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?
My first try and it was great so am making another batch today. So happy I can have pizza again!
Is there a substitute for goat cheese?
I think goat cheese gives the most “bread like” texture, but other commenters here have reported success using nearly every other cheese– cream cheese, mozzarella, etc. I’d love to hear what you try!
Just found this recipe and served it last night to the family – delicious! Thanks you so much
Crazy tasty and easy? Also we will never meet but thank you kindly for posting!
OMG! How delicious this looks. I am going to make this for my family. It will truly make them amazing.
I made this for the 2nd time today. First time I used fresh cauliflower and followed the recipe exactly. I did add Parmesan cheese to the crust. It turned out great! My husband and I both like to cook, but he does the majority. He loved it too. Bonus! I made it again today with fresh cauliflower again, but here’s what I did different. The tip to cook the cauliflower, then run it through my juicer was the hot ticket. Skipping the food processor and squeezing all the liquid out was a real time saver! I also baked it on parchment on a baking sheet, but when time to flip it, I put it on a baking stone for the other side. First time we did a homemade tomato sauce and cheese. Tonight we did a Thai chicken pizza. Both great! Thank you
Hi
Can I just use Parmesan instead of goats cheese?
Easier than I thought it was going to be, and delicious. I topped with pesto, very good!
Great recipe worked very well. Pizza was delicious! We added a bit Parmesan to the base as I did not have enough goat cheese.
I tried it and it came out great! very tasty! Next time I think I will use pre-riced cauliflower because I had a hard time squeezing all of the moisture out.
I’ve been using your cookbooks for several years now and have recommended it to so many people. Thanks for sharing your recipes- so yummy
Don’t use parchment paper it stuck to it had to throw everything into trash
Are you sure it wasn’t wax paper? That would definitely stick!!
I made this today, this is my 3rd attempt at a Cauliflower recipe, this one ROCKED it! Thank you so much.
This was sooo good! I did the frozen riced cauliflower route. Easy peasy. I made two crusts out of it and I weighed out my vegetable toppings and bagged up an extra set of them up and stored in the fridge for an easy lunch tomorrow too. Thank yo so much!
Hi guy’s. Someone said to put the cooked cauliflower in a juicer. I tried it and it doesn’t work. You have to actually squeeze the water out. No shortcuts on that part unfortunately.
Hi Megan, I was soooo happy when I read your recipe and was so excited to try it! I used 2 pounds of cauliflower rice not frozen (I bought it in Trader Joe s), but it seems too much cauliflower and the texture disn t look like on the pictures. For 1 pizza, do you use 2 pounds of cauliflower or 1 pound? After baking it for more than 35min, it doesn t look like I can flip it, it is too thick and not hard enough so it doesn t hold….let me know, thank you.
I do use 2 pounds of cauliflower for 1 pizza crust, but the big variation that can happen in this recipe is how much water you squeezed out. It should reduce down significantly and look like total mush before you mix everything else in. Even if you can’t flip it, this crust can still turn out okay if you bake it a little longer. Hope you enjoyed it, regardless!
Best Cauliflower Crust recipe!
Best Cauliflower Crust recipe and I have tried SO MANY! I initially thought goat cheese would make the crust soggier, but instead it is perfect for making a very sturdy crust which mixes and holds together perfectly! A few tips i think might help: 1) To ensure super-dry cooked cauliflower I cooked florets in microwave (with NO added water) and used a rolling pin and towels to squeeze every bit of liquid out. 2) I beat together egg, goat cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder before adding the cauliflower, then mixed well using my hands as suggested in the video. 3) I baked on bottom rack of oven on a parchment-lined pizza stone at 400 for 30min, flipped, and cooked for 10 min more. 4) I cooled the crust on a rack instead of topping it immediately – I think this sturdies crust up a bit more. When Im ready to serve it, I plan to add my toppings and bake it on a pre-heated pizza stone on 450-500 for another 5-10min or so. I can already tell this will work perfectly!
We used 3/12 oz frozen bags of riced flower /2eggs and everything else the same …. so delicious!
