This Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe is a healthy veggie-packed option that is naturally gluten-free and grain-free. It’s perfect for people who still want to eat their pizza, while following a low-carb or food combining diet.
How to Make Cauliflower Pizza
Making cauliflower pizza is straight-forward, but a little labor intensive. If you start with fresh cauliflower, you’ll need to steam it until tender. (You can skip this step by using frozen cauliflower– read further down in this post for more info.) Then, you’ll pulse it in a food processor until it’s rice-like in texture.
(You can save even more time by purchasing pre-riced cauliflower, either fresh or frozen.)
The Secret to a Non-Soggy Crust
Once your cauliflower is tender and “riced” you’ll need to squeeze out the moisture that cauliflower naturally contains. This is the secret to getting a dry crust that you can pick up with your hands. (I the same nut milk bag that I use to make almond milk to do this.)
Once the cauliflower “rice” is very dry, you mix it with an egg, soft goat cheese (which gives the crust a better texture than using shredded cheese), and some Italian seasonings.
If you don’t have goat cheese on hand, many readers have reported success in the comments below using other cheeses. You can try mozzarella, cheddar, or even cream cheese with similar results. The texture is the driest with the soft goat cheese, though.
The crust won’t be like anything else you’ve worked with before– you spread it with a spatula, and use your hands to press and shape the dough.
Bake until the crust is dry and golden, then flip it and bake longer until the other side isn’t soggy. I use the parchment paper to make the flipping process easier.
(You don’t need a second piece of parchment paper after you flip it– the baked crust won’t stick to the pan after it’s been flipped.)
Using Frozen Cauliflower for Pizza Crust
I’ve been making this cauliflower pizza crust for years, and there are a number of ways you can make it, but the easiest method is by starting with frozen cauliflower.
I buy 1-pound bags of frozen cauliflower, so that I don’t have to do any chopping, and then I thaw them in the fridge the night before I want to make my pizza.
Using frozen cauliflower allows you to skip the pre-cooking of the cauliflower, and ultimately saves you time, but I’ve also included directions for starting with fresh cauliflower in the recipe below if you’d prefer to do that.
You must thaw and squeeze out the liquid from the cauliflower to get a non-soggy crust.
Update: Many stores are also now carrying frozen pre-riced cauliflower, which will save you even more time, since you won’t have to break out the food processor, either. I’ve made this crust using two 12-ounce or two 16-ounce bags of frozen cauliflower, so know that this recipe is relatively flexible with the cauliflower amount.
Cauliflower Pizza Toppings
One last thing to keep in mind when making a cauliflower pizza crust is that you should try to keep the toppings minimal. Go light on the sauce, so that it doesn’t re-hydrate the crust and make it soggy, and the same goes for the cheese. (Remember, there’s already some cheese baked into the crust, too!)
How to Make It Without Cheese
If you don’t tolerate dairy well, I’ve made this crust by omitting the cheese and using an extra egg instead. The crust texture is a little “egg-ier” that way, but it still holds up.
I’ve also posted a Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe, if you need an egg-free and dairy-free option.
How to Freeze Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Because making a cauliflower pizza crust can be a bit labor-intensive, I like to double the recipe and make two large crusts (or 4 smaller crusts for individual pizzas) and freeze the extras for an easy future meal.
I’ve found that this works best by baking the crusts, and then freezing them in an airtight container. That way, when you’re ready to make a pizza, you can simply place the frozen crust on a pizza sheet and bake it at 400ºF just until it’s heated through, about 10 minutes.
Then add your toppings and bake for 5-10 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbling.
The Secret To Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower florets (or thawed from frozen; see notes)
- 1 large egg , beaten
- 1/3 cup soft goat cheese (or grated Parmesan)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. If the cauliflower isn't already riced, add the cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse briefly, until it has a rice-like texture. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the cauliflower rice out in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- If you're using frozen cauliflower, be sure that it is completely thawed, and process it into a rice-like texture using a food processor. (Alternatively, you can start with frozen cauliflower rice that has been thawed, to skip the food processor step.) There is no need to cook the frozen & thawed caulifower, so it will save you time! Tip: You can use up to 1 1/2 pounds of cauliflower, if you want to use two 12-ounce bags. It still holds together well!
- Once the riced cauliflower has been cooked (or thawed), transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! (Be careful if your cauliflower is still hot-- let it cool before handling.) A lot of extra liquid will be released, which will help you avoid a soggy pizza crust.
- In a large bowl, mix up the squeezed-out rice, egg, cheese, and spices. It won't be like any pizza dough you've ever worked with, but don't worry, it will work!
- Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It's important that it's lined with parchment paper, not wax paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about 1/4"thick.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 400ºF, until dry and golden. Use the parchment paper to flip the crust over, and bake again until the other side is nice and dry, about 10 more minutes.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings to the crust, such as sauce and cheese, then return the pizza to the 400ºF oven. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Slice and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is for 1/4 of this recipe. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
If you try this Cauliflower Pizza recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all learn from your experience!
More Cauliflower Recipes:
- Mashed Cauliflower “Potatoes” (or try my Slow Cooker version)
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Mouth-Watering Cauliflower Steaks
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice
I can’t wait to hear what else you try!
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried a cauliflower pizza crust yet?
Hi,
I’m putting together a website that has all of the really exceptional recipes that I find for my new diabetic diet, no grains, no legumes, no starchy veggies, sigh… I’d like to link to this recipe, do I have your permission to add it to my site?
Thanks,
Kris G
what is a serving size for this recipe. thank you darla
Made this tonight. Start time to on-the-table was 2 hours. Definitely NOT a quick or easy meal. That being said, we kept saying “I wish this was easier and faster to make, because it’s really good!!!”. We used the microwave method and then put the cali into dishtowels to ring out the water… and then used about 1/2 a roll of paper towels getting even more water out. We cut it into pretty small pizza squares, and you could pretty much pick it up. It was a little flimsy, but very tasty!!!
This is DELICIOUS!!! I just made this and was at the table eating it up before my husband made it to the table, and he looked at me with a smirk and asked me how it turned out. He obviously had no expectations of it turning out good, so I jokingly took his plate away and told him he didn’t have to eat it. But he insisted and was totally shocked at how good it was! We love cauliflower because it’s so versatile, but I had no idea I could make pizza crust with it!!! Yum! Thank you!
Great recipe and easy to follow. Don’t think anyone can mess this up but my apologies if anyone has! LOL I made this pizza using regular goat cheese blended smooth then mixed with the cauliflower. I loved the result! It was firm but chewy, nice brown and held up well under the vegetables used. Best tasting healthy pizza or any pizza for that matter I’ve ever eaten.
Loved this recipe so much, thank you for sharing! Made for an absolutely delicious pizza crust, and as vegetarians who aren’t super fond of cauliflower it’s a really great way to get us eating a good amount of it! 😀 Also, shared pics on Facebook and had a lot of people ask how we got the crust perfect – shared your link and said it was all in the towel squeezing 😉
I could not believe that this would taste good or anything like a real pizza dough, but IT DID !!!! I could not even taste cauliflower. Ate it hot and, also, cold the next day, with both being excellent. This may become my new favorite breakfast item. One note—I did need to bake longer than indicated, maybe 45 minutes first time and 12 minutes the 2nd time with toppings.
Made this variation last night… didn’t find it to be any different than another recipe I used that doesn’t require all of the pain that this one does (having to cook, drain, cool, strain….). Just use an extra egg, mix up the riced cauliflower and cheese and bake it at about 425. If you want the bottom to really crisp up nicely go buy one of those pans with small holes in it and grease it up before putting the crust down on it (You can put some foil beneath it in the oven to catch any “drips.” Way less work and just as tasty!
Yes! This was awesome. I followed this recipe exactly and my crust turned out beautiful and pick-up-able. I like to top mine with balsamic onions, pears, arugula and goat cheese.
Amazing! Rave reviews from our house! Very different from the initial recipe I tried (the secret squeeze is the key).
Made the most amazing pizza with this recipe today – thank you so much! Turned out perfectly!!
Can I use a ceramic pizza stone instead of the cookie sheet /parchment paper? Also, will a nutribullet work to rice the cauliflower? TIA
Perfect! Made it last night, but I didn’t have goat’s cheese, so used a mix of shredded mozarella and sharp cheddar – could’ve fooled my husband! Thank you, thank you, thank you
I love you! I haven’t tried this yet (will do tomorrow), but I’m struggling so much in my 3rd day of carbs and sugar free diet… this is just wonderful! Thank you!
OMG! This was awesome. SO GOOD. People asked about being more crispy and what I did was add a little Almond meal (1/4 cup) and after baking I flipped it over and topped it and it allowed the top (now bottom) to be crispier. I also put cheese on first and then sauce. IT WAS GREAT! REALLY IS THE BEST!
Hi! I have a question for you cos I made this crust last nite and wasn’t crispy at all. So you followed the recipe, just added 1/4 c almond flour? why cheese did you use?Im going to make it again tonite and would like some advice for crunchy crust.
Thank you!
I don’t have goat cheese can I use cream cheese
Can you microwave the cauliflower rice instead of boiling it?
