I love, love, love pizza and this is my "go to" homemade cauliflower pizza crust recipe that is tried and true and has been around on my website since 2011! Add all your favorite toppings and you will have a delicious healthier pizza alternative from a veggie!
Making cauliflower pizza crusts may seem intimidating but it is actually easier than you think! It is only made with three ingredients: egg substitute, fresh cauliflower and cheese! That's it, besides any other spices you would like to include. I used Mrs Dash garlic and herb seasoning.
Combine 1 cup of freshly grated cauliflower (100 grams if you are weighing your cauliflower), 1/4 cup egg substitute, and 1/2 cup reduced fat cheese in a small bowl.
Bake for 22 to 25 min at 425 degrees. Then loosen the edges with a spatula and carefully flip the cauliflower crust. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 min until golden brown.
Start off by adding your low carb sauce. My favorite is Lucini's marinara sauce. If you don't have a low carb marinara sauce on hand, try 1/2 cup of Italian diced tomatoes that is less than 5 g of Carbs per 1/2 cup. It is important to check your nutrition label because a lot of the name brand diced tomatoes are up to 10 g of carbs per serving! I find the generic ones to be 5 g or less such as Great Value brand. Blend up your diced tomatoes to make a smoother sauce or leave it chunky for texture.
Then add your favorite toppings! For this turkey pepperoni pizza, I added 1/4 cup marinara sauce or 1/2 cup blended Italian diced tomatoes (1 Green) plus 1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese or cheese that is 3 to 6 g of fat per ounce (1/4 Lean) and 1 ounce turkey pepperoni (1/4 Lean). With the crust (1/2 Lean and 2 Greens), this will be a complete Lean and Green meal. Bake for an addition 5 min or until cheese has melted.
For this mushroom and sweet pepper pizza, add 2 tbsp marinara sauce (1 Condiment), 1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1/2 Lean), 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (1/2 Green), and 1/4 cup sliced mini bell peppers (1/2 Green). With the crust (1/2 Lean and 2 Greens), this would be a complete Lean and Green meal. Bake until cheese has melted.
Want to know a little trick? Marinara sauce can go bad pretty quickly once it has been opened. Use silicone muffin cups and portion out 1/4 cup sauce into each cup and then freeze for a few hours. This works for blended diced tomatoes too!
These cauliflower pizza crusts are a healthier alternative to traditional pizza crust and will definitely satisfy your pizza cravings while helping you stay on track! Now that's what I am talking about! Give it a try!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup (100 g) grated raw cauliflower (2 Greens)
¼ cup egg substitute ~ egg whites or egg beaters (1 ⅓ Condiments)
½ cup 2% reduced fat three cheese Mexican blend or mozzarella cheese (½ Lean)
¼ tsp Mrs Dash garlic and herb seasoning ~ optional (½ Condiment)
Toppings:
½ cup 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese, shredded (½ Lean)
½ cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, blended
or 1/4 cup low carb marinara sauce (1 Green)
or use 2 tbsp low carb marinara sauce so you can add 1 serving of veggies to your pizza (1 Condiment)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment paper (not waxed paper) on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Combine grated cauliflower, egg substitute, ½ cup cheese, and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning until mixed completely. Spoon mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon to thin out mixture (or your hands) and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate without the rim. The thinner the crust, the better. Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes. Using a spatula to lift all edges of the crust off the parchment, carefully flip the pizza crust over. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are brown and crisp. Let cool.
Spread tomato sauce and sprinkle ½ cup of cheese on top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
If you are making several cauliflower pizza crusts like I usually do, you can put the cooled crusts in gallon sized Ziploc bags to store in the freezer. I usually can fit 4 to 5 pizza crusts in a Ziploc bag. No need to wrap each one separately. When ready to eat, remove from freezer. Top with sauce and toppings. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes at 425 degrees or until cheese has melted. Enjoy!
1 Cauliflower crust is 1 Serving
½ a Lean, 2 Greens and 2 Condiments
Add ½ a Lean and 1 Green to complete your Lean and Green meal
