This cauliflower pizza crust recipe is the best of our tried-and-true grain-free creations! Crispy with a texture that holds together well, it’s a blank canvas for your favorite pizza toppings.
If you’re avoiding grains for gut and allergy issues… you’ll love this cauliflower pizza crust recipe!
And if you aren’t on a special diet… you’ll still love this cauliflower pizza! Members of my family have been known to request this grain-free pizza crust for dinner, even though we had no diet restrictions at the time.
Yet the first time I made it (when we were grain-free), the conversation went like this…
“What are we having for dinner, mom?”
I answered, “Pizza.”
They said, “What? We thought we couldn’t have pizza?”
I said, “I’m trying something new.”
They were like, “Uh…. something new? (pause for some serious thinking and then…) What’s in the crust, mom?”
I hemmed and hawed a little bit, but was finally honest. “Cauliflower.”
“Cauliflower?”
I know they were thinking it was not going to be very good. I mean, how could it be? Doesn’t that just sound weird?
Turns out that mild-flavored cauliflower dresses and flavors up very well into a pizza crust. Quite surprisingly, if I do say so myself. (I didn’t have high hopes, either, the first time.)
Now it’s one of our favorite pizza crusts!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust Ingredients
- Cauliflower – You will need either whole, fresh cauliflower, frozen cauliflower florets (a more convenient option), or frozen riced cauliflower (the easiest option of all). If using frozen cauliflower florets, there’s no need to cook the cauliflower, although you will still need to whizz it up in a food processor and squeeze out excess moisture. If using frozen riced cauliflower, thaw it in the fridge overnight. You can skip the cooking and whizzing, but you still need to squeeze as much moisture as possible out.
- Cheese of choice – You can use grated mozzarella, grated cheddar cheese, or even a soft cheese such as cream cheese, chevre, or goat cheese. The cheese helps hold the cauliflower pizza crust together, so it is essential!
- Eggs – Also essential to help bind the ingredients together.
- Spices – Since cauliflower has a very mild, somewhat bland flavor, I like to season this pizza crust recipe generously! Sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder are my staples, and I like to add other spices as desired to complement my toppings.
Pizza Topping Recommendations
- Pizza Sauce – This is our favorite pizza sauce recipe, we just simmer it on the stove-top for a little bit longer to thicken it up!
- Cheese – Keep it simple with plain cheese!
- Pepperoni – Grated mozzarella cheese with tomato sauce and pepperoni.
- Meat-lover’s – All the meats you can think of — ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, bacon bits plus tomato sauce and mozzarella.
- Hawaiian – Sliced ham with mozzarella and pineapple chunks.
- Herbed Chicken – Shredded chicken sautéed in bacon drippings, grated mozzarella, bite-sized kale or spinach pieces, red onion, minced garlic, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, crumbled bacon, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper topped with fresh parsley when it comes out of the oven.
- Mediterranean – Dried thyme and oregano (or Italian seasoning) with mozzarella and feta cheese, topped with black pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, black olives, bell pepper, and artichoke hearts.
- Middle Eastern – Olive oil and za’atar spice blend topped with fresh cheese.
Instructions (Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe)
Preparing The Cauliflower
- Cut florets off cauliflower heads.
- In food processor, whizz* the florets (as many as you can at a time) until the consistency of rice.
- Put cauliflower in stainless steel pot without anything else (no water even).
- Over medium heat, cook until steamed but not mushy.
- Remove from heat and place in cheese cloth, nut milk bag, or a clean thin towel.
- Let cool before handling, then squeeze out any excess water. This step is important for a not-soggy pizza crust! Don’t skimp on the squeezing!
*You can whizz the cauliflower before cooking, or whizz it after. Either way turns out fine.
Making The Crust
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine drained cauliflower with shredded cheese, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt.
- Split cauliflower “dough” in half, and using your fingers or a spatula, spread each half onto a baking sheet with parchment paper (or pizza stones also lined with parchment paper). Keep the edges a little thicker so they don’t burn while baking.
Baking
- Bake the crusts for about 20 minutes or until browned.
- Using the parchment paper to help you, flip each crust so the underside can get golden brown and crispy, too. Remove the parchment paper at this point.
- Bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Brush each cauliflower pizza crust with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese and other toppings of choice.
- Turn on the oven broiler and move a rack to near the top.
- Broil each cauliflower pizza in oven until cheese is bubbling and browned.
- Serve and enjoy!
Other Grain-Free Recipes
- How To Make No-Fail Caulitatoes
- Paleo Cassava Flour Tortillas (AIP, Grain-Free, Whole30)
- Grain-Free Paleo Sourdough Bread
- Best Keto Dinner Rolls (Low-Carb, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free)
- Probiotic Cauliflower Potato Salad (Low Carb, THM:S, Egg-Free)
- Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
Did you try this cauliflower pizza crust recipe? If so, please give us a rating on the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media so we can see your delicious topping variations!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe (Grain-Free)
Mild-flavored cauliflower dresses and flavors up very well into a pizza crust. The flavor is actually awesome, and if you make the crusts ahead of time and let them firm up, you get a really good texture.
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large heads cauliflower or 2 lbs frozen cauliflower (florets or riced)
- 4 cups mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 organic or pastured eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- toppings of choice shredded cheese, sliced bell peppers, sliced red onion, crumbled feta or goat cheese, fresh herbs, pepperoni, browned meat, etc.
Instructions
Preparing The Cauliflower
-
Cut florets off cauliflower heads.
-
In food processor, whizz* the florets (as many as you can at a time) until the consistency of rice.
-
Put cauliflower in stainless steel pot without anything else (no water even).
-
Over medium heat, cook until steamed but not mushy.
-
Remove from heat and place in cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or a clean thin towel.
-
Let cool before handling, then squeeze out any excess water. This step is important for a not-soggy pizza crust! Don't skimp on the squeezing!
Making The Crust
-
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine drained cauliflower with shredded cheese, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt.
-
Split cauliflower "dough" in half, and using your fingers or a spatula, spread each half onto baking trays or pizza stones lined with parchment paper. Keep the edges a little thicker so they don't burn while baking.
Baking
-
Bake the crusts for about 20 minutes or until browned.
-
Using the parchment paper to help you, flip each crust so the underside can get golden brown and crispy, too. Remove the parchment paper at this point.
-
Bake for 10 to 15 additional minutes.
-
Remove from oven.
-
Brush each cauliflower pizza crust with olive oil.
-
Sprinkle with shredded cheese and other toppings of choice.
-
Turn on the oven broiler and move a rack to near the top.
-
Broil each cauliflower pizza in oven until cheese is bubbling and browned.
-
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *You can whizz the cauliflower before cooking, or whizz it after. Either way turns out fine. This means you can actually use leftover cauliflower to make a quick crust for a quiche, casserole, or pizza.
- Alternatively, you can divvy up cauliflower pizza dough into smaller sections and press into mini pizzas. Top with cheese for mini cheese pizzas, or with a variety of your favorite toppings! All baking instructions remain the same.
- If using frozen cauliflower florets, there's no need to cook the cauliflower, although you will still need to whizz it up in a food processor and squeeze out excess moisture. If using frozen riced cauliflower, thaw it in the fridge overnight. You can skip the cooking and whizzing, but you still need to squeeze as much moisture as possible out.
This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 6/21/13. It was updated and republished on 5/26/21.
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Oh thanks for posting this recipe. I am also doing no grains for building my immune system for allergies etc. This is such a great idea. Can’t wait to try it. Please share
any more recipes you create for grain free.
I want some! Maaaaaaaake it for meeeeee pleeeeeeease……
Ok. That’s me tired after our first full day of working at picking blueberries and this looks really good……! Love you, Wardeh!
Giving this a try. I was just looking through and trying to figure out how to do this so it was great timing! Do you think these crusts could be made ahead and frozen? Or that they would turn into mush? I think I might give it a try!
Nichole — I *think* they could be made ahead and frozen. I’m not sure but I think it would work. Let me know. 🙂
I did it! I thawed it out in the oven to dry it out first, and then made the pizza as usual. It worked great! Totally freezable. And leftovers even taste great cold from the fridge. 🙂 yum!
