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Monday, February 18, 2013

The BEST Cauliflower Crust Pizza!

Yep. I'm making that claim and I'm sticking with it. This IS the BEST cauliflower pizza crust you will ever make. I've worked out the kinks from my previous cauliflower crust and from all other cauliflower crust posts I've read, and I'm confident that this pizza, this very one here, with a crust made out of a vegetable, is so damn delicious that you won't even think twice about the whole crust being made out of a vegetable thing. And yes, you can slice it and pick it up like a real piece of pizza. 
Now, let's hold hands and dance. 


If, despite my description and the holding hands and dancing, you are still feeling a little weird about the whole cauliflower crust thing, or maybe it was the holding hands and dancing that got you feeling weird? Well then all I can say is, you shouldn't feel weird, about the pizza or the dancing, and this is picky husband taste tested and approved. Wait, let me say that one more time. This is PICKY HUSBAND taste tested and approved. And pizza is his FAVORITE food, so that was a tough test to pass. In conclusion, you MUST make this pizza, if not because it's the BEST, like I've clearly stated, then at least because I woke up early on a work day and whipped out my food processor and camera and went to work on this JUST. FOR. YOU. Pizza at 7 am is totally normal. And delicious. Also, a trip to the grocery store in pajamas and slippers mid pizza making for an egg because your husband didn't tell you he used the last one, all the while praying your food-crazed dog doesn't knock over the bowl of cauliflower crust you left sitting precariously close to the counter's edge is also totally normal. 


SO, what are you waiting for?!!!
 Oh, yeah the recipe. 

Since I'm guaranteeing the best cauliflower crust pizza, I want to make sure you get it right and don't come back all hassling me for your money back and what not, so I'm going to do a little step by step, photo guide. (Well, except for the steps I forgot to take photos of... I had to run out and get eggs BEFORE work! There is only so much I can do people.)

Let's get going...

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. 


Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. See above photo. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow" - In this case I ended up with 2 1/3 cups. Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.


Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. I got a 1/3 cup water out of this cauliflower.


Dumped cauliflower into a bowl. See how nice and light it is now, almost like flour! Well, kinda. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. I also added 1 tablespoon almond meal because my cauliflower yielded closer to 2 cups of cauli snow, this is optional and I would not add the almond meal if you have closer to 3 cups of cauli snow. Now add your egg (and hopefully you made sure you had one before you started) and mix away. Hands tend to work best. 


Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down throughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.


Now, using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes. Until it looks like this:


Delicious, right? Just wait till you add the toppings and finish it off! Now add however much sauce (Make your own 30 minute pizza sauce using my recipe!), cheese, and toppings you want. I'm not gonna give you measurements for this. You know how you like your pizza - so go for it! Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden. Oh yes.


Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain-free cauliflower crust pizza!

*If you are looking for a dairy free version - Here is the link to my cheese free cauliflower pizza crust!*


Grain-Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza
makes one approx. 10-12 inch pizza
(PRINTABLE)

1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crust it even more between you fingers)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
optional a few shakes of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
optional 1 tablespoon almond meal

Desired amount of sauce, cheese for topping, and other toppings. Make your own 30 minute pizza sauce using my recipe!

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. 

Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. See above photo. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. 

Dumped cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. I also added 1 tablespoon almond meal because my cauliflower yielded closer to 2 cups of cauli snow, this is optional and I would not add the almond meal if you have closer to 3 cups of cauli snow. Now add your egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best. 


Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.

Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. I'm not gonna give you measurements for this. You know how you like your pizza - so go for it! Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.

Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain-free cauliflower crust pizza!

*3/15 update - If you are using a larger sized cauliflower, up the eggs to 1 egg  plus 1 egg white. You want your "dough" to be sticky. When I make a bigger sized pizza (using more cauliflower) I up the seasonings and the egg, but often leave the amount of cheese the same. Make sure you pat the dough tightly together when forming your crust. It really helps to place the crust (on an oiled sheet of parchment paper) on a HOT pizza stone or baking sheet. Make sure the crust is golden in color before topping it and baking it again. I truly believe cooking it the proper length before topping it helps keep the crust together. 
Also I really like the addition of 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond meal to the crust mixture. 
*Disclaimer - the slices will still be kinda floppy, but they shouldn't be crumbly.

***UPDATE - My new oven requires that I pre-cook the crust for closer to 15 to 20 minutes to get it a nice golden brown. Go off of looks rather than time! You want the edges to start to be crispy brown but not too much so that when you cook it again after adding toppings it will burn. 


FAQs:


  • Instead of microwaving you can steam the cauliflower just enough to get it slightly tender.
  • Instead of a food processor you can use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower. 
  • If you are looking for a dairy free version - Here is the link to my cheese free cauliflower pizza crust!
  • I highly recommend parchment paper over tin foil. Don't use wax paper.
  • Yes, you can do without the pizza stone and use a baking sheet. 
  • Yes, you can just wring out the cauliflower raw, but I recommend the cooking method and have had better success cooking the cauliflower before wringing it out. 
  • People have had success with using a juicer on the cauliflower and extracting the pulp to use. I have not tried this. 
  • The almond flower is optional. Coconut flour would be a good substitute, but both could be left out entirely with pretty much the same result. 


Love, Luck, and Happiness!

