A step-by-step guide to making a Cauliflower Pizza Crust that is crispy and won't fall apart. A simple recipe, requiring just 7 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time.
I had no idea you could make pizza dough from cauliflower rice. I used frozen, not fresh cauliflower rice and added my favorite toppings. It was great to get to participate in pizza night with my family even though I'm following a low carb, keto diet. The recipe was easy to follow and resulted in a perfectly crispy crust!
Susan P.
THIS EASY CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST IS RIDICULOUSLY GOOD
One bite and I knew... pizza dough made from cauliflower is a game changer.
I know I'm not the first person to make an easy cauliflower pizza crust recipe (in fact, I'm pretty sure this situation has been going down since 2012). Even with that said, I just made it for the first time and you can consider my mind blown.
Based on my excitement level for this cauliflower pizza crust, I'm sure you assume that it's a super difficult recipe, but that's not the case. In fact, I've got shortcuts ... really really great shortcuts.
NO food processor, NO blender, NO grating cauliflower, NO dirty appliances. Just NO. NO. NO. to anything labor intensive.
If I'm to be expected to eat pizza crust that is made from a vegetable, it's gotta be convenient. Because, in all honesty, I don't have the self-discipline to skip ordering the pizza AND to spend 8 hours grating a head of cauliflower into tiny rice shaped pieces.
So here's the deal. We're going to use frozen pre-riced cauliflower. It's available pretty much everywhere in the freezer-section and it works perfectly for this recipe.
Finally, I'm going to level with you, because, that's the kind of friends we are. You are not going to bite into this pizza and think wow.. "this tastes just like "regular" pizza crust. Manage your expectations, it's CAULIFLOWER. While the result is definitely a crispy cauliflower pizza crust, the texture is not the same as regular pizza crust. That said, it's still a healthy (er), low carb, gluten-free, keto-friendly option you've got when a pizza craving hits!
Ingredients
- frozen riced cauliflower - frozen cauliflower has almost identical nutritional value to fresh cauliflower and is frozen at it's prime - find it in freezer aisle of most grocery stores
- mozzarella - purchase dry shredded mozzarella cheese - fresh has too much moisture for this recipe and will result in a soggy crust
- parmesan cheese - grated is the best texture for this recipe
- egg - acts as a binder for the pizza crust, the recipe was written using a standard large egg
- garlic powder - a quick way to add some Italian flavor to the cauliflower crust
- oregano - dry oregano is easy to use a perfect for this recipe
How To Make Easy Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and microwave the riced cauliflower according to package directions. Drain well using a colander.
Step 2: Place drained cauliflower into clean cotton dish towel. You can also use a cheese cloth or nut milk bag. Avoid paper towels as they will tear. Squeeze out all excess water.
Step 3: In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Dump the dough on a baking sheet or pizza stone lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking)and form into a circle that is about 6" in circumference.
Step 5: Bake crust for 18-22 minutes. Place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust and flip the pizza over so that same piece of parchment is now on the bottom of the crust (see recipe video below). Bake an additional 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add some tomato sauce, your favorite pizza toppings to the cauliflower pizza crust and then return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until toppings are warm and cheese is melted and bubbly.
Storage
Cauliflower pizza crust can be prepped and baked ahead of time. When you are ready for pizza night, just add your toppings and pop the pizzas under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until toppings are warm and cheese is bubbly. Store prepped pizza crusts wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
These crusts are also great for freezing. Place the cooked pizza crust onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove from freezer, wrap in plastic. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Equipment
You will require one of the following in order to properly drain your cooked riced cauliflower. The nut milk bag is the method that I use, but the others will get the job done as well! The items listed below are not affiliate links.
Nut Milk Bag - typically used to remove the pulp from nut milks, these bags are also perfect for squeezing the extra moisture from your cauliflower rice. This is the bag that I use and love.
Cheese Cloth - 20" x20" is the perfect size for this recipe. The cloth can be reused multiple times.
Dish Towel/Tea Towels - a clean cotton dish towel that is absorbent can be used in place of a nut milk bag or cheese cloth/
Pampered Chef Pizza Stone - I have used a Pampered Chef pizza stone for 15 years and love it. If you don't have one, you can use a sheet pan and still get great results.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Honest answer, it depends. Cauliflower pizza crust can be deceiving. The main ingredient is a vegetable, but the addition of eggs and cheese can potentially add a lot of fat and calories if you aren’t conscientious. This recipe has 215 calories, 7g F, 16 C and an impressive 25g of protein.
