Ever wonder how to make cauliflower pizza crust that won’t fall apart? This Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe is deliciously cheesy, sturdy enough to pile with toppings, and perfect for anyone eating low carb!
If you can’t tell, we’ve been on a bit of a low carb recipe kick recently (see Cauliflower Risotto and Hidden Cauliflower Smoothie). We only eat cauliflower around here. No need for any other food in your life, friends (jk, you should obviously eat other foods too).
But I digress, this low carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe is actually so good! It tastes a bit cheesy and a bit cauliflower-y (though you really don’t taste the cauliflower after you put toppings on it!) Cauliflower makes up the bulk of the recipe, held together in sturdy crust form with some eggs and cheese. But there’s a secret that makes this cauliflower crust the best…
Reader rating
“This recipe is SENSATIONAL! I followed it to a T and topped with goats cheese and caramelized onions. It was so tasty, you didn’t even notice it was cauliflower instead of bread! I used a rolling pin to squeeze the excess water out of the cauliflower and it worked wonderfully.” —Ruth
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
To make this Cauliflower Pizza Crust, you’ll need to either make or buy cauliflower rice (you can buy cauliflower rice in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores).
To make cauliflower rice, just chop your cauliflower into chunks and blitz it in your food processor until it takes on the texture of rice. (Pro tip: you can make cauliflower rice without a food processor by grating it with a box grater – more on how to rice cauliflower here!)
The secret to crispy cauliflower pizza crust
So the secret to making cauliflower pizza crust that won’t fall apart? Dry out the cauliflower as much as possible! Cauliflower has a surprising amount of moisture in it, which is bad news for pizza crust. Too much moisture will cause the crust to be soggy and weak.
To dry out our cauliflower, turning it into a cauliflower flour of sorts, we’ll do two simple things.
First, roast it! Grate your cauliflower into rice consistency then roast it to start drying it out. Then we’ll transfer it to a cheesecloth and wring out as much moisture as possible (we’re talking full arm workout, possibly sweating from squeezing the water out of this.
What you’ll be left with is dry cauliflower pulp that will become the foundation of your sturdy cauliflower pizza crust!
Ingredients for cauliflower pizza crust
- Cauliflower: We’ll use a whole head of cauliflower to make this naturally gluten-free pizza crust!
- Eggs: Eggs will act like the glue holding our pizza crust together.
- Cheese: Cheese not only adds flavor, but helps to make the crust sturdy.
- Seasoning: Finish it off with a few pinches of seasoning. I keep it simple with salt, oregano, and garlic powder, but you can go as crazy as you want here!
How to cook cauliflower pizza crust
Precook your cauliflower crust pizza before adding the sauce and toppings to make it as crispy and sturdy as possible. Shape your cauliflower dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake. You’ll need to flip the crust halfway through cooking to evenly cook both sides, but I have a trick to make this easy!
Set another parchment paper on top of the dough, and a large plate on top of that (if this were a sandwich, the baking sheet and plate would be the bread, and the pizza crust would be the filling!). Flip the “sandwich” all at once then simply slide the pizza crust onto the baking sheet.
Can you grill cauliflower pizza crust?
After you’ve pre-baked your cauliflower pizza crust, it should be sturdy enough to grill (be sure your grill is well greased). If you’re unsure, just set the cauliflower crust on a grill-safe sheet (or cast iron skillet), add toppings, and grill that way!
Toppings for cauliflower pizza crust
We went with a classic tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese cauliflower pizza today, but here are some other topping ideas:
- Three Cheese Roasted Grape
- Beer Caramelized Onion and Brussels Sprouts
- Gorgonzola and Pear
- Beet Pesto with Goat Cheese and Kale
- Asparagus with Burrata and Arugula
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan 25 g
- ¼ cup grated mozzarella 25 g
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Rice Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grate cauliflower into rice consistency using either your food processor or a box grater. Spread cauliflower onto a parchment-lined baking sheet into as flat of a layer as possible. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230°C).
- Dry Cauliflower: Spoon cauliflower into a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Make Dough: In a large bowl, stir to combine cauliflower and all remaining ingredients.
- Shape Dough: Into a pizza round on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, carefully flipping the pizza crust halfway through cooking*.
- Make Pizza: Top pizza crust with your favorite sauces and toppings, then return to the oven until all melty and delicious, about 7 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
This post first appeared over on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.
Sharon Crandall says
How much frozen premade cauliflower rice do you need for this recipe?
Sarah says
Great question, Sharon! About 4 cups of pre-made cauliflower rice. I would suggest defrosting it and straining as much water as possible before baking. Would love to hear how it goes for you!
elaine says
great recipe
Sarrah says
As inlaw of an Italian family… I had to make this recipe when I was alone at home with my daughter. 🙂
It was good, the slices could be eaten by hand just like with real pizza.
