Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I know, I know. I’m way late to the Cauliflower Pizza Crust game. There are a million and a half recipes out there already. And I’ve even seen pre-packaged crusts popping up in the grocery store, which is awesome. But I’m partial to my home-made version that I’ve been making for years. 

My version of Cauliflower Pizza Crust contains just 4 ingredients —cauliflower, eggs, salt, and pepper! While the ingredient list is pretty short and sweet, this crust takes a little more time to make than you may be used to. But don’t let the cooking time deter you! It’s an easy process and I’ve broken down all the steps and provided some tips to make it a fun family activity!

I divide the process into 3 steps: cauliflower prep, crust prep, and pre-baking. 

1. Cauliflower Prep: My husband and son tackle this part, which includes mixing the florets in a food processor, cooking it in the microwave, wringing out the excess moisture.      
2. Crust Prep: Then my daughter and I take over, mixing in the eggs and seasoning, spreading the crust out on a parchment paper-lined pan, and pre-baking it. Parchment paper is a MUST with this step (tin foil will NOT work), otherwise you’ll be scraping chunks of crust off the pan. Not fun.
3. Pre-baking: Cauliflower crust must be pre-baked before you add on any toppings. This ensures a sturdy crust that will hold up to all the delicious veggies, meat, and/or cheese you top it with. Also included in this step is “the flip.” After baking for about 15 minutes, you’ll need to flip the crust so the other side gets brown and crispy. To flip the crust, use an extra large spatula or try the “flip and peel” method described in the recipe below.

This whole process takes less than 45 minutes, which may seem like a long time. But keep in mind that while the crust is baking, you can prep all of your toppings so they’re ready to go when the crust comes out of the oven.

Some shortcuts you could take to cut down on the prep time:

• Make it a family affair and assign different steps and tasks to others.
• Buy pre-cut cauliflower florets so you don’t have to chop the cauliflower.
• Buy bagged cauliflower rice and just give it a few good pulses in the food processor.
• Place the microwaved cauliflower in the fridge or freezer to expedite cooling.

We usually make a couple pizzas at a time, including a cheesy pepperoni version for the kids, and a more sophisticated pizza for the adults, which I always eat half of, but never feel guilty about! Speaking of guilt-free sophisticated pizza for adults, I’ve got a fun recipe for that coming next week!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

 

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Author: Krista

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 2 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the cauliflower into florets. Place ⅓ of the florets into a food processor. Give it a few quick pulses and then process for about 10 seconds until the cauliflower resembles rice kernels. Pules a few more times until the cauliflower begins to look paste-like. Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl. Repeat this process 2 more times with the remaining florets.
2. Cook the cauliflower: Place the cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes until soft. Let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes. Then, drain the excess moisture from the cauliflower by placing it in the middle of a kitchen towel, gathering the towel into a ball, twisting, and wringing out the moisture.
3. Prepare the crust: Place the cauliflower back into the bowl and add the seasonings and eggs. Mix well with a large spoon. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and empty the cauliflower mixture onto the center of the pan. Use your fingers to flatten the dough and form it into a circle, pressing it out to edge of the pan until it’s about ¼-inch thick.
4. Bake the crust: Place the cauliflower crust into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are browned. Take out of the oven and using an extra large spatula(s), carefully lift the crust from the parchment paper and flip it over back onto the parchment-lined pan. See notes for an alternative method. Bake for another 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you don’t have an extra large spatula, try the "flip and peel" method. Take the crust (and accompanying parchment paper) off of the pan and set aside on a heat-safe surface. Place another sheet of parchment paper on the pan, pick up the crust (parchment paper attached) with your hands, and carefully place the crust open side down on the new parchment paper. Then, peel off the parchment paper from the top of the crust.

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