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Home >> Cauliflower & Flax Pizza with Veggies

Cauliflower & Flax Pizza with Veggies

March 28, 2014 By Kaylee Pauley 13 Comments

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Cauliflower-Pizza5aPizza. Is it silly that I can’t imagine a time without it? I mean, it seems like it’s right there with red beans and rice. Surely it has and always will be something that people of all backgrounds, ethnicity, income levels, and from all parts of the world recognize. It’s essentially the universal food… am I right?

I wonder how many generations you’d have to go back to find someone who isn’t familiar with the term, pizza. Is it really weird that I’m thinking this deep into it?

Cauliflower-Pizza11It’s just that pizza is now something that has morphed into so many different interpretations, it’s practically its own food group, right there with Vegetables, Meats, Dairy, then Pizza.

Think about it, there’s whole wheat crust, deep dish, stuffed crust, thin crust… not to mention all the veggie crust options, like eggplant, sweet potato, and spinach. Then there’s the toppings and sauce; like BBQ, Pesto, Chicken, Ham, Pineapple, Steak, even seafood. And I haven’t even touched the boundless options of cheese. Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta, Bleu, Goat, and on and on…there are so many COUNTLESS OPTIONS!

Cauliflower-Pizza15Do you think that the first person to make a round, flat piece of bread and top it with tomato sauce (surely that was the first sauce to be used, right?!) along with a little cheese ever thought that it would grow to so many unlimited options and varieties?

Cauliflower-Pizza4Cauliflower-Pizza18Ya know… at this point I don’t know whether to be more impressed by the enormity of pizza flavors and combinations, or concerned with my own frame of mind for contemplating the whole thing this long. And really… if you’re still reading, maybe I should be equally concerned about your frame of mind! :)

Cauliflower-Pizza13

Cauliflower-Pizza20Okay, I’ll stop with the rambling. I guess what I’m getting at is that as much as I strive to eat clean and make healthy choices when it comes to the foods I cook for us, I like love pizza as much as the next person. And while chowing down on a thick crunchy, chewy crust loaded with yummy greasy cheese and toppings is okay every now and then, it’s not something to add to the weekly menu.

Cauliflower-Pizza6Luckily, there are healthier ways to satisfy that craving without indulging in quite so many unhealthy calories and fat grams. Like this Cauliflower pizza crust for instance. I know cauliflower {in all it’s versatility} is all the rage right now, but if you haven’t tried it as a pizza crust, you must! Truly.

Cauliflower-Pizza2Cauliflower-PizzaI came across the Cauliflower Pizza crust recipe a few years ago when looking for a low carb pizza option. And it seems like since then, the recipe has completely blown up all over the web. There are so many different variations of it, some that include the addition of numerous gluten-free flours and others that instruct you to squeeze all the water out of the cooked cauliflower in efforts of creating a crust that can be picked up like traditional pizza.

Truth is, I haven’t found that perfect combination of both ingredients and instructions to make a crust that can be picked up without falling apart.

Cauliflower-Pizza27In my mind, it looks like pizza, tastes pretty much like pizza, but is eaten like a casserole. Which means, with a fork. And for me, that’s okay. I’ll probably still try different variations from time to  time in hopes of a new outcome, but in the end I’m just happy that I get the flavors of pizza with the health benefits of cauliflower!

Cauliflower-Pizza8So, if you haven’t tried a cauliflower pizza crust recipe, I urge you to jump on the bandwagon and give it a try! And do it sooner rather than later, you won’t be sorry!

Cauliflower-Pizza5
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5 from 1 vote

Cauliflower & Flax Pizza with Veggies

This Cauliflower & Flax Pizza with Veggies will satisfy your pizza cravings while keeping your eating on track!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: cauliflower, flaxseed, pizza
Servings: 2 -4
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Kaylee Pauley

Ingredients

  • For the Crust:
  • 1 head cauliflower approx 6-7" round
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 1 tbsp spicy spaghetti seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Toppings:
  • 3/4 cup pizza sauce I use my Grandmother's homemade spaghetti sauce!
  • 3/4 red or orange bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium onion sliced
  • 5-6 cherry tomatoes finely sliced
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese mozzarella or blend

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray round pizza pan with coconut oil or olive oil cooking spray (see notes re parchment paper).
  • Chop cauliflower into pieces and add it food processor. Pulse for 30-45 seconds or until cauliflower is riced into fine pieces.
  • Add riced cauliflower to microwave save bowl and heat on high for 4-5 minutes. See notes for oven instructions.
  • {At this point, once the riced cauliflower has cooled, you can put it in a double layer of cheese cloth and squeeze to remove all moisture. This did not help my crust hold together any better than the other times, but it may work for you!}
  • In a medium bowl, add cooked cauliflower, egg, flax, cheese and seasonings, then stir to combine.
  • Transfer to greased pizza pan and spread out, using spatula, to an even round crust.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  • While crust bakes, add chopped veggies to baking sheet, sprinkle with desired seasonings (I used the Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning) and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until soft. You can also toss them in a pan on the stove, spray with a little coconut oil cooking spray and saute for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent.
  • Once crust has baked first 15 minutes, remove, add sauce, veggies and cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, then turn oven to broil and bake for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to ensure it does not burn.
  • Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if desired, then EAT!

