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Finally, here’s a cauliflower pizza crust that has everything you’re looking for in a healthy, gluten-free pizza crust — tasty, crisp, and light.

It holds quite well in your hands at room temperature, and it makes excellent cold leftovers (if you manage not to gobble everything).

Do it in 7 steps and garnish it as you wish. You can eat it every day without feeling guilty!

The Best Substitute for Traditional Pizza Crust

When I spotted cauliflower-based dough recipes on the web, I was afraid I wouldn't succeed in making it. What if I fail completely? I read discouraging comments from people who complained that their attempts were soggy.

So, being a finished perfectionist and the queen of the shortest path, I wanted a surefire recipe.

I ended up finding a recipe from Detoxinista that looked promising.

And I wasn't disappointed! It was perfect.

The crust doesn’t fall apart. It's moist, and you don't even notice the taste of cauliflower.

Be careful, though. It holds well, yes, but it remains quite fragile, like most cauliflower-based crusts. It has floppy edges and is flexible, but it’s certainly not soggy.

I've changed a few things, like seasoning the dough, but other than that, it tastes similar to wheat flour pizza crust. This pizza smells great ?. And I was full after a single slice. I think two slices would have been the maximum because each serving is quite rich in protein.

Well, don't expect to eat a junk food-style pizza, okay?

But if you want to eat pizza, at least you can feel like that's what you're doing. The result is stunning!

What's in a Cauliflower Pizza Crust?

Here's what you need to make the cauliflower pizza crust.

The three main ingredients

Flaxseed - to hold the dough, I stirred freshly ground seeds and water together and let the mixture rest until a white-style egg gelatinous substance formed. It's called a flaxseed egg.

Cauliflower - choose a fresh medium cauliflower. That's how you'll make your dough.

Natural almonds - to grind. Commercial almond flour will do the trick too.

Seasonings

Garlic powder - it's hard for me to cook without garlic. Garlic powder has a more concentrated flavor than fresh garlic. But fresh crushed garlic works here too.

Onion powder - I can't do without it, either. I use it everywhere to give flavor. In powder, it’s the same principle: the flavor is more concentrated.

Dried parsley - it adds a small dose of iron.

Salt - I always use sea salt.

Toppings

Marinara sauce - I've prepared mine, but any sauce works.

Sliced garlic - more garlic! 

Fresh oregano - it's an excellent choice to recall the Italian style.

Macadamia nut ricotta - a ricotta style vegan cheese. I've prepared mine, but if you find something similar and already made, don't mind using it to save time.

Arugula - to add color to the red surface.

How Do You Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust from Scratch?

The recipe begins with cauliflower florets, which are transformed into a rice texture in the food processor. Then, this cauliflower rice is lightly boiled, drained, and pressed dry. This creates the basis of the "paste."

Apparently, it doesn't really matter the order in which you reduce the florets and cook the cauliflower rice.

Afterward, herbs and spices are added with almond flour and a flax "egg". And finally, the dough is then shaped into a ball, patted and spread in a crust, then baked.

1. Obtain cauliflower rice by reducing cauliflower florets in the food processor.
2. Place the lightly boiled cauliflower rice in a cheesecloth or nut milk bag.
3. Squeeze dry.
4. Add the flour to the almonds and an "egg" of flax and season the dough.
5. Shape the dough into a ball.

1. Spread out the dough.
2. Garnish the cauliflower dough and bake.

My Best Tips

To make this pizza crust a success, I spread the dough with a slanted spatula on a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. I kept the edges a little thicker than the center. This allows the middle of the dough to cook faster.

The key to getting a dry vegan cauliflower pizza crust that you can hold with your hands is to drain the moisture first as much as possible.

Use another piece of parchment paper to help you turn the cauliflower pizza crust.

Other Ways to Make a Cauliflower Pizza Crust

The dough: If you have nut allergies, you can try ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Maybe even hemp protein powder would work. Also, I've seen some recipes that use other binders like cornstarch or potato starch instead of arrow-root.

What to Put on Cauliflower-Based Crust Pizza?

Sauce: I used a marinara sauce that I made from scratch, but you can use any one bought in the grocery store.

Cheese: Make your own mock cheese with almonds, cashews, or macadamia nuts as a base.

Topping: I topped my pizza with pizza-inspired ingredients that my boyfriend always orders from a restaurant we love in Mile End. Pizzeria No. 900. It contains arugula, garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and capers. There’s also Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and some type of cold meat.

