I know, I know….sounds crazy! Cauliflower in a pizza crust? Well, before you dismiss the idea…consider the possibility that it might just be SO crazy that it actually works! That’s the assumption I was working on when I decided to give this “crazy” idea a try.
Since No. 2 Son was diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease a few years ago…pizza has been a rarity around here. One of the biggest sacrifices we’ve had to make with regards to this disease. (That and Cinnamon Rolls! *sob*)
I am still searching for that elusive gluten-free bread/roll/pizza crust recipe that tastes like the real deal…but alas, I am beginning to lose hope I will ever find it.
Which brings me to today’s post. I spotted this recipe quite awhile ago on eat. drink. smile. and while I was intrigued, I didn’t give it much hope for success. I’ve never been happier to admit I was WRONG! :-) Not only was it good…it was surprisingly pizza-like! Go figure. The much-maligned “stinky” vegetable turned tasty gluten-free pizza! It’s a happy day. :-)
Oh…in my excitement over this recipe…I forgot to mention how SIMPLE it is to make! Major bonus there!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Makes one 9 inch pizza crust
Adapted from eat. drink. smile.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an italian blend)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*
Directions:
Remove stems and leaves from 1 head of cauliflower, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to your food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (You can also use a cheese grater). Place the “riced” cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (may need to adjust according to your microwave). No need to add water.
One large head will produce between 2 and 3 cups of riced and cooked cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To make the pizza crust:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (or use non-stick aluminum foil on a cookie sheet, which is what I did). In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, beaten egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, minced garlic and salt, mix well. Transfer the mixture to your cookie sheet, and pat out into a 9″ round.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool awhile. This helps to make the crust more solid.
To make the pizza: add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes). *Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.
If it had been ONLY for me…I would have added all sorts of veggies to this pizza….but since it was made primarily in honor of No. 2 Son…cheese and pepperoni were the chosen toppings. Simple…but delicious nonetheless.
I’m still somewhat stunned as I write this, just how good the crust turned out! It was a great consistency (I could pick it up with my fingers and eat it just like a regular slice of pizza!) and the flavors were delicious! Hard to beat cheese and garlic in ANY form. :-)
So if you are looking for a low carb and/or gluten-free alternative for pizza crust (or if you just want to try a new taste treat)…pick up some cauliflower next time you’re in the produce section and take the challenge!
I am going to have to try this! We have a couple grilled pizzas on our site and we make our own pizza crust for them. I’ve been hearing about this cauliflower crust and wondering how it would do on the grill! Thanks for the recipe!
I will try this. Usually, I use a portabello mushroom and top it with sauce and whatever I want. Not perfect, but it’s the pizza taste (and good for the waist). For the absolute BEST gluten free baked goods and mixes, you must try Gluuteny in Pittsburgh PA — http://www.gluuteny.com/ I haven’t tried the bread, but the cookies and pizza crust are just fantastic. A little expensive, so it’s a treat, but worth it.
Check out this site…..fantastic gluten free mixes…..http://moonrabbitfoods.com/…I drool just thinking about it.
I actually went to college just down the street from Squirrel Hill (and Gluuteny) and they were the first place that gave me hope for gluten free pizza! I didn’t particularly like the bread (it was really dense) but it was early on in my GF days, so it’s hard to say how it would be received by someone used to GF bread. Now that I’m 5000 miles away, it’s exciting to find a well received gluten free crust- I’ll have to give this a try.
I’ve have a similar recipe that uses shredded zucchini instead of cauliflower for pizza crust. My family loves it even though we have no GF issues.
I’ve seen this on pinterest for a while but I just couldn’t buy into it. I think we might just try it this week, though. Now that I have actually read the recipe, it makes much more sense!
I am always looking for carb alternatives (because I a diabetic). I will have to try this sometime soon
Thanks
Could you make this pizza crust dough ahead of time and freeze it? I have a diabetic in the house and love pizza but don’t have it all that often because of that.
Mary Kay…I definitely think you could make these ahead of time and freeze. I would recommend COOKING them first…letting them cool completely…wrapping up well…and then freezing. I don’t think the dough itself would freeze very well.
I doubled the batch and made 2 crusts. Baked and froze one. Just used it last night, and it was still perfect!! Next time I want to cut the extra crust into individual or double servings so I can have “individual” pizzas whenever the hubby is away!!!
Thanks for your review! I’ve seen cauliflower pizza around the web, but I have been dubious. I may have to give it a try.
I just discovered Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free hamburger buns. They are great! They’re not at all dense like a lot of gluten-free breads. They have great texture and are even topped with sesame seeds. You can check their website to see if they’re available in your area. http://canyonbakehouse.com/gluten-free/bakery-products.html
I love this idea! I too have seen it on pinterest but did not believe it could actually be GOOD! I do though believe now. I also broil cauliflower pieces and dip in ranch or BBQ and they taste better then chicken nuggets you buy at the market! So i am excited to try this now!