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF THIS RECIPE, I HAVE TO ASK PLEASE DO NOT POST THIS RECIPE IN FULL ON ANY OTHER BLOG OR WEBSITE WITHOUT PROPER ACCREDITATION, AS WITH ANY RECIPE ON THIS SITE. Thank you! :)



379 comments:

  1. Oh Em Gee. Yes, let's totally hold hands and dance. This looks so good!!

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  2. The one thing that I would add (having tried just about every variation on the internet as well) is this: I have the most consistent success when I follow this exact methodology but use 1/4 cup egg whites (usually whites from 2 eggs) instead of 1 whole egg. Other than that maybe small tweak, I completely second the notion that this is THE BEST recipe (spices and all) for cauliflower pizza in the whole world.

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    1. Thanks! I'll have to try it with 2 egg whites!

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    2. thank you for the tip Elsye and thank you luckypenny for the recipe, now i definitely wanna make it

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  3. wow this sounds great! I am trying to get rid of carbs, at least simple ones and whole wheat pizza crusts can be a bit stonelike. Now I can make a cancer fighting pizza crust! yay!

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  4. I wish I could taste it right now! I'm not sure Kevin would eat it but I definitely would like to try it :)

    xo

    Ashley

    Southern (California) Belle

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  5. Just made this tonight - it was actually delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. I don't irradiate my food in a microwave. Any traditional cooking ideas for the cauliflower?
    The recipe looks fantastic and the photographs are exceptional! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I make this without microwaving the cauliflower at all. Just process into "rice" or "snow" and then still squeeze all of the moisture out. I have found not steaming it makes it less likely to end up too mushy.

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    2. I have made this without microwaving as well, and it does work just fine!

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    3. although, my crust was crumblier and did not hold together because I did not ring out the water from the uncooked cauliflower.

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    4. I have made this a couple of times, never nuked the cauli; it was GREAT. Got much more than 1/3 cup of water out of it! Maybe microwaving it helps it lose moisture as steam? I also found there was a lot of water leftover after washing the cauli.. Dry /shake/drain it a lot before processing! Used almond meal w/o measuring, just to feel. If this crust feels too wet, it is! Love the recipe, and no one would know it's cauliflower.

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    5. I cook the cauliflower "rice" on the stove for several minutes to help get rid of the moisture. I've never put in the microwave and it still works great!

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  7. Wow, this came out amazing! Any idea of the calorie count for just the crust?

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    1. Depends on the size of cauliflower and the type of cheese you use. There are 150 - 200 calories in a whole head of cauliflower + 1 egg (about 70 cals) + however much 1/2 cup of the cheese you use is.

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  8. Wait, Im confused as to how you cooked the califlower... will you clarify please?

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    1. Hi! Thanks for catching that! I changed the wording. You microwave the processed cauliflower in a covered bowl for 4 minutes.

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  9. reading thru the comments - some of you used the cauliflower without cooking it, is that right? I would think cooking it makes it easier to get the water out of it. so if you use it without cooking it, the water doesn't end up coming out during the baking part?

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    1. I believe that cooking the cauliflower allows you to ring out the moisture, but I have not tried ringing out uncooked cauliflower. One commenter said that you can get some moisture out of the uncooked cauliflower. The time I made it with uncooked cauliflower the crust was crumbly and did not hold together well, granted I did not try to ring out any water from it that time. But either cooking or not cooking the cauliflower first does not seem to change the taste of the crust.

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  10. Girl, this looks amazing and totally doesn't look like cauliflower pizza at all. It looks like a slice of NY style pizza. I love how crispy the whole crust got. I have looked at other recipes before and the biggest complaint was that the middle of the crust stayed soggy. Your crust not soggy at all. I so want to make this up and see what the kids and hubby have to say. I have some extra tomato sauce sitting in the fridge, so this might be tomorrow's dinner!
    Great job girl!
    xoxo, Jackie

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  11. I haven't tried cauliflower crust pizza before, but when I saw your recipe I added it to my weekly meal plan and gave it a go today. It came out perfect! It was sooo good even my husband said he's willing to have it instead of regular pizza ( even though we do not follow a gf diet)! Thank you for the recipe and you are right to stick by your claim! It is the best cauliflower crust pizza!! :)

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    1. That's so great to hear! I'm glad you enjoyed it! and your husband!

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  12. This is amazing! I've never heard of using cauliflower to make a pizza crust, but I'll definitely be trying it out soon. Do you think it's possible to leave out the cheese in the crust? If it helps bind the crust, do you have any substitution suggestions? Thanks for the fabulous recipe! *^_^*

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    1. I just made this tonight without cheese. I added 2 heaping tablespoons almond meal and used 1 egg and 1 egg white. It came out great! Doesn't hold together quite as well without the cheese but still totally yummy! Let me know if you try it!

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    2. It would take some experimenting but I'm guessing it's the oil in the cheese that's helping with the binding. Maybe add a bit of oil when using almond meal in place of cheese?

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    3. I tried it last week with mixed results. I used the cheese, but the crust still came out pretty crumbly & soft.

      Do you have any suggestions to get it firmer & get it to stick together more?

