As a dietitian, I love trying out all the latest food trends, but this one just seemed too good to be true. Pizza dough without gluten? That’s just crazy.
Turns out, crazy works. It works so well that I could have easily devoured a whole pie by myself.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: a cauliflower crust is not traditional pizza crust. If you’re looking for a super crispy, thin option then this isn’t the recipe for you.
However, if you’re looking for a healthier spin that’s packed with flavor and nutrition, you’re in the right place.
While this tasty meal can be made healthier by using whole wheat dough, going light on the cheese, and filling it with veggies, it’s often still high in calories and carbs. Plus, let’s be real, who actually goes light on the cheese?
Cauliflower pizza, on the other hand, is lower in both carbs and calories, while also packing in the veggies.
It also happens to be 100% gluten free and paleo-friendly, making it ideal for any health-conscious dinner guests (just be sure to leave out the cheese if you’re making it paleo).
Now, one of my biggest concerns was that the crust would fall apart the minute you tried to pick it up, especially with more heavy-duty toppings like chicken.
However, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to use my fork once – while it’s not particularly crispy, it definitely holds up, providing the full dining experience that you’re after.
And the true test of good pizza? It tasted just as good cold from the fridge the next day.
But let’s get back to the cauliflower. Super low in calories, cauliflower still packs a serious nutrition punch.
One cup of raw cauliflower contains just 25 calories, yet is high in fiber, provides 77% of the RDI for vitamin C, and is a good source of vitamin K and folate. It also contains a handful of minerals needed for bone health, including calcium and phosphorus.
Another bonus of cauliflower is how versatile it is. Smothered in buffalo sauce and baked? Yes please! Riced and stuffed into peppers? Don’t mind if I do.
Unlike broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower’s mild taste makes it the perfect culinary canvas.
Even if you have picky kids or cauliflower haters in the house, this recipe disguises the cauliflower so well that even they won’t be able to stop at just one slice.
Taste-wise, this recipe isn’t like any other one that I’ve had before. Pulsed with onion and garlic then mixed with an egg, it has this savoriness that is just begging to be topped with roasted vegetables, a drizzle of olive oil, or even barbecue or buffalo chicken
Now, this recipe does make two crusts, so the hard part is going to be deciding on two topping combinations. Sure, you could just make two of the same kind, but where’s the fun in that?
INGREDIENTS :
- 2 cups riced cauliflower
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Toppings of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and cover a pizza stone or small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place riced cauliflower, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly, but not paste-like. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add almond meal, eggs, salt, and pepper to cauliflower mixture and stir to combine. Mixture should be sticky, but hold together. If too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If too wet, add extra almond meal, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Divide dough into two equal pieces. Place one on prepared baking sheet or pizza stone. Keep the second piece in the mixing bowl and store in the fridge while the first bakes.
- Gently spread pizza dough into a circle using a rubber spatula and your hands. It should be about 1 inch thick.
- Place dough in oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until starting to brown around the edges.
- While crust bakes, prepare toppings of choice.
- Remove crust from oven and top with desired toppings.
- Return to oven, and cook another 10 minutes, or until bottom of crust is brown and toppings are hot.
- Remove from oven and cut into four slices. Repeat with remaining cauliflower crust.