Try this…take grated cauliflower, saute it with a little oil and soy sauce. Add sliced green onions, sprouts and a scrambled egg. Presto, you’ve got faux fried rice and it’s very good.
thanks…this sounds really good…got it bookmarked
faux rice sounds good but I believe that normal soy sauce has wheat in it and isn’t good for those with celiac. I believe tamari sauce is wheat free.
this is going to be wonderful for my daughters–one is gluten intolerant and the other is soy intolerant. I can’t wait to make this and sneak more veggies into their diet on top of being able to serve them pizza again.
This is happening this weekend. What an awesome idea! I cannot wait to see how this turns out. Yum!!!
I tried this recipe a few weeks ago. My husband and I have been doing our own version of Weight Watchers and that makes pizza pretty off limits (bread, cheese, and high point value meat all in one!) I don’t have a food processer, so I grated the cauliflower with the small holes on my cheese grater. The pizza tasted fabulous, but it never got solid enough that we could pick it up, so we had to eat it with a fork. Could this be because the cauliflower was grated too small? I’d really love this recipe more if I could pick up the pizza!
Try pressing the liquid out of the cauliflower (gather it several layers of paper towels and squeeze) after processing it and cooking the crust it on a pizza stone, Jennica. That’s how I made mine work.
Thank you, Jennie. I’ll have to try that.
I am wheat free and make this frequently! I steam the whole head of cauliflower, then mash it with the potato masher (works pretty good, with a few larger pieces) I find the crust to be loose and haven’t thought to try it on the grill. But the taste of this pizza is fabulous; even husband and college boys love this. If you don’t like the taste of strong cauliflower, try this one.
What brand might your mixer/food processor be? I sure need to replace mine & would like something like pictured in your recipe. Thanks.
Jillee, do you think that you could steam the whole head of cauliflower and then put it through a potato ricer and get the same thing? I tend to hate to get out the big heavy equipment if I don’t have to but this sounds like it just might be worth it. I’m excited to try it even if hubby might turn his nose up to it initially. Have to give it a try and might just try and be sneaky and tell him the ingredients after. Thanks mucho.
I have celiac, as does my 10 year old son. I use all her recipes in our daily life – and her pizza crust is to die for!
http://www.artofglutenfreebaking.com/
Wow, I definitely need to try this! We don’t have Celiac, but my husband was recently diganosed with brain cancer and we’re working on cutting out all refined white stuff, preservatives and artificial flavorings while he’s in chemo (since those things are all hard on the liver, which chemo already overworks). Thank you for sharing such a healthy, easy recipe!
I’m sorry to hear about your husband Katie, I hope he makes a full a speedy recovery into remission soon. Sending prayers your way. <3
Hi Katie,
I too am sorry to hear about your husband’s brain cancer. Please check out http://www.UtopiaWellness.com. People are spending 6 to 12 weeks there 5 days a week and leaving cancer-free. Dr. Garcia will provide a free consultation. They are working on a new website but the fundamentals of the program are located on the above link. Help spread the health! Feel free to email me for more details.
ok, you have convinced me. I gotta try this!
Looks good :) If you are still looking for more recipes you might like to browse through Quirky Cooking ideas. Jo uses a Thermomix to make her recipes and they are all winners :)
http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/
Did anyone figure out the calories etc for this recipe?? If not, I will an post it.
Wanted to tell you how much I love your blog!!! Excited to try this neat little pizza
what if you don’t have a microwave? How do you precook?
I don’t own a microwave either, is there something else we can do?
Erin and Paula….you can steam the cauliflower first, let it cool and THEN rice it. That would work too. :-)
I have seen this sort of recipe all over Pinterest but haven’t tried it…think I will now…thanks for sharing!
This recipe sounds great. Will have to try this weekend. I have quite a few GF friends. I know they will love to try it.
I have seen this before and was curious about the nutrition. With the cheese in the crust and the cheese on the pizza (a lot of cheese) do you know if (dare I say) the whole pie is supposed to be a serving size? If not what is?Is this an individual pie or is a serving by the slice? Thank you.
My husband and I made one pizza this size and split it, and it was plenty. It’s about the size of a frozen pizza.
Oh my word! I made this last night after reading your post and it was simply amazing!!! It is really hard to believe how much it actually does taste like pizza crust. I topped mine with olive oil, chopped fresh garlic, broccoli and ricotta/mozzarella cheese. Mmmmmm!!!!! Definitely something I’ll make again….soon!!! Thanks!!!
what would you suggest for the microwaving part if i don’t own a microwave? ours went out several years ago and we decided not to replace it for several reasons. is there an option to this? i am gluten intolerant and would love to try this! thank you for all your wonderful posts!!!
yup–this definitely falls under the “so weird i have to try it” category! pinned for later! thanks ;)
I am so excited about this! My husband is gluten-intolerant and I desperately miss our standard Friday pizza nights. He makes gf crust from a mix occasionally and has made it where it doesn’t taste bad, but we’re always looking for other options. Especially healthy, lower-cost options! Thanks!
