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Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Vegan & Gluten-free)

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This homemade cauliflower crust pizza is gluten-free, and vegan. It’s a delicious healthy dinner.

Grain-Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Did someone say pizza?!? I don’t eat gluten and so I haven’t had a regular pizza in many years. Somewhere from the back of my mind, however, I recalled reading on the blogosphere that a crust could be made from cauliflower. I know, sounds crazy, but go with me on this one.

The ingredients for the crust are simple: cauliflower, onion, garlic, almond flour, flax meal, baking powder, garbanzo bean flour, and corn meal.

You start by putting your cauliflower in the food processor until it gets worked down:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain- and gluten-free) from Carrie on Living | www.cleaneatingkitchen.com

I then sauteed the cauliflower bits with some onion and garlic for flavor and put it in a large bowl.

I mixed in almond flour, flax meal, baking powder, garbanzo bean flour, and corn meal and got this dough that actually had the consistency of real dough (this is half the batch):

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain- and gluten-free) from Carrie on Living | www.cleaneatingkitchen.com

I spread it out on a parchment-lined baking tray and pre-baked it before adding any toppings:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain- and gluten-free) from Carrie on Living | www.cleaneatingkitchen.com

Oops, there were still some big pieces of cauliflower in the crust:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain- and gluten-free) from Carrie on Living | www.cleaneatingkitchen.com

After baking it for 20 minutes, I took it out of the oven, added tomato sauce, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, oregano, nutritional yeast, and almond “parmesan cheese” (made from food-processed almonds, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder), baked it again, and got this:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (grain- and gluten-free) from Carrie on Living | www.cleaneatingkitchen.com

Oh yeah, baby, this was as good as any “real” pizza that I remember eating.

I made a second pizza a few days later with fewer toppings and served with a salad for dinner:

Cauliflower Crust Pizza with salad for dinner.

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MBA/MPH
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This homemade cauliflower crust pizza is gluten-free and vegan! It makes pizza healthy!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head of large cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons flax meal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour or your favorite gluten-free flour
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Place the cauliflower florets into a food processor and process until completely broken down into the consistency of rice.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the cauliflower “rice,” onion, and garlic for several minutes or until softened. Set aside to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower mixture, almond flour, flax meal, baking powder, and garbanzo bean flour.
  5. Using your hands, form the mixture into a dough ball and then flatten out on the baking sheet into a pizza shape. You can either make one large pizza or two medium ones.
  6. Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until it starts to become crisp on the outside. Remove from the oven and add toppings. Bake again at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

You can refrigerate half of the dough for up to several days if you want to make one at a time.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 slices
  • Calories: 150

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Comments

  1. Great post! Congratulations again on your cancer-free milestone. About the pizza crust — do you think it would work if I used thawed frozen cauliflower?

    Reply

    • Hi Carrie! Hmmmm, that’s an interesting question about the thawed frozen cauliflower. I am concerned it might be really mushy, it has been a long time since I used frozen cauliflower for anything. It just might not get the right consistency when you put it in the food processor and it might retain too much liquid from the freezing process. I would probably recommend using fresh cauliflower in this case. BUT, be sure to check out my Slow-Cooker Indian Stew; you could definitely use frozen cauliflower for that one. 🙂

      Reply

    • Add nutritional yeast flakes and Italian herbs to the dough. It takes the already stunning crust to a new level. Thanks for the recipe. Keep living plant strong.

      Reply

  2. Carrie,

    I just recently started Dr. Furhman’s Eat to Live plan and started following your blog. I am really enjoying it…especially the “what I ate” emails.
    I am so happy for you on your report from the doctor. 🙂

    I love the app and look forward to more recipes being added.
    I am venturing out this week to try the cinnamon raisin muffins…my first baking experience since changing the way I eat. This pizza will be in my near future.

    CeCe

    Reply

  3. Great news, Carrie! Congratulations, it’s wonderful to hear, and it must be mind blowing to say: 6 months cancer free!
    You know what I haven’t had pizza, since I went vegan, so this will be a birthday treat for me and my husband hthis week! Is half of the dough enough for two?

