Do you ever eat out somewhere and wish that what you ate would just magically appear in your kitchen the next day so you can eat it again and again? This happened to me last week at one of our favorite pizza places here in Columbus, Deweys, with their seasonal pizza of the moment. I decided to try to recreate them at home, and the result is these mini thai pizzas! My version starts with a spicy sriracha lime sauce (with honey thrown in to balance the heat), gets a layer of smoked gouda, and is finished off with carrots, green onion, cilantro, and thai cashews. (Bonus: for a cauliflower crust version, see the end of this post!)
If you mix up the 3 ingredient sauce and chop your veggies ahead of time, these will go from start to table pretty quickly. To save time, buy pre-baked naan bread (I used Stonefire brand). You can also buy pre-shredded carrots and even use sliced smoked gouda if you don’t want to have to shred it.
I made a quick video to show you how easy these come together!
If you watched the video and thought, okay what are thai cashews (??!), I’ve got you covered – just click below! Or you can also find details in the recipe at the bottom of this post. They’re basically just raw cashews crushed up and added to a sauce of almond butter, tamari, lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, and water. When you mix up this sauce, taste it and adjust the flavors if you think it needs more sweet or salty, etc. Then just mix in the crushed cashews. As the final topping on these mini pizzas, they add just the perfect amount of crunch, flavor and texture. (If you prefer, you can easily sub peanuts for the cashews and peanut butter for the almond butter.)
You’ll see that I get all fancy in how I crush the cashews….I throw them in a Ziploc and crush them up with whatever hard object is handy, usually a handheld can opener. #pullingbackthecurtain #sofancy
Another great thing about these mini pizzas is that if you’re feeding people who don’t like spicy or all the veggies or cashews (or whatever specific and ever changing claims kids will make!), then just throw some plain marinara and mozzarella on their naan crust, bake it with yours, and everyone gets to eat together in peace and harmony.
Add the sauce and cheese to the mini naans, bake them for about 6 – 8 minutes at 400 (the video says 5 minutes but after making them again, I like the crust a little crispier – either way works and will successfully transfer all the toppings into your mouth, which is the whole point anyway, right?) They’ll look like regular pizzas at this point, but don’t be fooled. Then add your toppings and BOOM, you’re ready to go.
ALSO! Attention gluten free eaters! I created a version of these using a cauliflower crust (I am finishing that post now and will link it here shortly). Just for the fun of it, and just for anyone who has a love of cauliflower and some time on their hands, because this version is definitely a bit more time consuming than just opening the naan package. But the cauliflower crust complements the other flavors really well, so don’t be shy if you’re curious – give it a try!
- 4 small naan, white or whole wheat (I used Stonefire brand)
- 1/3 cup sriracha
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- juice from 1 lime, divided
- 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked gouda
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 Tbsp almond butter (peanut butter would work well also)
- 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water (add more if needed to thin)
- 1/3 cup crushed raw cashews (see recipe note)
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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Make the sauce by mixing together the sriracha, 1 1/2 Tbsp honey, and juice from half a lime (you will use the rest of the lime for the cashews).
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Spread the sauce on the naan, then top with shredded gouda. Bake for 6 - 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and crust is slightly crispy.
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While the pizzas are cooking, prepare the thai cashew topping. In a small bowl, mix together the almond butter, tamari, 2 tsp honey, rice vinegar, and water. Stir until smooth, adding more water to thin if needed. Taste the sauce at this point and add more honey for sweet or tamari for salty if needed based on your taste! Then mix in the crushed cashews.
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Remove the pizzas from the oven and top with the carrots, green onion, cilantro, and cashews. The cashew topping is a chunky sauce, so just add small dollops on top of your veggies using a spoon.
If you can't find raw cashew pieces at your grocery, you can use whole raw cashews and crush them up. I put whole cashews in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a heavy spoon or my handheld can opener. Peanut pieces would work well in this also!
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