I didn’t add the last three. I replaced Parmesan with a macadamia nut ricotta, and next time I'll try to make some type of breadcrumbs to add more crunch and color contrast of green vegetables. Play with the toppings. I don't need to tell you that you can add onions, red peppers, olives... whatever.

Is Cauliflower Pizza Crust healthy?

For people who are following low grain diets or animal-free foods, this crust is an excellent option.

As it’s composed mainly of cauliflower, it’s low in calories.

What's more, cauliflower is one of the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory foods. This crust also contains flaxseeds, which are ideal for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and improving your cholesterol levels.

Another thing, flaxseeds increase your protein intake.

Finally, these two ingredients are full of fiber, which is low in carbohydrates!

Prompt answers to your other questions

Does cauliflower crust pizza contain flour? It doesn't contain white flour, no. But instead almond flour. Almond flour is produced from ground almonds.

Is cauliflower crust pizza gluten-free? Because almond flour is used, it’s indeed gluten-free.

Does cauliflower crust pizza have carbs? Like all foods, it obviously contains carbohydrates. That said, the pizza dough is made from cauliflower, which is very low in carbohydrates. A cup of cooked cauliflower contains only 2.2 g of carbohydrates.

Is cauliflower crust pizza better for your health? If I have to compare cauliflower pizza to the usual pizza crust, I’d say it's better for you if you have intolerances to gluten and animal byproducts, such as dairy products (including cheese) and eggs. And if you want to lose weight, cauliflower pizza crust is much lower in calories.

Can you freeze a cauliflower pizza crust? Simply spread the pizza dough on a pizza pan and cover it with saran wrap before putting it in the freezer.

Prepare this cauliflower crust pizza now!

It's rare to find a healthy pizza with non-binding ingredients, but no more now!

Now you can have a grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free pizza crust at your fingertips. Now you can indulge in a pizza that's really, really, really good for you. Now you can bite into something that will make you say: Mamamia!

So run to your kitchen and get cooking!

Bon appétit!

Vegan Pizza with Easy Cauliflower Crust

Slightly adapted from Detoxinista.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Crispy, light, and healthy, you’ll be able to indulge in this grain-free cauliflower pizza crust without feeling guilty at all! Temps de préparation

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: cauliflower, flax seeds

Servings: 1 pizza

Calories: 550kcal

Author: Naïby

Ingredients

Cauliflower-based crust

• 3 tablespoons flax seeds ground or flax meal (Note)
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 lb cauliflower florets fresh or frozen (about 4 cups) 454 g
• ½ cup almonds ground
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt

Toppings

• Marinara sauce
• Finely sliced garlic
• Fresh oregano leaves
• Macadamia nut ricotta
• Arugula

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 ºF and cover a pizza plate with parchment paper. You can also cut parchment paper to match the shape of the perforated pan.
• In a medium bowl, add ground flaxseed and water and let stand until mixture thickens.
• Place the cauliflower florets in the large bowl of the food processor with an "S" blade and operate until reduced to a rice texture. Pour the cauliflower "rice" into a large saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid, transfer the cooked cauliflower rice to a bowl, and leave to cool in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Remove the chilled cauliflower rice from the freezer, transfer it to a bag of nut milk, gauze or the center of a thin dish towel, and squeeze the rice with your hands, removing all the excess moisture from the cauliflower.
• Place the drained cauliflower in a large bowl, then add the flax mixture, ground almonds, garlic, onion powder, and dried parsley.
• Stir well to mix well, then squeeze the mixture into the baking sheet covered with parchment. Shape the crust into the desired size with a slanted spatula or your hands, keeping the crust about ¼-inch (8 mm) thick. For best results, press firmly on the crust, ensuring that there are no "thin spots," still remembering to make the center slightly thinner than the sides.
• Place the crust in the oven. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and dry to the touch.
• To flip the whole pizza crust, preferably use an extra piece of parchment paper on top, then flip it into the baking sheet without the parchment paper to cook for an additional 15 minutes or until it is dry.
• Add your favorite pizza toppings and return briefly to the oven to let it heat up about 5-10 minutes extra.

Notes

• To save time, you can put almond flour already prepared.
• To spread the pizza crust, I like to use a slanted spatula. If you don't have this utensil, use a rubber spatula.
• Don't forget to keep edges a little thicker than the middle. This allows the center of the dough to cook faster.
• Make sure you drain the moisture first as much as possible.
• Use parchment paper on top of the crust to help you turn it more easily.