Phenomenal recipe and works and taste amazing! My only comment or suggestion, based on my experience is this: cauliflower crust is never going to be as durable as a wheat-based crust. So, instead of trying to make one large crust like a traditional pizza pie, make several smaller individual sized crusts. Much more manageable to make, cook, and flip like in the recipe. Also easier to freeze and save. Cheers!
Thank you! Very good! I actually forgot to flip the crust and just put the toppings on after 32 minutes and it still worked out just fine. I also used half broccoli & half cauliflower, and used sheep’s milk feta instead of goat’s milk. Also added some garlic powder and 1/3 tsp salt to frust– I felt just “a pinch” of salt wouldn’t be enough for my taste buds. Then I added sauce + fresh spinach, a little diced zucchini & bell pepper, red pepper flakes and a light sprinkling of sheep’s milk feta. Delicious! I admit I ate it with a fork though. Tasted more like a frittata
How would you adjust time and temp for the air fryer?
This may be a very stupid question. In the store I bought about three pounds of cauliflower. I did all the steps after draining it, I think I over thought and happened to re-weigh all 3 pounds it was not even a pound. My question is do we weight it after we drain it dry (cauliflower) or go by the store scale? I ended up cutting the remaining ingredients in half! It maybe the size of a medium pizza..Not big enough for my family, I should have bought more! I MUST SAY IT WAS DELICIOUS THANK U
I did forget to add the taste was AMAZING. I just may have messed up.
I DO GIVE IT FIVE STARS FOR THE TASTE
Karen, I had the EXACT thing happen to me…. did you figure anything out? It is about half the size as when I threw it in the oven.. I am guessing that it may require MORE cauliflower…. so …. the huge bag at sams club would make 1 crust …. 16 inch…… if that makes sense ….. still cheaper than buying on in a restaurant … but …. idk….. maybe I did something wrong. Mine turned from 14 inches or so down to 10? Had to make the kids something else …
Perfect. For zero wheat flour, it tasteamazing by tasting neutral, and letting the other pizza flavors come through. Good texture. Thank you so much.
I love this recipe! Healthy and delicious! I do add a little garlic powder to the mix. Yum!
Loved this concept. However, when I made this crust, it ended up shrinking to about half the size in the oven.. So I had to cook the rest of my family something else, as there was not enough there for everyone. I weighed out 2 pounds of riced cauliflower and followed the directions exactly. I made sure the cauliflower was well squeezed out with a cheese cloth. My oven does not get ” too hot:… it is actually the opposite…. it takes forever to cook.. my question I guess is … was the riced cauliflower frozen not enough? When I spread it on the pan it was around 1/4 inch thick…. but it went from like a 14 inch to a 10? crust not crunchy, but soft and brown on both sides… anyone give any suggestions? Flavor is awesome and want to love this….
FinaIIy made this yesterday but ate it today, using frozen cauIi squeezed to within an inch of its Iife! Yesterday when cooked the crust was IoveIy and crisp but a night in the fridge mean’t it was a bit soft today, stiII deIish though!
What does a 1g piece of the cauliflower pizza recipe above equal to in calories. I am doing the low carb Keto and really trying to watch my carb intake. Thank y ou. In the throws of making this pizza this morning. Can’t wait to see how it works out. JudyIn VA
The recipe says to rice the cauliflower and put it in the oven to cook, but the video tells you to steam it. ???
Sorry, that was an old video! The new video is now up with the oven directions.
It was delicious and healthy!!!! I used shredded romano cheese in the crust in place of feta.I
Amazing recipe!! I made this for us gluten free people and then made a regular crust pizza and this was waaaayyyy better! I loved the oregano flavor in it and I also added some garlic powder. I made half pepperoni and half Buffalo chicken pizza. I’ll definitely make this again!
Thank you for your generous directions to making cauliflower pizza base.
By mistake I did not cook cauliflower crumbs in oven before making into a base. I still squeezed excess water from raw cauli crumbs.
It still makes a beautiful base.
Again thank you for sharing. Judy
I purchased refrigerated rice cauliflower. Do I need to o heat it or can I just add the egg etc. to make the crust?
Yes, I would still cook the cauliflower first so you can squeeze out the moisture. That way you won’t get a soggy crust.