      Otherwise, the taste was good & it's a great way to incorporate veggies! :)

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    4. Hmm.. I've made it 3 times since this post and it's worked well every time. But here are some tips - REALLY wring out the water. If you are using a large cauliflower, use an extra egg white so that your "dough" is sticky. Bake it on (oiled parchment paper) on a HOT pizza stone. Make sure the crust is golden before adding the toppings and baking again. Make sure you are patting it together and not leaving it loose and gappy. I hope that helps! I'm glad you like the taste!

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  13. Made this on Friday night and it was delicious! My 3 year old gobbled it up and my husband was ready to make a second one that night! It's Monday and it will be dinner tonight. This will be a weekly meal for us!! We love pizza! I want to try your sauce too but the link wasn't working for me. Thank You!

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    1. Shannon, I'm really glad your family enjoyed it! My husband loves it too and wants to try to trick his non veggie eating brother into having it! I've updated the links to the pizza sauce, they should work now! Enjoy!

      xo

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  14. quick question.......do u use grated or fresh parmesan cheese?

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    1. I used Trader Joe's bagged shredded parmesan cheese. You can use fresh and shred or grate yourself. Don't use the green shaker canned stuffed.

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  15. Anyone tried making an extra batch and freezing it for later use? I'm wondering if it would freeze/thaw well. I'm gonna give it a try

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    1. Please come back and comment with how it works out! I'm been contemplating doing the same thing!

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    2. I ended up only making one. I only have a mini food processor and it was taking forever!

      Mine didn't turn out great. Maybe I didn't wring out enough water or I made it too thin...
      Tasted great though!

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  16. Mine was a little mushy ...but yummy!

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    1. Sorry it was a little mushy! But I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  17. This pizza tasted so good! My family hates anything that's not completely bad for you so I was surprised when they loved this. Next time I'm going to have to make two though!

    Only thing is I need to figure out how to make sure the crust doesn't stick to the parchment paper

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    1. I spray my parchment paper with olive oil spray or any nonstick spray. I've also just rubbed olive oil all over the parchment.

      Glad you and your family enjoyed it!

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  18. This was really awesome! Thank you for sharing!

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  19. Awesome post! Going to try this weekend. Also posted to my Life/Fitness/Motivation page...www.fb.com/LifeWithLindsey

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  20. Any Idea on how many net carbs using your exact recipe?

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    1. No, sorry. I don't count calories or carbs, but there are probably a lot of great online tools you could use!

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    2. if you use myfitnesspal.com, you can type in all of the ingredients & measurements into the recipe section (and alter it if you use more cheese/ etc). It will tell you calories, carbs, sodium, protein, and much more!

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  21. This was surprisingly good - Mine came out with a good consistency, though you definitely need to let it cool a little or it will tear. I don't have a problem with gluten so instead of almond meal I just used about a tablespoon of regular flour because the dough felt a bit too wet. I suspect this helped with the consistency, so if its calories (rather than gluten) that you're trying to avoid this is a good option.

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  22. I think I ringed out the cauliflower a bit too enthusiastically - my teatowel ripped! Haha. It's in the oven now. Looking good so far :)

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  23. Is it possible to bake it on wax paper instead?

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    1. I've never used wax paper in the oven, so I can't comment. Does it melt in high heat? I would probably advise against it since I would think the high heat would make the wax melt into your food.

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    2. DO NOT PUT WAX PAPER IN THE OVEN

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    3. I used a brown paper bag under mine and it worked great!

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  24. I wonder how it would taste if you put the cauliflower through a juicer and used the pulp? Anyone try this before?

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    1. I was just thinking of this as I was reading the recipe, did anyone have any luck?

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    2. I make it that way every time! It works amazing! I have a masicating slow juicer, still wring out the cauliflower after for good measure.

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    3. I made my first try by the directions given and it turned out great. But I think I'll use my masicating juicer for the next one followed by my pulp press (my boyfriend built my pulp press) to press the last bit of water out.

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  25. Michelle, this looks fab. Thanks for linking in to Food on Friday. Cheers

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  26. Made this tonight for my picky hubby and it passed the test! He said he would not have known had I not told him it was cauliflower! Oh and my the year old gobbled it up too!

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  27. I just made this today after my husband found this recipe. I am not a fan of cauliflower but O.M.G! I love this! I am sharing this recipe with friends and family. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

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    1. I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Please share it :)

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  28. This recipe looks amazing, I'm allergic to eggs, what do you think I can replace it with? Thanks a bunch!

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    1. Hi! I would Google egg substitutes and use the one that makes the most sense to you, I can't attest to what would work since I've only used eggs in the recipe. I've heard that chia seeds mixed with water make a good egg substitute. I hope you find something that works! :)

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    2. Maybe try flaxseed mixed with water? At least that is what I'll try...

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    3. I second the flaxseed mixed with water suggestion, it's an awesome egg substitute in recipes!

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  29. This is freaking amazing. I tried it as written, and I loved it so much that I made it again the 2nd day-but this time with broccoli. Tastes pretty much like normal pizza, both ways. I did notice the broccoli mixture was not as sticky as the cauli-so I added an extra egg. Yummo

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  30. I am dying to try this, however, I don't have a food processor--do you think a blender would do the trick??

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    1. You are welcome to try it, but I can not speak to how it would work since I have not tried it.

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    2. I used a box grater to 'rice' my cauliflower and it works just as well-- good luck!

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    3. Yes! Great idea Jenn! I've use a box grater as well, and it works perfectly!

