Using cauliflower in place of carbs seems to be the food trend that just won’t die—and for good reason! The cruciferous vegetable is filling, nutritious, versatile, and has a delightful flavor when it gets nice and caramelized, like in a pizza crust.
There are plenty of great store-bought options these days—Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi flies of the shelves every day, and even Oprah Winfrey has gotten in on the action with her O! That’s Good line of frozen pizzas—but there’s something very rewarding about making your own from scratch. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into it.
Out of all the various methods out there, we’ve found the most success by making use of our microwaves (following Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien’s method below). After pulsing the cauliflower in a food processor to make fine crumbs, steaming it in the microwave cooks it and draws out the liquid, which you can then squeeze out with a clean kitchen towel.
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Getting rid of the vegetable’s moisture is crucial in getting a crispy crust. From there, you add whatever toppings you like, though we like to keep it simple with a quick tomato sauce, part-skim mozzarella cheese (which has less moisture than fresh mozzarella and again won’t sog out the crust) and basil.
Get Lillien’s full recipe below.
Lisa Lillien’s Cauliflower Crust Pizza
5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower
¼ cup egg whites
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. black pepper
⅛ tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1½ tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until it’s the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs, working in batches as needed.
3. Place cauliflower crumbs in a large microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high 3½ minutes. Stir. Cover and microwave again until crumbs are hot and soft, about 3½ minutes.
4. Transfer cauliflower to a fine wire-mesh strainer over a bowl. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Using a clean dishtowel or paper towels, firmly press out as much liquid as possible from cauliflower into bowl.
5. Place cauliflower in another bowl; add egg whites, Parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Stir until well combined.
6. Divide cauliflower mixture in half; place halves on prepared baking sheet. Press each half into a 7-in. circle, about ¼-in.-thick, . Bake in oven until tops are browned, about 35 minutes.
7. Stir together crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder and remaining Italian seasoning. Spread mixture over each crust, leaving a ½-in. border. Sprinkle with basil and remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to oven, and bake until cheese is melted and crust is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Serves: 2
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Per serving: 269 calories, 11g fat, 826mg sodium, 21.5g carbs, 8g fiber, 9.5g sugar, 24.5g protein
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