I BAKED MINE ON A PRE-HEATED PIZZA STONE IN MY OVEN , AND IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! PERFECT… I GOT AWAY WITH MY INITIAL DOUGH BEING SOGGIER THAN IT SHOULD… I PLACED THE MIXTURE (I WOULD NOT CALL IT A DOUGH AS IT HAD TOO MUCH MOISTURE) ON THE PARCHMENT PAPER, SHAPED IT INTO A DISC WITH A SPATULA AND PLACED THE PARCHMENT PAPER ON THE HOT PIZZA STONE… 5 MINUTES LATER IT CAME OUT WITH A BRILLIANT PIZZA BASE FLEXIBLE TEXTURE
I made your original recipe for this years ago. Since cauliflower rice is so easy to get now I wanted to revisit this recipe. I could have s or no used cream cheese though, not Parmesan. Would it be 1/3 cup of cream cheese too?
excellent recipe! i’ve tried it before and it was too soggy. this recipe tells me how to avoid that problem. came out perfectly! thanks
Awesome!
never thought cauliflower pizza can be that good.
Thanks
I tried the cauliflower crust today and it turned out great! I used a handful of fresh grated parmesan in place of goat cheese, added Italian seasoning and a roasted garlic/cheese seasoning in the crust mix along with the 1 egg. I used a 10 oz. bag of frozen rice cauliflower and a 10 oz. bag of frozen rice roasted garlic cauliflower.
I squeezed lots if water before mixing but when I put the mixture on the parchment, it seemed a little too moist so I used paper towels and squeezed it again. It was much drier after that. I pressed it out fairly thin, less than 1/4 inch. We like thin crust. Baked it for 35 minutes, it flipped perfectly, baked the other side about 10 min., then added toppings and baked until the cheese was melted. Served immediately. My husband who is not a huge pizza fan loved it. We will definitely be making again very soon. Crust held up well with the toppings of garlic sauce, pepperoni, bacon, onions, banana pepper rings, and cheese. No fork needed here, it was delicious and perfect!
Would Greek yogurt work as a substitute for goat cheese?
I made this cauliflower crust tonight and it turned out amazing! I followed all the steps with fresh riced cauliflower that I had put in my freezer a couple of months ago. It was about 1/2 a cauliflower. I still used 1 egg and seasonings. It was great! I made my own Alfredo type sauce… added fresh green peppers, onion, sautéed cremini mushrooms…. Mozzarella cheese… Romano cheese, Turkey Pepperoni and crushed red peppers!
I made it and it turned put pretty good. Squeezing the baked rice cauliflower was the hardest part. I used tomatoe paste and fried bacon and mushrooms and sweet peppers and Cheese of course
what can you use in place of eggs for vegetarian option.
Has anyone had luck with an egg-ftee version of this? With a flax sub?
Try this Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust instead!
Can this be made a few hours ahead? Do you cook and then refrigerate? Or just prepare and then refrigerate?
I would probably cook it first, so it’s more sturdy for storage. It’s very easy to add the toppings and then cook later. Hope you enjoy it!
Delicious, perfect. This was my first time making a cauliflower crust at home. I used two 500g bags of frozen florets and doubled the eggs/cheese. I didn’t have goat cheese so used 1/3 cup Parmesan and 1/3 cup grated cheddar. With this double recipe I made one large rectangular pizza which fed me, husband, toddler. I baked it for 25 minutes, then flipped over for another 5 minutes. This made a soft but NOT soggy crust. Definitely will make this again, thank you for the recipe!
I followed the recipe very closely but my crust stuck to the parchment when I flipped it. Half of it pealed away leaving us with a very thin crust. Flavor was good, though. I will make it again. Any tips on avoiding the sticking problem?
I would double-check to make sure you used parchment paper and not wax paper. (They look similar, but wax will stick and parchment will not.) Otherwise, you can always skip the flipping part and just bake the crust longer until it feels sturdy enough to pick up.
Can you use the same amount of softened cream cheese in place of the goat cheese or mozzarella?
I have tried so many crust recipes! By far this is my favorite!! The timing is perfect! Thank you! ❤️
Great recipe! This was my first time trying to make a cauliflower crust and it turned out perfect. I used part herbed goat and part shredded parmigiana plus an Italian herb blend. The directions were spot-on and everything cooked to perfection. Thank you!
Great work!