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    4. I used a blender and filled it with water....it blends beautifully! Then just squeeze the water out :-)

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  31. How about steaming it on the stove to avoid irradiation?

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    1. You are welcome to try it, but I can not speak to how it would work since I have not tried it.

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  32. This looks great! I'll definitely try this soon. Do you think I could use ricotta cheese instead of the parmesan and mozzarella?

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    1. You could give it a try! I can't vouch for how it will work, but I would love to hear back from you on how it turns out!

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  33. Okay: deeeeeeeeeeeeelish! I'm a newbie to digestive issues and have a seven year old in the house who insists on having pizza once a week. I made the crust and he did the toppings and we ~ inhaled ~ the whole thing! Thank goodness we've found a recipe that works for both of us!

    Thanks for sharing~

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  34. Making this for the second time tonight! LOVE it! Kids love it!!

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  35. I have actually made 3 crusts out of 2 heads of cauliflower - that way we can have 2 extra pizza meals w/o the work of making the crust every time. I've made it both with and without steaming the cauliflower - without steaming works just fine, but you'll still need to wring the water out as much as possible!! The hot pizza stone is a definite help - and oiled parchment paper, too! Thanks again for a great recipe... YUM!!

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    1. How do you store the extra crust? Or do you cook 2 pizzas at once? I've been curious if the pre baked crust would freeze well.

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  36. I made this and it's really good! I would bake it for a little longer than I did so it held up better. It doesn't taste like a real pizza crust but it is yummy!

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  37. What if you dont have a pizza stone or any parchment paper?

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    1. You can use a baking sheet, as stated in the recipe. You could also use tin foil instead of parchment paper. I hope that helps! :)

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  38. I made this last night. Squeezing out the water from the cauliflower was a bit time consuming (I did it in small batches and ended up getting 1 3/4 cup of water out of two heads of cauliflower... my fingers are sore!, and after about an hour of work, when pizza was coming out of the oven, I accidentally dropped it on the kitchen floor and it fell cheese-down. You BET I picked it up and ate it after all that straining, and it was absolutely delicious. I made two pizzas (boyfriend's pizza stayed intact, thankfully!)and will be making them again.

    I want to try one a method that one commenter above brought up: to put the raw cauliflower heads into a high powered juicer. I suspect that it'll remove a lot of the water with very little work involved.

    BTW- I also used 3 egg whites for the two pizzas and no yolks, and found that it all held together quite well. Thanks for the recipe! Hopefully next time I won't be a klutz!

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    1. That's such a bummer about the dropped pizza! I don't spend too long ringing my cauliflower out, maybe 5 minutes. I couple good ring outs is fine. I can't believe you got that much water out of it! I worry about the juicer or blender method because you don't want to turn the cauliflower to mush. But I don't have a juicer so I'm not quite sure how it would work.

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  39. Would this be considered gluten free if I use my own gf sauce? Sorry still learning gf.

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    1. Yes! And most pizza sauce SHOULD be gluten-free, but always check. And as long as all your toppings are gluten free as well! (which most pizza toppings are!)

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  40. OK, I have to tell you that I tried this tonight for dinner and it was really awesome!!! I made one "normal" pizza, and a white pizza! Both were awesome! Thank you for this amazing recipe! :-)

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    1. ohhh a white pizza! That sounds so good! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!

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  41. I just made this pizza and it was delicious! After reading the comments I went with the two egg whites instead of the one egg. I added Burrata as a topping, which I highly recommed.... along with mozerrella, mushrooms and onions. We made both this pizza and a regular crust pizza and my boyfriend actually prefered this one...as did I.

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    1. Sounds wonderful! I can't believe it won out over a regular pizza! That makes me so happy!

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  42. Made this pizza last night and topped it with green olives (my fave) the photo I posted on instagram/facebook caused a lot of interest (of course I shared your link!) so I suspect many more 'likes' for you soon :)

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing the link! I would love to see the photo of your pizza! You can tag me on Instagram @theluckypennyblog. OR post on my facebook page - www.facebook.com/TheLuckyPennyBlog

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  43. this was fantastic. i don't have a food processor and had to use a blender for the cauliflower, which took forever - but it was worth it! i glazed the crust with a little ranch dressing and topped it with shredded buffalo chicken and mozzarella - amazing.

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    1. You can also use a box grater (cheese grater) to "rice" the cauliflower (turn it into cauliflower snow in my words). I love how you topped the pizza! Sounds amazing!

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    2. Thanks everyone who tweaked and gave GREAT suggestions for this recipe. Going healthy at our workplace and will share this. I don't own processor, so I really appreciated the 'grate' tip!

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  44. Awesome recipe. We follow a gluten free diet because my son is celiac and he inhaled 3 slices by himself. lol. Thank you!

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  45. I wonder if you can make a bunch of these crusts and freeze them?

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    1. I've been wondering the same thing, but have yet to do it. Let me know if you give it a try and how it works!

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    2. I'll give it a whirl! Oh, I made the recipe just a minute ago for the first time and it's fantastic! This is much better than a crust I made that is cream cheese, eggs, and more cheese, which was too rich to add more toppings onto. Nice veggie base and you can add nice rich toppings. I did bacon, sauteed red onion and red pepper. YUM!

