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?
Hi,
I have a question…I liked all about the cauliflower pizza except the goat cheese which i don’t like. Can I substitute goat cheese with any other cheese??
Please help with an answer!!
Anu
Any cheese should work. 🙂
Is there a way to make a vegan version of this, or is it a lost cause?
I haven’t had any luck with a vegan crust yet… please let us know if you have any success!
i am gonna try this tonite, with cashew cheese and my egg substitute will be chia seeds and water into a gel. cant wait to see!! bet it will be really really good!!
Did it work? I’m extremely curious!
I LOVEEEE this blog, and I just tried a few recipes and now I’m a lifer.
I’m a bit confused about the ‘steaming’ part. Should I just an actual steamer over top of the pot of boiling water for the rice or actually put the rice directly in the water?
Help 🙂
The cauliflower rice will fall right through the holes in a steamer basket, so you’re essentially just “boiling” the rice briefly, with the pot covered to contain the steam. Then strain the rice through a fine mesh strainer after cooking!
Question! I did not read all the posts…but what if you do not like goat cheese? Can you use a different kind of cheese?
Any cheese should work.
Well I thought this sheer genius perfection for pizza alternative. Unfortunately my husband saw the cauliflower on the counter and became suspicious. My teenage son however came home late and found the leftovers in the fridge which he promptly inhaled. Said he loved it. I’ll make again for me, but my husband is now onto my cauliflower ways. Lol. Thanks, very creative.
This recipe sounds great! Is goat cheese allowed on the paleo diet?
I think it depends on who you ask! In my opinion, goat cheese is perfectly fine to be indulged in occasionally. 🙂
Awesome recipe! I made it today for my son and husband. They could not understand anything different that regular pizza and they loved it so much. I finally found a great recipe for my future pizzas. Thank you.!
I forgot to give 5 star!
That’s the goat cheese I buy; It’s delicious! I’m exited to try this crust!!
I don’t want to use goat cheese….I’d like to know what cheese is the closest to the goat cheese you use in the recipe. I read that any cheese would work –but I can’t see how a hard type grated cheese would. Can anyone give me suggestions please.
Thanks
Most cauliflower pizza crust recipes actually call for hard grated cheese, so it will definitely work if you’d like to use it. I adapted my recipe to use goat cheese, because it digests better than cow’s dairy.
However, if you’d like to use a cheese with a similar texture to chevre, I’d guess maybe ricotta would work? You’ll have to let us know if you try it!
Have you ever tried microwaving the cauliflower rice rather than boiling it? This post says NOT to add water. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/caulirice.htm
Maybe it makes straining in Step 2 easier or rids of it altogether!
Just wondering if you’ve used it as a short cut or if nuking it makes it nasty.
We actually got rid of our microwave, so I don’t have that option available to me. Please let us know if you have any success trying it! 🙂
Hi! This looks amazing as all the prefab GF pizza crusts dont work for me as I cannot tolerate any of the binding agents (xanthum gum, etc.) I eat eggs but am dairy-free. I was wondering if doing this without cheese would work? THanks so much for this awesome website!
Yes, you can omit the cheese. Hope you enjoy it!
I omitted the cheese and it fell apart. Tasty, though.
I’m sorry to hear that! I make it without the cheese all the time, so perhaps it just takes some practice to get the thickness right. I think the cheese-less version might need to be a bit thicker to hold together well. Glad it tasted good, anyway! 🙂
I have made this twice and it has turned out awesome both times! Never thought I would like something like this, but it was great. Even my husband, who LOVES “regular” pizza more than anything liked this 🙂 I do have one question though…..you write about making extra and freezing. I have my extra sitting out ready to go, but I’m not sure if I’m suppose to put the toppings on before or after freezing. You mention both ways in above, but I wasn’t sure if one was a typo. If it can be done either way….which way do you think turns out best? Thanks in advance for your response, and thank you for the great recipe! 🙂
I prefer freezing just the baked crusts by themselves, then adding the toppings later, right before baking.
Thank You! I’m doing that now!! 🙂
Can I just use steamed cooked cauliflower and mash it?
I haven’t tried it that way, but I bet it would work! Just make sure you squeeze out the moisture well before mixing it with the egg and spices. Please let us know if you try it!
