Cauliflower Pizza Crust
193 Comments
Updated Nov 29, 2022
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Cauliflower pizza crust is a delicious gluten-free, low-carb and keto pizza recipe. It’s a simple blend of cauliflower, eggs, cheese, and a few spices that’s flattened and baked into a golden crust. Freeze it for later or top it off with fresh ingredients for a healthy dinner recipe.
I’m happy that cauliflower is having a star moment right now. From cauliflower steaks to roasted cauliflower soup, this vegetable can transform into just about anything! But when cauliflower pizza crusts became a thing, I knew I had to whip up a version of my own.
While you can buy pre-made cauliflower pizza crusts, corn starch or potato starch tends to be the main ingredient in these products. So by making it yourself, you’ll know your crust is made from fresh ingredients without unnecessary additives.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust Ingredients
Yes, this pizza crust requires only 3 main ingredients, plus seasonings. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cauliflower – you’ll need about 1.5 pounds of cauliflower florets (I’ve gone into detail about the different types of cauliflower below)
- Cheese – you can use a variety of cheeses, but here is the general rule:
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, etc)
- 1/3 cup of soft cheese (goat cheese, etc)
- Egg – 1 beaten egg
- Italian Seasoning – 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, but feel free to use additional spices
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Types Of Cauliflower To Use
There’s several options when it comes to making cauliflower rice. You can make it from fresh cauliflower, frozen florets, or buy it pre-riced. But if you’re wondering which type of cauliflower is best to use, here’s the answer. After testing all three variations, the consistency turned out pretty much the same for each.
I know pre-riced cauliflower may not be available for many people. So choosing between fresh cauliflower and frozen florets, the frozen florets required the least amount of work (no cutting mess or cooking needed). Thus, it quickly became my favorite method.
Here’s a breakdown of how to prep each type of cauliflower:
Fresh Cauliflower
If you’re using fresh cauliflower, you’ll need 1 large cauliflower head (about 2 pounds, which yields 1 1/2 pounds of florets).
- Remove the florets from the head of the cauliflower, and cut them into even sized pieces.
- Grate the florets using either the grater attachment on a food processor or box grater.
- Microwave the cauliflower rice for about 4-5 minutes to soften it.
- Drain the cauliflower rice by using a nut milk bag and squeeze it until all the moisture is out.
Frozen Cauliflower Florets
You’ll need 1 1/2 pounds of frozen cauliflower florets.
- Thaw the frozen cauliflower in the fridge overnight.
- Grate the florets using either the grater attachment on a food processor or box grater.
- Drain the cauliflower by using a nut milk bag and squeeze it until all the moisture is out.
Pre-Riced Cauliflower
You’ll need approximately 5 cups of pre-riced cauliflower.
- Microwave the cauliflower rice for about 5 minutes to soften it.
- Drain the cauliflower by using a nut milk bag and squeeze it until all the moisture is out.
How To Make Cauliflower Pizza
Now that you’ve got your cauliflower all prepped, here’s the full recipe on how to make the crust. Watch the tutorial video below to see how I make it step-by-step!
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grate the cauliflower florets to make cauliflower rice, using a food processor or box grater.
- Microwave your cauliflower for about 5 minutes to soften it. Alternatively, you can saute the cauliflower for 10 minutes on medium heat on the stove.
- Drain the cauliflower. Transfer the grated florets into a nut milk bag or dish towel. Squeeze the cauliflower until all the moisture is out. Make sure to let the cauliflower cool down a bit before squeezing so you don’t burn your hands!
- Mix the cauliflower rice, cheese, egg, and seasonings. Using your hands, toss everything together in a large bowl until it’s all combined.
- Shape your pizza crust. On a baking sheet, press the dough down into an even circle. The diameter should be about 9 inches.
- Bake for 25 minutes. If you started with frozen cauliflower, it may need to cook a few minutes more. Then remove from the oven.
- Add the toppings. Then pop the pizza back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: If you’d like to get your cauliflower crust as crispy as possible, bake it on a pizza stone rather than a baking sheet.
Cauliflower Pizza Toppings
Now comes the fun part – pizza toppings! One thing I will note here is that chunkier is better. You don’t want your ingredients to be too oily or runny, otherwise it will make your crust even soggier.
In terms of flavor, the combinations are endless. But, I’ve decided to whip up two of my favorite flavors: pesto chicken and Margherita pizza. You can find the full recipes below, but here’s a quick run down of what ingredients you’ll need.