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    3. I'm also wondering what would happen if I made more than one pizza, cooked them, and THEN froze it. How would it hold up? If anyone has tried to thaw/reheat a cooked version, please post the results :) Thanks!!

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  46. This was my very first try at making a cauliflower crust and I heard it was tough, but I followed this recipe and had success! So delicious! Thank you!

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  47. OMG SO GOOD!!! My kids loved it and so did the hubby!!!! Thank you for the recipe.

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  48. I love love loved this! What's even more fabulous is so did my husband (Who's idea of eating healthy is trading out his fruit loops for raisin bran) I tried this on a whim because I am trying to think more about what I am eating. It was so good I may never look back. I dont have any dietary restrictions so i cook for flavor only and this was a winner! I followed the directions and was sure to ring out as much water as I could. The edges were crispy and although the the center was not crispyit was perfect. It held together well and looked much the same as the fresh white dough pizza my husband made at the same time. (mine took 1/4 of the time!) It isn't the same as regular dough. It is different with a fresh fabulous flavor all it's own. You have a new fan in me! I really look forward to seeing what else I can learn from you.

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  49. Mine tasted a little bitter. Not sure what I did wrong.

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  50. Hi! Do you know how much it is in grams?

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  51. Can you make this dough without any cheese? Also, could you substitute egg whites for eggs?

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    1. Yes you can substitute egg whites for eggs. I've made this once before without using cheese - I added 2 heaping tablespoons almond meal and used 1 egg and 1 egg white. It came out great but doesn't hold together quite as well without the cheese but still totally yummy! One reader suggested adding some oil - olive oil or coconut oil maybe (I would say about a tablespoon) to help with the binding. But I have not tried that.

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  52. Has anyone tried this with a cheese substitute?

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    1. Nevermind. Missed the comment right above mine :p

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  53. I'm working on developing a recipe that is cheese free since so many of you asked for one!

    Stay tuned!

    xo

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  54. Wow, your pizza looks amazing!! I am so impressed that you were able to get all of that water out as well. I think that and the parchment paper are the keys to success! ;)

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  55. So smart! I'm going to be trying this soon. Thanks for the recipe!

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  56. Awesome tip on ringing out the Cauliflower, that's is exactly what makes it perfect. I've tried this several other times, and not once did a recipe say to do that. It's so key! I usually don't make this into to pizza though, I usually just make it into garlic bread. Thanks for recipe and pictures!

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  57. Is there a big difference when using foil on top of the pizza stone instead of parchment paper?

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    1. 1. Aluminum foils is not really non stick.
      2. Aluminum foil is ctually reactive when heated. It is not good to use when heated.

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    2. If you use aluminum foil remember to still spray it with nonstick or brush it with olive oil.

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  58. Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made it last night and it was awesome!

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  59. Thank you so much, not only for the recipe, but for getting the water out of the cauliflower - which I think is key to a more cohesive crust. I wonder how 2 egg yolks would work, if not using cheese in this crust? My husband can't have any dairy, so I am also looking for a cheese free crust. And - I have chestnut flour, though I find it slightly bitter, I wonder if the cauliflower would offset the bitter part? I do not have almond meal...I also have polenta...what do you think about adding a little fine corn flour...I am pretty sure it is gluten free...?
    Adele

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    1. You would definitely need more of a binding agent if omitting the cheese, that is what I'm working on figuring out. I wold do 1 egg and 1 egg white or 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, maybe even 2 eggs. I can't attest to what cornmeal would do to the crust, although it does sound yummy! I would stray away from the chestnut flour if you find it bitter.

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    2. Thank you, Michelle. I think that you are right about the chestnut flour. - It is bitter...and I think it would ruin the crust...I thought that because the cauliflower - at the end of the day - is more "sweet"...I thought that the flour would be offset a bit....i have found that the yolks are binding - so I think I will try the 2 yolks...and glad you think the cornmeal would be yummy. Keep on experimenting...I will let you know how the 2 yolks work!

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    3. I wonder if a veggie cheese would work for those who cannot do dairy...I know I have had it in a spinach wrap in it was so gooey and yummy!!

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  60. Anyone tried to make it without egg? I'm allergic to eggs. I've heard of chia seed gel to bind things like eggs do...anyone?

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    1. have you tried ener-g egg replacer? it's a good option for allergies/vegan folks.

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    2. my friends child cant have egg she uses chai seed a lot to bake- in cookies and cakes and everything and they taste fine:)

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  61. I am a partner at a small pizza shop in Ohio, we actually just started making cauliflower crust and its a huge hit with our customers! We used a lot of the advice on your page, so we wanted to say thank you! It was very helpful while we were trying this crust out! Also, we noticed people asking about freezing the cauliflower... we tried it and find it works very well. We fully prepare the crust, cook it, and freeze it in a freezer tight bag. It comes out great!

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    1. That's amazing! I'm glad I could be of help! If I ever get to Ohio I need to come to your pizza shop! :) Thank you abou the tip about freezing it. I've been meaning to give it a try, but I always just end up eating the pizza that I meant to freeze. lol!

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  62. Made it for lunch today. Me and the Hubby loved it!!! Will make it again. Followed exact recipe, used no fat mozzerella, which didn't melt well, but was good anyway. Also used your homemade pizza sauce. Well done!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the pizza and the sauce!

