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?
If the crust is being baked for 35-40 min, do we really need to cook the cauliflower beforehand?
Yes, I’ve tried it the other way and it just doesn’t work as well.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. We have been gluten free for five years and this was the closest we have gotten to the look and taste of traditional wheat pizza. The kids just loved it.
I doubled the recipe and then I added a half a cup of quinoa flour. I also turned the pizza over and cooked it an additional 10 minutes. This made it really crispy.
I have a ton of mashed cauliflower left over from another recipe. It’s very wet. I really want to make this crust, and want to use what I have. Can I add tapioca starch to it? My family eats Paleo. Thank you! ☺️
I made this amazing crust last week. The instructions are excellent. Used non-fat yogurt instead of goat cheese. Would never have believed it would come out like a delicious flatbread. Am off cheese for a bit so used it as a carrier for roasted veggies.
Made today…delicious; and my husband, a pizza expert, liked it! Thanks for the recipe.
I used cream cheese because it’s what I had on hand. Turned out great. I recommend high-flavor toppings like olives because it helps hide cauliflower taste.
Would cottage cheese work instead? Trying to use whats left in my fridge
Im making this for the second time tonight. Love it. Next time, I will try grinding chia seeds to put in the dough.
My granddaughter and I made this Pizza last night and we could not get the crust to crisp up. I think we didn’t get all of the water out…Mitchell was so hot to twist….how do people do it. We tried it with oven mitts but they just got wet and the heat just went right through then. It had a good flavor but would be better with a crisp crust.
Ps….wow did it make the house smell haha
You an wait till cauliflower rice is cooled down some before handling and ringing out.
Right after getting it out of the stove and into the rinser we put it under the sink, under cold watter, for a bit. It stops the boiling of the vegetable (so it doesn’t end too soft either) and makes it perfectly manageable afterwards, maybe give that a try?
Hope it helps
Can this be made with no dairy? Meaning can I substitute the goat cheese for something non dairy?
She Offers A Vegan Take On This recipe On The TOPS Of The page (:
2 heads = one pizza crust ??
I’m thinking you could use a regular round pizza pan using the parchment / sprayed tin foil? How well does the baking stone work? Still need to flip crust?
Sadly I need to report that this was definitely not my cup of tea and could barely get it down the hatch. It is an acquired taste – and to me it smelled bad and tasted equally unappealing.
It might just be the goat cheese, I’m personally not a fan of goat cheese at all if it’s in anything I will not eat it, it’s a very string taste. I’ve been reading the the comments you can use other types of cheese, she also offers a vegan take on this recipe at the top of the page (:
I was sceptical but decided to give it a try as my hubby and I are low carb right now. Followed the recipe exactly, except I added a half cup Parmesan to the mix. I baked it as directed and WOW!!!! It surpassed my expectations by a mile. It was amazing; crispy, tasty and even able to pick it up like a regular piece of pizza. My teenagers tried it and liked it too. I would make this again even if we weren’t low carb. It is truly guilt free pizza but tastes like it shouldn’t be. Yummy
My four year old son and I (mostly I) made this tonight and yowza it was delish! We used white sauce, and topped it with tomatoes and olives. Yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m having an issue with my crust sticking to the parchament paper, does anyone have a trick to avoid this? I absolutely love cauliflower crust but I have yet to perfect the recipe.
We did this recipe tonight since I’ve been trying to eat a bit more healthy this past few months and I have to say, it is FANTASTIC! I have never really loved cauliflower so I was a little hesitant but all my doubts have gone out the window! I did it together with my boyfriend and we each decided on different toppings for each half and both turned out great. Many thanks for such a great recipe, we will for sure do it again and recommend it!
Just made this crust and pizza….im so impressed and so was my husband! So much we ate the entire pizza! I’m so excited to find a recipe online that actually works like it says it will! Thank you Megan for sharing! This wI’ll be a staple in our house from now on!
