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This Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe is a delicious way to enjoy your next pizza night! It’s naturally gluten-free and grain-free, plus you’ll get extra veggies in each bite.
I originally posted this recipe back in 2011, when I learned the secret to making a cauliflower pizza crust that isn’t soggy. (You need to squeeze out the moisture from the cooked cauliflower before making your crust mixture!)
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 cooking process. Sometimes you can even find frozen riced cauliflower, which will let you skip using the food processor, too.
Be sure to read all the tips below if you’d like to make a frozen pizza crust that you can use in the future, or if you need to make any substitutions.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh or frozen cauliflower is the base of this recipe, without using any extra flour for filler. As a result, this recipe is low-carb and keto-friendly.
The egg and cheese act as a binder and hold the crust together. Soft goat cheese (chevre) gives the crust an amazing, non-greasy texture and you can’t taste it at all. However, you can also use grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite shredded cheese to create a crust that will hold together.
Adding oregano helps add an Italian flavor you’ll love, and you can also add a pinch of garlic powder if you’d like.
Need an egg-free recipe?
Try my Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe, which is made without eggs or cheese.
How to Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you’re using fresh cauliflower, place the 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.
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.
Time-Saving Tip
If you buy frozen cauliflower florets, you can simply let them thaw overnight in the fridge before making this crust. They will have a tender texture so you can skip the cooking step altogether! Simply pulse them in a food processor and then wring out the moisture as directed.
Transfer the riced cauliflower to the center of a clean dish towel. Arrange the towel filled with cauliflower over a small bowl, then squeeze as much liquid as you can out of 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.)
Place the cauliflower rice that you just squeezed into a large bowl, then add in the egg, cheese, oregano, salt, and a pinch of black pepper, if desired.
Use a spatula to stir well, until the cauliflower mixture looks relatively uniform.
Arrange a fresh piece of parchment paper, if needed, on the large baking sheet, then place the cauliflower mixture in the center of the pan.
Use your hands to gently press the cauliflower pizza dough into the shape of a round pizza crust, about 10 to 12 inches wide. It will be thin, but there shouldn’t be any holes in the crust.
Tip
Get your hands wet if you find that the crust is sticking to your fingers; wet hands help prevent sticking!
Place the cauliflower crust in the oven to bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes, or until the crust looks golden. Then 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 into slices. Because you took the time to remove excess moisture, the crust should be easy to pick up with your hands!
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.
Looking for more low-carb dinner ideas? Try Cauliflower Fried Rice, Zucchini Lasagna, or Chicken Vegetable Soup for more options.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower florets (or thawed from frozen; see notes)
- 1 large egg , beaten
- ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (or grated Parmesan)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ 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 thawed frozen cauliflower so it will save you time! Tip: You can use up to 1 ½ pounds of cauliflower if you want to use two 12-ounce bags. This crust will still hold 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, oregano, and salt. 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-inch thick. Wet your hands to prevent sticking, if needed.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 400ºF or until the top looks dry and golden.
- 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
If you try this Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Thanks Megan for the reply, and I will definitely post the results of my experiment.
I’m so disappointed (and frustrated)… this did not turn out! I didn’t have ‘parchment’ paper, but I had brown paper (which I buttered generously).
Everything was going ok until the baking was finished… it looked lovely and golden brown and smelled so good but it would not release from the paper. So we had to eat the topping on the scraped-off crust (or rather, put the crumbs on top of the toppings).
Now, I have to say that it still tasted wonderful, but it was not the result I was expecting. Also have to mention that dad loved it better than anything else ‘Italian’!
I’m going to give this recipe a go again but I think I will try making it into a ‘pie’, and bake the crust in a glass pie plate (buttered and possibly even cacao powder dusted) and then put the remaining on top of the toppings (for a 2 crust pie)… do you think this will work???
Also must give you kudos for the explanation on how to ‘rice’ cauliflower.. I never understood the directions on other websites before but yours were so simple it just clicked! I will be making Stuffed Peppers one of these days and will be using that ‘rice’.
I also tried your almond butter instructions, but after 20 minutes I finally had to add a little coconut oil to the processor for it to cream – then I just had to try the fudge… Ah, visions of Almond Butter Fudge dance through my head!
Anyway, so sorry if I sound negative.. everything about the pizza was GREAT! except the baking. I have limited resources so did the best I could.
Thanks in advance for any tips you can provide
Imalee
Sorry to hear your crust stuck! I’ve found that parchment paper is key for preventing that– even my Silpat doesn’t work as well, and it usually prevents sticking with everything else I bake. The resulting crust is also soggier when you use anything else, which I think makes the sticking even more of a problem! So, I hope you have the opportunity to try it with some parchment paper next time.
And I have no idea if that pie crust will work out, but please let me know if you try it! That would be AMAZING if it worked well!
Amazing!! I just finished taste testing and it was so yummy. I’ve seen other cauliflower recipes before, and they look so greasy or flat, making me skeptical. This one was not at all. It was dry enough to pick up. Out of the gate, I tried adding some of my favorite dried herbs (oregano, sage, and garlic) I think I could have eaten the crust all by itself as mock crackers at a party. Thanks for sharing!
Hi. What an amazing recipe! Also, it’s so cheap to pick up a cauliflower, rather than fairly expensive almond flour, etc.
I was wondering if anyone has tried this base simply as an alternative for bread? I think it’s going to become a staple in my diet if it tastes as good as it looks.
Thanks!
Love this idea – I’ve never heard of it, but glad to find your website! I’ll be trying it this week. Usually I just do eggplant rounds for pizza, but not really the same.
Hi there,
Just making sure that you measure the cauliflower AFTER you squeeze it dry?
Thank you for the recipe!
Molly
Hi Molly! I just realized that the way I wrote the ingredients is confusing– the 4 cups is before cooking, and it reduces to about half that size after cooking and squeezing. Hope you enjoy it!
Amazing recipe! My 6 year old scarfed it down and never questioned what he was eating like he usually does. Thank you for this great site. You made me realize good food doesn’t need grains or sugar to still taste good.
This recipe was created by : http://yourlighterside.com/recipe-the-original-cauliflower-pizza-dough-2/
Jamie also makes Cauli-“Tator” Tots and Cauli “bread”sticks
Yay for Jamie! She actually commented earlier on this post and shared her site with me. I’m excited to try some more cauliflower recipes!
This was absolutely delicious, thank you! Instead of the red sauce and mozzarella cheese I added a little fresh ricotta, roasted diced butternut squash and some chopped kale with a little olive oil. Loved it!
I forgot to mention, I did not have goat cheese for the crust, so I used greek yogurt with a tablespoon of GF flour instead. Worked great!
What is GF flour?????
Gluten free?
Yep!