Cauliflower pizza crust – for those days when you really want pizza but not all the carbs, or need a gluten free alternative.
Okay, I did it. I jumped on the bandwagon. That pizza picture? That pizza crust is made out of cauliflower. Say what?
You’re probably in one of three categories:
1) You tried this years ago when it first became a thing
2) You have never heard of cauliflower pizza crust
3) You have heard of cauliflower pizza crust but you think I’m it’s crazy
For those in camp #3, please bear with me. Don’t get me wrong, this does not miraculously taste like real pizza crust in all it’s carb-loaded glory. But if you are someone like me who would choose to eat pizza for every meal the rest of your life if you could, this could be a good one to try out.
If you’re still here, read on for some tips.
Take one medium cauliflower head and remove the florets from the stem. Pulse in a food processor to get a rice-like texture. You’ll probably end up with about 3-4 cups (I got about 3 and 1/2 cups out of mine).
Tip #1 – since the key to a good cauliflower crust is getting as much moisture out as possible, it helps to dry out the cauliflower rice even before straining with a cheese cloth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and put the cauliflower in for 15-20 minutes. It would help to use a larger pan than the one pictured below so that it is more spread out.
Tip #2 – After the cauliflower cools (important!), strain with a cheese cloth to get out as much remaining moisture as you can. Even when you think you can’t get out any more liquid, keep squeezing. Repeat.
After this step I had about 2 cups of cauliflower, since most of the water is gone and it’s more compact.
Mix this cauliflower rice with 1 egg, 1/2 cup cheese (I used parmesan), salt and herbs if desired.
Spread out on a pan and bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until browned and the edges are crispy.
Congrats! You made cauliflower pizza crust and survived to tell about it.
Now add your favorite toppings and put back in the oven until the cheese melts. Then go tell everyone you know you just made cauliflower pizza crust and report back to me on their reactions.
Will you try this? What other crazy substitutions for pizza have you tried?
Cauliflower pizza crust
Cauliflower pizza crust - for those days when you really want pizza but not all the carbs, or need a gluten free alternative.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt, to taste
- herbs if desired
- your favorite pizza toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove florets from cauliflower and pulse in food processor until it has a rice-like texture. (I had about 3 and 1/2 cups of "rice", not packed)
- Spread out cauliflower rice on baking sheet or pan and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (this is to help dry out the cauliflower a bit)
- After cauliflower cools, strain over a bowl with cheese cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. (I had a little less than 2 cups of cauliflower after this step, packed.)
- In a medium bowl, add strained cauliflower to the remaining ingredients and combine.
- Increase oven temperature to 450°F.
- Form cauliflower mixture into a crust on baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until browned and edges are crispy.
- Add favorite toppings and put back in oven if necessary until toppings are melted.
Notes
Recipe source: ifoodreal
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1 crustAmount Per Serving: Calories: 703Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 247mgSodium: 2284mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 16gSugar: 16gProtein: 44g
Nutrition information is calculated automatically by an online tool at Nutritionix. It is not always accurate. Please use your own tools to check if you rely on this information.
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Carol
Monday 9th of October 2017
The Moosewood Cookbook had a similar recipe years ago, but made w/ shredded potato! Wow! That was yummy! I'm looking forward to trying this one, too!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
Wednesday 18th of March 2015
I haven't tried this yet, but I keep meaning to. Looks like yours came out just perfect!! :)
Kelly
Monday 23rd of March 2015
Thanks Jess, it's been on my bucket list for a while now too. I look forward to hearing about your experience when you get around to trying it!
Adri
Tuesday 17th of March 2015
Well I have never heard of it, but i am utterly intrigued! Thanks - I've got to try this.
Kelly
Monday 23rd of March 2015
Let me know if you try it Adri!
Lauren @ ihadabiglunch
Monday 16th of March 2015
I have yet to try this but I'm totally open to the idea! Just have to get more comfortable using the food processor :)
Kelly
Monday 23rd of March 2015
For some reason it always seems like a big deal for me to pull out the food processor, but as I've been doing so more lately a whole new world has opened up! I hope you try it Lauren!
Eva
Monday 16th of March 2015
I really really really need to try it. I actually think is way less work than trying to make the "real" dough from scratch. Been there, done that, not my thing. This one I'll try, but I won't tell my daughter what it is :-)
Kelly
Monday 23rd of March 2015
Ooo sneaky! I plan to post someday about my fail-proof pizza dough recipe, so maybe that would make it less scary for you! But in the meantime I hope you like the cauliflower crust :)