Cauliflower Pizza Dough

By: Nikki Nies

I’ve written several times before how I enjoy cooking for my friends. This includes catering to their food and diet needs. I’ve been gleefully challenged by the need to make gluten free pasta, bread and most recently pizza! As we all know, for those with gluten intolerances or sensitivities, it can be a headache trying to find foods to eat.

Thankfully, this is where cauliflower can enter the picture. As a low calorie, versatile vegetable, cauliflower is a great substitute for flour! You don’t have to be gluten free to enjoy cauliflower pizza crust, if you run out of flour for home made pizza dough, homemade cauliflower pizza dough is a great alternative! Since cauliflower lacks much flavor, it absorbs the flavors that are combined with it, so add on the veggie  toppings!

My initial try at cauliflower pizza crust didn’t turn out so well! While I intended to make pizza, the concoction came out more like a casserole-not taking too much shape. Yet, my friend, Kaitlyn Brown and her family came to the rescue, experimenting with the cauliflower pizza dough idea and they’ve graciously shared their recipe with me.

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound cauliflower florets, chopped
• 2 eggs
• seasoning either parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese. You can use broccoli with the cauliflower to give it more taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Meanwhile chop up cauliflower until finely chopped. Place chopped cauliflower in microwave for 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Place cauliflower in towel and squeeze out excess water so it is completely dry. In a bowl, mix egg and cauliflower until well combined. This is when you can add additional seasonings to pizza, such as parmesan cheese
3. Once mixed, line pizza pan or baking sheet and spread cauliflower dough until it resembles a pizza round. Bake 40 minutes.
4. Once “cauliflower” is done, top with sauce and other toppings, cook 7 more minutes until cheese and toppings have melted.

Recipe adapted from Emily Brown

I can understand why you would shy away from the concept of cauliflower in your pizza. I, myself, probably wouldn’t have tried it either if it weren’t for my friend that is gluten free, but it’s delicious and packed with an extra serving of vegetables! In addition, it’s a great twist on a family favorite! Get your kids, husband or wife in the kitchen with you and share toppings all around! Enjoy!