Recipes > Cauliflower Pizza | Guilt & Gluten-Free

Cauliflower Pizza | Guilt & Gluten Free

Details

This non-traditional, yet highly flavorful, pizza-style dish is made with a cauliflower, ground almond, and chia seed crust. Top the crust with your favorite toppings and enjoy this healthy meal any night of the week.
  • Serves: 3 to 6
  • Active Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Views: 30,237
  • Success Rating: 90% (?)
    0% - I fed it to the dog
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Steps

Step 1: Making & Baking the Crust

Making & Baking the Crust
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 5 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
  • sea salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

Note: This crust is not like a standard or traditional pizza crust. But it is healthy and delicious, so open up your mind to a new type of “crust”.

To make the crust, combine together the chia seeds and water and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Next, clean and roughly chop the cauliflower. Place the pieces of cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until it has a fine rice-like texture. For the best results, use the large grater attachment on your food processor and feed the pieces of cauliflower through the top — this just gives you a less mushy and more rice-like texture.

Measure out 3 cups of the cauliflower and place into a large bowl. Add the ground almonds, oregano, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast (if using).
Make a hole in the center and add the Chia mixture.

Note: Other flavorings, such as garlic and/or onion powder can be added to the crust if you like.

Using your hands, combine the ingredients and shape into a rough ball. The mixture will obviously not resemble a traditional flour dough.

Next, place the mixture onto a sheet pan* lined with parchment or a silicone mat and form into an even flat crust — making sure that the sides of crust are the same thickness as the middle, otherwise they will burn more easily. If desired, the crust can also be shaped into individual pizzas.

Bake the crust for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. At this point, the crust could be used as is, but it won’t be firm enough to lift with your hands. For a firmer crust (which we recommend), carefully flip the crust onto the back of another baking tray that has been lined with a clean piece of parchment. Next, carefully lift or slide the crust back onto the same sheet pan and then gently and slowly remove the parchment paper from the top of the crust. Place the tray back into the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or so.

Note: The amount of time will ultimately depend on the thickness and size of the crust, your oven and how firm you want the crust to be.

  • Use a half-sheet pan, measuring about 13″ × 18″.

Step 2: Assembling the Pizza

Assembling the Pizza
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/4 Kalamata olives, sliced
  • chili flakes, to taste
  • 1 cup (approx.) pizza or tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp minced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
  • non-dairy cheese, optional

Method

To assemble the pizza, either top with your favorite toppings or use the ingredients listed as inspiration.

For this particular combination of ingredients, it is best to cook the ingredients first. To do this, heat a large fry pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and dry-sauté for a minute and then add the mushrooms and let cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Next, add the green onion and let cook for another minute or so.

No matter which vegetables or ingredients you use, keep in mind that they will not really get cooked in the oven. So if you want them cooked once the pizza is done, you will need to do so before you add them to the pizza.

Lastly, mix together the pizza sauce and sun-dried tomatoes (if using). The sun-dried tomatoes just add a bit of depth and richness to the sauce.

Next, spread a thin layer of the sauce onto the crust and top with the vegetables, sliced olives, and chili flakes. If desired, top with your favorite non-dairy cheese. We like to add dollops of Kite Hill Cream Cheese. Bake the pizza for another 5 to 10 minutes, just to fully heat the crust and toppings through.

Chef's Notes

Additional Topping Ideas:

Toasted Pinenuts
Buffalo Cauliflower
Roasted Kale (similar to these Kale Chips, but a bit simpler — just season with a bit of oil, s/p and nutritional yeast)
Fennel Sausage Tofu — crumble 1 pkg firm tofu and fry over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp onion and garlic powder, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/8 tsp ground cumin. Let cook for a few more minutes and then add to pizza just before baking.

