Did you know that this week is pizza week?! Yes this is actually a thing, which makes me SO happy because pizza is one of my favorite foods (I am a native New Yorker) In case you missed it, cauliflower crust pizza is all the rage in the supermarket aisles and social media, so we thought…why not? Turns out, we’re really good at this pizza thing, and created a perfect crispy crust and loaded with veggies. Turn up for Friday night with Netflix and cauliflower crust pizza!
Incorporating cauliflower into a crust is a such a fun and creative way to boost your veg intake. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C and has other nutrients like vitamin K and folate. If you’re someone who has diabetes or struggles with insulin resistance, using a cauliflower crust can be a great way to lower carbohydrate content. It is also a better source of fiber than the regular old white pizza crust. Not to mention, we loaded this baby with zucchini, mushrooms, and onions to make sure we’re getting all of our veggies in.
There are cauliflower crusts sold in stores, but they are often loaded with added sodium. Sodium can contribute to chronic diseases like high blood pressure which can impact our hearts and kidneys in the long run. Lower your sodium intake by making as many foods from scratch as you can!
Are you ready to get into it? Preheat the oven to 400F. Chop the cauliflower head into smaller florets and add to a food processor. Pulse until you have a cauliflower rice-like consistency. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your processor. Once that’s done, add the cauliflower to a parchment paper-lined baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes, until soft. While that’s happening, add the egg, cheese, and spices to a bowl. Whisk together and set aside. Once the cauliflower is done, allow to cool (you can pop into the fridge for 10 minutes to expedite cooling). Add the cooked cauliflower to the center of a cheese cloth or clean dish towel. Wrap the cauliflower within the cloth, and press out all of the water with your hands. Make sure to squeeze tight and get all of that water out. This is really important for making sure your crust holds well together!
Once you’ve done that, add the pressed cauliflower to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and roll together with your hands into a ball, making sure all ingredients get worked in well. Line a baking sheet with fresh parchment paper, and add the ball to the sheet. Shape evenly into a ~7-8″ pizza crust with your hands, about 1/3″ thick. Make sure there aren’t any super thin spots. You can also create a crust with the edges if you like! Raise the heat to 425F, and pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges have browned and the crust is firm. Once the crust is baked, you can then add your favorite toppings. We used zucchini ribbons, gorgonzola, mushrooms, and onions. Rebake for another 5-7 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Note: This recipe serves 4, and one serving is 1 large slice or 2 smaller slices.
How do you like our version of the Cauliflower Crust Pizza? Have you made your own cauliflower crust before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
- 1 large head of cauliflower (~4-5 cups pulsed cauliflower)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Suggested toppings: Zucchini, mushrooms, & onions, gorgonzola cheese, black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Chop the cauliflower head into smaller florets and add to a food processor
- Pulse until you have a cauliflower rice-like consistency. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your processor
- Once that's done, add the cauliflower to a parchment paper-lined baking dish
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes, until soft
- While that's happening, add the egg, cheese, and spices to a bowl. Whisk together and set aside
- Once the cauliflower is done, allow to cool (you can pop into the fridge for 10 minutes to expedite cooling)
- Add the cooked cauliflower to the center of a cheese cloth or clean dish towel. Wrap the cauliflower within the cloth, and press out all of the water with your hands
- Make sure to squeeze tight and get all of that water out. This is really important for making sure your crust holds well together!
- Once you've done that, add the pressed cauliflower to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and roll together with your hands into a ball, making sure all ingredients get worked in well
- Line a baking sheet with fresh parchment paper, and add the ball to the sheet. Shape evenly into a ~7-8" pizza crust with your hands, about 1/3" thick. Make sure there aren't any super thin spots. You can also create a crust with the edges if you like!
- Raise the heat to 425F, and pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges have browned and the crust is firm
- Once the crust is baked, you can then add your favorite toppings. We used zucchini ribbons, gorgonzola, mushrooms, and onions
- Rebake for another 7-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
- 1 pizza yields 4 large slices, or 8 smaller slices. Store leftovers in the fridge, and pop right back into the oven to reheat!
Danielle
January 14, 2018 at 10:27 pm (1 year ago)My husband is such a picky eater, but he just smashed an entire pizza by himself! My toddler daughter loved it too. I will be doing this more often to incorporate veggies into our diets. I love trying all your recipes!
Wendy
January 15, 2018 at 2:47 pm (1 year ago)So happy to hear you all enjoyed the pizza! It’s one of my go-to dinners!
Mollie
July 14, 2018 at 2:40 am (9 months ago)What is the consistency of the pizza dough supposed to be? Mine turned out really, really wet (not sure if I could have used just one egg or if I had less/too wet cauliflower). I added some wheat flour to make it less wet and it turned out fine. My husband who hates cauliflower couldn’t tell what it was and liked it. =)
Wendy
July 14, 2018 at 4:39 am (9 months ago)It’s supposed to be pretty firm. With the cauliflower, you have to make sure to squeeze out most of the moisture or else it’ll be too wet. Adding flour helps too, but with doing this recipe several times, the squeezing is really the key part