Big fail that you didn’t share the “faster and less labor-intensive method” and chose to use it as a greasy attempt to market your cookbook I think you’ll find that tactic will lose you more potential customers than you will have gained in book sales, I’m out
This is an old post, and I couldn’t share the recipe before my book was released. I did share the faster method last year: https://detoxinista.com/2015/09/the-easiest-cauliflower-pizza-crust/
There is no need to be so rude.
I thought the crust was delicious and it got raves reviews from the non-vegetarian non-gluten-free eaters. I think I could have squeezed out a little more moisture when wringing the cauliflower in the tea towel. It has great flavor and good texture. This is a recipe I will use time and time again.
We have made this a few times and I think it works better cooking longer like the other poster said. Cook 40, flip it cook 15, flip again cook a bit longer. I might try to brush it with a small amount of oil this time. My husband loves it and asks me to make it all the time. It just takes sooooooo long.
Made this tonight for my 13 yr old son. I was sure he would he would not like it, but to my surprise he loved it! I did use some extra spices like garlic and a little salt and pepper. He said he never want’s Pizza Hut again, just Mom’s homemade Pepperoni Pizza.
I don’t have a food processor but I do have one of those bullet-type smoothie makers. Will that do instead for ricing the cauliflower?
I think it will just make a big mess to be honest and take 4 ever.
Just found your recipe and made it up tonight. Thank you! I’ve been gluten free for 9 years and this was hands down the best pizza crust I’ve had in that time. The instructions were clear and easy to follow and I could not be happier with the product.
This was surprisingly delish! Did exactly as told, but made a little too much so it had to bake a little longer. Turned out fantastic anyway! Added some peppers, olives and mushrooms… so good! Thanks so much!
This was a LOT of work, and I’m not totally convinced it was worth it. I decided to go ahead and follow the advice to make one now and a second to freeze for another day. It took forever to boil, cool, strain, mix and bake enough for two crusts. I took the advice to flip and cook for ten minutes longer, and even so, the crust was still a bit soggy. I JUST finished baking the second crust (started nearly three hours ago). I was able to strain the cauliflower for the second crust better, so the crust was noticeably thinner and I was hopeful that maybe it would taste better than the first one. Unfortunately it seems I managed to burn it so I don’t even know if I’ll keep it. By the way I couldn’t find any chevre at my grocery store so I just used some shredded mozz as I’d seen in other recipes. Apparently the goat cheese is much saltier (didn’t know that) so the first crust was not only soggy but bland. I don’t think I’ll try this recipe again.
REALLY good cauliflower pizza crust. I put the steamed cauliflower (cooled to room temp) into my juicer – the cauliflower is then ejected out the pulp area of the juicer – separate from the water. SUPER nice and dry cauliflower pulp, with hardly any effort on my part. It made really nice and crisp crust!! In a pinch I have used my French press style coffee maker to help get water out of steamed veggies too – works pretty good (have to do small amounts at a time though). I use the French press to make DIY coconut milk also. However, if you have a juicer – definitely better – and FAST!
Just made this and it was great! My kids gobbled it up. I had to use cream cheese instead of goat cheese and it worked just fine.
Oh. My. Gosh! I made this for lunch today and my mouth was dancing! I used frozen cauliflower (all I had) and blanched it in boiling water for 2 minutes and then dropped in cold water to stop the cooking. I riced mine with a knife and cutting board. I topped it with mushrooms, artichoke hearts, baby spinach & arugula and I am not kidding, BEST PIZZA EVERRRRR! How anyway can complain about it I don’t know. It wasn’t crispy, but it wasn’t soggy. It was perfection! My 5 year old son couldn’t get enough. The only thing I would say isn’t correct is the servings per pizza. I think it should be one pizza is allll for me!! I want your cookbook!
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe?
Not yet, but you can use the free calculator on MyFitnessPal.com to calculate any numbers you need.
This recipe works great but I made an easy change. I steamed the florets first and then riced them in the food processor. That made it easier and cleaner and it was less difficult to strain the water out.
