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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.
I have made this twice now (using frozen riced cauliflower) and my kids and I LOVE it. I double it and it is the perfect size for my round pizza stone. Thank you so much!
Honestly was super skeptical about trying this out. But afterwards I felt like this was more filling and delicious compared to the normal pizza dough!
I followed the recipe with 400g of frozen cauliflower which I blended and then baked in the oven for 10 minutes before I squeezed out the water, rebaked and squeezed out water again. After this I made the dough and baked as per recipe proportions. The pizza base was nice and crispy.
Toppings I used: onions, Lidl’s garam masala tofu, mozzarella, red bell pepper, olives
Sauce: blended confit garlic, canned tomato, 1 TBSP pepper, handful of spinach, salt and 1 TBSP cumin. Sounds a bit odd but tasted amazing!
This was great. thankyou so much!
Someone below mentioned juicing the cauliflower but they didn’t say whether they cooked it first. So, I crossed my fingers and just went for juicing it raw and using the leftover fiber. It turned out fabulous! I like that it skips the food processing and cooking steps…It’s a little bit of effort but so worth it. Thanks again!
This was so easy to follow and very delicious! Thank you!
This was Amazing! I have been GF for 19 days and was craving pizza. The store bought GF pizzas are so high in calories,I just. Oils not bring myself to eat one. This hit the spot and my whole fam liked it. My 16 year old came home as I took it out of the oven and had 3 pieces!!
Hi, I don’t eat much and know that the base will be too big for me. Can I freeze some of the pizza base mixture?
You can! I usually bake the crust, then freeze the portion I want to save for later. Hope you enjoy it!
Great alternative to flour crust! I riced nearly a whole head of cauliflower to get the pound, roasted it, then squeezed out as much water as I could. Required some extra blotting. I baked until deep golden brown, then topped with Aldi pizza sauce, mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, red onion and tomato. Was delicious and felt close to eating regular pizza. The goat cheese taste IS noticeable IMO (which is fine by me). The crust gets slightly crisp on the very edges, but the rest stays soft with a substantial bite.
This was the best pizza crust! I made one with goat cheese and one with cream cheese. The goat cheese made a slightly more firm crust. The flavor with the goat cheese was so good! I used a bag of cauliflower rice, steamed in the micro, and drained/squeezed dry in a towel. Perfection! I am gluten free. I have made and tried most “flour” crusts. This by far is the best crust! Considering it is so low carb, has some fiber and a decent amount of protein. Thank you so much!
These are great instructions and produce a fantastic crust. I still boil the frozen riced cauliflower for about 10 minutes it seems to make it just a little ‘stickier’.
My daughter, who hates cauliflower, loved this pizza. We all loved it!