Bella Cooks: Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I first heard about this recipe from one of the YouTubers I follow, VSGTanya. Her video gives step-by-step instructions. This recipe interested me because I’m trying to keep things low carb, and who doesn’t love pizza? This recipe does take time to prepare, but it’s definitely worth it.

Ingredients/Nutrition:

The best thing about this pizza (and all pizzas) is that you can top it with whatever you like, so I’ll show you what I topped this with in a little bit.

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut cauliflower into florets and boil for 10 minutes.

Drain cauliflower thoroughly.  The video emphasized how important it is to remove as much water from the cauliflower as possible.  I should have heeded this warning a bit more, because I think this is one of the reasons that my first attempt was softer than I’d have liked.

Rice the cauliflower.  Rather than a ricer, which I don’t have, I used my Cuisinart, which made quick work of it.

***After trying the recipe and realizing that the crust was too soft, I did a bit of research online and discovered a slightly different method for these first steps on Eating Bird Food, which I’ll use when I make this the next time:

1. Rice the cauliflower in the Cuisinart.
2. Sauté the cauliflower for 6-8 minutes in a nonstick skillet.  This seems like it would really help with removing the moisture.

If you have a pizza stone, use it, because that will really help the crust get a bit crispier.  Since I don’t have one, I put some olive oil on a cookie sheet that I covered with foil (makes cleanup easier), then I added parchment paper. (The olive oil helps the parchment paper stick to the cookie sheet).  Then I used my Misto to spray a tiny bit of olive oil on the top of the parchment paper, too.  I had absolutely no problem with the pizza sticking.

The recipe called for for one riced up of cauliflower.

Combine the cauliflower, quattro formaggio (or shredded parm), light mozzarella, crushed garlic, 1 egg white, and spices.  I used Italian seasoning, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder (the title does have ‘garlic’ in it!).  I didn’t add any salt, since I’d salted the water I boiled the cauliflower in and the cheese can be salty.

Now comes the messy part: flattening and shaping the crust onto the sheet.  The recipe calls for the crust to be fairly thin, to aid with crisping.

In terms of cooking time, the original recipe I was following said to cook it for 15 minutes at 450.  Because I felt it was a bit soft, I think I’d cook it for at least 10 minutes more next time (25 min).

Now let’s talk toppings: I used pizza sauce, jalapeño chicken sausage, and mushrooms, plus a bit more of both cheeses (a 1/8 cup of each, total).

The possibilities are endless in terms of what you could top the pizza with.  Next time I’m thinking of bbq sauce, chicken, and purple onions.  I’d also love to try a veggie version one of these Fridays of Lent.

My finished product looked and smelled delicious!

Other than the crust being softer than I’d like, it was simply delicious.  Definitely a better, lower calorie, lower carb version of something I love.  I ate mine “Italian style” with a knife and fork because the crust wouldn’t allow me to pick it up with my hands.  Reviews of the second method I mention said that the crust was strong/crisp enough to eat it by hand.

I ate 2 servings – 1/2 the pizza, and as I made it with my toppings, it came to 367 calories, 8g carbs, 23g fat (high because of the cheese), and 35g of protein.

I highly recommend this recipe with the second set of directions for the prep of the cauliflower.  I can’t wait to have the leftovers and to try it again.

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