Cauliflower Crust Pizza is the best invention ever. Yes, you heard that right… pizza crust made out of cauliflower. It’s (shockingly) good!
You can top cauliflower crust with any pizza toppings you’d like. I topped this one Hawaiian style. This pizza is incredibly simple to make!
These days you can buy “cauliflower crumbles” in your market’s produce section. If you can’t locate the crumbles, it’s easy enough to make your own.
How to make cauliflower crumbles:
Just use a cheese grater to “grate” your cauliflower into very small pieces. You can grate a whole large head of cauliflower and make two 9-inch pizzas.
Microwave those cauliflower crumbles for 8 minutes. No water or anything needed. Just microwave it for 8 minutes to soften it up, and then let it cool a little bit. See the recipe below for how to proceed if you do not have a microwave.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of the cauliflower crumbles with egg, cheese and spices. (I use mozzarella, but imagine using different varieties of cheeses in the crust! Yum!)
Shape it into a 9 to 12-inch round. Bake the crust. Top it with desired sauce and toppings.
I went so simple and just used Classico Tomato- Basil marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Canadian bacon and pineapple (our favorite).
All that happens next is just a quick broil in the oven to melt the cheese and heat the toppings.
That is all! The pizza can be cut into 6 slices. You’ll probably want to eat three slices to make it a complete meal. In the recipe below- I include nutritional information and Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints for the whole pizza or for just the crust (in case you’d like to create your own toppings).
You should be able to make two pizzas from one large head of cauliflower. Everyone in my house really love this pizza crust and agrees that you can’t tell at all that the crust is made out of cauliflower. It doesn’t taste like “real” pizza crust, but it doesn’t have the flavor or texture of cauliflower either. You’ll have to try it out for yourself and let me know what you think! Thanks to this Cauliflower Pizza Crust post for inspiring me to make this myself and share it with my readers!
Other pizza topping ideas:
Marinara or pizza sauce with your favorite toppings
Pesto with thin sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella
Alfredo with sausage, mushrooms, Provolone & Asiago cheese
Barbecue sauce with shredded chicken, green onions and smoked gouda
Here are a few more recipes featuring cauliflower:
- Cauliflower Tortillas
- Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Tots
- Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza
Recipe Details
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER CRUST:
- 2 + cups cauliflower crumbles (alternately, you can use a box grater to grate a cauliflower head)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (or try another kind)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced (or fresh) garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
TOPPINGS:
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce or tomato-basil marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into strips
- 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
Instructions
PREPARE THE CAULIFLOWER CRUST:
- Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes (see Tips below if you do not have a microwave). Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.
PREPARE THE PIZZA:
- Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the bacon and pineapple, spreading it out around the pizza. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately. *This pizza is best served on a plate with a fork.
Notes
- WW Freestyle SmartPoints POINTS per serving (1/2 of the pizza): 9
- For JUST THE CRUST: 5 WW SmartPoints per serving (add your own toppings and count those as extra)
- For those who don’ t have a microwave: You can steam the florets just until they are tender (not mushy) on the stove and then let them cool before grating them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together.
- *Other topping ideas:
Marinara or pizza sauce with your favorite toppings
Pesto with thin sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella
Alfredo with sausage, mushrooms, Provolone & Asiago cheese
Barbecue sauce with shredded chicken, green onions and smoked gouda - If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN-FREE, just be sure to use brands of sauce and Canadian bacon that are known to be GF,
I made this tonight and wanted to share my experience.
The shredding of the cauliflower was very messy. I used a box grater, and had stuff flying everywhere. I think I may try using the food processor next time.
I measured 2 cups of cauliflower and cooked in the microwave for 8 minutes as directed. I was shocked when I took it out of the microwave, it had reduced to practically nothing, maybe 3/4 cup, if that. Maybe my microwave was too powerful, next time I’ll cook it less time.
I barely got 9 inches out of the crust mixture. I used pizza sauce, cheese and turkey bacon for toppings. It came out a lot smaller than I had imagined.
And then….WOW! I couldn’t believe the flavor. It was absolutely delicious. It’s true that it doesn’t taste like “real” pizza, but it’s wonderful just the same. You really can’t taste the cauliflower in the crust.
So after trying it for the first time, I most definitely will make it again, probably using a food processor with the shredding attachment, and will be careful not to overcook the cauliflower so I can get a bigger crust.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I love this idea
Very cool! I will have to give this a shot. This takes whole wheat and healthy to a whole new level!
Thank you! The BF and I have been doing low carb for the past year and between us we’ve lost about 130 pounds. The trick part is finding satisfying little treats, and this looks like just the ticket!!
Thanks!!!
Wow, that’s great! Way to go!!
Hi! Just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know I made this last night and it was amazing! A huge hit with my husband and picky twins. Thanks again for sharing this delicious recipe. Look forward to making this again! 🙂
We’re including this recipe in our weekly meal plan for next week – great recipe to help stick to those new year’s resolutions, and naturally gluten free. AWESOME!
I just want to let you know that I used your recipe as an inspiration and I blogged about my attempt:
http://iloveny.dk/2012/01/27/loose-50lbs-in-100-days-pizza/
Mmmh!
I was just wondering if you could make this without the cheese. My son was removed from 15 different types of foods-wheat, corn, rice, dairy, soy, amongst a few others. I would love to be able to make him pizza again.
I’m not sure what would bind the crust and hold it together without the cheese. Is there anything that you normally use as a substitute for cheese?
My family LOVED this and my 5 year old son got really involved in the produce isle and kitchen helping me!!
Awesome- love to hear that!
Wow! This sounds super yummy!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you…this is a winner. I tweaked it a bit to utilize what was in the frig. Crust was cauliflower and some turnip processed in the vitamix in tiny batches. Did not bother cooking/microwaving veggies as they were fine enough to cook through in the oven. Added about a 1/2 cup grated romano, too.
Then baked on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, (no sticking problem).
For topping I sprinkled 1/2 cup more grated romano and about a 2 cups of frozen kale. (don’t like bacon or pineapple on pizza) The result was a resounding success, crisp crust, healthy and delicious. Thank again Lori!
my stars Lori this is so creative!
excellent!
This is fascinating. I don’t have a microwave, but will git it a shot. I saw Beth’s tip, but she said the crust would be different making it tender and then grating it. I’m wondering about grating it and then softening it using a double boiler. Anyway, fav toppings vary throughout my family – pepp and can bacon; pepp, ital ssg, olives, and bacon bits; cheese or can bacon. Only one kid of three likes them all equally, definitely the least picky of all of us 🙂
I like the sound of the cauliflower crust and the pizza looks amazing!
this sounds wonderful. I don’t use the micro wave, thinking steaming the cauliflower then get moisture out. the picture looked crispy & delicious. I really liked the pesto & tomato suggestion.
Yes, that would work too… but you may have to draw the moisture out a bit by wrapping it in paper towels and squeezing it out.
LOVE this! I’m using this for the DUKAN diet with some modifications. Thank you so much, tastes great!
What a fantastic idea! My best friend is gluten free and she always has to eat cardboard pizza crusts. This is brilliant!!
I used goat mozzarella instead of Daiya or a cow cheese… And used salami instead of ham/pineapple. It was bliss. My kids and their guests (who don’t eat gluten free) didn’t even notice that it wasn’t a regular crust. Everyone asked for more. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I’ve tried this several times on parchment paper and it doesn’t stick, but mine always falls apart and doesn’t look like yours. It tastes good though, and I hate cauliflower!
What an interesting idea, thank you for sharing this.