Remember when cauliflower came onto the food scene a few years back? Now it’s become so popular that it’s hard to find a restaurant that doesn’t have roasted cauliflower on their menu. It’s even mainstream enough that Trader Joe’s makes cauliflower rice AND cauliflower pizza crust (have you tried it?).
Abra, AK marketing manager & the veggie loving queen she is, even likes to put frozen cauliflower in her morning smoothies. YOU CRAZY ‘BRA (that’s her nickname.)
Look I was skeptical about cauliflower on everything for a long time until I made this bomb ass cauliflower pizza crust that blew my mind and made me sink into a deep happy pizza coma. It was a good day.
I messed with traditional ratios of the plethora of cauliflower pizza crust recipes on the internet, and came up with my own. It’s perfect in every way. Cheesy, garlicky, crispy, chewy, AND JUST SO GOOD.
Ingredients in this cauliflower pizza crust
This cauliflower pizza crust recipe uses super simple ingredients so that you can all of the delicious toppings you like. It’s low carb, gluten free, grain free and packing the flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Cauliflower: the star of the show in this pizza crust to keep it low carb and gluten free!
- Egg: you’ll need one egg in this recipe to help the crust hold together.
- Cheese: we’re adding a boost of protein and delicious flavor with mozzarella andn parmesan cheese baked right into the crust. The cheese also helps it hold together.
- Coconut flour: a bit of coconut flour helps to firm the crust up to perfection.
- Spices: you’ll also need some garlic powder, dried oregano, salt & pepper.
- For topping: the options are endless! I usually start with some pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and get wild after that.
How to make cauliflower pizza crust: a step-by-step tutorial
Trust me when I saw I know that making your own cauliflower pizza crust might seem daunting, but I assure you it isn’t at all. The crust is actually fairly easy to make and FUN too! And because I wanted to make sure you guys got step by step instructions, I’m even including a video on how to make this delicious cauliflower pizza crust plus photos.
Step 1: Chop your cauliflower
First, chop your head of cauliflower into florets and put it into your food processor.
Step 2: Pulse it
Pulse the florets until they resemble rice or couscous. You may need to pulse it in batches. Add the cauliflower “rice” to a large bowl.
Step 3: Steam it
Next, microwave the pulsed cauliflower for 5 minutes OR steam it in a pot with one inch of water for about 5 minutes. You do you. I’ve got instructions for both in the recipe below.
Step 4: Cool it
Wait till it cools so you don’t burn your hand like I did. Very important step here people.
Step 5: Squeeze it! This is the key to a crispy crust
Once the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, take a clean dish towel or cheesecloth and put the steamed cauliflower ‘rice’ into the middle and wrap the dish towel around it. Squeeze all the water out. It will look weird like the photo above.
I MEAN ALL THE WATER. You’re gonna get an arm workout here. This is the key for nice, crispy pizza crust!
Step 6: Mix your pizza “dough.”
Good job. Now place the cauliflower in a large bowl and add cheeses, coconut flour, egg, spices and salt. Mix it well. It’s going to be soft and slightly wet — don’t worry!
Step 7: Shape your crust
Dump that ball onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it out with your hands (just press out) and leave a 1/4 inch thickness as pictured above. It should be about 9-10 inches in diameter.
Bake
Prebake the crust without any topping on it so that it sets and turns a nice golden brown color.
Step 8: Top it & bake again
NOW TOP IT with anything your heart desires. AND BAKE AGAIN until that cheese melts and becomes perfectly bubbly. Cheese bubbles, I love you.
Delicious topping recommendations
We love to experiment with different toppings using this cauliflower pizza crust. Here are our team’s favorites (yeah, we’re fancy):
- Monique: tomato sauce, jalapeño, pineapple, black olives and mushrooms with fresh mozzarella and red chili pepper flakes.
- Abra: pesto, sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil and hot honey.
- Rebecca: tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, red onion and chopped pistachios.
What are your favorite pizza toppings? Leave a comment on the recipe and let us know!
Can you freeze cauliflower pizza crust?
Yes! Here are two ways to do it:
- Freeze the crust without toppings. After baking the crust, you can wrap it in foil and freeze it for later. When you’re ready to use it, simply bake the pizza at 425 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes, then top your pizza and bake as directed.
- Freeze the crust with toppings. You can also freeze your crust after adding your toppings! After adding everything you’d like, wrap the crust well and freeze it. To bake it simply do so at 425 degrees F until the cheese is nice and bubbly (20-30 minutes).
Storing tips
Store any leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or back in the oven to keep it crispy.
Recommended tools
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I hope you love this easy cauliflower pizza crust recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
How to Make the Best Cauliflower Pizza Crust
The BEST cauliflower pizza crust you’ll ever make! Learn exactly how to make cauliflower pizza crust that’s flavorful, low carb and packed with fiber & protein. Top it with whatever your heart desires. You’ll make this cauliflower pizza crust recipe again and again!
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For topping:
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Any other toppings your heart desires
Put ½ of the cauliflower florets into bowl of food processor, pulse until it resembles rice (about 30 seconds). Transfer into a large bowl and place other ½ of florets into food processor to repeat above.
Microwave pulsed cauliflower for 5 minutes OR add all to a pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil to let it cook for 5 minutes with a lid on. Alternatively, you can also steam the cauliflower.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
Let cauliflower cool for 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, transfer cauliflower to a clean dish towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze of excess moisture — make sure to do this until virtually no water comes out and the cauliflower is dry This is very important to the success of the recipe.
Next transfer cauliflower pulp to a large bowl and add in egg, mozzarella, parmesan, coconut flour, garlic powder, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and form a soft dough.
Place dough in the middle of the prepared pan and push out with your hands to form a 9-10 inch circle, with about ¼ inch dough thickness.
Bake for 20 minutes until crust is firm and slightly golden brown. Remove from oven, then top with pizza sauce and cheese (or whatever your heart desires).
Bake for 5-10 more minutes until cheese is melted, then turn broiler on for 1-2 minutes to get cheese nice and golden brown and bubbly. Make sure to watch carefully!
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes minutes before cutting into 8 slices and serving. Serves 4, 2 slices each.
To store: store any leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or back in the oven to keep it crispy.
Freeze the crust without toppings. After baking the crust, you can wrap it in foil and freeze it for later. When you’re ready to use it, simply bake the pizza at 425 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes, then top your pizza and bake as directed.
Freeze the crust with toppings. You can also freeze your crust after adding your toppings! After adding everything you’d like, wrap the crust well and freeze it. To bake it simply do so at 425 degrees F until the cheese is nice and bubbly (20-30 minutes).
Nutrition
Servings: 8 slices
Serving size: 2 slices
Calories: 224kcal
Fat: 10.6g
Saturated fat: 6.5g
Carbohydrates: 14.3g
Fiber: 5.3g
Sugar: 3.8g
Protein: 17.9g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published in 2017, but has was updated and republished with photos and more tips on March 19th, 2021.
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