    Reply

    • Thank you, Oly! And, yes, half the dough makes a medium-sized pizza that is enough for two, but you might need a salad or something to go with it. Enjoy and happy birthday!!! 🙂

      Reply

        • Carrie, we enjoyed the pizza tonight, even though the crust got somewhat soft from the tomato sauce and tomatoes. The other half of the dough I’ll just bake and then put some raw vegetables and the almond parmesan cheese on 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

          Reply

  4. Mmmm yea, I saw those coconut cups. I can’t wait to try them – I’m on a strict cleanse right now, but have the recipe bookmarked to try it out soon.
    Congrats on your ultrasound results!!!!! So happy for you =) Happy 6 months.
    You know, every year I plan a super fun day to celebrate being cancer free on the anniversary of my surgery – it makes for a fun day.
    Oh I can’t wait to try your cauliflower pizza! I tried making one once and it was an epic failure. I usually just make pizza on a food for life rice wrap, but this looks so good!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Kimmy!!! Your support through the process made it so much easier and less scary. Xoxo. Yeah, you must try the coconut cups after you’re done with your cleanse. I’m going to wait until the next Healthy Vegan Challenge starts to make them again. Since they have no sugar, they fall into the category of “healthy treats” for me. 🙂

      Reply

  6. Congratulations Carrie on being cancer free. What fantastic news. I can’t believe it’s been 6 months already.
    I was planning to make those coconut cups too maybe with some mint and sweetener. They look so easy. I have a rubbish food processor so might try my vitamix.
    Great pizza. I recently started eating wheat/gluten again after a long time away from it. I seem to tolerate it OK but it’s too hard to tell during my pregnancy as I’m always tired so I’ll have to wait until afterwards for more experiments. It’s so nice eating bread again but think my toddler has a wheat intolerance so may be short lived.
    Congratulations on Vegan Delish. It’s doing so well!

    Reply

  8. Hi Carrie! I have recently started following your blog after reading “Eat to Live” and it has made my new-found way of life SO much easier thanks to your recipes!! I was living off of salad and frozen/steamed veggies because I was afraid the vegan recipes were going to be gross and complicated. I noticed your app was for iPhone only…do you have any plans to make it available on the Android Google play store any time in the neat future? This would make vegan cooking even easier for me!!

    Thanks ~ Dawn

    BTw… CONGRATS on being Cancer-free!!

    Reply

    • Hi Dawn! Thanks so much for the kind words and it makes me so happy that you’ve found some meal inspiration from my blog. To answer your question about my app, I do hope at some point to have an Android version. In the meantime, I will continue to make most of the recipes available on the blog. 🙂

      Reply

  9. Congrats on your cancer un-diagnosis!

    I’m a huge fan of making recipes as simple as possible, so I wanted to let you know that you can make the cauliflower crust pizza without cooking the cauliflower first. We did that last night and it worked wonderfully!

    Reply

    • Hi Carry! Thanks for the note, I wondered if sautéing the cauliflower was a necessary step. I’m glad that worked for you and I’ll try it that way next time for sure!

      Reply

  10. Congratulations on your clean bill of health, Carrie! You have definitely earned it through optimal nutrition!! I so admire the courage and cheery determination you have shown as we have all followed you on your journey. And by the way, the cauliflower pizza crust looks delish — I look forward to having it on my Vegan Delish and trying it out!

    Reply

  11. yum!!! also – I LOVE your shirt 🙂 congratulations on being cancer-free! What a blessing. Praying for a continued clean bill of health!

    Reply

  13. YAY! I am so happy that your check up went well and that you are free of cancer. I hope the intermittent check ups get easier with time. You do a great job taking care of yourself which I’m sure helps! You look great in that blouse and I loved your nature pictures. Makes me want to go on a hike!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Rebecca!!! I have been thinking about you a lot lately and will e-mail you soon to catch up. All is good here, just busy. Hope you are well. I’m sending you a big hug!

      Reply

  19. Hey, that’s awesome news Carrie!! I’m so happy for you and Alan, on your wonderful clean bill of health. You deserve it! Great news!

    Reply

  20. Yay Carrie, I am so happy to read your good news! That’s really wonderful. I hope you are well and that you will soon find the optimal medication for you.

