Cauliflower Pizza Crust

A few weeks ago, I had a massive craving for carbolicious, cheesy comfort food. My boyfriend is a big pizza fan and has been incredibly open to trying all of my "crazy" kitchen creations, so I made this gluten-free pizza for us and he just about freaked out when I told him the crust was made out of cauliflower.

Cauliflower!

Since making this recipe the first time, he has requested it every week! I even made it for one of his friends who is not as familiar with this whole "gluten-free" thing and he loved it too.

The crust doesn't taste like cauliflower at all and the consistency strongly resembles that of a typical bready crust.

Once you've made the crust, you can get really creative with your toppings. The first time I made this I went with a simple tomato/pizza sauce + cheese combo. Since then, I've reduced the amount of cheese and upped the veggies for a filling, nutritious, and satisfying meal.

If you're a fan of pizza or know someone who is, give this recipe a try. It's all the pizza goodness you desire without the undesirable bloatation factor.

NOTE: While I am not a huge fan of dairy, I have yet to create a dairy-free version (e.g. swapping the cheese with maybe a chia or flax seed + water gelatinous mixture or using an extra egg) so for now, this gluten-free version is at least a step up from regular pizza.

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Yields 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 1 large cauliflower or 2 small cauliflowers (approximately 4 cups cauliflower, riced)

• 1 egg

• 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

• black pepper (to taste)

Toppings:

• Tomato sauce (if using store-bought, read the ingredients and avoid the brands that contain added sugar, preservatives, and unnecessary ingredients that you can barely pronounce)

• Cheese

• Finely chopped, already cooked veggies (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, butternut squash, asparagus, kale, spinach, eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic, etc.)

• Already cooked, chopped up meat (e.g. bacon, ground turkey, beef, chicken, etc)

• Herbs & spices (e.g. Italian seasoning, oregano, fresh basil, etc)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 F degrees

2. To rice the cauliflower: Cut cauliflower into florets and place in food processor in batches (depends on amount of cauliflower and size of food processor). Process until you achieve a rice-like consistency. (UPDATE: Trader Joe's now sells pre-made riced cauliflower!)

3. Transfer into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes OR boil the cauliflower in a medium pot for 4-5 minutes (I've tried both ways and haven't noticed any difference between the two)

4. If boiling, transfer cauliflower into a colander and strain

5. Grab a clean dish towel and set it on the counter. Transfer cooked, strained cauliflower onto the towel and let cool for a few minutes. Use the dish towel to squeeze all the water out of the cauliflower. The more water you squeeze out, the better your crust will come out.

6. Combine cauliflower, egg, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into a medium-sized bowl.

7. Mix together with your hands and form into a dough.

8. Transfer dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or if you don't have parchment paper, put dough onto a greased baking sheet) and flatten with your fingers. The size and thickness of the pizza and is entirely up to you.

9. Put baking sheet in the oven for 15 min.

10. Remove baking sheet from the oven and add toppings.

11. Put it back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.

12. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, slice, and serve!

If you're feeling ambitious, make a double-batch for one big mega pizza! Perfect for serving large groups. Mix and match your toppings (e.g. half the pizza has veggies, the other half has meat or just cheese) to accommodate everyone.

Have you tried this recipe? What are some of your favorite pizza topping combinations? Share in the comments below!