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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 crust?
Try my Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe, which is made with no 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.
We made these last night and LOVED them. Thanks so much. I posted about it and linked back to you.
http://abirdandabean.com/cheesy-cauliflower-garlic-bread-sticks/
Do you have to thaw the crust if you freeze or can you just pop it in the oven with the toppings?
I just pop it in the oven!
Love…Love…Love this as well as all of your recipes. I feel inspired.
After reading all of the positive comments I was so excited to try this pizza. My son has wheat, dairy and egg allergies and so this was supposed to be his pizza treat for our superbowl celebration. Unfortunately it did not taste good at all. Despite squeezing out all of the water, my pizza crust was soggy after cooking it for 40 minutes. I’m not sure if it was due to the flax egg or not but this definately did not produce a pizza crust that you could hold in your hand. It tasted like soggy cauliflower. I was very dissapointed.
Yes, I’d assume it’s the flax egg. Everything I’ve made with flax eggs turns out more soggy, and won’t hold together like real eggs.
I will be making this tonight. My concern is how to make it so nice and squired? Are u using baking pan to form it? What size is the dough for the amount of ingredients and 1/3 inch crust? Can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
I just used my hands to shape the dough– it doesn’t usually fill out my whole pan. The squared edges don’t have to be perfect, and you can use a traditional round pizza pan if you prefer! (I don’t own one, which is why mine are always rectangle-shaped.)
This recipe makes enough to shape one pizza crust that doesn’t quite fill out a 9×13 rectangle pan. Many comments above have recommended doubling the recipe if you’re feeding a family, since this amount usually only feeds me and my husband for one meal.
hey, Megan – thanks so much for the quick response. 🙂 for some reason, i had it stuck in my head that i’d need something with a sort of ‘gluey’ texture – like the chevre – to bind it all together. i’m not sure how cheddar would mix in with the dough, so i i’ll try omitting the cheese altogether next time! thanks again. 🙂
hi there! i tried this recipe and it was absolutely AMAZING! wow, i never could have dreamed that there could really be a grain-free alternative to pizza crust this delicious that could hold together so well! even my roommates, both of whom eat mostly processed, crappy foods & fast food and don’t eat most of my ‘healthy’ cooking, loved the way it tasted and were sad i didn’t make more!
unfortunately, my boyfriend can’t even soft cheeses, so chevre is out of the question. so i made an alternate version (in addition to making this version on your site!). i tried using 6 cups of cauliflower rice instead of 4, 1/3 c. parmesan, and 2 eggs … then squeezed some of the liquid out a SECOND time — but not all of it. it’s still really tasty, but it doesn’t hold up too well 🙁
do you have any suggestions for chevre substitutes i can use? my boyfriend eats no grains, legumes, soy, or dairy (except for hard cheeses). i’m at a bit of a loss here!
thanks for sharing this amazing recipe 🙂
I think it was probably the parmesan that affected the crust– since it doesn’t really melt like other cheeses, it won’t help hold the crust together. You can use any other type of cheese that will melt, like cheddar or mozzarella, or leave it out all together!
WOW! We do not like cauliflower. Trying this was a shot in the dark. We both got tired of feeling like we ate a lead balloon after we got done eating regular pizza. We are loving it! The hardest part is trying to stop eating the crust so we can put the toppings on. Looks like we do like cauliflower just not raw or boiled in butter. Now to see if the kids notice.
Where do you get your goat mozzarella? I’m considering trying to make it but until then…
I found mine at Whole Foods. I bet you could find it at other natural grocery stores, too! Otherwise, goat cheddar is delicious on the pizza, too. 🙂
Thanks for the quick answer! I was able to find it at the Whole Foods near me (NYC). (Thanks also for the nutritional yeast info!)
Hello Megan,
I so want to make this pizza, but i am allergic to milk, cheese, etc. What do you recommend as a substitution to the Chevre goat cheese?
Thank YOU!!
I would recommend looking through the comments on this post– I haven’t made a vegan version myself, but a few readers have mentioned their tips for omitting the cheese!