- Pesto Chicken Pizza: shredded chicken, mozzarella cheese, sauteed spinach, pesto sauce, and garlic cloves.
- Margherita Pizza: marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves.
How To Freeze Cauliflower Pizza Crust
If you want to meal prep for the week, frozen pizza crusts will be your best friend. Once you’ve baked the crust, let it cool and then place it into an airtight container or freezer safe bags.
Because a large 9-inch round pizza is harder to store, I recommend making two smaller crusts and stacking them on top of each other, with parchment paper in between. Even better, double this recipe and make 4 small crusts for the future. They’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to make your pizza, just remove it from the freezer, and re-heat it in the oven. Bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes to thaw, then add your toppings and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through.
More Low-Carb Cauliflower Recipes
For more unique and fun ways to cook with cauliflower, here’s a few delicious low carb recipes to try. You’re going to love these!
- Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Dates, Pine Nuts and Thyme
Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe Video
Want to see how I make this recipe? Watch the video below!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Low Carb Keto Pizza)
Description
Video
Ingredients
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- 1.5 pounds cauliflower, florets
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, or 1/3 cup soft cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
Pesto Chicken Pizza
- 1/3 cup pesto sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded chicken
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 cups (packed) baby spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Margherita Pizza
- 1/3 cup marinara sauce
- 4 oz mozzarella ball, sliced
- fresh basil leaves
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the cauliflower florets from the stem or use frozen and thawed cauliflower florets. Grate them using a food processor or box grater.
- Add the cauliflower rice to a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave for 4-5 minutes to soften. Alternatively, you could saute the cauliflower rice in a pan on medium heat on the stove for 8-10 minutes. Then let it cool to the touch.
- Transfer the cauliflower rice into a nut milk bag or thin kitchen towel. Drain the cauliflower by squeezing it until all the excess moisture is out. Squeeze as hard as you can!
- Place the drained cauliflower rice in a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese, egg and seasonings. Use your hands to mix everything together to form the pizza dough.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, press the dough dough down into an even circle. The diameter should be around 9 inches. If you have a pizza stone, that's even better and will produce a crispier crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until slightly golden, then remove from oven. You could also bake for 20 minutes and flip the crust over, then bake an additional 5-10 minutes for an even crispier crust.
- Add the toppings and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Lisa's Tips
- The nutrition facts are for the Margherita pizza flavor.
Nutrition
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DELISH !! The family loved it. It was all gone before I got a pic. I’ll get one next time because there will definitely be a next time.
Wonderful! I’m glad the whole family enjoyed this cauliflower pizza crust!
making this now.
I am unsure why I think I needed 2 eggs but I used 2 small cauliflowers a little more than half cup of Mozzarella & about a 3rd of a cup of Parmesan freshly grated.
To this one tsp of onion & garlic granules, a good grind of black pepper & kosher salt & dried parsley and some basil. I am looking forward to seeing how this turns o9ut as I never made this before & am doing it out of desperation to cut grain & carbs out of my diet as I have a condition called PMR so carbs & any offending foods that cause inflammation has to be removed from my diet so at this point I am experimenting with various alternatives & since I had a premade cauliflower pizza crust recently & had nothing but a good time eating that pizza, I figured its time to make my own. Thanks for the recipe :)
Hope your cauliflower pizza crust was a success, Michael! Be sure to report back :)
👍🏻Loved your video, Lisa. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m going to make it this weekend.
Sounds delicious, and it’s great to have a low-carb alternative for Pizza.
I hope your cauliflower pizza crust is a success! Let us know how it turns out, Sally.
I have tried it and loved it. It can take some time to make so if you can do a batch for meal prep, it is perfect for an easy meal during the week with your preferred toppings.
It’s always a good idea to prep an extra batch of this pizza crust for the future!
I love this recipe! Thanks for sharing. I’m too lazy to grate a cauliflower so just roughly chopped the whole thing up and blitzed with a hand blender once steamed. Takes twice as long to steam but saves me time and sanity. Have made this a few times now and it comes out perfectly every time! Weirdly it doesn’t have a strong taste of cauliflower and even my cauli-hater daughter likes this.
Lisa does it again! Another great recipe. I used frozen riced cauliflower and it did take a little longer in the oven to cook — an extra 5 minutes. I was afraid I didn’t squeeze enough water out of it, but it firmed up and got a little crispy. it was a big hit. Thanks!
Glad you were able to make this work with frozen riced cauliflower Mara!
This was super crumbly. I followed the recipe. Maybe needs more egg and not crisp as others state. Will not make again.
