High-Protein Cauliflower Crust Pizza (No Soggy Middle)
A crisp cauliflower crust with 46g of protein per pizza. Cook it, wring it dry, prebake it thin and hot, and the middle holds up to sauce, chicken and cheese.
Why you'll love it
- About 46g of protein per personal pizza for 470 calories
- No flour, so the crust is gluten free as written
- Cooked, squeezed and prebaked, so the middle holds a slice
- Prebaked crusts freeze for up to 3 months
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings- 4 cups riced cauliflower (1 medium head, 430 g raw)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella (56 g)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (25 g)
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, any brand
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder, not garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Topping: 1/2 cup pizza sauce (125 g)
- Topping: 4 oz cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (113 g)
- Topping: 1/2 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella (56 g)
- Optional: fresh basil or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1
Rice & cook the cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower into florets and pulse them in a food processor until the pieces look like rice, about 10 short pulses. Do not run it continuously or you get paste. No food processor? The large holes of a box grater do the same job.
Microwave the riced cauliflower in an uncovered bowl, no water added, on high for 5 minutes. It softens and releases a surprising amount of liquid. Steaming for 5 minutes works too. Let it cool until you can handle it, about 10 minutes. - 2
Squeeze out every drop of water
Spoon the cooked cauliflower onto a clean, thin dish towel or a nut milk bag. Gather the edges, twist, and wring over the sink. Open it, loosen the ball, and wring again. Expect close to a cup of water from one head. You are done when the ball feels like damp sand and the towel comes away almost dry.
This is the step people skip, and it decides the middle. If your crust has ever been soggy, you stopped squeezing one round too early.
Tip the dry cauliflower into a bowl with the eggs, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Mix until it comes together like a thick, sticky dough. - 3
Prebake the crust before topping
Divide the dough in half on two sheets of parchment. Press each half into an 8-inch round about 1/4 inch thick, a little thicker at the rim. Thin is the goal. A thick crust steams itself from the inside and never gets crisp.
Slide the parchment onto the hot pan and bake 18 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are brown. Flip each crust with a wide spatula and bake 3 to 5 minutes more so the bottom dries out too.
Now top it, and top it light: 1/4 cup sauce per pizza spread thin, half the chicken, then 1/4 cup mozzarella. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese bubbles. Rest 3 minutes on a rack so the base firms up, then slice.
The two-pizza shortcut: prebake both crusts, top one tonight, and freeze the other. It goes from frozen to a 425°F oven and is ready to top in about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Per personal pizza, estimated from USDA FoodData Central for the exact amounts above. The crust alone is about 260 calories and 21g protein, and the chicken and second layer of mozzarella add the other 25g.
Tips & variations
- Low-moisture mozzarella matters. Fresh mozzarella packed in water adds back the water you spent ten minutes squeezing out.
- Frozen riced cauliflower skips the food processor. Thaw it fully and squeeze it the same way, since it holds even more water than fresh.
- Cool crusts fully before wrapping. Warm crusts sweat under plastic, and that condensation is water going right back in.
- Reheat in a dry skillet, an air fryer at 350°F or a 400°F oven, never the microwave, which steams the crust soft.
- Two cheeses, sauce and salt add up to roughly 1,300 mg of sodium per pizza. Skip the added salt and use a no-salt-added sauce if you are watching it.
- Chicken, bacon & ranch: diced chicken breast, 2 slices of crumbled cooked bacon, a drizzle of light ranch after the bake.
- Turkey pepperoni: leaner than pork pepperoni, and it crisps in the last few minutes. Blot it on a paper towel first.
- Buffalo chicken: toss the chicken in 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, keep the red sauce thin, add crumbled blue cheese.
- Ground turkey taco: 4 oz browned 93% lean ground turkey with taco seasoning, cheddar on top.
- Shrimp & garlic: 4 oz cooked shrimp patted dry, garlic and olive oil instead of red sauce, Parmesan to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Why Is My Cauliflower Crust Soggy?
Water. Cauliflower is about 92% water by weight, and a crust goes soggy when too much of it stays in. Cook the riced cauliflower before squeezing, wring it in a towel until it feels like damp sand, press it 1/4 inch thin, prebake it at 425°F until golden, and keep sauce thin and toppings dry.
Is Cauliflower Crust Pizza Healthy?
It can be, depending on what is in it. This homemade version has about 470 calories, 46g protein, 21g carbs and 6g fiber per personal pizza, with a serving of vegetables built into the crust. Store-bought crusts vary widely, so read the label. Sodium runs high in any cheese-heavy pizza, so go easy on added salt.
How Many Carbs Are in Cauliflower Pizza Crust?
It depends on the binder. This flour-free crust has about 14g carbs and 4g fiber per 8-inch crust by our USDA estimate. Store-bought crusts that add rice flour or potato starch usually run higher, so check the label. Our Cauliflower Crust Protein Pizza has 54 to 56g carbs for the whole pizza, so it is not a low-carb option.
Can You Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Frozen Cauliflower?
Yes. Thaw frozen riced cauliflower completely, microwave it for 3 minutes, then squeeze it exactly as you would fresh. Frozen cauliflower holds even more water than fresh, so plan on an extra round of wringing. A 12 oz bag gives you about 3 cups riced, enough for one and a half crusts.