The flavour was good, I liked it. The bonus points came from getting a healthy dose of (hidden) vegetables. But, it’s not comparable to the real stuff for sure (which I also make from scratch once a week)
Another positive: my daughter eats her pizza normally only with tomato sauce, ham, olives and parmesan cheese. Instead, on this one I put slices of zucchini and bell pepper, and she ate it all without a story! (She is 4 years old for those wondering :-))
Sarah says
Hahah, glad you could sneak it in when the fam wasn’t home! 😀 Also that you daughter ate it up, so many veggies!
Tina Hawkins says
Can you make crust ahead and freeze?
Sarah says
Hi Tina! I haven’t had the chance to try this yet so I’m not completely sure, but I think you could freeze it after the first bake, before you put on toppings 😀
A says
To get the moisture out of the cauliflower – just put it into a salad spinner and spin it out!
EASY
Sarah says
BRILLIANT!
any mouse says
juice the cauliflower … and reclaim the pulp … my trick for getting the water out of potatoes to make potato cakes … great way to remove moisture from carrots to make carrot cake too
John Cat says
I’m totally new to this low carb baking thing. Can you add some sort of Xanthan gum or psyllium husk powder, for a more firm and stable crust?!
Sarah says
Ooof, that’s a great question, John! I haven’t tried either of those as gluten-free baking isn’t my specialty. With that said, this crust shouldn’t really need it. If you press out most of the moisture, then the egg and cheese work wonders for making this crust firm.
Max powers says
I added 1/2 cup of Tapioca flour to this recipe and it tasted great!
Sherri says
I just made this but added a different step! I processed my cauliflower in a JUICER instead of food processor! Removed so much water…. then followed your steps including the baking and cheese cloth… absolutely removed all water and crust was fantastic!!!
Sarah says
That’s BRILLIANT! Thanks for the tip, Sherri!
Diane Clark-Brown. says
I followed your recipe to a T. It’s in the oven after I flipped it. Can’t wait to put the pizza sauce on it and finish it up. It looks Devine! I hope it tastes as good!
Sarah says
YAY! So happy to hear it, Diane! Enjoy 😀
Steve says
Will this feed 4 people ?
How big will the crust be ?
Thank you.
This sounds delicious.
Sarah says
This will make a 10 to 12 inch pizza (8 slices). Enjoy!
Janet says
Can you airfry a cauliflower crust pizza?
Sarah says
I haven’t tried this personally, but I think it would be possible! 😀
Ruth says
This recipe is SENSATIONAL!
I followed it to a T and topped with goats cheese and caramelized onions. It was so tasty, you didn’t even notice it was cauliflower instead of bread! I used a rolling pin to squeeze the excess water out of the cauliflower and it worked wonderfully.
Michele says
This is a great recipe. I did put it in a little longer but it didn’t have a crisp to it. Might try my pizza stone, possibly raise the temperature. ?m
El says
Unfortunately the dough came out way too sticky. Couldn’t make the form at all. Threw it out
Sarah says
Strange! Next time try to squeeze out as much moisture as possible in Step 2, that should prevent any stickiness.
Diana says
good recipe. recommend replacing regular with powdered eggs. Powdered eggs have binding properties while absorbing excess moisture.
Heather says
Great crust. Followed the recipe exactly. I tried a different recipe before and it was a flop, so glad I tried this one. My son’s friend who is gluten free was able to eat pizza with the guys. Thanks
Maryann says
A lot of steps … flipping, judging right moisture level …cheese moisture varie ax well as … oven heat regulation and consistent cooking heat. I added 1 – tablespoons of grated fine keto bread and it took excess moisture out. (I did use a cheesecloth bag as well.)
Tip: advise best keto ‘flour’ as it does help.
Maya says
Hi, thank you so much for posting this recipe! I just made it for my family and I, and even my fussy eaters approved. Of course it’s not going to compare to a bread pizza, but wow, what an amazing alternative. Thank you again!
Alex says
Great site, had planned to leave a thank you tip. Is there any other method to leave a tip?
Sarah Bond says
Aw, thanks so much Alex! I’m so happy you’re here 😀 You can use the “Thank With Google” button to leave a tip (or sticker).
Trina says
I love this recipe! My first time doing a cauliflower crust and it turned out amazing! I did a margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes and arugula, even my meat eater husband liked it😊
Lori godlewski says
Tried it tonite turned out great !!!!