Thank you for this recipe. I had to modify it a little bit, (I only had 2.5 cups worth of cauliflower at home). I also didn’t have any goat cheese on hand, so I used grated parmesan cheese, and it still came out really good!!
Oh man, I seem to be the only one who failed at this recipe. 🙁 After 30 minutes, the top and bottom of my crust were cooked well(almost burnt), but the middle portion was still kinda wet. The top & bottom kinda separated from the middle (showed when I was slicing the crust). I squeezed as much water as I could from the cooked cauliflower so I’m not sure what went wrong. (how dry does the cauliflower have to be?) I also found out I’m not a fan of goat cheese. Next time I might try raw cauliflower rice and a combination of yogurt cheese and parmesan.
Sorry to hear that, Don. The cauliflower does need to be very dry. Raw cauliflower rice works well, too, but the result is a little soggier, thanks to the extra moisture that isn’t removed. Still delicious, though, since I’m usually just making it for myself! 😉 Better luck next time!
I am thrilled to see this recipe. My family loves pizza but what a blessing to find a recipe that is low-carb. We are not doing dairy and so I use Daiya cheese. I’m just not sure if this would work or not? Are you familiar with this type? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think a previous commenter said that it worked! Please let us know how it goes!
I was glad to look through the comments and see that someone else also ended up with a WAY smaller pizza lol I ended up making 2 batches for one crust. I, also, measured 4 cups raw and riced and mine was about half the size of yours. After I doubled it, it was DEEEELISH. Thank you so much!
Do you have to have goat cheese in the crust, i would like to veganize the recipe. I am going to replace the egg with a flax “egg”, but i am not sure sure about the goat cheese?
I’ve made it many times without the goat cheese, so I know it works either way. I haven’t tried it with flax eggs, though, so be sure to let us know if you have any success!
How long can you freeze this?
I just finished the crusts and I am not even hungry, but want to eat them SO bad! Look divine! How long can I freeze or refrigerate this to bake later?
I’ve re-heated a crust that was frozen for 2 months, and it tasted just fine… so I think the shelf life is pretty long, provided it’s sealed well.
I put the dry cauliflower rice into a 1 qt Pyrex measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap and microwave about 5-6 minutes. It doesn’t get soggy, and thus no need to squeeze out water.
I microwaved mine too but still managed to squeeze a lot of water out…too much I think; it didn’t make a very big pizza. Next time I will double the amount of cauliflower used.
if cheese is not an option can this still hold together?
Yes, many other comments above have mentioned what has worked for them, so you may want to review those for ideas!
Mine got stuck to the parchment paper 🙁 I think I might have made it too thin… other than that it tasted awesome!
I had issues with it sticking to the wax paper. Is this because I didn’t get enough liquid out?
Did you actually use “wax paper” or parchment paper? I’ve heard that wax paper isn’t good for baking. If you used parchment, it may have had too much moisture, then. Mine peeled right off when I used parchment.
Hi Megan,
I was wondering of I could make this without using cheese at in the caulifower mixture and on it? I hate real and fake cheese, will it ruin it if I left out the cheese altogether?
Yes! You can review the previous comments to see what has worked for others.
I’m now a believer! I truly didn’t think this could taste like a pizza crust. It did! Mind you, I added garlic powder and dried basil as well as the oregano to the mix. I also didn’t have parchment paper, but the non-stick aluminum foil worked just fine. I did notice when I cut into the crust just after baking, that it wanted to tear a bit and felt a little fragile. But, after the crust had cooled a little more, it cut just fine without any tearing, and felt firmer in the hand just like “real” crust. Thank you so much!
The first time I made this it turned out perfectly! I have a little experience wringing out the cauliflower from my low-carbin days. This crust is my first pizza in months. It was very satisfying. Thanks for sharing.
So I’ve been drooling over this recipe for a couple days now. I’m slowly switching my eating style and dying for pizza. I just moved (live in Europe currently) and can’t find my transformer for my food chopper. I course lay chopped the cauliflower then steamed it and mashed it with my masher. I still strained it as you suggest above (I didn’t have that much water to press out but still got a surprising amount out) but didn’t have goat cheese (substituted cream cheese) and added a few other seasonings. OMG YOU ARE MY HERO! That’s all I have to say. Thank you!
Hi Megan.