This definitely shouldn’t be crumbly. Did you watch the video? Perhaps you can spot where things might have differed. :)
A wonderful recipe, I added an extra egg to increase the binding of the mixture and increase the protein content.
To form the base I used and old chefs technique.
Cover a dinner plate with cling film, place the mixture on the dinner and shape to the dinner plate. Place your baking sheet upside down on the dinner plate and flip over. Remove the dinner plate and cling film.
Thanks for sharing how you made this Terry! Glad it worked out perfectly.
What can I use instead of an egg? We have egg & wheat allergies in our family so I’ve been searching for new recipes.
Unfortunately, the egg is really needed as a binder in this recipe. And I haven’t tried it with any egg substitutes. If you do, let us know how it turns out!
Applesauce may work for you.
Have you tried using gf flaxseed and combining with water to use as a binder, works wonders for most baking
There is a product called Just Egg vegans use. You reconstitute it with water and it’s like Egg Beaters. That might work! You can get it on Amazon.
The crust tasted good. But….. mine never got crispy. Even after 30 minutes. Followed the recipe to the letter. Not sure what I did wrong. Will try again….
Just tried this recipe – it was absolutely amazing! Unlike a lot of keto pizza recipes, I could acually pick it up with my hands! I love how there’s no almond flour and is made with least ingredients possible. This is the only keto pizza recipe that I will ever use. Thank you for the recipe!!
Happy to hear your cauliflower pizza was a success! Clean and simple ingredients are all you need :)
What a great recipe! I loved it! I only eat cauliflower crust pizza and this was one of the best I’ve had. It wasn’t soft in the center and had great flavor! I’ll be making this again. Thank you Lisa!
Glad this cauliflower pizza crust was a success, Susan!
This pizza recipe is fantastic and perfect for anyone seeking a keto and gluten free pizza option. We made small bases and had a couple left over so decided to pop them in the toaster the following day, then spread cream cheese and herbs on them before rolling up as a quick snack the next day – absolutely delicious
Love the quick snack idea using the pizza dough!
I made this tonight and the taste was good but the crust was not crispy. I did on a pizza stone as well.
The top was crispy but the bottom was cooked but not brown. It was kind of cake like and fell apart. Cooked for 25 mins.
Where could I have gone wrong?
Hi Joe – cauliflower crusts are naturally not super crispy (especially in the middle), but the edges should be crispy. You can always cook it a bit longer if you’d like as well.
Hi there – what can be substituted for cheese in this recipe?
Thanks!
Lisa
Unfortunately, you really need the cheese in this recipe to bind it together.
How to make the pesto you did on this pizza?
I have a basil pesto recipe on my website!
I made this tonight and was shocked at how much liquid came out of the cauliflower. I found it really tasty, very filling and will definitely make this again. Thank you so much.
This pizza was delicious, even my picky 7 year old loved it! My only gripe, it wasn’t sturdy towards the center. When we picked up our slices to eat, it was flimsy and broke apart a bit. Should I have added another egg? I used the pre-riced frozen cauliflower and made sure I squeezed all of the moisture out with a nut bag and trust me I did. Is this typical of homemade cauliflower crust?
Yes, it’s normal for a homemade cauliflower crust to be softer than a regular pizza crust!
If using cauliflower rice from the market, how many cups do you use to make the crust.? You just state 1.5 LBS of florets
It has been a long time since I had pizza. This recipe has given me an healthy yet tasty alternative. For the crust, I added a tablespoon of tapioca to bind it, and for toppings, I used shredded chicken and fresh tomatoes with Gruyère cheese. It turned out delicious! Thank you so much Lisa for opening my eyes to healthy eating and cooking!!!! 😁👍🏽
So thrilled to hear you’ve found a healthier alternative that you can tweak to your own liking Martha!
Hi! I have to count all of my carbs so I was wondering what the nutrition is for just the crust? This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it!
Hi.
Can you please provide a dairy-free substitute for the cheese? Could coconut milk work?
Thanks
I hope to test out a dairy-free option in the future :)
vegan cheese
Thank you for this recipe, it sounds fantastic. Is it possible you could tell me how to cook the cauliflower if a person doesn’t own a microwave oven? Thanks again. Lauri
I was going to ask the same thing until I saw your comment. I don’t have a microwave either. I’m pretty sure steaming with a steam basket for a few minutes would work just fine?
Can one use broccoli as well?
I haven’t tried this with broccoli yet. But if you do, let me know how it turns out!
I love this recipe and 177 calories for 1/4 of a pizza is a great way to eat pizza! Just add a small salad and you have a delicious meal without the usual calorie overload.