Lilith Marie Haas says
I made this using 2 pounds and 2 ounces of frozen riced cauliflower. It came out great. I did use a strainer bag and squeezed out a lot of water. I cooked it on a 12″ pizza pan on a pizza stone. Very tasty and it held together, but I wonder what might make it rise a bit more.
Sarah Bond says
It’s going to be difficult to get cauliflower crust to rise because they’re no flour in it. Eggs are the only thing that’s really providing rise here! But I like to just compare it to thin crust 😀
CP Williams says
Whip the eggs in a food processor before you add the other ingredients might do it.
My wife likes it thin and crispy and it is hard to get it really crispy but it can take thin…..very thin.
CP Williams says
I find a food processor the best tool to rice and to blend the crust into a very think pasty the use a spatula to smooth it out into a round.
It can take a great deal of browning before you burn it so don’t be afraid of getting too brown the first time you make it watch it and you’ll see speckles just before it is perfect….great recipe..
Paul Tickner says
How much was ‘a slice’?
Sarah Bond says
1/8th of the recipe!
Lesedi says
Hey! Really great recipe, and I follow all your posts.
I make my cauliflower pizza crust with a little bit of whole wheat just to give it a little more of a regular crust. I put it in the cast iron and it didn’t cook through and I had to eat it like a casserole. However, I started it in the cast iron. Do you always have to start first on parchment paper and then transfer to cast iron? I’m guessing it provides more air to escape when on parchment or something. Thanks!
Sarah Bond says
Yep exactly! This allows moisture to escape so you can get a nice dry and crispy crust!
LEsedi says
Sarah,
Thanks so much for your response to my last comment. It is always great to be able to actually engage with the author.
I have just started to use a cast iron for my food and pizzas, etc.
Would you say for all pizzas (or all baked goods) that they should start out on parchment paper to let out the moisture before going into the cast iron or do you think that only is necessary for cauliflower pizza / cauliflower based baked goods because the cauliflower needs to crisp and just has so much moisture?
Sarah Bond says
I think it’s only necessary for cauliflower crust due to the high water content! Traditional pizza dough is perfect in the cast iron 😀
Terry says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Looking forward to making it in the next day or two. Your tips are fantastic and will be worth the time. The last recipe I used taste good but the crust was not crisp enough for my husband’s taste.
Sarah Bond says
I’d love to hear how it goes! 😀
Vicki Dague says
This turned out very good. Glad we gave it a try, we will make it again for sure, Thank You for sharing.
C.Michelle says
I decided to try making my own cauliflower crust pizza as the cost of them in a pizzeria are over the top!
I had frozen cauliflower I had grown last season in the freezer, so I defrosted a package and then used a large knife to cut it into rice sized bits. I toasted, squeezed and then I added a handful of tapioca flour and 2 handfuls of white rice flour to the mixture and then followed the rest of the recipe.
For someone who is gluten free this is VERY tasty.
My spouse HATES cauliflower, so I didn’t mention the fact that the crust was made up of it, to see a genuine reaction to it. At first the response was, “I’m not sure about this crust.” I was so bummed, but that response changed to “I don’t know, I kinda like it.” They gobbled it down and still don’t know they had cauliflower.
Just FYI – it took longer to get the defrosted cauliflower to brown, almost double the time and it also took almost double the time to cook after putting on the toppings, so don’t rush if it looks not quite done.
Jacob says
Put my cauliflower in a juicer and followed the recipe but added goat cheese to the dough. I’ve been eating bits of the uncooked dough after flipping it and it is DEEELICIOSO!
Sarita says
Kids love this; and despite the faff of a prep, it still yields the best results for a cauliflower crust. Some trial and error depending on your oven; moisture of the veg and moisture in your kitchen – but it is worth it.
Norma says
I hope I can get this answer soon, as I planned it for today and I just realized I don’t have parchment paper. Can I put the dogh straight on the pan? or any alternative? My options are very limited as I am visiting a friend.
Sounds like a great recipe and can’t wait to try it! Thank you.
Sarah Bond says
It’s best to put it on something to help make transferring it easier! Otherwise try rolling it out directly on the baking sheet. Do you have foil?
olivia Letts says
Can you use flour to dry it out?
Sarah Bond says
You certainly can! I haven’t tested with that, but it should work.
PBR says
Tried this pizza recipe as a guide with fresh ingredients and 12 ounces of frozen riced cauliflower. Reduced moisture in cauliflower before baking with paper towels. Added Italian seasoning, 2 eggs, cheese, and 2 tablespoons of jalapeno cheese dip before baking each side at 450 for 10 minutes each. Added sauce, toppings, and mozzarella before baking 15 more minutes. It was terrific!!!