Cauliflower Pizza Crust

When I first heard of cauliflower pizza, I thought “now I have my limits.” It is like the saying “there are no substitutes for chocolate.” I thought if you are going to eat pizza, it might as well be the real thing. However, this recipe is to perfection. I have served it for dinner and some of the guests didn’t even notice a difference in the crust. They never believe me when I say it is a healthy, Paleo approved recipe! Now my little secret is yours!

Wash the cauliflower and make sure it is dry. A great trick I have learned over time is getting the bag of cauliflower from Costco. The whole bag makes two 9 inch pizzas and saves you the time of cutting the cauliflower into flowerettes.

Put about half the bag (or half of a large cauliflower head) into the food processor, pulsing for about 2 seconds at a time. It is important to not overload your food processor. You want to make sure everything is cut into even pieces and has the consistency of “snow.” You should end with about 3 cups cauliflower “snow.” Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes. After cooking, allow the piping hot cauliflower to cool. Trust me, I have blisters on my hands to prove that this is a step you do not want to skip.

Once the cauliflower is cool, wrap it in a cheesecloth or dish towel and think of something that makes you angry. Wring the remaining water out of the cauliflower. It will seem like forever, but about ¾ of a cup should come out of the cauliflower.  

Transfer the snow to a medium size bowl and add the seasonings and cheese. It is important to crush the dry seasonings with your fingers to release the maximum flavor. Now add the egg and mix with your hands. Sometimes if my mixture is feeling wet, or if I got lazy while wringing out the water, I may only add half the egg or even none at all.

Now this is the super-secret to this recipe. Instead of putting the pizza crust on a baking sheet and trying to make a perfect circle, I take one of my 9” well-greased, cake pans and evenly spread the mixture on the bottom of the cake pan. Bake the pizza crust in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until the edges turn brown.

Now this the best part, what is in your fridge? You literally can add anything to the top of your pizza! After layering the crust with pizza sauce, I normally grab some meat, the remaining cheese, and some greens to add to the top of the pizza. For my recipe of pizza sauce, click here. Once your pizza is topped to perfection, throw it back in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the cheese is melted, take it out and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

Ingredients

Small head of cauliflower – Should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp basil

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp garlic powder

Red pepper flakes

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese - can leave out if wanting Paleo

¼ cup mozzarella cheese - can leave out if wanting Paleo

1 egg

Wash the cauliflower and make sure it is dry. Put about half a Costco size bag (or half of a large cauliflower head) into the food processor, pulsing for about 2 seconds at a time. You should end with about 3 cups cauliflower “snow.” Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes. After cooking, allow the cauliflower to cool.

Once the cauliflower is cool, wrap it in a dish towel and wring out the water. Transfer the snow to a medium size bowl and add the seasonings and cheese. Now add the egg and mix with your hands.

Take a well-greased 9” cake pans and evenly spread the mixture on the bottom of the cake pan. Bake the pizza crust in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until the edges turn brown. Layer the crust with pizza sauce, some meat, the remaining cheese, and some greens to add to the top of the pizza. For my recipe of pizza sauce, click here. Once your pizza is topped to perfection, throw it back in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cheese is melted, and let it cool for a couple of minutes.