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  63. Mine turned out awful. We couldn't even eat it. I was sad that it ended up in the trash.

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  64. Totally Awesome. Great way to get those veggies. My son's GF made it for dinner last night. So good I could have eaten the whole pizza. She sent me home with the 2 left over slices. I took them to work and shared. Now everyone wants the recipe. Not one person said yuck. It was awesome. Hope to have it again very soon.

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  65. this was a disaster, the pizza crumbled all over the place and the parchment paper got stuck to the bottom of th pizza. I had to throw it away.

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    1. That's too bad! I've never had the pizza stick to a well oiled piece of parchment.

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  66. Great recipe! I was so afraid I'd not squeeze enough water out but I guess I did well. Got about 4 cups of the cauliflower "snow" and cooked it, then squeezed it and got about 2 cups total of the cauliflower stuff after that. Got 1 cup of water from that. Put the cheese, herbs, and egg in and mixed it with a fork then threw that on the parchment paper and squished it together good.

    Turned out great! Was very happy I managed to get it done right. But I will invest in a press if I want to make this often.

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  67. Does any one know the carb count?








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  68. I have tried other recipes and will try this one next time with the wringing out method. I cannot eat grains so I have loved making cauliflower pizza. I use a silpat (sp) on a cookie sheet to cook it and nothing sticks to it. I do not own a pizza stone though. Thanks!

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  69. I didn't have parchment paper so I used aluminum foil. I brushed it with olive oil, but it still stuck. Is it because I did not use parchment paper?

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    1. I was going to use aluminum foil, but thought it may still stick even with oil. I ended up using parchment paper that I rubbed with a little vegetable oil and it turned out excellent. I would def. say to stick with parchment paper!

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  70. Christy (Washington)June 4, 2013 at 8:14 PM

    Awesome. Followed the recipe exactly (well almost exactly, I used egg substitute instead of the egg) and it worked out perfectly. My husband, who loves pizza and "claims" to be on a low-carb diet thought it was excellent. Thank you!!!

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    1. Your welcome! So glad you like it and that it worked well with an egg substitute!

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  71. Tried this tonight and turned out wonderful! Very filling but did end up taking me alot longer to make due to random complications. Will be try out making larger batches and freezing the crust. Thank you for the recipe!!!

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  72. Very good! I made a Walnut, Gorgonzola and Mozzarella topping with a spritz of olive oil. This is a great wheat-free alternative. Took your recommendation of adding almond meal.
    Thank you for sharing.

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  73. I admit I did not take the time to read every comment, however I have made these 3 times now and mine never come out even a little crispy. Does using the pizza stone and parchment paper make the crust crispy ???

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. sorry typo in my first response... It's never going to have the super crisp crust you are used to with a regular pizza crust, but with the right amount of cooking time your edges should have some crispiness. I think the hot pizza stone does help, but is not necessary. Heat up your baking sheet before placing the pizza on it.

      Since you've made it three times... I'm hoping you like it!

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    3. I actually turned the heat up to broil in order to brown the crust. Then, I flipped the crust onto another piece of parchment paper, peeled the exposed piece off, placed it back into the oven, and broiled that side until brown. I found that this really helped to crisp it up....well, then I took the whole crust off the pan and placed it directly on the rack....it was a few extra steps but it really got a crispy crust that way!

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    4. I love this idea! I will give it a try next time I make it! Thank you! :)

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  74. I tried this last night and it was divine! Forget regular pizza!
    It turned out perfect except for the fact that my grated cauliflower "snow" only turned out to be about 2 cups and I used a cauliflower the size of my head! (I don't have a food processor and didn't want to risk using the blender)
    So unfortunately, it wasn't a full size pizza, but a small or medium. I'll post a photo on Instagram and tag you so you can see it.
    I will definitely try this again so that means I have to make a stop to the grocery store to buy more cauliflower!
    Thank you so much for sharing this with us. <3

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  75. Was so excited to see this, and then so disappointed to see the use of a microwave.

    Anyone have an opinion on whether to cook (steam etc) or use raw cauliflower and has anyone tried both and have notes/preference?

    Otherwise sounds great and am excited to give this a try.

    Thaks for the recipe.

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    1. I just made it without cooking the cauliflower and it was fantastic! I have seen other comments where both methods were implemented and both worked great. Just make sure to ring out the water for either method. This is an amazing pizza!

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  76. I just made this for my family and it was a hit! I have two five year olds and a nine year old and they were in LOVE with this pizza! Thanks for a delicious and healthful option for my family!

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  77. This was amazing!! A million stars!! I made two pizzas out of my large head-sized cauliflower.. thanks so much for sharing this recipe, your directions were easy to follow and the recipe was spot on

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  78. Thank you for this recipe. My son and I made it together and it was absolutely delicious!

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  79. My daughter made this recipe and told me about it and I just made it for lunch for the hubby and myself. I was totally amazed at how well it turned out and with tons of flavour. I will definitely be making this again. I had put it off being a little nervous about making it but now I realized just how easy it really is. Just a little bit of preparation and Voila~. Thank You for sharing this. I posted a picture on my facebook and linked it to your web page blog here. :D
    Thx, Dee

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  80. Tried it. Tasted it! Superb! Thank you!

