How to Make the Best Cauliflower Pizza Crust

In this recipe

Why Make Cauliflower Crust?
ingredients
how it tastes
Prepare Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Bake cauliflower crust pizza
The best toppings
Reheat leftover pizza
Recipes for using cauliflower crust

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Cauliflower pizza crust has hit the mainstream! Pizzerias and supermarkets are now offering their own versions of this vegetable-based pie.

Why make a cauliflower crust?

Why is? With more and more people looking for gluten-free options and incorporating nutritious meals into their daily routines, it’s no surprise that cauliflower has become so popular.

This foolproof crust recipe satisfies pizza cravings, offers the chew factor, and can be picked up with one hand without falling apart. You’ll love the neutral flavor of the cauliflower and won’t miss the traditional wheat crust.

All you need is a food processor and your favorite toppings, and a hot and fresh pizza is on the way!

The ingredients for cauliflower pizza crust

I never thought of making pizza dough with veggies, but I’m now convinced that this recipe will satisfy any crunchy craving. With a little ingenuity, I’ve achieved a chewy, tender, bread-like texture—and it doesn’t crumble when you pick it up.

I use a combination of raw cauliflower, cornmeal (or masa harina), eggs, olive oil, salt, cornstarch, and parmesan cheese. All of these ingredients are commonly found in grocery stores. Just make sure you’re looking for the finer ground cornmeal and not cornmeal. Otherwise the dough won’t hold together as well.

Once you have all the ingredients this crust is really easy to pull together!

What does cauliflower pizza crust taste like?

This recipe is primarily a combination of mashed cauliflower and corn. It has a strong flavor of dried corn kernels – think tortillas – and the cauliflower flavor is barely noticeable.

The aged Parmesan also adds a savory element. You will be amazed that this recipe is gluten free; You won’t miss the traditional all-purpose flour recipe once you try it.

How to make Cauliflower Pizza Crust

After tasting some store-bought products, mostly from the freezer, I found that some were overly chewy, gooey, or just fell apart. I have created a cauliflower pizza crust that has a soft, doughy texture, similar to a flatbread, with edges that crisp up when baked with the toppings.

All you need is a food processor to make the cauliflower pizza crust. Add the small florets, cornmeal, egg, olives and salt and process to a wet paste. The cornstarch is then added to provide additional binding properties and a chewy texture.

Do not add the freshly grated Parmesan until the very end so that it does not heat up too much during processing. As the cheese gets warm, it could melt and make the crust more difficult to work with.

The dough will feel slightly sticky, so be sure to shape it on a piece of greased parchment paper. It helps dust the surface of the dough with additional cornmeal as the dough is pressed and rolled.

The crust rolls out to a size of 11 to 12 inches and doesn’t shrink much after baking.

How to make a pizza with a cauliflower crust

Pre-bake the crust alone for about 10 minutes before adding toppings. This helps make the dough firm and flexible, and also prevents the center from becoming soggy and undercooked when the toppings are added.

After pre-baking, the crust is ready for toppings and one final bake! Transfer the pizza to a wire rack in a sheet pan to prevent the bottom from overcooking. On the second bake, the edges become slightly crispy while the center still has the texture of a flexible and tender flatbread.

It’s easy to cut and grab; Just keep the toppings light, as this crust is thinner than a typical wheat-based pizza crust and can’t support as much toppings.

Best toppings for cauliflower crust

I often prefer simple toppings with my cauliflower crust, and I often go with a margherita-style pizza topped with tomato sauce, slices of fresh mozzarella, Campari tomatoes, and fresh basil.

But you can also add whatever you are craving. Are you feeling fancy? Sprinkle with goat cheese, figs, arugula and a dash of honey. Keep it classic with cheese and pepperoni, or make my personal favorite – Hawaiian ham and pineapple pizza.

How to reheat leftover pizza

For the best dining experience, it’s best to prepare the pizza base and bake it with the toppings on the same day.

However, when the cauliflower pizza crust cools, it will stay firm. If you have leftovers, reheat the slices in a 375°F oven until the crust is warm and crispy and the toppings are nice and hot.

Try a cauliflower pizza crust with one of these recipes

Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza
Spinach Artichoke Sheet Pan Pizza
Sliced asparagus and potato pizza
Tortilla pizza with onions, mushrooms and ricotta
Pizza with mozzarella and tomato pan

preparation time
30 minutes

cooking time
15 minutes

total time
45 minutes

portions
8 discs

yield
1 pizza

For the cauliflower pizza crust:
2 cups cauliflower florets (7 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup cornmeal (or masa harina) (57 g)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 ounces grated parmesan cheese
Recommended toppings:
1/2 cup tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought
4 ounces fresh or shredded mozzarella cheese
Sliced tomatoes, basil, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, mushrooms and/or olives (enough to lightly coat the cheese)

food processor

Preheat oven:

Set the oven rack to the top-middle position and preheat the oven to 475°F.
Process dough:

Place the cauliflower florets, cornmeal, egg, olive oil, and salt in a food processor. Process on high speed, scraping bowl every 30 seconds until you have a smooth and sticky puree – about 3 minutes total.

Add the cornstarch and process on high speed for 30 seconds. Add Parmesan cheese and pulse until just combined, 5 to 6 pulses.
Shape crust:

Lightly grease a piece of parchment paper with olive oil. Transfer pizza dough to paper. Sprinkle some more cornmeal on top.

Press and shape the dough into a 10-inch circle with your hands, then use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out to about an 11-inch circle. Dust the dough with more cornmeal as needed to keep it from sticking when shaping and rolling.
Pre-bake the crust:

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes. Then, insert a spatula under the crust to gently remove it, then transfer it to a wire rack set into a baking sheet. Throw away the parchment.
Add toppings:

Spread the pizza sauce over the base, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Place the cheese and tomatoes (or other toppings) on top.
Bake pizza:

Bake until cheese is melted and pizza edges are golden and slightly crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Surcharge:

Garnish pizza with fresh basil leaves, sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Leftovers keep for about a week. To reheat, place on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook at 375°F until cheese is melted and crust is warm and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.