    Reply

  22. Yay. And if you havnt tried them yet, they make these silicon strips to reduce scars. You can get them in the drug store Worked amazing on my thyroid scar. My cousin used them on her tracheotomy scar but she didn’t cover the whole thing and we could really see the difference where she used them and where she didn’t. You just put them on like a band aid over the scar. But they are clear. It’s totally worth it!!

    Reply

    • Thanks for the note, Andrea! I did use those silicone strips for about the first 3 months after surgery on the recommendation of my surgeon. I eventually got lazy and stopped using them, but I do think they were helpful. 🙂

      Reply

  23. Congratulations on your report from the doctor! I’m so happy to hear this! And the pizza looks amazing – can’t wait to try it soon!

    Reply

  25. That is such a great idea, I have never even considered using cauliflower for a pizza crust but have used it for so many other recipes! I have to try this asap!! Thanks and congrats on your diagnosis!!

    Reply

  29. Hi Carrie!

    Wahoo! I am so excited to hear you are 6 months cancer free!

    I have been reading your blog for a while now and dipping my toes into ETL for even longer, but this is the first time I’ve commented. It’s funny how this internet thing works . . . I feel like you are a good friend, but you have no idea who I am!

    I want to let you know that your example has been so inspiring to me, and I am ready to commit 100% to this lifestyle change. I am joining your summer challenge and I’m so excited about it! This is something I’ve been longing to do for so long, and now just feels like the right time. It will be amazing to have such a great support group! In fact I’ve even signed up for Dr. Fuhrman’s getaway in San Diego, so there is no turning back now 🙂 I can’t wait to see how healthy I can get in the 9 weeks until the getaway and look forward to meeting you there!

    I’ll post on facebook more about my goals for the challenge, but I want to thank you for this opportunity. The time and effort you put into your blog make a difference for so many people, those who comment and those who are just lurking, as I’ve been for so long! You are an inspiration!

    Reply

    • Wow, thank you so much for the amazing comment, Sarah! I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you said I’ve inspired you. My work is done now. 🙂 I’m glad you decided to join the Healthy Vegan Challenge and I’ll very much look forward to meeting you in San Diego. 🙂

      Reply

  33. I like the title of this post, especially the cancer free part. I know we don’t know each other in real non blogging life, but I think of your often and your journey 🙂

    The cauliflower crust looks great! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂

    Be sure to stop by to see who the winner of our So Lucky GF Basket is! We are ALSO having a fantastic giveaway this week to kick off Celiac Awareness month! 🙂

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply

  34. Thanks for linking this recipe up to 5-Ingredient Mondays. I’m featuring it this week as one of my favourite submissions 🙂 Hope to see you back this week!

    Reply

  35. I love those words: Cancer Free! My mom received her five year mark for being cancer free since her double mastectomy. Thank you for sharing; that is such great news!

    Reply

  36. I am in my first month ever of trying to go VEGAN. I am loving the challenges! I just found you and this recipe and I’m making it right now. It sounds so GOOD and i love finding ways to use cauliflower!! I’ve been making it mashed for a couple of years and we both love it. I’m going to grill it tonight when hubby gets home and we’ll see how he likes it…the BIGGEST challenge of all. Wish me luck 🙂

    And I wanted to tell you how happy I was to read your “Cancer-Free” message. I can only imagine how scary and life-changing that would be to go through. Upon just searching for a recipe, I found a reminder of gratitude for life. Congratulations and Live On. Peace <3

    Reply

  37. First of all CONGRATULATIONS on a clean bill of health, what wonderful news!
    Next Monday I go in for my yearly results with my oncologist…crossing my fingers!
    Secondly, I am LOVING the look and ingredients of this pizza crust, I will definitely give it a try! Thank you!
    Blessings to you!

    Reply

  39. This looks so delicious! I made a cauliflower crust pizza before (NOM!) but unfortunately almond flour (or almonds in general) are very, very expensive! Could I sub that whole cup for a normal wheat flour (since I’m not gluten/wheat intolerant)? Perhaps even rice brown flour? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to make this 😀

    Reply

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