Pingback: Meal Deal: Fresh Baked Calzones
I don’t think I have any Gluten issues but I am trying to do the Atkins diet and this sounds very Atkins friendly. I just wonder if it is absolutely necessary to microwave the cauliflower. I did and mine is in the oven as I type. I wonder if this would be good as like a cracker. no topping just plain with a salad.
Nadine…I don’t think it is “absolutely necessary” to microwave the cauliflower. I have actually seen recipes that do NOT include that step. I might give it a try that way next time. :-)
I made this tonight for supper. I quadrupled the recipe and put it in a cookie sheet. My 13 year old, who hates cauliflower, ate 2 pieces! I will be making this repeatedly! Thanks!
Me again. For those who are interested, the crust is 10 Weight Watchers plus points.
Made this last night and it is AWESOME!! :D
I added “the works” with lots of veggies and mushrooms…
Thanks Jillee for sharing this…i love it!
I tried this out last night, and it was fantastic! I posted my results over on my blog with a link to your post (http://bigflavors.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-astonishing-cauliflower-pizza-crust.html). Thanks for sharing this!
Your recovery story is beautiful…so glad you’re doing well! :)
I’ve made similar with different vegetables along with some pesto. It makes a nice bread substitute with your meal, but I had not considered cauliflower or making pizza with it. Can’t wait to try it!
Can’t wait to try this! And you simply * must check out glutenfreeonashoestring.com
Omg the best gluten free recipes that taste like the real deal. Bet you can find those cinnamon rolls!
I’ve pinned a cauliflower crust recipe, but this one really wants to make me try it. As for other decent gluten free options, we like Bob’s Red Mill pizza crust mix for a yummy rising crust pizza, and I think Udis crusts are good flat crusts. My last one was a bbq chicken and red onion pizza.
LOVE cauliflower pizza crust! They make great “bread” sticks too!
Made this tonight and topped it with green peppers, green olives, and onions… It may have been one of the best pizzas I have ever had… Although for me the hardest part was timing the broiler part just right, very tips of the cheese were burnt, but that’s on me I’m not good at babysitting food while cooking… Definitely need to remember to press as much water out of the cooked riced cauliflower as possible, I was worried that mine wouldn’t hold up but it did and it was fabulous!
YUM, YUM, YUM! What a totally awesome recipe..my hubby is diabetic AND has a wheat intolerance..that doesn’t leave a lot of options for eating sometimes!! You Rock Jillee! By the way I’ve linked to you on a couple of my Homemade posts..I hope you don’t mind…I’ve totally given you credit!
Blessings and thanks for the recipe!
I just added this to my ZipList – I’m going to make it next week!
I didn’t read the other comments, so sorry if you’ve already answered this question but do you think its possible to make this omiting the cheese in the crust? my husband doesnt like to eat cheese(purely for health reasons, he <3 cheese!), but he's basically omited it from his diet. I want to make this but was just wondering about the neccesity of the cheese IN the crust. Thanks so much for posting this!!
I have seen recipes that I’ve searched on Google that say you can add almond meal (flour). You can find almond meal in the baking section of any supermarket near the natural flours. Bobs Red Mill Meal is usually the most popular. I’ve searched it without cheese simply because I’d rather make this a low-fat dinner since it’s amazing! Just follow all the same steps in this recipe, up until the part where it says to add cheese, and instead add 1 cup of almond meal per 2 cups of cauliflower “rice”, along with 2 eggs. If its too watery then add a little bit more almond meal, and if its too dry then add a few drops of water and it should be perfect.
I found this recipe from google, because I wanted to see if there was a different method to cooking the cauliflower other than a pot with water. This came out perfect using the microwave for 8 minutes! Thanks for posting this :)
Pingback: Cauliflower Crust Pizza from Pinterest « From Miss to Mrs and So Much Else
Pingback: Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Two by the Sea
This was SOOOO good! I was a little leery, but was so pleasantly surprised. I am gluten-intolerant and have been yearning for pizza, so this was definitely the answer! My husband even liked it and said he would like to have it again. One mistake I made, but I don’t think it made a difference in the outcome – I skipped the step that calls for cooking the cauliflower in the microwave. I realized it after I had put it in the oven. I think I’ll skip that step always, because it turned out great!! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Jillee!! It is a God-send.
I just made this tonight and it was phenomenal! Because I’m on Weight Watchers, I only used 1/2 cup cheese in the crust and 1/2 cup on top. I had to use a fork to eat it, but it was absolutely delicious!
I saw this recipe on facebook and was eating it 45 minutes later :) It is really, really good. I chopped my cauliflower up with my Pampered Chef food chopper. It worked great. I used spaghetti sauce b/c I didn’t have pizza sauce. My only problem was that the crust stuck really bad to my foil even though I put a little olive oil on it. I was afraid to use my stone b/c of the broiler. Any suggestions? This recipe is a keeper and I can’t imagine anyone not liking it!
I do not have a microwave. What is the alternative to putting in the micro for 8 minutes?
Steam the veggie first then shred
I just made this, and it makes the teeniest tiniest little amount. It took waay more then 1 cup to make more than a personal sized pizza. Disappointed.