I tried this tonight for dinner and LOVED it! It’s amazing how full I felt and not at all bloated. Goat cheese is ridiculously expensive in Iceland but I just had to buy it for this recipe. I think it tastes better than the cow cheese. AMAZING! Thanks 😀
I have made cauliflower pizza crust a few times before and do really enjoy it. Thanks for the tips on how to squeeze the water out…I was rolling it up in a towel jellyroll style, I will try this method next time. My one thought/question about this process is, aren’t you squeezing out all the nutritional value of the cauliflower when you squeeze out all the moisture? We are always told that the vitamins and minerals leach out into the water, etc. Just wondering about anyones thoughts on this.
In this case, the vitamins and minerals from the cauliflower are not our primary concern. It’s more about what you’re NOT putting into your body! Since grains may cause inflammation and prevent mineral absorption for many people, it’s actually more important to simply avoid them, and find substitutes that won’t cause these issues– such as this cauliflower crust. We probably are squeezing out many of the vitamins and minerals through this process, but if you’re eating a vegetable-centric diet anyway, it shouldn’t matter in the long-run. Hope that makes sense!
Hi Megan,
I have tried so many of your recipes and absolutely love them, I just had the cauliflower pizza and I can not get over how delicious it was.
Keep the recipes coming!!
Liz
Hi is there a substitution you recommend for the egg for vegans? Thanks! I love your website and FB page thanks for all you do!
You can use ground flax seed! 2 Tbsp. Finely ground flax seeds plus 3 Tbsp. water replaces one egg. Mix them together in a small bowl or mug, and let sit a couple of minutes until it becomes like jelly, then add as you would eggs.
can you make a vegan version of this or would it be to difficult?
You can check out some of the comments above– it sounds like a few people have had success!
I thought you recently update a post about how to make this vegan. I went through all my old emails, but I haven’t been able to find it. Can you send me the link to the post, or clarify how to make it vegan?
Thanks!!!
Hi Chris! I haven’t had much luck making a vegan crust myself, but it looks like some comments here have mentioned making it with success. You might want to check out some of the comments above to see what works!
Thanks! What is the purpose of the egg? Is it a binder? Do you think non-dairy yogurt would work? If so, how much?
I just made this tonight, and it was pretty good. As I pulled it to my face, I still got a whiff of cauliflower which threw me off a little bit. However, it had a great flavor (I did throw a few more herbs like basil and garlic powder in my “dough”). The crust was easy enough to pick up and didn’t fall apart, but it broke in half if I tried folding it too much (I typically fold my pizza in half to keep toppings from falling off and it’s easier to hold). The pizza was tiny. I would definitely suggest making 2 to 3x the amount if it’s the main dish for your family. I used aluminum foil because no parchment paper was available, and it seemed to have worked fine, just in case anyone doesn’t have parchment paper. All in all, I would definitely suggest it, and I’ll be making it again. It won’t let me rate it on the cell phone, but I’d give it a 4.5… All it’s lacking is the chewiness I enjoy from regular pizza crust. Otherwise, it was appetizing and had a great flavor!
This is one of my favorite ways to use the pulp left over from juicing! I make it tonight with cauliflower, carrot and zucchini pulp, and it’s heavenly. No veggie taste at all, and came out nice and firm. Delish!
This pizza crust is wonderful. I ended up only having crumbled goat cheese so I blended that up and added to cali, eggs and spices. Added lots of toppings and think it has more cheese flavor that most pizza. I really like it. will defintely make again. Thank you for bringing pizza back to our home!
I was unsuccessful with this! I followed all the directions except I used mozzarella cheese (I don’t have goat cheese) and it just crumbled when I tried to pick it up. I ended up using spinach tortillas instead but I was super disappointed.
Wow! I love PIZZA so thank You for its healthy alternative
Delicious, the crust was sweet and tasty. I will be using this on a regular basis. I feel so full after eating 1/3 of what eat of regular pizza with no bloat. Would love to eat more but am just too full. Thanks will try it on my spouse when he returns.
Do you have the nutritional info on this recipe. Like how many calories? and serving size per calories? Thanks
Please see my FAQ, regarding nutrition information: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
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!
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!)
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.
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!
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. 🙂
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.
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.
Love…Love…Love this as well as all of your recipes. I feel inspired.
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!
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/