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1311mg | Potassium: 1556mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 219mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 5mg

I don’t know how it came to me.

Suddenly, I wanted to make a gluten-free burrito. Not just any gluten-free burrito. A very low-calorie burrito with a grain-free tortilla and… jackfruit!

Every Wednesday or most Wednesdays anyway, it's Mexican night. We usually have a vegan chili but my son gets tired of it. He’s like: (Yawn) Boring! To be honest, sometimes I get tired of it too.

So I looked for inspiration because I never had jackfruit before and I had to do something with it because that mysterious thing was calling me like my son does every so often...

— Mommy?

— (No reply. I'm probably in my head like usual.)

— Mommy?

— (No reply. I'm still somewhere in dreamland but hearing a distant voice.)

— Mommy?!

(Bubble popped. I'm falling back to earth.)

— WHHAAAT!

That's right! Lately, I’ve been seeing jackfruit everywhere. I saw it on social media, a friend of mine mentioned it, and at the grocery store, there it was staring at me in a can, beautifully packaged in bright white and green colors with decorative Indian-style patterns. I’d never noticed it before, but there it was. The time had come for me to play with it.

So I did and I came up with a ridiculously delicious, marvelous, to-die-for healthy burrito. I’m not kidding. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it doesn’t contain any grain tortilla. It got me singing Alicia Keys’ chorus like this: That thing is on fire!

Do you want a piece of it? I thought you’d never ask.

How to Replace Grain Bread Products

Remember I told how I wanted a low-calorie burrito? Well, last week I was curious to weigh myself and to my astonishment, I gained almost 10 pounds! Ok, if you saw me, you’d be like: "Shut up!" because I look thin.

But still, I noticed I’ve been gaining weight slowly for the past year, especially these last five, six months. In those months, I think I gained 6 pounds or something. I’m blaming it on the crazy hours I’ve been putting in to launch this blog and get it in front of the eyes of others, and sitting in front of my computer for hours on end and snacking on nuts and seeds repeatedly.

I may look somewhat thin, but I have to put a stop to this madness before I wake up one day and see Willy the Whale as my reflection. Ok, I might be exaggerating, but I want to be able to see my toenails. Is that too much to ask? So for the first time in my life, I decided to go on a super healthy regimen: stop munching too much, work out and have more sex. What!? That's more exercise, isn't it?

Anyway, let's get back to the subject. The easiest solution for grain-free (or cereal-free) bread products is to use green leaves, like a lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf — sometimes softened in warm water. They work great for one-bun burgers, one-slice sandwiches, tacos, and burritos/tortillas. Remember this, my friend:

When replacing lifeless beige bread, use lively green leaves.

Beep! I’m interrupting this message with this trivia…

Do you know the difference between enchiladas and burritos? The type of tortilla, the serving method, and the size characterize them. Essentially, enchiladas are made with a corn tortilla and come with some type of sauce. Burritos, which are usually larger, are made with a flour tortilla.

In my case, I'm using neither a flour tortilla nor a corn tortilla. Mine is a leafy wrap. (Hum… maybe I should’ve called my recipe Pulled Jackfruit Garden Wraps, but would you have been attracted to the title?)

The Perfect Weapon to Fool Meat Eaters

I never paid attention to jackfruit until very recently. Jackfruit is gaining a lot of popularity lately. The reason is it can be used as a great substitute for dishes that call for pulled pork or chicken, thanks to its fibrous texture.

Of course, jackfruit won't taste anything like meat. It tastes more like a mix of banana, mango, and pineapple. But the texture? Woah, I'm telling you, meat eaters will be definitely tricked. Ok, great but how to prepare it?

Internet to my rescue! I looked up jackfruit recipes and when compared, I noticed that most of them contained some kind of paprika, chili powder, and/or tomato paste — all red ingredients. Ahhh! And then I had an epiphany! These are all used to color the jackfruit! There you go, another trick to imitate meat's color.

A Lighter Burrito: Cutting Calories and Steps

My inspiration for my low-calorie burrito all started with an enchilada recipe I learned how to make in raw food cuisine. It contained a raw corn tortilla, a chile Colorado sauce, and different ingredients for the filling.

There was no way in hell I was going to make the raw corn tortilla because it involved making a veggie batter that had to dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours. So I had to think of something else.

