Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Recipe by Joshua George, RD, Bariatric Dietician with the Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center of Cooper University Health Care.

Makes about 14 mini crusts
Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

5-6 cups of crumbled cauliflower, texture should be like quinoa or dry barley (1-2 heads of cauliflower)
1 cup reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
2  eggs
Heavy pinch of salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Place pizza stone in oven and turn oven up to highest possible temperature. (Pizza ovens are 800 to over 1000*F, yours might only reach 500+).
• Place cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles grains of cous cous.
• Place cauliflower in a bowl and mix with remaining ingredients.
• Form ½ cup of mixture into a firm ball and place on a sheet tray that has been lined with parchment paper.
• Press down cauliflower until it’s about the thickness of a graham cracker. (It will not stay together at this point, once it’s heated, the cheeses will melt and the egg will coagulate, holding it all together.)
• Bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, once golden brown and delicious looking.
• Allow to cool on a cooling rack to avoid moisture making bottom soggy.
• Top with toppings and place on pizza stone. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and at desired doneness.

Chef Notes:

• Be mindful of placing wet ingredients atop of cauliflower crust.  Too much marinara and/or  wet vegetables could make the crust get soggy and fall apart.
• Don’t use fat free shredded cheese, they taste like plastic and you’ll feel like you’re eating a chew toy.
• Add different herbs and spices to the cauliflower mix:
  • Old bay for a seafood pizza
  • Jamaican jerk chicken and mango jalapeno pizza
  • Curried chicken and roasted vegetables
• Use left overs! Save money and just use what you have, be creative!