So, does Papa Johns have a gluten-free Pizza? If they do, is it even any good, or what are your options?
Any individual who needs to avoid gluten may find their options rather limited when it comes to pizza.
Unfortunately, pizza has a tendency to come with a whole lot of gluten poured into the crust, but you do have one option at most pizza chains.
That option is a gluten-free crust, but sadly the quality and availability remain something that is rather erratic.
That in itself causes problems for those individuals who need to avoid gluten.
So, we intend to try to help you out, and this time we plan on looking at Papa Johns and whether or not they have a gluten-free crust.
After all, why should you miss out on pizza when everyone else is ordering from them?
These are actually important questions simply because gluten-free crusts often have a bad name.
People tend to feel they come up short in what they offer, and we see that as a major problem.
Hopefully, everything we have to say about the Papa Johns gluten-free crust will make your life a whole lot easier.
The Answer
The good news is that Papa Johns does indeed have a gluten-free crust available at their different locations.
They do also try to make a big deal of their gluten-free crust, but we will look into that later.
However, what quickly becomes clear is that Papa Johns falls into the same trap as the other major pizza chains with their gluten-free offering.
So, you should certainly not expect a large menu if you need to eat gluten-free at Papa Johns.
But that aside, what should you expect from a gluten-free point of view if you do indeed want to go ahead and order pizza from Papa Johns?
The Crust Ingredients
So what’s included in the crust? Well, Papa Johns incorporates a number of different flours that do not contain gluten.
That means you will find the likes of sorghum flour, quinoa, amaranth, and several others.
This blend of different flours does seem to produce quite a good mix, but it’s not an unusual thing.
It seems they tend to follow the mix you see in a number of gluten-free products, and the result is a crust that tastes quite good.
If you have previous experience with gluten-free products, then nothing in the list of ingredients for the Papa John version should surprise you.
So, don’t worry about eating it, unless you are lactose intolerant as milk is included in the list.
The Crust Size
Sadly the gluten-free crust comes in just one size, and it’s small. This size problem occurs with all the pizza chains where they only provide one size even though the number of people avoiding gluten continues to increase.
The crust is also a thin crust, but that’s also common with the pizza chains. Basically, Papa Johns follows what everyone else does regarding a gluten-free crust, and it always comes across as something of an afterthought.
In this instance, the crust measures 10 inches, and this does appear as if it’s standard for gluten-free crusts at these chains.
So, if you feel hungry, then while this pizza will help, it may not completely hit the mark.
How Does it Taste?
Clearly taste matters, and in this instance, it seems that Papa Johns has managed to do a good job of producing a gluten-free crust not lacking in flavor.
Now, we aren’t saying it hits the same heights as their normal crust, but it also manages to avoid coming across as bland and boring.
What you get when you bite into this crust is something with a bit of crunch to it.
Also, there’s enough of a chew to get your teeth into without it coming across as too much.
From a taste perspective, this gluten-free crust often comes out as one of the favorites and best on the market. So, it’s pretty darn good.
This crust does not make you feel as if you have just consumed a lot of dough. It remains light and quite airy, which is a good thing.
Also, it manages to take on that familiar thin crust crunch. This means it can come across as almost having a biscuit-like texture, but you get that with a normal thin crust as well at times.
So, in that respect, this crust gets quite close to the gluten-containing crusts.
Some people may not even really notice they have just had a gluten-free crust if you gave them a bite of this one.
But understand that it also does come down to how well it’s cooked at the pizzeria.
These crusts can quickly turn bad if in the oven for too long. So, you may need to cross your fingers and hope everything works out well.
Cross Contamination
But here is a real and serious problem. Cross-contamination remains an issue, and it’s not one you can ever assume will go away.
That’s because of the way the staff tends to come across as lazy when dealing with gluten-free products.
It does remain a common event for them to not use different equipment, or to use the same prep table for both gluten and gluten-free pizza.
So while the crust starts its life as gluten-free, we cannot guarantee it will end up like that.
The sad part is the crust itself passes regulations linked to Papa Johns even calling the crust gluten-free.
To then mess it up thanks to using incorrect equipment doesn’t help matters when they could avoid it all with such ease.
But then, you might strike it lucky and have a Papa Johns where they do take notice of this type of thing.
If you do, then you should have no real issue regarding this gluten-free crust.
The Toppings
So here we have some good news. Almost every topping available on the Papa Johns menu would fall into the gluten-free category.
That’s excellent news, and it does mean you feel you have some options when it comes to making up your own pizza.
Unfortunately, you do still find yourself stuck with the size, but you can at least pile those toppings on and at least feel good about it.
Also, at that point, you think you have had a good pizza simply because of everything that’s on it.
But we do have a word of warning as you could make a mistake if not careful. Double-check with them about the sauce they use on their pizza.
Not every sauce in every location actually ends up gluten-free. You can easily find yourself caught out regarding this, so it’s always best to check in advance.
But that aside, you should find it easy to determine which toppings potentially contain gluten and then avoid them.
Remember you can build your own pizza with them. With that aspect, the only limitation is the overall size of the pizza and how many toppings you can get on there.
Any Negatives?
The biggest issue remains the size of the gluten-free crust. For some reason, the major pizza chains appear to insist that the gluten-free option measures the same as their small pizza, and Papa Johns is no different.
But those individuals used to trying out different gluten-free crusts should feel quite satisfied with what is on offer at Papa Johns.
This crust certainly does not come across as too dense and yet it has everything you should look for in a pizza crust.
If they only resolved this size problem then everything would actually end up close to perfect, and that’s a big deal.
Maybe they will do that in the future if the demand for gluten-free crusts continues to increase as it is right now.
Overall Conclusion
Papa Johns does indeed do a gluten-free crust, and it’s often viewed as one of the best out of the different major pizza chains.
However, they do fall into the trap of restricting options regarding the size. Overall though, this gluten-free crust actually tastes quite good.
It strikes a balance between crunch and having that slightly chewy texture so many people look for. Also, it has some flavor to it rather than tasting like absolutely nothing.
On top of that, the sauce and toppings options also allow you to really feel as if you have had a nice pizza.
As a gluten-free option, Papa Johns has managed to do quite well, and if you have a Papa Johns in your vicinity, then we would recommend you give it a try.
Just keep in mind that the pizza comes across as small. So, perhaps ask for a gluten-free side to help you out if you wish you had more pizza.
