Pizza is one of my fave foods, and I’ll admit, I do have frozen or delivery from time to time, but there are healthier alternatives out there.
The other night I finally made the infamous cauliflower crust pizza, and I was pleasantly surprised. Of course its not as convenient has throwing a pie in the oven or dialing in delivery, but let’s be honest, the healthier choice usually isn’t the convenient choice.
What makes this crust healthy?
- Cauliflower is a superfood. It’s part of the amazing cancer-fighting, liver-detoxing family of cruciferous or indole-3-carbinol veggies (others include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage).
- It’s gluten-free and grain-free. I’m not against gluten or grains, but a lot of people show symptoms of allergies & sensitivities (inflammation, foggy brain, fatigue, gas, bloating, etc.). Also, gluten (a sticky protein) is just difficult to digest in general so you’ll benefit from giving your digestive system a break from time to time.
- High in protein & healthy fats. The other components of this crust include almond flour, eggs and oil – great sources of protein and healthy fats, which means this crust will keep you feeling full, longer.
- Low in calories. Considering the majority of the crust is made up of cauliflower (1 cup = 30 cals) this is a great choice for those trying to lose or maintain weight.
The only downside of this recipe is that it takes a bit of time. You have to pre-bake the crust for 30 minutes, and than bake for an additional 20 minutes with the toppings. But, if you’re home from work early one evening or if you want to have a pizza party on a Saturday night than go for it. I adapted this recipe from Living Kitchen Wellness – enjoy!
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 small head of cauliflower
1 ½ cups almond flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps Mrs. Dash
Fresh ground pepper
For the Toppings:
1 small can pizza sauce
2 cups cremini mushrooms, diced small
1 cup bell pepper, diced
½ cup green pizza olives
½ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup aged white cheddar, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Chop cauliflower into florets.
In a large food processor, blend florets until they resemble a paste or a rice-like texture. Add almond flour, eggs, oil & spices, and blend until you achieve a smooth dough-like consistency.
Line a medium-size baking sheet with parchment paper (you can line two smaller pans if you want thinner crust pizzas) and spread out the “dough” evenly using a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes (less time if you’re doing two) or until dough is firm to touch – it’s ok if edges are starting to brown.
While your crust is baking, prep the pizza toppings.
Take crust out of the oven, and spread pizza sauce evenly over the surface. Sprinkle half the white cheddar, than mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, sun-drieds, feta and top with remainder of cheddar.
Bake pizza for 20 minutes. Turn oven up to broil and bake for a few minutes to crisp up the top.
Take hold of the parchment paper and slide pizza from the baking sheet to a cutting board, and cut using a pizza slicer.
I am going to try this! It doesn’t seem that hard – I just don’t have almond flour on hand…. I have to get more of these basics. Lol
I don’t buy almond flour – I just grind whole almonds in a food processor or blender – works the same!
Thanks I am going to try this! I’ve done the cauliflower crust once before but this recipe looks a lot lighter – the one I tried was basically just cheese and cauliflower in the crust.
I really like this recipe – the almonds are a healthy, dairy-free fat substitute for the cheese that I see in a lot of other recipes. It’s really satisfying as well – usually 2 pieces is all you need – enjoy!