How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I originally posted this recipe back in 2011, when I learned the secret to making a cauliflower pizza crust that isn’t soggy. (Hint: you need to squeeze out the moisture from the cooked cauliflower before making your crust!)

Now that we’ve been making this pizza crust for over a decade, I’ve learned some time-saving tricks, like using frozen cauliflower to skip the initial cooking process. Sometimes you can even find frozen riced cauliflower, which lets you skip using the food processor. 

Be sure to read all the tips below if you’d like to make a frozen pizza crust for future use or need to make any substitutions.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Featured Review

“I have tried a few different cauliflower crust recipes and this is by far the best one! I have made it exactly as the recipe indicates many times and it always turns out perfect.” – TP

Cauliflower Pizza Crust Ingredients

• Fresh (or Frozen) Cauliflower. While you can certainly make this recipe with fresh cauliflower florets, it’s 100% easier to start with thawed frozen florets. (You can either let the bag thaw in the fridge overnight or warm it up to thaw it faster.) Your life will be even easier if you can find frozen, riced cauliflower at the store. I’ll walk you through all the variations I’ve tested below.
• Egg. This adds protein and holds the crust together. I don’t recommend using an egg substitute for this recipe, but I have tested a vegan Cauliflower pizza crust if you need an egg-free recipe.
• Cheese. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of goat cheese, soft goat cheese (also known as chevre) creates the best texture for cauliflower pizza crust. I highly recommend trying the recipe as written, but other varieties of cheese will work as well. Read the comments below for feedback on mozzarella or Parmesan.
• Spices. I think pizza crust tastes best with a little extra flavor. Adding oregano and salt boosts the overall flavor so you don’t feel like you’re eating a crust made mostly of cauliflower.

How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you’re using fresh cauliflower, place one pound of cauliflower florets in a food processor fitted with an S-blade. (Mine is a 12-cup size.)

Briefly pulse the florets until they have a rice-like texture.

Note: You can skip this step if you start with riced cauliflower from the store. If you end up using a little more or a little less cauliflower, that’s okay, too. This recipe is quite forgiving.

Step 2:

Transfer the cauliflower rice to the prepared baking sheet and spread it out into an even layer. Place it in the oven to soften and cook for 15 minutes. 

Alternatively, you can place the cauliflower in a covered microwave-safe bowl and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on high to steam it. Or, you can cook it in a large skillet with a 1/4 cup of water for 8 to 10 minutes, until it has softened and the water has evaporated. 

Once the cauliflower has cooked, let it cool for 10 minutes, or until you can safely handle it without burning yourself. 

Note: You can skip this step if you start with a 16-ounce bag of fully thawed frozen cauliflower. Previously frozen cauliflower has the same tender texture as if it were cooked! All you have to do is rice it in a food processor, then skip to the next step.

Step 3:

Transfer the riced cauliflower to the center of a clean dish towel or cheesecloth. Arrange the towel (filled with cauliflower rice) over a small bowl, then squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cooked cauliflower.

It might not feel like there’s excess moisture at first, but you may be surprised by how much liquid is released! (There should be at least 3 to 4 tablespoons of liquid in the bowl.)

It’s okay if the cauliflower looks like a small ball of mush when you’re done.

Step 4:

Transfer the cauliflower rice that you just squeezed into a large bowl, then add in 1 large egg, 1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre), 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of black pepper, if desired.

Use a spatula to stir well until the cauliflower mixture looks relatively uniform. It won’t feel like regular pizza dough, so don’t worry about that.

Step 5:

Arrange a fresh piece of parchment paper on the large baking sheet, if needed, then transfer the cauliflower mixture to the center of the pan.

Use your hands to gently press the cauliflower pizza dough into a round pizza crust, about 10 to 12 inches wide. Be patient, as it will feel weird and slightly sticky to work with!

Make the crust as thin and flat as possible without leaving any holes. The pan in my photos below is 16 inches by 14 inches for reference. So the crust can fill the pan quite a bit!

Note: Get your hands wet if the crust is sticking to your fingers; wet hands help prevent sticking! 

Step 6:

Transfer the pan with the cauliflower crust to the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F, or until golden brown. There’s no need to flip it. Once the top looks dry and golden, it’s ready for toppings! 

Add a thin layer of pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and any toppings you love, like pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, fresh basil, or olives.

Return the pizza to the oven to bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 more minutes. You can turn on the broiler and watch closely if you want the cheese to turn golden even faster. 

Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes, then cut it into slices. Because you took the time to remove excess moisture, the crust should be easy to pick up with your hands! 

Storage + Reheating Tips

Leftover pizza slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

You can reheat individual pizza slices in the air fryer at 350ºF for 3 minutes. Or, if you want to freeze a whole crust to cook later, check out the tips below.

More Low-Carb Recipes to Try

• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Zucchini Lasagna
• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Zucchini Hummus (no beans)
• Cottage Cheese Dip
• Mexican Chicken Soup
• Healthy Chicken Burgers

If you try this Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.