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  81. Made two personal size ones last night and they smell awesome and look divine! Having them for lunch today with a co-worker! Thank you for such detailed instructions!

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  82. After one failed attempt at cauliflower crust using a different recipe, I was determined to try again, only using a better recipe. And that I did! I was happy to stumble upon your blog when searching for cauliflower crust. My first crust turned out mushy - the recipe did not mention ringing out the cooked cauliflower, and it also suggested using cottage cheese as a healthier substitute for mozzarella cheese, which I think only made the dough mushier. I decided it was worth the sacrifice to use real shredded cheese. This crust turned out 10x better than my first attempt. I actually was able to cut into slices and pick it up to eat! It was absolutely delicious and cannot wait to try it again! It always feels great to know you're eating something healthy that tastes way too good to be. THANK YOU :)

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  83. Made this last night for my whole family (husband and daughter are gluten free) they all loved it kiddos too!
    And my husband is not a veggie fan...especially cauliflower. He normally won't touch it. I convinced him to try it since he's on a low-calorie diet and lo-cal gluten free pizza is not existent. He wants it "once a week" he says! Thanks for the awesome recipe!! I doubled the recipe to make two pizzas (6 total cups of cauliflower snow) and I ahead and added the extra egg white and almond meal. (2 eggs +1 egg white, and 2 tbls almond meal total) and it was wonderful. I'll make it that way every time it was so perfect!

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  84. This was amazing!! Made it tonight and my finicky fiance and his veggie hating best friend both went back for seconds...I told them it was cauliflower after they ate it. They were shocked.

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  85. My co-worker, who is new to a kitchen, told me about how great this recipe was. I figured if she could make it I should be able to make it no problem. I followed the recipe to a 'T' and the pizza turned out fantastic. Now I'm curious to see what happens if I substitute broccoli for cauliflower and then top it off with a creamy garlic sauce. Or maybe I'll try one of the orange or purple cauliflowers. In any case, thank you so much for sharing the recipe.

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  86. I will make it tonight -and I'm sure it'll be yummy, but regardless - your post cracked me up!!! you should write the comic's cookbook - I'll definitely buy it :) (but maybe I won't make the recipes as much as just read through it... lol)

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  87. Going to try this, however what would we use in the UK instead of Almond Meal? It's nothing something I've seen in our stores.

    Thanks

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    1. I used a tablespoon of ground flax meal as I didn't have almond flour in and it came out great.

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    2. PS - almond meal is basically pulverized almonds. If you have a VitaMix or a food processor or a coffee grinder you can just ground them up if you prefer almonds. Use the pulse mode so you don't get too fine of a texture.

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  88. My kids are major pain-in-the-ass picky eaters. They LOVED this! It is now going to be a reward. I used quinoa flakes as an add in as I didn't have quite enough ground cauliflower. Thanks for a new healthy treat to make for my family!

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  89. I made this over the weekend and it was FANTASTIC!!! My husband and all 4 of my kids LOVED it!!! I made a regular pizza with pepperoni for lunch, and since we loved it so much, we made 3 more for dinner! Another regular one, a "Hot Wing" pizza and a barbeque chicken pizza! Delicious!

    I didn't have any almond flour, so I omitted it, and I also didn't have any parchment paper or foil, so I just greased a cookie sheet and plopped it on there! Came out so crispy and delicious!

    Thank you! :) :) :) :)

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  90. what if you do not eat egg? What would you sub in for egg in this recipe?

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  91. oh my giddy aunt.. I don't know why it took me so long to try this.. it was brilliant!! Thank you! Even my son enjoyed it! (He's 4, and verry fussy!)

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  92. My daughter found your recipe a few days ago. We decided to try it for dinner tonight. Thank you so much for the recipe. It was divine. We will try this again and experiment with different toppings. Now I can finally have pizza my way. We tried it exactly as you have it and did ring the heck out of the cauliflower for a few minutes. We spread the crust to about 1/8" thick. I think that also really helped with the crispiness. I don't think anyone who tastes this would know they are eating cauliflower. Amazingly yummy. Thanks again.

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  93. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK!!! I thought I had to give up pizza forever... and store bought are expensive and filled with a lot of junk. I am so happy now!!!

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  94. I am obsessed with the idea of the veggie crust! It is great! Have tried cauliflower, broccoli and cauliflower/carrot. I top it with roasted veggie leftovers, whatever I have. Yum. I topped one with feta- fantastic. Also, I have been juicing the cauliflower-to get the snow- and then drinking the cauliflower juice with some pear and carrot- delicious. Still haven't tried to cook the cauliflower, but it's been coming out great nevertheless. Pure genius- thanks!

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  95. I made this last night and it was amazing! I followed the tip in the one comment to use eggwhites rather than the whole egg. I also doubled the whole recipe and made a big pizza on a big rectangular stone. I noticed that a lot of people said it was too wet/soggy. I think the cooking time is too short for some ovens. Rather than take it out at 8-11 minutes I cooked it until it looked just like the crust in the pictures above, brown on the edges and on the peaks and it was really perfect. I'd follow your eye more than a timer on this as all ovens are not the same. Thanks so much for posting this great recipe!

