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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Using just four ingredients, this recipe for cauliflower pizza crust comes out perfectly every time.

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cauliflower pizza crust on a baking sheet

Crispy Cauliflower Pizza Crust—Because Who Needs the Bread Anyways?

Pizza seems to be the universal love language. Who doesn’t swoon over melted cheese and perfect tomato sauce spread on a base of crisp, toothsome carbs? But, just because we all love it, doesn’t mean we all can eat it.

More and more, I’m learning that I can no longer take for granted my ability to process all those carbs. And so, it’s with much gratitude that I’d like to give a big shout out to everyone’s favorite grocery store for introducing me to pizza’s low-carb counterpart:the cauliflower pizza crust. If you aren’t familiar with Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust, do yourself a favor and try it. And because we love a challenge, we figured out how to make a Trader Joe’s-inspired cauliflower pizza crust at home!

ingredients for cauliflower pizza crust, 1 egg, 4 ounces cream cheese and spices in a bowl

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Cauliflower Crust vs. Bread Crust: Three Reasons We Love Cauliflower Crust

  • It’s gluten free.
  • It’s low in carbs.
  • It’s the healthiest pizza crust out there.

Is Cauliflower a Carb?

As you probably know, cauliflower is a vegetable that is very low in carbohydrates. With just about five grams of carbs per one cup serving, it’s a great vegetable to have on hand if you’re trying to stick to a low-carb diet.

But let’s get real for a minute: are you having a hard time believing that cooked cauliflower makes a suitable replacement for bread? Well, you better believe the hype, because the nutty and mild flavor of our favorite cruciferous vegetable makes a really convincing alternative yielding the healthiest pizza crust available.

In addition to simply roasting or steaming to eat as a side dish, cauliflower is an incredibly versatile vegetable that can, with a little technique, stand in place of your favorite carb-y treats like rice, mashed potatoes, and yes, even pizza crust.

So, if the keto, paleo, or gluten-free lifestyle is your thing, you’re going to love this low-carb crust recipe.

raw cauliflower florets in a bowl
hand smashing cooked cauliflower in a bowl with a fork
crumbled cooked cauliflower in a bowl
two hands squeezing liquid out of cooked cauliflower into a bowl with a nut bag

Is Cauliflower Pizza Crust Good for You?

Essentially, yes! Once a cauliflower pizza crust—or any pizza crust for that matter—is topped with melty, gooey mozzarella cheese, meat, and whatever other toppings you add the term “healthy” becomes relative. As for carb count though? This crust gets major points in the nutrition category. With just six grams of carbs per slice and tons of vitamin C and antioxidants, I’d say it's probably your healthiest option when it comes to ‘za.

crumbled cooked cauliflower, 1 egg and cream cheese in a bowl
crumbled cooked cauliflower, 1 egg and cream cheese mixed together in a bowl
raw cauliflower pizza crust on a piece of parchment on a pizza pan
Par cooked cauliflower pizza crust on a parchment on a pizza pan

How to Make the Best Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

  1. Cauliflower. You can totally use frozen cauliflower rice for this (yes, this exists! thank you Trader Joe’s!), or fresh, homemade cauliflower rice, but using a whole cauliflower is just as easy (and sometimes cheaper). Simply steam the cauliflower florets until completely tender, and then mash them up.
  1. Crispy Edges- Crispy cauliflower pizza crust should be your goal. Crispy edges and good, chewy texture can only be achieved by getting ALL the moisture out of the mashed cauliflower. For this task we highly recommend using a nut milk bag. If you don’t have one, you can use cheese cloth or a clean tea towel, even layers paper towels will do in pinch. You will need a lot of muscle for this, and can expect the cauliflower to release about one and half cups of excess liquid!
  1. Structure. - to get that bread-like consistency, and bread-like structure—i.e. one that is strong enough to support all those delicious toppings—you’ll need something to bind the cauliflower together. Since we’re not trying to make this crust dairy-free, we’re relying on the binding power of eggs and cheese to hold our crust together. And, if you’re following a keto diet, they’re an added bonus!We used cream cheese in our cauliflower crust recipe, but goat cheese is another tasty option.
flipping over raw cauliflower pizza crust on a parchment on a pizza pan
cauliflower pizza crust on a pizza pan

What Do I Put on Cauliflower Pizza Crust?

Anything you want! Like any regular pizza, the topping possibilities are endless. We’ve topped our cauliflower pizza crust with:

  • Tomato pesto
  • Fresh mozzarella (or burrata)
  • Black olives
  • Mushrooms
  • Fresh arugula
  • Fresh parmesan

Want To Spice Things Up A Bit? Here Are A Few Of Our Favorite Unusual Pizza Toppings:

  • ‘Everything but the bagel’ seasoning
  • A drizzle of honey (especially when served with salami)
  • Spicy pickled peppers
  • Egg
  • Fire-roasted corn
  • Peaches (especially when paired with pesto and burrata)
ingredients laid out for cauliflower crust pizza, mozzarella, parmesan, mushrooms, olives

Tools You’ll Need to Make Cauliflower Crust:

Need More Low-Carb Dinner Ideas?

Cauliflower pizza crust pizza with olives, arugula, mozzarella and parmesan cheese

Let's Have Pizza for Every Meal.

When the crust is made out of cauliflower that’s allowed, right? If you use our cauliflower pizza crust as the base for your favorite toppings we want to see it! Post a picture of your creation to Instagram and tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

  • Serves: 4
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  1 hr 10 min
  • Calories: 462

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds cauliflower florets (about 6 cups)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Tomato Pesto Cauliflower Pizza (optional)

  • ¼ cup tomato pesto
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup sliced black olives
  • ¼ cup sautéed mushrooms
  • ½ cup fresh arugula, for serving
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Method

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook until soft enough to smash with a fork, about 12 minutes. Drain well and allow to cool, about 30 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl, use a fork to break up the cauliflower until crumbly.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position.

  3. Place the cauliflower in a large kitchen towel or a nut bag. Firmly twist the towel over the sink wringing out as much liquid as possible. Open the towel, allow the mixture to loosen then wring out once more.

  4. Add the prepared cauliflower to a large bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. Add in eggs and stir until well combined.

  5. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or prepare a pizza stone by placing it in the oven. On the parchment, use your hands to press the cauliflower mixture into a flat circle that is about ¼-inch thick.

  6. Transfer the parchment to the hot pizza stone, if using. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place a piece of parchment over the top of the par-cooked pizza crust. Using the bottom piece of parchment and an oven mit, carefully flip the pizza crust over. Discard parchment if desired. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crispy.


Tomato Pesto Cauliflower Pizza

  1. Spoon the pesto on pizza crust and spread into an even layer, leaving 1-inch of crust exposed around the edges. Top evenly with mozzarella slices, olives and mushrooms.

  2. Place the pizza back in the oven until the cheese is melted, 5-8 minutes.

  3. Serve warm, topped with arugula and Parmesan. Cut into 8 pieces.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories462
  • Protein25 g
  • Carbohydrates16 g
  • Total Fat35 g
  • Dietary Fiber3 g
  • Cholesterol115 mg
  • sodium1363 mg
  • Total Sugars5 g

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Questions & Reviews

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  • robin

    What amount of already-riced cauliflower would work here?

    I would use the same amount (1.5 lbs) you will have to boil the riced cauliflower before mashing it and squeezing the liquid from it.

  • Jenn

    This was the best cauliflower crust I've tried! So good when I'm really craving pizza but not wanting the carb load.

    Yay, we are glad you love it!