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Everybody loves pizza - It's just so high in carbs! Clearly, it's a big "no-no" for a low-carb diet.
I have to admit I was slightly skeptical about using cauliflower. On the plus side, all the ingredients in this recipe are easily obtainable. So, I decided to try it out and after a few attempts and several adjustments, I came up with this recipe. It really smells and tastes surprisingly close to real pizza. Sure, it's not like the traditional delicious Italian pizza but it's a very good compromise... Verdict: I loved it!
The key with this recipe is to bake the crust separately before you add the toppings. This crisps up the cauliflower and cheese, so it is capable of holding the sauce and toppings. The whole pizza is about 820 kcal and 17 g of net carbs. Just for comparison, an average pizza has more than 1000 kcal and more than 100 g of carbs! Also, since there is no gluten, this pizza alternative is suitable for celiacs and those with gluten intolerance.
The biggest challenge during my pizza experiments was getting the base right. The dough just kept being wet, saggy and very fragile. It simply didn't hold together. Not until I baked it twice!
Best Tips for Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe
- Dry the Cauli-rice well. Extra moisture is not good for baking and will cause the pizza to be soggy.
- Using whole eggs will only make the pizza base more fragile. Use just egg whites instead.
- Remember to bake the crust separately before adding any toppings!
- Cook the pizza base separately before you add any toppingfs. This is important for the base to get crunchy and firm.
- Be careful with toppings that contain moisture, such as fresh tomatoes. Make sure the base is not too thick: quarter an inch (half a cm) is enough!
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1 slice
Nutritional values (per 1 slice)
Net carbs2.5 grams
Protein9.1 grams
Fat8.1 grams
Calories121 kcal
Calories from carbs 8%, protein 30%, fat 62%
Total carbs3.4 gramsFiber0.8 gramsSugars1.2 gramsSaturated fat3.9 gramsSodium443 mg(19% RDA)Magnesium16 mg(4% RDA)Potassium161 mg(8% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 1 pizza, 8 slices)
Pizza Base:
- 1 1/2 cup cauli-rice (175 g/ 6.2 oz)
- 1 egg large white
- 1/2 cup grated low-moist mozzarella (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil, for greasing
Topping:
- 1/4 cup sugar-free Marinara pizza sauce (60 g/ 2.1 oz) - you can make your own
- 1/4 tsp dried fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried flaked chilies
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 1/2 cup sliced brown mushrooms (36 g/ 1.3 oz)
- 10 large slices of pepperoni, or 20 small (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Start by grating the cauliflower to make the cauli-rice by following this recipe. Do not cook the cauli-rice at this point. Grate the mozzarella and parmesan and place in a bowl. Keep some cheese aside for topping.
- Heat a large pan greased with 1 tablespoon of ghee over a medium-high heat and add the cauli-rice. Season with salt and lower the heat. Cook for about 15 minutes while stirring. Cook on low heat to remove as much moisture as you can without burning it. Once cooked, remove from the heat.
- Place the cooked cauli-rice into a bowl. Add a cup of grated mozzarella and 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add the garlic powder.
- Add dried oregano and egg white. Mix until well combined using your hands.
- Place the dough on a pizza tray (I used a 13-inch tray) lined with strong parchment paper and flatten to create the pizza crust using your hands. The crust should be no more than 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick, ideally less. Brush with some olive oil and leave the rest for the other side.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and put put another piece of parchment paper on top of the crust. Flip on the other side so that the new parchment paper is on the bottom.
- Peel the top parchment off - use a knife to loosen it if needed. Cooking on both sides will help the crust get crispy. Brush with the remaining oil.
- Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until golden. Mix marinara sauce with fennel seeds, flaked chillies and dried parsley. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the marinara sauce on top.
- Top with slices of fresh mozzarella, sliced mushrooms (can be skipped), the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese, and top with pepperoni slices.
- Place back in the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until crisped up. Top with fresh basil just before serving.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza With Mushrooms & Pepperoni
Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup cauli-rice (175 g/ 6.2 oz)
- 1 egg large white
- 1/2 cup grated low-moist mozzarella (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil, for greasing
- 1/4 cup sugar-free Marinara pizza sauce (60 g/ 2.1 oz) - you can make your own
- 1/4 tsp dried fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried flaked chilies
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 1/2 cup sliced brown mushrooms (36 g/ 1.3 oz)
- 10 large slices of pepperoni, or 20 small (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Start by grating the cauliflower to make the cauli-rice by following this recipe. Do not cook the cauli-rice at this point. Grate the mozzarella and parmesan and place in a bowl. Keep some cheese aside for topping.
- Heat a large pan greased with 1 tablespoon of ghee over a medium-high heat and add the cauli-rice. Season with salt and lower the heat. Cook for about 15 minutes while stirring. Cook on low heat to remove as much moisture as you can without burning it. Once cooked, remove from the heat.
- Place the cooked cauli-rice into a bowl. Add a cup of grated mozzarella and 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add the garlic powder.
- Add dried oregano and egg white. Mix until well combined using your hands.
- Place the dough on a pizza tray (I used a 13-inch tray) lined with strong parchment paper and flatten to create the pizza crust using your hands. The crust should be no more than 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick, ideally less. Brush with some olive oil and leave the rest for the other side.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and put put another piece of parchment paper on top of the crust. Flip on the other side so that the new parchment paper is on the bottom.
- Peel the top parchment off - use a knife to loosen it if needed. Cooking on both sides will help the crust get crispy. Brush with the remaining oil.
- Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until golden. Mix marinara sauce with fennel seeds, flaked chillies and dried parsley. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the marinara sauce on top.
- Top with slices of fresh mozzarella, sliced mushrooms (can be skipped), the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese, and top with pepperoni slices.
- Place back in the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until crisped up. Top with fresh basil just before serving.
Nutrition (per serving, 1 slice)
Calories121kcal
Net Carbs2.5g
Carbohydrates3.4g
Protein9.1g
Fat8.1g
Saturated Fat3.9g
Fiber0.8g
Sugar1.2g
Sodium443mg
Magnesium16mg
Potassium161mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 1 slice)
| Total per 1 slice |
| 2.5 g | 9.1 g | 8.1 g | 121 kcal |
| Cauliflower, fresh |
| 0.6 g | 0.4 g | 0.1 g | 5 kcal |
| Egg white, fresh |
| 0 g | 0.4 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 0.4 g | 1.8 g | 1.5 g | 22 kcal |
| Parmesan cheese |
| 0.1 g | 1.3 g | 1 g | 15 kcal |
| Spices, garlic powder |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Oregano, dried |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Spices, basil, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Marinara sauce |
| 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 1.2 g | 13 kcal |
| Fennel seeds, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Peppers, chile (chili), flaked and dried, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Parsley, dried (spices) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Mushrooms (brown), fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Pepperoni, salami, pork or beef |
| 0 g | 0.9 g | 1.7 g | 19 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese, fresh (for salads) |
| 0.3 g | 3 g | 2 g | 32 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 0.2 g | 0.8 g | 0.7 g | 10 kcal |
| Basil, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
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