Notes

*This particular time, I tried using parchment paper, but in the past and since then I've put the crusted on a greases pan and I prefer that method. The crust tended to stick to the parchment paper.
*Oven Instructions: Remove leaves and separate florets, roast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes on 375 degrees. Then remove and cool before adding to food processor to rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.6g | Protein: 19.8g | Fat: 13.7g | Saturated Fat: 8.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 526mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 10g

 

Filed Under: Cauliflower, Dinner, Flaxseed, Mozzarella, Parmesan Cheese, Toasted Sesame Oil, Tomatoes

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Comments

  1. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    March 29, 2014 at 7:09 AM

    It is crazy how popular pizza is, isn’t it? I guess it’s something that everyone likes, so it’s bound to stay popular while at the same time ‘morphing’ a bit. I have still to try this cauliflower crust pizza … yours looks fabulous. I actually like how you ‘ve kept the toppings fairly simple. ;-)

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      March 29, 2014 at 9:09 PM

      Ahh Helen, you’ve got to try it! Again, I haven’t mastered a crust that can be picked up, but regardless, the taste is wonderful! Whether you try this one, another recipe, or an adaption of your own, you’ll have to let me know what you think once you try it!:)

      Reply
  2. Abbie @ Needs Salt says

    March 29, 2014 at 8:30 AM

    This pizza looks so fabulous! I love everything about it. Awesomeness.
    Pinning!

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      March 29, 2014 at 9:05 PM

      Thank you Abbie! :)

      Reply
  3. Michelle @ Healthy Recipe Ecstasy says

    April 2, 2014 at 3:50 PM

    I am obsessed with cauliflower crust pizza! Not just because it’s soo much healthier than regular pizza but I think it tastes awesome. I have a cauliflower crust pizza recipe that sometimes holds together and sometimes doesn’t. I think the trick is getting the pizza stone really hot beforehand and cooking the crust extra long. But, even still, sometimes mine falls apart. Here’s a link to mine so you can compare ingredients/instructions: http://www.healthyrecipeecstasy.com/2012/06/06/11/.

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      April 2, 2014 at 8:23 PM

      Hi Michelle, so glad you stopped by and thank you for the tip on the cauliflower crust, I’ll have to give it a try! I made a similar version this evening only using cooked quinoa in place of the cauliflower, it was quite tasty :)

      Thanks again!

      Reply
  4. Millie// addalittle says

    April 6, 2014 at 2:48 AM

    Just found your blog through Healthy Apeture and everything looks delicious! I absolutely love everything and the photography is amazing :)

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      April 6, 2014 at 2:09 PM

      Hi Millie, so glad you came across my blog, thank you for your sweet words! I hope you’ll stop by again! :)

      Reply
  5. Leigh says

    April 15, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    This looks fantastic! If you want it to stay together better, I would suggest using 1/4 cup of egg whites on top of squeezing out all lf the moisture. I make cauliflower breadsticks and they usually never fall apart!!!

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      April 15, 2014 at 12:25 PM

      Great tip, I’ll have to give that a try, thanks Leigh! :)

      Reply
  6. Katrina says

    January 25, 2017 at 9:33 AM

    If u don’t have cheese in the recipe what can u replace it with and what would the nutrition be ? Ty love ur site

    Reply
    • Kaylee Pauley says

      January 30, 2017 at 2:46 PM

      Hi Katrina, Sorry for the delay! Hmmm, I’m honestly not sure what else would give it the same texture. Do you avoid all dairy? Could you use a vegan cheese in place? :)

      Reply
  7. Tracey says

    March 2, 2018 at 11:30 PM

    Well this seems to be all the rage atm. I tried this last night and home delivered😊 crust gourmet pizzas actually make this. Omg it was so yummy. Now im going to try make it myself.

    Reply

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I'm Kaylee, former full-time Interior Designer, now full-time mommy, part-time designer and part-time food blogger! My family and I live in Franklin, TN and this is my little piece of the internet where I enjoy sharing my love for healthy food as well as a look into our day-to-day lives!

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