Cauliflower Pizza Crust is an easy way to turn any pizza into a healthy pizza! This low carb pizza crust recipe is delicious and EASY to make. Learn how to make cauliflower pizza crust and just add your favorite toppings!
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Cauliflower Pizza
Cauliflower? As a pizza? I know, I know. I used to doubt it too if I’m being honest. But my eyes have been opened and my ways have been changed.
Now I’m just wondering why it took me so long to try this cauliflower pizza crust recipe?
I’ve seen blog posts and recipes about the greatness of this low carb pizza crust for so long, but never actually tried it. It’s popular in the keto world, and of course popular with anyone who can’t eat gluten. But what about someone who is just trying to cut out a few extra carbs and calories without giving up PIZZA? That’s what I’m here for.
I’m so glad I finally gave this recipe a try because it’s easy and delicious! Yes, I loaded it with cheese and toppings (I made a mushroom pepperoni pizza, but you can use any toppings you like). That might make it “less healthy”, but I’m not willing to give up everything.
Keep reading for the full recipe, plus tips on how to make cauliflower pizza crust!
Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Sure, this crust may be healthy, but don’t worry! It still has a crispy and crunchy texture, and tons of flavor, all while being super light on carbs.
Whether you’re gluten-free, following a keto diet, or just trying to make slightly healthier decisions here and there, this cauliflower pizza recipe is a great option. No one should have to give up pizza just because of their dietary restrictions!
Is this healthier than regular pizza crust?
Absolutely! It’s gluten-free, low on carbs, low on calories, and it’s a vegetable! So while you’re chowing down on cheesy pizza, you’ve got a whole extra serving of veggies in there without even thinking about it.
How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Turning cauliflower into pizza crust might sound difficult (trust me, making regular pizza crust from scratch sounds hard enough if you ask me), but it’s actually pretty simple.
Ingredients List:
- Cauliflower (of course)
- Egg
- Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
- Garlic salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Basil
These ingredients combine to create the most flavorful crust. Yum!
Tips to Make this Recipe:
- How much cauliflower do I need? – You can start with a full head of cauliflower, or you can buy some that’s already been cut into florets. But it will need to measure about 2 1/2 cups and be cut small enough to put in a food processor. This will do the hard work of chopping it into tiny, almost grated, pieces.
- Fresh or frozen cauliflower? – The recipe assumes fresh cauliflower, but if you use frozen, just make sure it’s thawed and cooked until tender so it can be easily chopped up in the food processor.
- Forming the crust – You can form the cauliflower mixture into whatever crust shape you want. It can be round, it can be long and flat, and if it turns out a little lop-sided…that’s okay! That’s the beauty of homemade pizza. Just pat down the top so you have a flat surface, and try to make it the same thickness throughout (so it cooks evenly).
- Bake time – Bake 15-20 minutes at 425°F. It should be a light golden brown and slightly firm when it’s done.
- Making the pizza – The crust is the bulk of the recipe, but the rest is pretty straightforward. Throw your toppings on and bake!
- Check below for the full printable recipe card!
Why is my cauliflower crust soggy?
To prevent a soggy crust (no one wants that!), you’ll need to get rid of any extra moisture from the cauliflower.
The best time to do this is after it’s been cooked and chopped up in the food processor, before mixing it up with the rest of the ingredients.
Try placing it on paper towels to squeeze out any moisture. Or wrap up the cauliflower with some cheesecloth or thin linen cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. You could also place the pieces on a baking tray in the oven at a low temperature to dry it out before moving onto the next step.
Pizza Toppings
Once you’ve made the crust, you can use it to make any kind of pizza you want! Choose any toppings you like, throw them on top, bake, and you’ve got a pizza. Simple!
You can keep it healthy with lots of veggies, go classic with lots of cheese and meats, or make a nice mix of both like we did.
We chose to load up our cauliflower pizza crust with pepperoni, mushrooms, leeks, plenty of cheese, all with a classic tomato sauce base.
Some other toppings we love (though not all at the same time):
- Italian sausage
- Bell peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Olives
- Broccoli
- Goat cheese
- Red onions
- Possibilities are endless!
Cheesy pizza AND it’s low-carb? Count me in on this easy crust recipe. Let me know what toppings you choose!
See the recipe card for details on how to make cauliflower pizza crust. Enjoy!
Need more pizza ideas? Try these fun recipes:
- Veggie Crescent Roll Pizza
- Soft Pretzel Crust Pizza with Cheese Sauce
- Garlic Butter French Bread Pizza Bites
- Easy Gourmet White Pizza Recipe
- Garlic Bread Pizza Casserole
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cauliflower
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon good quality pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon basil chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup Sargento Sharp Cheddar Finely Shredded
- 8 pepperonis
- 1/4 cup crimini mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoons chopped leeks
Instructions
- Line a rimmed pizza pan or baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and add a splash of water. Cover. Microwave for 3 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.
- Place cauliflower in a high powered blender or food processor and pulse until fully chopped and in tiny pieces. It will almost be grated.
- Remove as much water as possible from the processed cauliflower by using paper towels or by placing the cauliflower in a cheesecloth or thin linen cloth and squeezing out as much water as you possibly can. This step is important for a firm crust.
- Add the egg, 1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil. Stir to combine all of the ingredients.
- Pour the cauliflower mixture onto the pizza pan or baking sheet and form the shape of crust you want. Pat down to create a flat surface. Press a paper towel on the top of the crust to absorb some more moisture, then throw the paper towel away.
- Lightly spray with cooking spray, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch, flipping the crust over after 10 minutes.
- Spoon on the sauce, followed by both types of cheeses, leeks, mushrooms, and pepperonis.
- Bake for another 5-10 minutes until melty.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
This was such an awesome recipe. I have made it several times with varying toppings and it was so good.
I’d love to know all the toppings you’ve tried! I’ll have to try them out myself!
Can’t seem to find any other question or comment as to whether the 2-1/2 cups of cauliflower is after the food processing or before cooking the small floret pieces. Can hardly wait to try this but don’t want an unexpected disappointment.
Cook the cauliflower before putting it in the food processor!
Does this use fresh cauliflower or frozen? Does it matter and would you cook it the same?
If using frozen, I would thaw it beforehand!
Just finished – I followed the recipe exactly for the crust (just left in in the oven for closer to 30 mins) then did the cheeses but with caramelized onions & wilted spinach & chickpeas for the topping. It was beyond delicious – even my VERY picky Mom said it was fantastic. Will definitely make it again.
SO glad to hear you guys enjoyed this!!
So good!! Always been unsure about cauliflower because it’s not my favorite vegetable. But it turned out really good! The only reason I gave 4 stars is because the crust is more mushy than hardened. Does anyone have any advice on forming the crust better?
Actually the cauliflower pizza crust was pretty good. Very good recipe!! Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Looks really good & healthy. Can’t wait to try it all.
Thanks for stopping by Stephany. I hope you love it!
This looks great. What is the serving size per person? Thank you.
I made this tonight. The taste was fantastic! However, the crust turned out soggy. My husband was fine with eating it with a fork and knife, but I was disappointed. I will definitely try it again, but I think next time I’ll make sure to squeeze out the moisture from the diced cauliflower and I’ll flip it and bake the other side as well to see if that helps.
Darn! I’m sorry to hear that! I’m glad it tasted good but I’ll definitely be troubleshooting the soggy-ness!
Hi Becky! This looks so good and I would love to try it.