Fantastic! 🙂
Okay Wardee or Nichole, so where it says this: “Combine ?2 cups steamed cauliflower with 2 cups shredded cheese” – how much cauliflower did you use? Did you just guess at it and use all the entire head?
Naomi — It depends on the size of cauli. A small-medium head should give you 2 cups steamed. What I usually do is steam a few heads, and then I keep the leftover for cauliflower “rice”. Or make extra pizza crusts depending on how much cauli it is.
These turned out very well! I must admit I was sceptical at first, but the pizzas were delicious!
The only change I made was I put on a tomato sauce topping.
Thanks for much for sharing this recipe!
…only thing I change is not use olive oil with cooking-baking (palm, grape seed, coconut or sesame are better/safer choices-I think)..long ago I learned OO’s (Olive Oil) molecular structure changes with heat application and produces harmful toxins… I use lots of Olive oil just after the fact because it does have excellent nutrient properties if used properly. luv this recipe and sprinkle with nutritional yeast on occasion. Delish! Thank you.
Does this crust get crispy? I made a cauliflower pizza crust once. The taste was okay – not great, but okay for grain-free. But the consistency was awful. You could pick it up – very carefully. It never got crispy or crust-like.
Rebecca — It could get crispy, I think. Definitely using a baking stone and after one side bakes, flip over to bake on the other side. Then let it cool all the way before making the pizza. I don’t think it will get crispy like crackers though.
Fantastic! I love it and can’t wait to try it! It looks so mouthwatering (if I may say) and it’s so healthy:) Thankyou for the recipe!
How do you think these would stand up to a grill? We just discovered pizza on the grill and LOVE it. But we are trying to cut out the grain. Would these hold together enough to be grilled on each side before putting the topping(s) on?
Rachael — I’m not sure these would hold up on a grill, at least not on their own. Perhaps you could do smaller size on large-ish cast iron skillets?
This looks so good, I love pizza!.
Why no sauce? Does tomato sauce make them too soggy? Just wondering. They sound yummy though!!
Carrie — You can use tomato sauce, definitely!
How important is broiling? Can I bake for that step instead? I turned my broiler on for the first time yesterday, and it flipped the breaker! So, I don’t think I’ll be broiling until we move again..
I was also wondering if you can add veges as toppings or will that make the crust soggy?
After doing just about everything wrong, they still turned out pretty darn good! Tip based on my experience: I only had about half the cauliflower needed, but it’s hard to split an egg in half, so I added some coconut flour to dry it up a bit. I could taste it in the finished pizza, but it wasn’t bad; you could use something that has a less distinct taste.
Just wondering if you could use an egg substitute. We’re egg-free, but my little guys LOVE pizza. Maybe I’ll try it with a flax egg. Has anyone else tried this? I’ll report back with my findings. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
<3 <3 <3
Question? Is there something that can be used in place of eggs? I have a friend who not only has allergies to gluten but also to eggs. 🙁
Mmm… good!
Thank you for the recipe
Sounds like you should think about selling your Grain-Free Cauliflower Mini Cheese Pizzas crusts in the stores. I’d buy it.
Love all the sharing going on here. New to here, so I hope you don’t mind my sharing. I have made cauliflower pizza but with an added step that helped with the crispiness of the pizza. Put the slightly cooled cauliflower in a tea towel and squeeze the excess water out, squeeze it hard. You’ll be amazed how much water comes out. And, the recipe I use does say you can make ahead and freeze, and pull it out of the freezer and dress it, using it just like a frozen one. I haven’t personally done it but this person says she did and it worked fine. I also think you could do this on the grill on aluminum foil, but I hate using foil so could do the stone, preheated on the grill.
Am I the only one here with questions about steaming without water? I’ve never heard of that! How log do you cook it? What heat setting? Won’t it stick in a dry pan? Thank you for your kind indulgence. I love your recipes.
Is there a way to try this recipe without dairy (mozzarella cheese)? I’d love to try it something like this for sure.
Hi, Ginette: You could always try a store-bought dairy-free cheese instead — I know Daiya brand makes a mozzarella-like cheese alternative. We haven’t tried the recipe with that ingredient, so we can’t guarantee it will work out okay. But it might be worth a try! Let us know if you do it! —Sonya, Customer Success Team