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!
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. 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
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 baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat 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.
- 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 baking sheet and form the shape of crust you want. Pat down to create a flat surface.
- Lightly spray with cooking spray, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch.
- Spoon on the sauce, followed by both types of cheeses, leeks, mushrooms, and pepperonis.
- Bake for other 10 minutes until melty.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
If using frozen, I would thaw it beforehand!
Does this use fresh cauliflower or frozen? Does it matter and would you cook it the same?
SO glad to hear you guys enjoyed this!!
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 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?
Glad you liked it!
Actually the cauliflower pizza crust was pretty good. Very good recipe!! Thank you
Thanks for stopping by Stephany. I hope you love it!
Looks really good & healthy. Can’t wait to try it all.
This looks great. What is the serving size per person? Thank you.
Darn! I’m sorry to hear that! I’m glad it tasted good but I’ll definitely be troubleshooting the soggy-ness!
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.
Hi Becky! This looks so good and I would love to try it.
Maybe a silly question but I am having a problem converting the cups to grams and I am getting different amounts from Google, Any idea how many grams of the cheeses I need please? I can’t wait to make this!! Thank you :)
YAY! It was my first time too, so fun trying new versions of things. So glad you loved it!
This was my first time making anything like this. I doubled the recipe & it was amazing! My bf absolutely loved it. I will definitely pass it along!
Love the photos here.. I have had horrible experiences with recipes for Cauliflower Crust pizza that don’t require you to wring out the moisture.. I made two.. one with your original recipe (no water removal) and one with removal. The first one was too soggy.. the second one was quite delicious… I just think that has to be a step.. the crust gets crispier and more like pizza. Also, made it again tonight but cranked heat up to 450…best Cauliflower Pizza ever. Give it a try!!
(for moisture removal.. just put cauliflower in a tea towel after cooking or cheesecloth and squeeze it death.. makes all the difference in the world.. trust me.
That’s actually a really smart idea! I haven’t tried it that way but I can see how that would help a lot. I agree the moisture is hard to get out. Thanks for your input, I’ll have to give that a try and tweak the recipe!!!
Looked incredible.. as with most cauliflower crust recipes (and I squeezed out some moisture with a tea towel before preceding) Its a little wet out of the oven. I think if you added a moisture reduction to this one it would be the best one on the internet… the taste is INCREDIBLE… crust just needs a bit more help and you have an ultimate winner.
Oh my, this looks amazing! I tried making cauliflower pizza once and did not come out as I expected. The crust was very soggy. But maybe I should give it another try with this recipe. :)
Hi Becky! This looks so good and I would love to try it. Can you tell what the approx kcarb count would be if I made it just like yours?
Thanks so much!
Yay! So glad you liked it! I’m totally not sure about freezing…although you could prep it and keep it in the fridge premade and I think that would work. Let me know if you try it that way!
Just finished this…not a crumb left! Question: Can the crust be made ahead and frozen or would it become mushy after thawing? Could I make the night before and add toppings the next day? Thanks for any advice…This was delicious!
Thanks so much Anna!
Best cauliflower crust pizza ever! LOVE your take on the challenge!
You are so sweet! Thanks friend!
Thanks Justine!!
I have always been super skeptical of cauliflower pizza, but now you want me having to try it! This looks amazing!
I seriously want to dive through my screen and steal a slice and I just ate dinner – delicious, Becky!
Thank you Mira!
Love this cauliflower crust! This pizza looks perfect!
I bet yours will be divine!! I saw someone post one right after I had saved this draft and I was like “OF COURSE!!” lol!!!
You are too sweet! Thank you!
Thanks Kimberly! Hope you love it!
Thank you!!!
This actually makes me want to eat healthier! It looks just as good as any pizza I have seen!
This looks soooo good! I’ve been wanting to try a cauliflower crust for ages – this pizza looks like a great way to start!
Pictures are worth a thousand words and my first thought was this looks fabulous and delicious.
Swear! I was JUST working on a cauliflower pizza, too!! hahaha Great minds think alike!
But your pics are like WHOA! GORGEOUS!