Discover The Steps To Make Pizza With Cauliflower Crust

While pizza is a beloved dish, a single slice contains between 30 and 40 grams of carbohydrates. However, in recent years, consumers have become more health-conscious. Many seek to cut calories and avoid carbohydrates. Additionally, there is a growing awareness of celiac disease as well as gluten sensitivities. One of the biggest trends addressing both issues is opting for pizza with cauliflower crust instead.

Traditional Wheat Vs. Pizza With Cauliflower Crust

For people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or wheat allergy, eating traditional pizza brings health issues, some of them serious. Moreover, type 2 diabetes is a growing global disease. People with this health issue must limit their carbohydrate intake.

In the past, both groups couldn’t enjoy traditional pizza. One alternative is a rice-based crust. However, these products have a high glycemic index, causing blood sugar to rise rapidly. Furthermore, rice is high in carbs, containing about the same amount as traditional wheat pizza.

Around 2008, a blogger, writer, and recipe developer published the first cauliflower pizza recipe. Although rarely credited, Jamie Van Eaton began a trend that shaped healthy pizza alternatives.

Steps To Make Homemade Cauliflower Pizza Crust

A basic cauliflower crust consists of 4 ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Italian seasoning

All these ingredients are gluten-free and low in carbs. To create your crust, follow these steps:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut your fresh cauliflower into florets and then place in a food processor. Pulse until the vegetable has a rice-like texture.
3. Spread out the riced cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer it to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. When it’s done, let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Place the cooked cauliflower in cheesecloth or a clean dish towel. Position a small bowl underneath and squeeze the moisture out of the cooked vegetable. This is a crucial step – the more water you remove, the crispier your crust will be.
5. After removing the moisture, transfer the riced cauliflower to a large bowl. Add the following ingredients and then mix with a spatula until combined:

• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a pinch of black pepper

6. Replace the baking sheet’s parchment paper with a fresh sheet and put the cauliflower mixture in the center.
7. Using your hands, gently press the dough into a round crust, about 10 – 12 inches wide. Try to make the crust as thin as possible without making any holes.
8. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Add a thin layer of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. Return the pan to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Variations In Crust

Usually, once a recipe becomes popular, variations in the original begin to appear. Pizza with cauliflower crust recipes have several adaptations:

Cauliflower: If you’d prefer, frozen florets work just as well as fresh vegetables in this recipe.  Additionally, the frozen option lets you bypass the cooking step since freezing changes cauliflower’s structure. Even easier is to use frozen riced cauliflower.

Seasonings: Popular herbs include the classic Italian seasonings of oregano, basil, and thyme. Depending on your flavor preferences, you can also use salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, or red pepper flakes.

Cheese: Popular choices include goat’s cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, mozzarella, provolone, or a combination. Each cheese lends a particular texture, flavor, and moisture level.

Flour additions: Some home cooks like to add a small amount of coconut flour, psyllium husk, or almond flour. Doing so helps absorb extra moisture for a sturdier pizza crust. It also enhances the flavor and helps bind the ingredients together.

Vegan options: You can omit the cheese entirely and use ground flax or chia seeds instead of the eggs.

Pizza With Cauliflower Crust At Mario’s

Of course, making cauliflower crust pizza can seem intimidating and a lot of work for most people. Instead, consider a delicious pizza from Mario’s. We offer a 10-inch cauliflower pizza topped with our homemade sauce and quality mozzarella cheese.

Plus, you can choose from our many pizza toppings to personalize your pie. Essentially, any topping that works on traditional pizza is great on cauliflower, with a few cautions.

Traditional pizza is sturdier than cauliflower. This means you should go lightly on the toppings because too many can make the slice floppy. Also, certain vegetables, such as tomatoes, may be too watery and make the crust soggy.

However, if you have a gluten allergy or Celiac Disease, it is important to note that since flour flies around our kitchen at times, Mario’s Pizza is not a gluten-free facility.

FAQS

Want to learn more about this unique crust? Below, we provide some additional information.

What Does Cauliflower Crust Taste Like?

Naturally, cauliflower pizza crust tastes different from a traditional crust. However, the flavor variation can be surprisingly good. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor with a denser crust.

Is Cauliflower Pizza Crust Crispy?

It can be, with proper technique and cooking time. First, you must squeeze as much water as possible out of the vegetable. Home chefs also recommend baking until the edges look almost burnt.

Do Most People Like The Food At Mario’s Pizza?

Yes! Here is one recent 5-star review from one of our customers:

We are from Massachusetts and ordered from DoorDash. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, but the pizza and wings were freaking awesome! Our 2-year-old chowed down on the cheese pizza! Thank you for a great meal! – Mike P

Want to try Mario’s Pizza delicious cauliflower pizza? Why not place your order right now?