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  96. Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing! I put up a link to your recipe (with credit)!
    http://www.foodtoursingreece.com/blogs/worldonatable-by-deelish/10172281-gluten-free-dessert-pizzas#.UoZotwl9HU4.facebook

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  97. Thank you for such an amazing recipe! This was perfection! I also linked to your recipe in my blog: http://countingflowersonthewall.com/

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  98. Wondering if I could use my blender to process the cauliflower? I don't have a food processor (it's on my Christmas wish list though :))

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    1. You can use a cheese grater! But other commenters have had luck with a blender as well, I believe.

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  99. I can not even remember how I stumbled on your blog/this recipe last week but SO glad I did! Just finished eating a pepperoni pizza on this cauli base and even Miss 7, who claimed she could taste the cauli, came back for seconds. I never confirmed it was in there but she did see me through parts of the prep process.

    I will have to reduce the herbs in my own pizza sauce to compensate for the ones in the base but will definately be making this again.

    Thanks!

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  100. I'm so excited to try this, and especially to serve it to Gluten Free friends Thanks for the recipe, I featured it in my most recent cauliflower recipe round up on my blog.

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  101. I'm curious - have you ever tried to leave the cauli-crumbs out for a few hours (or overnight) to dry? Would that work to get rid of the moisture after cooking it? My sister and I made this a week ago (it was awesome) but ringing out the water took ages. I'm just curious if letting the cooked cauli air dry would help or not. what do you think?

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    1. I haven't tried that, but I'm not sure if that would work. maybe if you put them in a fine mesh strainer and let them sit out for a while. It really only takes me about 5-10 good squeezes to get the water out, there is no need to get every single drop out. Let me know if it works for you!

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  102. Recipe question -- when chopping/pulsing the caulflower into cauli-snow, you mention you should have 2-3 cups. Can you confirm this is the volume before cooking and ringing out the water? I started w/ 2+ cups and now after cooking and water removal, there's so much less, I'm just trying to figure out how to adjust my recipe. Thanks!

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    1. 2-3 cups is before wringing it out. You will have less after wringing it out. Enjoy!

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  103. Thank you for posting this!

    Tried this tonight; made according to the recipe except using romano instead of parmesan. It turned out fine. I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and have been trying to find a pizza crust that doesn't detract from the toppings. This satisfies the requirement. It's not as good as the yeast and wheat flour crusts I used to make, but I can eat the pizza without noticing that the crust is soggy or doughy or gummy or whatever.

    Next time (and there will be a next time) I'll try using a potato ricer (I have one with three screens and I'll use the fine one) to squeeze out the microwaved cauliflower; it's simple to just rinse that off, so it would be easier for me than using a towel.

    I think I'll try adding a tablespoon of golden flax meal that has been soaked in boiling water, which develops the stickiness of the flax.

    For those who oppose microwave cooking, an alternative might be freezing. Frozen cauliflower "snow" should free up a lot of moisture when it thaws, although some squeezing or pressing might still be necessary.

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    1. Tried it again, this time with a little more cauliflower (a little over two cups after squeezing) and using a potato ricer (with a fine plate) to press (this worked well; less mess than a towel and I could do it while the cauliflower was still too hot to handle by hand). I started with 1 Tbsp golden flax over which I had poured 2 Tbsp boiling water; this didn't affect the texture of the crust noticeably, but was probably what made it too moist, and thus difficult to handle. As before, I used the almond meal. Flavor was still good, will omit the flax next time. And leave it on the stone longer during the pre-bake if the mixture seems too moist (live and learn {g}).

      This looks headed to become a regular item on our menu.

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  104. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY! We all love it! My finky 10 year old daughter said it's better than Pizza Hut! BAMM! You nailed it! Thank you! :)

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  105. I just shared this recipe on the "Vitamix Enthusiasts - Blender Lady" Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/VitamixEnthusiasts/. Thank you!

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  106. Thank you so much for this recipe! It was a huge success, and I know I will make it again and again. I couldn't believe how the crust held together well enough for the slices to be picked up, and the taste was really great. I just topped it with a plain tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella and some fresh basil. Perfection.

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  107. Thank you so so so so so much for this recipe. I am new to this whole making-food-that-usually-contain-carbs-but-don't thing and was sceptical about cauliflower pizza in general. Firstly because I hate cauliflower and secondly because I had heard that these would just crumble but OMG! I think I'm going to have this at least every fortnight. You couldn't taste the cauliflower after toppings had gone on and you could pick it up! I am so full right now and I only ate half! Everyone should definitely try this! Again thank you so much

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  108. We have just shared your recipe with our users :) https://www.facebook.com/Lifesum

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  109. Made a cauliflower pizza using this recipe (more or less) tonight and it turned out great.

    I don't have a microwave so steamed the cauliflower over a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes, before wringing out.

    I never oil baking (parchment) paper and didn't with this either and it turned out fine.

    Definitely one to do again

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  110. I just made this tonight on the recommendation of a friend. It was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! I've missed pizza more than anything since going grain-free!

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  111. Brooke Johnson (Stoneham, Ma)January 22, 2014 at 11:42 AM

    Just made this RIGHT now!! AMAZING!!! Thank you!!!

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  112. Thank you soooo much !! I didn't have a food processer so I steamed the cauliflower then mashed it with a potato masher, cooled it then followed the rest.. still turned out fine!!! AWESOME!! THANK YOU AGAIN!

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  113. Hi! how many calories in one slice? do you know?

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