I’ve heard that you can. We don’t have a microwave, so I can’t do that myself!
4-5 min microwave
I do not eat cheese. Will this recipe hold up without it? Sounds so good.
There are soo many comments so apologies if this was already asked/answered: Can I cook the crust, let sit (and even cool all the way) and then add toppings and reheat/cook later? Or will this make the crust different?
Thank you!
Yes, you can even freeze it for later! I like to double the recipe and freeze extra crusts for an easy weeknight lunch later. You don’t even have to thaw the crust. Just top it and bake it until all the toppings are hot and bubbly!
Thank you! I just cooked the crust and tried a little piece of I plain and I could eat the whole crust without toppings! Yum!!
I have seen a similar recipe where the cauliflower rice is put into a stainless steel pot without water and cooked until steamed but not mushy. What do you think about that option? Then the towel draining would not be necessary. I haven’t tried either method.
Hi Megan!
So the recipe calls for 4 cups cauliflower rice once is cooked and squeezed or 4 cups raw?
Did anybody use soft brie goat cheese? is the only one I could find at the store.
Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was incredible. I topped it with fresh salmon cooked on the bbq, artichoke, spinach, feta cheese and bocconcini cheese. I only used a tiny bit of each ingredient so it wasn’t overloaded. The flavors were amazing. I’m so happy I found this recipe. I’m going to be making it every weekend. The crust came out perfectly crispy and held together with no problem. I think the trick is to really squeeze out all the liquid and keep squeezing.
My other favorite cauliflower recipe is cauliflower porridge/oatmeal. That is amazing also. Next I’m going to try cauliflower chocolate cake.
Thanks so much for this cauliflower pizza recipe !!!!!
Will this work well for crust for quiche?
Thanks for this amazing recipe! My husband and I got a kick out your suggestion to double the recipe and freeze one for later, only because I had to double the recipe just to feed my hubby and my daughter! We all loved it! Will be trying to microwave next time like a few others have suggested to dry out the cauliflower. The rice part takes a long time, but the end result is so worth! It’s both husband and 1 year old baby approved 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! We have tried all kinds of gluten-free pizza crusts and this is BY FAR the best! It’s simple and delicious and the texture is great. We made BBQ pizza tonight (BBQ sauce, cheese, BBQ chicken and grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant and grilled red bell pepper). It was the best pizza I have had in a long time!!
Can the cauliflower pizza crust be baked on a pizza stone?
I am very sensitive to goat flavors and find them nauseating. People have told me numerous times I’ll never taste the “goaty” flavor of something and I always do. Is there something else that will work in the crust other than the chevre? Has anyone tried cream cheese? I’ll use regular mozzarella for the topping but want something to help hold the crust together. Thanks for any tips on substitutes that have worked!
Is the temperature & time for this recipe for higher altitudes? I’m down south and if I left something in the oven at 400 for that long, it’d be black. Anyone have any comments on what they did differently in that respect? I’ve skimmed the comments, but didn’t see anyone mention this.
Thanks!
I cant wait to try this again!!! How many cauliflowers to get 4 cups of rice?
Thanks:)
Yummy! However, It made a tiny pizza… Next time i will triple my recipe to get one large pizza.
Do you recommend substituting it with a different type of cheese to make the crust? I am pregnant and I cannot have chèvre cheese but I love this crust so much I don’t want to try another one.
Since you’re baking this crust at 400F, any bacteria in the chèvre should be killed-off, but if you’d prefer to use mozzarella or cheddar, that’s fine, too!
I found that if I run the cooked cauliflower through my juicer it makes getting the water out super easy!!
On the extra pizza you freeze, do you cook it in the foil? Will it stick to the foil or do you transfer to parchment paper to cook it? Haven’t tried but will.
Can’t you just steam the cauliflower first with very little water, strain it, let it cool, then chop it up into rice form..wouldn’t the avoid all of the excess water that needs to be strained?
No, there is a LOT of water naturally in cauliflower, so you’re squeezing out that liquid– not just the cooking water.
Made this with my daughters (9 and 6); they loved it. Would def recommend doubling recipe and a few more herbs and spices. Four Star yummy.
Have not tried this recipe yet – but will shortly. Instead of putting the cauliflower rice into the water, then a strainer, then a towel, could you put the cauliflower into a large cheese cloth square, tie the top with twine (making a cheese cloth bag) and then put the cheese cloth “bag” of cauliflower into the boiling water for cooking (might have to increase the amount of water)? After cooking, remove the cheese cloth bag (no need for a strainer) and then squeeze/twist the cheese cloth bag (no need for the dish towel)…
Try using muslin cloth rather than a tea towel, much more water is extracted, much easier. I have a set which I keep only for straining yoghurt; now I have a set for straining/squeezing cauliflower.