Do you use pizza sauce on top of crust after baking, and before toppings? The picture shows a red sauce.
Yes! I’m using a marinara sauce – which I also have a recipe for on my website :)
I’ve attempted other cauliflower crusts that were less than satisfactory. I watched the video and forged ahead. I’m dairy free so swapped out cheese in the crust for a homemade almond ricotta. It worked just fine. I baked crust on parchment on top of a stone. Pizza crust was delish! I’ll make this again – Especially when I’ve got an abundance of fresh cauliflower from the garden!
Thank you Lisa!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this cauliflower pizza crust Marylee!
This was SO tasty! I have never had cauliflower pizza before but this has turned me to never use dough again! Thank you. Just one question – How many serves is your nutritional value for?
Hi Emma! The nutritional information is for one slice of the Margherita pizza flavor.
Could you omit the cheese from this recipe? Would it still work? Thanks!
Unfortunately, you need the cheese in this recipe to make it a soft crust with a bit of stretch. But, I hope to make a vegetarian version in the future :)
LOVE the recipe! Tastes absolutely delish!! However…. this is my 2nd time with the parchment paper… and… first time I did not spray and was well, very upset at the stick of the crust. Second time, sprayed and there is NO difference. I will absolutely NOT use parchment paper ever again! I just want to enjoy this delish recipe without hassle. Only reason for a 3star.. otherwise… 5!!!!
Hi Jen – I’m glad you love the recipe! But you should have no sticking whatsoever with parchment paper (and it never requires spraying). Are you sure you’re using parchment paper and not wax paper?
That’s for sure what she was using. I made the same mistake! lol
Fantastic recipe! It turned out really well and I’ll never make a traditional base again.
Wonderful! Glad your pizza crusts turned out perfectly Vanessa :)
COuld you use the riced cauliflower raw in this recipe?
You will still need to warm it up to soften the cauliflower bits.
Once again – nothing but 5 stars for Downshiftology recipes :)
Glad you enjoyed this cauliflower pizza crust Pip :)
Do you have a recipe for a dairy-free cauliflower pizza?
I don’t, but I definitely need to add one in the future!
Great recipe!
Using a former cheese like parmesan
Will result in a firmer crust!
Thanks for all the happy healthy eating!
Great tip Claudia! Glad you enjoyed this cauliflower crust recipe :)
looks lovely looking forward to making it
Hope you enjoy this pizza crust recipe Brenda!
Is the recipe for 4 9inch bases?
Hi Niamh – the recipe is for one cauliflower pizza crust.
I made the pizza crust ,I added 1 tsp coconut flour and 1 tsp almond flour,crust came a little
crispy …delicious! Thank you
Really nice recipe.
Thanks so much!
Is the amount of carbs for the entire pizza or per slice of pizza 🍕🤔
Hi Joretta – the nutritional information will always be per serving. So in this case, it will be per slice.
what is the name of the nutbag you use. also why doesnt vitamix make a stanless steel or brakeproof glass container instead of plastic.
Hi Connie – you can find the nut bag in my Shop page :)
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!
I am following a keto lifestyle and I have been dying to try pizza that actually tastes like…. PIZZA. I’ve tried the almond flour recipes and was not impressed at all by taste or texture. However, this recipe was perfect and tastes great!
I used Genoa salami, mozzarella, and basil on mine. Thanks a lot for the recipe, it’s really helped me!
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this pizza crust! Love the way you topped yours off as well.
Can I use frozen riced cauliflower?
Yes! I have instructions written in the post for how to defrost and use frozen cauliflower.
Is the carb count per serving or the whole pizza?
Hi Mary – it’s per serving for the Margherita pizza.
I have tried so many different cauliflower crust recipes, this is BY FAR the best I’ve had! Others have just really missed the mark. They were always falling apart and just never tasted like “crust”. I’ve already forwarded this recipe to 4 of my family and friends. Thank you!
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning pizza crust recipe Kristen!
Receipt is very well written, you cannot make a mistake! Pizza is just great, cauliflower you dont even notife the taste.Thank you!
Thanks so much Andra! Glad it was a success.
I really want to try the cauliflower pizza crust! I do have a question. Is it possible to swap the cream cheese with cottage cheese?
That’s an interesting question. I haven’t tried it yet so not sure how it would turn out, but it’s worth a try!
I make it with cream cheese every time. It comes out perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe this is by far the best cauliflower crust.
Wonderful! Glad this turns out great with cream cheese instead.