Yes. Prepare the fresh cauliflower according to package directions and then follow the recipe as written.
For the best cauliflower pizza crust results, it is important that you squeeze all the liquid from the cooked cauliflower. Once you think you've squeezed enough, do it again. Soggy cauliflower makes soggy crust. It is also important that you flip the pizza crust halfway through baking to ensure both sides cook completely.
A ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat diet. The substitution of cauliflower for flour reduces the carbs and the addition of the cheese adds fat, making this a perfect keto-friendly option.
VIDEO: How To Make Simple Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Make The Recipe
PrintRecipe
Quick Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 7" pizza crust
Description
A step-by-step guide to making a Cauliflower Pizza Crust that is crispy and won't fall apart. A simple recipe, requiring just 7 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time.
Ingredients
- (1) 12 ounce bag of frozen riced cauliflower
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Microwave riced cauliflower according to package directions. Drain well using a colander.
- Place drained cauliflower onto the center of a clean cotton dish towel. Lift up the edges to trap in the cauliflower (see pictures in post). Squeeze out ALL excess water. When you think you've squeezed enough, squeeze more. This is an important step.. if you don’t get the water out you will get a soggy crust.
- In a large bowl, combine drained cauliflower rice, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Stir until fully combined.
- Dump the dough out onto a baking sheet or pizza stone lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking) and form into a circle that is about 6"-7" in circumference.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until dry and golden brown. Remove pizza from oven.
- Place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust and flip the pizza crust over so that same piece of parchment is now on the bottom of the crust (see recipe video below). Bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Add your favorite toppings to the crust and return to the pizza to the oven for 5-10 minutes, just until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Low Carb
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 1118.8 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.8 g
- Protein: 26.6 g
- Cholesterol: 196.4 mg
Rhonda
Can you cook the pizza from frozen or do you have to defrost it first?
Bailey Sissom
No need to thaw! Just stick your toppings on and pop it in the oven:)
RR
When cooking from frozen do you need to adjust the cooking time or temperature?
Christine
I am interested in this recipe. Looks wonderful. Do you cook the cauliflower before you shape it into dough
Bailey Sissom
Nope:)
Renecha
I’m a little confused. The recipe does say to microwave the riced cauliflower and then remove the moisture. But above you say answer no to cooking it prior to shaping. Could you please clarify?
Bailey Sissom
Cook the cauliflower and then remove the moisture. Sorry if the post was confusing. I'm going to look back over the directions!
Chloe
Does the cauliflower need to be drained completely? I don’t have a cheese cloth so I’m using a serving linen and it’s taking awhile...
Bailey Sissom
The dryer you get the cauliflower the better. It's going to have some moisture left though. How did the pizza crust turn out?
Sara
If you do steps 1-3 ahead of time... do you let it dry out in the open or put it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the actual crust?
Bailey Sissom
I usually just pop it in the fridge:)
Teresa Young
The nutrition fact does not seem right. Over 2k in sodium and where is sugar coming from? That's also a lot of protein
Bailey Sissom
I think you are correct! I am going to look at this next week and get it corrected. Thanks for letting me know:)
Casey
Can this be used instead of a store brought dough as pie crust, bottom and/ or top, for a Shepard's Pie, in this case ?
Bailey Sissom
Hi Casey. I wouldn't. While the crust is tasty.. it's still quite flimsy. I don't think it would be strong enough as a pie crust.
Casey
Ok makes sense, I'll have to find another healthier, sturdier option to dough, thank you, and on a personal level.congratulations ♡
Edwin
Is this in fahrenheit or celsius
Bailey Sissom
Fahrenheit:)
Susan
I had no idea you could make pizza dough from cauliflower rice. I used frozen, not fresh cauliflower rice and added my favorite toppings. It was great to get to participate in pizza night with my family even though I'm following a low carb diet. The recipe was easy to follow and resulted in a perfectly crispy crust!
Sheri
I noticed that when I change the scale to 2X or 3X, the amount of cauliflower doesn't change. Is this correct or should the amount increase accordingly?
Bailey Sissom
That is very strange. I have sent a note to the recipe plugin developer. Thank you for letting me know. You definitely want to scale up the amount of cauliflower you use!
Casey
loved it!