That’s what I thought. That’s how I do cauiflower mash
Can I use mascarpone cheese instead of goat?
I have read that you can. Also cream cheese is a good alternative.
Why not steam the cauliflower first, then process? Seems like it would be alot less water to strain that way.
Hey there! Please could you help me with the grams equivalent of the cheese? I’m in the UK and there seem to be a hundred different ways to convert it. Should be so simple but would appreciate your help with what exactly you use – I’ll probably be using low fat mozzarella as the other half isnt a fan on chevre! x
This is just an observation on a suggestion made in the post. To freeze the extra pizza using “foil”…isn’t the name of this site DETOXinista? Aluminum foil is very damaging to ones body, to including using aluminum foil. I know, I’m that weird person right now, but I just wanted to point that out. Maybe use that beeswax wrap for a super healthy meal? (a meal made with organic clean ingredients of course)
And on a foodier note…I am making this tonight. 🙂 I keep hearing very good things about the cauliflower crusts, and I have never wanted to do all the work to try it out, but it honestly doesn’t seem that difficult…though I speak before trying it. My husband has agreed to try it, and he makes a great pizza crust (out of real dough) so I’m all about it now!
Megan – Any chance next time you make some crust you could weigh and share the amount of cooked and drained/squeezed “rice” you’re using?
I Made A Double Batch And After Cooking And Draining (I Put My Tea Towel In My Strainer To Eliminate A Step) After Eggs Cheese Were Added I Got About 1 LB 13 Oz For Each Crust Before Baking.
HOpe That Helps!
This pizza crust was soooooo delicious! I made it tonight and used a package of pre-chopped cauliflower. Included egg and shredded mozzarella with lots of herbs and spices. It came out so beautiful and golden. This first time felt labor-intensive and I understand why Megan suggests making a large batch and freezing part of it. My wife loved it and originally thought it was actual bread. We really enjoyed it and love that it uses minimal ingredients. Well done, Megan. Thanks so much for sharing with the world.
This sounds delicious, but why is it important to use parchment paper instead of wax? also, what happens if I cook the cauliflower first and then grind it and proceed with making the dough? any ideas?
Wax paper will smoke and burn, and smells terrible.
Hello Megan! My wife and I just finished our first cauliflower crust pizza. It was amazing! Instead of thr parchment paper, I first used our Gothom-Steel frying pan to bake the crust – no sticking Then, I added the toppings and placed it on our baking stone. The crust was crisp and firm. My wife is a diabetic, so this was a real treat for her.
We can’t thank you enough!
Tom & Kathy Johnson
This is a great recipe. You can also use it as a flat bread with chili, soups, other dishes, and you can make small crackers with it, rolling the mix out thinly.
I LOVE all of these recipes that substitute ingredients for simple carbs. I’m diabetic, and many things, like pizza, mashed potatoes, pasta, were not on my eating friendly list. Now they are!
Absolutely wonderful. Have had gestational diabetes for the past 3 months and have really missed pizza! This really satisfied the craving without spiking my blood sugar. Thank you so much!
Hi there, any chance this could be mixed with quinoa? Half and half maybe? Thanks!
I tried this tonight and it came out great! I get my groceries from Peapod and they have prepared cauliflower rice so it was very easy. I forgot to buy the goat cheese, so I used half a Boursin wheel that I had and left out the spices, just cracked some black pepper and red pepper on top. Definitely a keeper recipe and I thank you so much for sharing it! I’m following Wheat Belly now and this is a huge treat!
You did it! You finally did it! I HATE cauliflower so every experience with cauliflower pizza makes me gag. But I love pizza and am trying to lose weight so I keep trying. But this one! I not only didn’t gag, but I actually enjoyed it! Thank you thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this cauliflower pizza recipe. 🙂
The dough sticks to the parchment paper making the dough unusable. I’m going to try a silicon nonstick mat..
