The secret to a great cauliflower pizza crust? Bake it until it becomes deep golden brown, with dark edges. That's how you'll get the best flavor and texture.
As soon as my husband and I transitioned to a low-carb diet, I started looking for acceptable substitutes for some of our favorites. Not surprisingly, pizza was the first on my list! 🍕
Using cauliflower to make a pizza crust sounds quite suspicious, I know. I was a big skeptic - until I made it. But now it's one of my favorite keto pizza crusts, and I make it often. In fact, we have it almost weekly for lunch on Saturdays. It's a beloved - and tasty - tradition.
Cauliflower is awesome!
It's no wonder cauliflower is so widely used by those eating low-carb. It's very tasty and extremely versatile. A few examples:
- Cauliflower rice is a wonderful alternative to white rice.
- Cauliflower makes a delicious mock potato salad.
- And mashed cauliflower is truly phenomenal - I don't miss mashed potatoes at all ever since I started making it.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty crust. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Olive oil: You'll use it to grease the pan. Avocado oil is another good option.
Fresh cauliflower: I recommend using fresh in this recipe. Frozen won't give you the right texture.
Eggs: To help bind the crust together. I use large eggs.
Kosher salt and black pepper: I only use ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in the crust, since the toppings are quite salty.
Spices: Dried oregano and garlic powder. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
For the pizza topping: pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and any other favorite toppings (such as pepperoni, olives, peppers, or mushrooms).
How to make cauliflower pizza crust
It's actually very easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. You process cauliflower into "rice" in your food processor, then mix it with egg and spices.
2. Flatten the mixture on a parchment-lined pan, then bake until golden brown. The edges should be brown at this point and easily lifted away from the pan.
3. Once you have your crust, you can top it with your favorite toppings.
4. Return the pizza to the oven, and bake (or broil) until the cheese has melted and the edges are crispy and well-browned.
While making pizza crust out of cauliflower may sound like a stretch, it actually works. The shredded cauliflower combines with the eggs and seasonings to bake into a very tasty, crispy crust. It truly gives you a wonderful keto pizza experience.
Should I add cheese to the crust?
I know that some recipes instruct you to add Parmesan, and I'm sure it's delicious, but I don't think it's necessary. This crust is excellent without any cheese.
Does cauliflower pizza really taste good?
Yes! Unless you really dislike cauliflower, it does taste good. In fact, the cauliflower flavor is hardly noticeable once you bake the crust and add the toppings. I think it is only noticeable if you really, REALLY dislike cauliflower.
Now, does it taste as good as a doughy pizza crust? Of course not. Kind of like garlic parmesan spaghetti squash is wonderful, but not as wonderful as real pasta. But if a doughy crust is out of the question, then this crust is a truly tasty alternative.
If you're still feeling suspicious, another wonderful keto option is this coconut flour pizza crust. It's very tasty, and it IS quite close to the real thing.
And if you want a truly easy and quick pizza experience, try this delicious keto skillet pizza, that features a crispy cheese crust.
Tips for a non-soggy crust
I have three tips for making sure the cauliflower pizza crust comes out nice and sturdy and not soggy:
1. Pat the crust very thin
My most important tip is to pat the crust very thin. Then bake until it's deep golden brown with dark edges. That's how you'll get the best flavor and texture.
2. Don't add too many toppings
This crust is not as sturdy as a regular crust. Adding too many toppings could cause it to become soggy and floppy. So add your toppings sparingly.
3. Bake until well-browned
Don't be afraid to bake the cauliflower pizza crust until the edges seem almost burned, especially in the last step of heating up the toppings. That's exactly how you ensure a tasty, crispy crust.
Can't you just buy this crust? Why make it?
It's true that you can now buy a pre-made crust, an option that wasn't available (as far as I know) when I first started making this recipe, back in 2013. Just like you can now buy riced cauliflower for making cauliflower rice.
So buying a pre-made crust is certainly an option. I do find that the frozen pre-made crusts are not as sturdy as the homemade one. So I still make this homemade crust regularly.
Can you freeze cauliflower pizza crust?
Yes, you can. Cool it off completely on the pan and don't add any toppings. Carefully place it on a piece of cling wrap, top with another piece of cling wrap and gently seal. Place it flat on a freezer shelf.
Once frozen, you can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months, and you can reheat it in the oven from its frozen state. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, then add your toppings and place briefly under the broiler.
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil for the pan
- 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (14 oz, 400 grams without refuse)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Toppings:
- ½ cup pizza sauce, no added sugar (I like Rao's)
- ¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (3 oz)
- Any other pizza toppings you like (but don't overdo it)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is important - I tried without parchment and the cauliflower crust got soggy instead of crispy) and lightly brush it with olive oil. You can also use a 13-inch pizza pan, and cut a parchment circle to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Place the cauliflower florets in your food processor and rice them - process until their texture resembles rice.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Add the riced cauliflower and mix with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the center of the prepared baking sheet and use the spatula to press it into a thin 13-inch circle. Try to even it out so that it's all the same thickness, and don't allow the edges to be too thin, or they'll burn (but even if they do get too dark, they're still delicious).
- Bake the crust until golden-brown and very set (so that the edges can be gently lifted up from the baking sheet without the circle falling apart), about 30 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Switch oven to broil*, set on high. With a spatula, spread the tomato sauce on top of the crust. Sprinkle the cheese on top. You can obviously add more toppings at this point, but not too many if you don't want a soggy crust.
- Return the pizza to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots, 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven, cut into eight triangles using a pizza cutter, and serve.
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NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 