You must!
Brownie pizza is such a fun idea! As cute as single servings are, I still love a dessert built for sharing. 🙂
Thanks Hannah! And share we did. Tony and I devoured this whole pizza in just a few days 🙂