The calories listed for this are way, way off. It’s approximately 150 calories per 1/4 serving, not 43. For the crust alone, obviously more for cheese tomato sauce and anything else on top.
I’m not sure which nutrition calculator you are using to get so many calories, but I just re-entered the ingredients into MyFitnessPal.com and for 1/4 of this pizza crust it comes to 43 calories. Obviously, toppings will add more, but that nutrition calculator has always been pretty accurate for me!
I’m not sure what items you’re inputting or how you’re possibly getting that.. 2 lbs cauliflower is 226 calories, per myfitnesspal so Cauliflower alone is already more, 56.5, per serving.. An egg is 71 more calories total. Goat cheese is pretty caloric , the goat cheese I used, at 1/3 cup was 304 calories . But maybe mine was super caloric, so I selected the only one I found on myftinesspal that has a cup option (Chavrie); and at 1/3 cup that’s 132 calories. So the calories for mine was 150.25; and for the other available on myfitnesspal is 107.25. Which items were you using?
It’s a great recipe (loved it). I’m not knocking it; but the calories are definitely off.
I always use the recipe importer tool on MyFitnessPal, so they choose everything for me, and I see that their goat cheese is slightly off. However, 2 pounds of steamed cauliflower has only 71 calories so I’m not sure which item you found that had 226 calories, unless the cauliflower was cooked in some sort of butter or oil. I’m modifying the calories to reflect the goat cheese change.
Of course, it’s my hope that people focus on quality of food over calorie counts, since calories seem fairly arbitrary in the grand scheme of things. I personally lost the majority of my weight when I was eating 1800-2000 calories of raw whole foods (I lost 17 pounds in a month doing that!), and prior to that I had been on a 1200 calorie diet of “diet foods,” like protein shakes and bars, which left me feeling pretty miserable.
Hm I think it could be because it’s steamed then, and more weight is water, versus precooked cauliflower weight,and which for some reason shows as 226 in MyFitnessPal for me. While I think it might be a bit higher than it was before, this is in any case healthy and totally reasonable calories, and way healthier than traditional pizza.
Also, the recipe is fantastic! I was so impressed with how it came out, especially because I’m not really a gifted cook (and don’t like cauliflower normally). Unrelatedly, I really like the pictures for each relevant step, it’s a nice touch. I was really happy with this recipe and layout, so I came for the cauliflower crust but I’m staying for everything else!
Aw, thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the pizza, and I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the rest of the recipes!
Good recipe but john is correct about the calorie count. Per the usda, 2 pounds of raw cauliflower has 226 calories. Add one large egg (70 calories) and 1/3 cup of goat cheese (300 calories) and the total crust is about 600 calories. As written, this crust recipe would yield about 150 calories per serving before toppings.
One note to readers… it’s better to err on the side of a thicker crust than a thinner one. The crust will shrink a little as it bakes and a too thin crust will crack and get soggy once sauce is applied. .
So I hate the flavor of goat cheese. And have no problem with any cow cheese how matter how greasy. What cheese can I use instead and get the same texture. Not looking to cut calories, just carbs.
I’ve seen commenters mention using cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and even feta cheese, so I imagine anything you want to try will work fairly well. I think the goat cheese produces the most bread-like result, but maybe feta or cream cheese would be similar?
helllo can you used riced cauliflower from the produce section or do you need to rice it yourself?
Pre-riced cauliflower is just fine! It wasn’t available when I first posted this recipe, but now that’s what I use most of the time, too. 😉
Why is parchment paper necessary? I want to make this, but I don’t want to buy the paper unless it’s absolutely necessary.
In my experience, the crust sticks to the pan without the parchment paper. You can use a reusable silicone mat if you want to, but the crust is a little soggier that way… the parchment paper makes it crisper, I think.
Plus the parchment paper makes the release easier. I have made this crust over and over again and everyone LOVES it! They have no idea they’re eating cauliflower. Winning in my book!!! BTW, I used Parmesan cheese because it’s a harder cheese and produces a crisper crust.