My wrap of choice was collard leaf. Now I had two things covered, the wrap and the chili sauce (or so I thought). For the filling, in the beginning, I wanted black beans, corn, shredded cabbage, salsa, sliced avocado, and jackfruit. And the idea was to slap the chile Colorado sauce onto the leaf then add the filling's ingredients.

But I had a few setbacks.

First of all, to make the chili Colorado sauce, I needed dried red California chilis. But from all the varieties of chili packages pinned on the wall at my favorite ethnic grocery store, I couldn’t find any. A quick search online pointed that I could replace California chilis (aka Anaheim chilis) with canned green chilis or fresh Poblano chilis. The grocery store only had the latter so I used that. Second, when I made my sauce, it was too liquid! I could just imagine the sauce dripping constantly out of the wraps. Not too pretty.

So I decided to use the sauce for the jackfruit but also make guacamole — a way thicker and more solid consistency — to lie in between the collard leaf and the filling.

Third, preparing the shredded cabbage and salsa was going to involve too many steps. So I skipped them altogether. Actually, I replaced the grated cabbage for a bag of frozen corn that had been getting a cryogenic treatment like Walt Disney for months and was waiting for its revival... I also thought corn would add a nice bright color to the brown cooked beans and jackfruit. And finally, I used plain cubed tomatoes instead of freshly-made salsa to give you some mercy and topped the filling with lime juice and cilantro leaves.

As you can see, you can play around with the filling. If you want to go the lazy route, you can use whole wheat or gluten-free tortillas and ready-made guacamole (or simply mashed avocados) and/or salsa. You can add mangoes, more leafy greens, green onions, whatever you like. You can serve the seasoned jackfruit in sandwiches, tacos, or nachos or make a jackfruit bowl.

My wrap is dope though. It’s light, slightly crunchy, slightly tangy, slightly hot, uber savory, satisfying, and comforting. What's not to love?

Make it Now

Burritos are always fun to make and are perfect for cool gatherings. This recipe might take four big major steps because you’re preparing everything from scratch, but even when you build traditional tortillas, it still involves many components.

The freshness of the ingredients makes it so worth it, though.

Pulled Jackfruit Garden Wrap

If you try this recipe, I want to know about it! I always appreciate your feedback. Leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pulled Jackfruit Burritos

Burritos are always fun to make and are perfect for cool gatherings. This recipe might take four big major steps because you’re preparing everything from scratch, but even when you build traditional tortillas, it still involves many components.

The freshness of the ingredients makes it so worth it, though.

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: black beans, red bell pepper

Servings: 4

Calories: 364kcal

Author: Naïby

Ingredients

Chile sauce

• 2 Poblano chilis fresh or dried California chilis stemmed and seeded (Notes)
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 20 oz-can green jackfruit in brine or water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt to taste

Caribbean Black Beans

• 1 teaspoon oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups black beans cooked or 2 x 15 oz-can (Notes)
• 1 cups Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons red onions minced
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic crushed (about 1 clove)
• Pinch salt
• Pinch Cayenne pepper

Garnish

• Diced tomatoes or salsa
• ½ cup minced cilantro
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 4-6 large collard leaves shaved and stem removed

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Make the sauce: In a high-powered blender, place the chilis with the remain ingredients, except the olive oil, and blend until completely smooth. Add the olive oil and continue blending until emulsified. Set aside.
• Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Squeeze out excess liquid by pressing the jackfruit pieces in a paper towel. Slice jackfruit into thin, ¼-inch thick strips using a small knife, from core to edge, or shred in a food processor.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shredded jackfruit and cook for 2-3 min. Add the sauce and ¼ cup water. Cook partially covered for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once the mixture is dry, salt to taste.
• Make the Caribbean black beans: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent for 4-5 min. Add the black beans and the remaining ingredients, and simmer for 10 min. Stir occasionally.
• To assemble: Spread the guacamole onto the collard leaf. In rows, add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, and jackfruit. Drizzle the filling with lime juice from a wedge and sprinkle with cilantro. Fold each extremity of the collard leaf perpendicularly to the rows of the filling and roll the free extremities into a burrito. Cut in half and secure each half with a toothpick.
• Served immediately.

Notes

If using dried chilis, in a medium bowl, cut into pieces and discard seeds. Soak for 30 minutes then drain. If using dried black beans, soak overnight and cook the night before or the day of the recipe. Cook for about 45 minutes.

Placed in a tight container in the refrigerator, the wraps will keep for a day, the blacks beans for a week and the jackfruit for 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 1185mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2884IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg

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