Sorry, I should have also said the best way I find for cooking the grated/chopped/processed raw cauliflower is by microwaving (as above) steaming, covered for 8 minutes, @ 100%.
I love this recipe! trying to be a bit more healthy and lean a bit more towards paleo, and this is a great way to enjoy pizza without the carb bomb. I didn’t have goat cheese so I just used regular cream cheese and it worked well. fresh mozzarella and no-nitrate-added pepperoni… BUT I use bagged frozen cauliflower to start with. don’t see a need to waste time & effort chopping up a fresh head! thaw cauli in the bag, squeeze out some water before grinding, toss in food processor, and then instead of wasting a kitchen towel I just dump it in a skillet and cook it on medium low for a while as I’m doing other stuff around the house to evaporate as much of the water as I can. I guess I’m super lazy!
Yes, that’s the way I recommend doing it in my cookbook! Frozen cauliflower makes things much easier. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. I just made it last night with prosciutto (spell?), Gouda, and marinara sauce. It came out GREAT! I baked it for 35 minutes. My husband couldn’t get enough. I am allergic to many things, gluten is one of them. I’ve known about Cauliflower pizza for about 2 years and never made it until now. I don’t know why? LOL I liked your recipe from the start thanks to the detailed steps and accompanying photos. I have another whole cauliflower sitting in the fridge for the pizza No. 2! 🙂
Unfortunately, the one medium head is not enough for one large crust. It is the size of a personal pizza, if that. Haven’t cooked it yet, but I’m not happy that I do not have enough food for a dinner tonight. Please tell me where you could possibly get enough bulk out of that head of squeezed -to-death cauliflower?
I wonder if adding a bit of Oat Fiber would bind it together so you could hold it. What do you think?
I loved this recipe and it came out delicious!
I half-sized this so that I’d not waste all I had on a recipe I had never tried before, so that I’d still have something left for lunch.
Now, after a half-sized pizza later, I can’t wait to feel famished again – and it’s so fulling that I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything for dinner. THIS IS AWESOME! I’m totally going to have a friend over, surprise them with this and urge them to guess what I used instead of flour. I don’t think they can, though, you can hardly taste cauliflower.
This is the first and only Cali crust I’ve made and I know I wont try anything else. This is so good. I didn’t think it was going to be THIS good. I will definitely be making this, a lot! With my partner having diabetes this is the perfect thing to made when she’s craving pizza. Thank you so much!!!!
I made this yesterday–sooooooo good! I don’t own a food processor so I steamed the cauliflower first, and then used a grater and potato masher. I enlisted my husband’s help to do the wringing out. One of my cats enjoyed a few bites too as the crusts were cooling on the racks! I used goat cheese in the crust and as a topping, but next time I may just try vegan cheese (not that I’m vegan, I should just avoid casein.) Thanks, Megan, for the great recipes–reading your site helps me to feel less deprived!
Hi! I made this cauliflower crust several times already but I can’t seem to get it crunchy and firm to hold in my hands? It falls apart. It’s still delicious – but how can I get it to stay unified and firm?
It sounds like you’re not squeezing enough moisture out– the pulp should be VERY dry before you mix in the eggs and cheese. Otherwise, I’d just try baking it longer. Flipping the crust over for the last 10 minutes of baking really helps it dry out so that you can pick it up with your hands.
AWESOME RECIPE! I had tried a cauliflower crust before but with failed results so I didn’t have high hopes for this one. BUT OMG this recipe blew my mind away- there was literally NO taste of cauliflower and it tasted just like a regular pizza, I dare say even better! Some things I did differently:
I didn’t really measure how much cauliflower I was using, I simple used 1 medium head which after squeezing out barely looked like enough (but it was!)
I used mozerella cheese instead of goat cheese.
Also, after everything was combined, my mixture seemed too runny so I added in some almond meal (probably around 2-3 tablespoons) to make it a bit firmer.
Lastly, the recipe recommends baking it for 35-40 minutes on 400 degrees F however, mine baked in only 15 (Anymore and it would have burned)! So do keep a close watch on it.
To sum up, AMAZING recipe- I’m never having regular pizza again! 🙂
Is it possible to make the “dough” ahead of time and then refrigerate it for a day or so? Do you think it would last if I made the dough on a Thursday night and didn’t cook it and make the pizza until Saturday night? Heading to the beach and would like to have this as one of the options but would like to make the dough ahead of time!
Thanks 🙂
I haven’t tried it that way, but it sounds like it should work!