22 Comments

  • Larissa V
    Larissa V
    Can almond pulp (leftover from almond milk making) be used in this recipe? If not as is, but maybe if dried in the oven and then crushed in a blender? Trying to figure out ways of using different nut pulps :)
  • Dawn T
    Dawn T
    We have not tried that in this recipes, but you could always try substituting some of the almond meal for the pulp. It might just lack a bit of moisture. Alternatively, you could use it in things like dehydrated crackers and/or try using it in recipes that call for almond flour. A quick online search will hopefully provide you with a few more interesting options for using up that leftover nut pulp. Hope that helps. Cheers, Dawn
  • Michael F
    Michael F
    Im allergic to almond and wondering what i could use instead?
  • Dawn T
    Dawn T
    While we have not yet tried this recipe with other nuts, I am sure that many other nuts would work here — you could even try a mix of different nuts, such as walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts. Now, if you are allergic to all tree nuts, well then that's a different story. We have not tested this recipe by substituting the nuts with something else. Hope that helps. Cheers.
  • Jessica O
    Jessica O
    Made this last night when friends came over. It was delicious, surprisingly simple, and everyone really enjoyed it! Thank you :)
  • Dawn T
    Dawn T
    Great to hear. We are making it for dinner tonight ourselves.
  • Victoria C
    Victoria C
    The flavors of the pizza were great! However, the crust fell apart when I made it. Do you have any tips for how I can bind the crust together? Also, do you have any tips for flipping over big or long foods in general? Thanks! :)
  • Kirk B
    Kirk B
    HI Victoria and thanks so much for your question. Indeed, it can be tricky to move this dough/crust as it's a bit fragile. When my family makes this particular recipe, we either prepare the crust in the actual pan we will bake it in OR we keep it on our counter-top and "slide" it to the edge - placing our baking pan as close to that edge as possible and then we use typical (wide) metal spatula/turner (the kind you might see folks use on the grill in the summer). This typically works well for us. Keep on trying Victoria - it's a great recipe and I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for cooking with Rouxbe. All the best, Chef Kirk
  • Ariyaa S
    Ariyaa S
    Is it possible to use flax seed boiled with the gooie liquid instead of chia seed for this recipe ?
  • Lauren L
    Lauren L
    Hi Ariyaa. Although I have not swapped out flax for chia here, I am guessing it will work. If you try it please let us know how it goes. Lauren
  • Kevin K
    Kevin K
    Thought the crust was overly moist so I put it under the broiler for 4 minutes and it dried it a bit and gave it a slightly toasted look. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
  • Mark S
    Mark S
    Despite baking it for 25 min then broiling it another 5 it still fell apart when I flipped it over then broiled again on he other side came out in chunks. Just going to buy a crust from Whole Foods next time
  • Alicia R
    Alicia R
    You can use almond pulp... I'm happy to say I did it this past week and it was excellent! I've had the same dilemma with all our excess pulp, and we can only eat so many almond-flax crackers. ;) This recipe's much easier (and healthier) than any I've ever seen before. I did cook it an extra 10 minutes (5 on each side) because of the almond pulp; as they suggest in the recipe, it all depends on the thickness, etc..
  • Char N Rouxbe Staff
    Char N
    Alicia: What excellent feedback. Thanks for the tip. This is a very nutrient-dense recipe. Fun to make, and carries such a delicious flavor! You can also make the crust into individual pizza crusts, too. Happy Cooking! -Char
  • Carrie G
    Carrie G
    Can someone please give me a cauliflower pizza crust recipe that actually works??? I have tried several and quite honestly only one semi held together, and baked all the way through. I need gluten and rice free, dairy and egg free. Thanks in advance!
  • Char N Rouxbe Staff
    Char N
    Hi Carrie: I was excited to try this recipe, it might be a little like "science in the kitchen." As stated at the beginning of the recipe, it is not like your conventional pizza dough. I followed this recipe to the letter, and when I made it, I created an almost "almond flour," and after making the dough, I let it "rest." The parchment paper has a big role, and when you line the pan, I cover the dough with another piece and roll it our well. Compressing the dough well seemed to be the defining ticket. I have actually taken this recipe to make the base for "neatballs." I hope this answers a few questions for you. Thanks for writing. Cheers, Char
  • Kami W
    Kami W
    does this crust freeze well?
  • Char N Rouxbe Staff
    Char N
    Hi Kami: thanks for writing. It does freeze well. My suggestion is to line a piece of cardboard and freeze the crust on the covered cardboard, or parchment-lined pan sheet pan. Remember to cover the food well, and date the crust. It should last 3-4 months. Happy GF pizza making. Cheers, Char
  • Kate G
    Kate G
    Can you use oat flour instead of ground almonds?
  • Sandy S
    Sandy S
    Hi Kate. You could, however, the almonds also add a bit of fat, which helps to bind the crust together. You may need to play around with it by adding a bit of oil to the mix to get it to hold together. Good luck! Cheers, Sandy
  • Kate G
    Kate G
    Thank you, I will add some oil. Do I bake this crust at 350 degrees or higher?
  • Sandy S
    Sandy S
    Hi Kate, I would stick with 400 degrees, as written. Just keep an eye on it. Cheers, Sandy

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