A cauliflower pizza crust is the way to go to satisfy your pizza craving without the guilt!
Having a go-to cauliflower pizza crust is must, especially if you’ve been following a Paleo, gluten-free or grain-free diet for some time. Sometimes it can get complicated and lengthy, maybe you’ve burned your hands before wringing out the cauliflower after you’ve cooked it, but no more! We made a simple, do-it-yourself crust that is a real crowd pleaser. And of course we had to add grass-fed, USDA organic Beef Bone Broth Collagen to take the health level of this pizza crust up a notch.
cauliflower pizza crust
I love Beef Bone Broth Collagen for all the versatility it brings. Consume it on its own in liquid or use it for the base of soups, but it can be way more creative than that. Bone broth is a healthy elixir that has been around for centuries, known to boost the immune system and promote gut health (1), support sleep (2) and a healthy metabolism (3), and even promote detoxification (4). Vital Proteins Beef Bone Broth Collagen has no added salt, which means you can control the amount of salt in the recipes you make with it. It does contain hyaluronic acid, which helps your skin retain moisture and staves off the aging process (5). It’s no wonder our ancestors considered this drink magical!
Another versatile ingredient is the main one in this pizza crust recipe: cauliflower. Cauliflower is high in antioxidants, which fight free oxidative radicals in the prevention of cancer (6). It is loaded with vitamin C, which helps support the immune system fight bacteria and other harmful invaders. Cauliflower has also been studied to show it supports the cardiovascular system and improves overall quality of health (7). It is versatile because it can be chopped, cooked, steamed and grated for numerous results in different recipes.
This pizza crust is made without any type of dairy to keep it friendly for our dairy-free readers out there. Cauliflower pizza crust is typically made with some type of cheese to help bind it together, but we found that it worked well with vegan cheese as well. Look for vegan cheese that is free of soy and processed oils, preferably in chevre or cream cheese type of texture. I’m not vegan, obviously, but I have to help those folks, too.
Another savory element in our cauliflower pizza crust is garlic. This pungent vegetable is known for quite a few health benefits, including overall protection to the cardiovascular system (8). Garlic, along with other Allium species vegetables, have anticancer properties and their sulfur compounds can modify a person’s risk for cancer (9). It has even been studied to show that it can prevent the common cold and other infections (10). Garlic is also a staple pizza ingredient, if you ask us.
Don’t be intimidated to try something a little out of the ordinary with this cauliflower crust pizza. Your taste buds won’t regret it!
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Total Time: 1 hr
Crust Ingredients
2 pounds frozen cauliflower, thawed
1 egg
1 scoop Beef Bone Broth Collagen
8 ounces vegan cheese, chevre or cream cheese style
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
Toppings
16 ounces vegan or regular mozzarella
1 cup sliced heirloom tomatoes (I don’t do tomatoes – nightshade and I just don’t like them. )
½ cup sliced zucchini
½ cup roasted red pepper (another nightshade, so continue or substitute
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
** Can mix it up with other veggies such as mushroom, onion (unless fodmap sensitive), and black olives.
*** Meatlovers, can also put in gently browned grass-fed beef seasoned to taste (http://ketopaleowellnessmeats.com), and you can also get beef mixed with beef heart for organ meat enthusiasts! It’s a treat you won’t forget! Simple Himalayan see salt and garlic powder works well.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Make sure frozen cauliflower is completely thawed.
Place thawed cauliflower in a blender to make “rice” and place into a clean dish towel or cheesecloth. Wrap up cauliflower in the cloth, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over a sink or bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, add in cauliflower (it should resemble a dough-like ball) along with the egg, Beef Bone Broth Collagen, vegan cheese, garlic powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza stone or a baking dish and place your pizza dough on the parchment paper to shape into a crust (it will be quite sticky).
Bake the cauliflower pizza crust for 40 minutes, or until the crust is starting to turn golden brown and removes easily from the parchment paper.
Top with your favorite pizza ingredients, leaving off the fresh basil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the vegetables have softened.
Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil chiffonade.
Serve immediately.
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Bannai, M., Kawai, N., Ono, K., Nakahara, K., & Murakami, N. (2012). The Effects of Glycine on Subjective Daytime Performance in Partially Sleep-Restricted Healthy Volunteers. Frontiers in Neurology, 3. doi:10.3389/fneur.2012.00061
Weight loss maintenance: Predictors of successful weight loss maintenance: a qualitative comparative analysis.” Bdj217.9 (2014): 525. Web.
Ruiz-Ramírez, Angélica, Ely Ortiz-Balderas, Guillermo Cardozo-Saldaña, Eulises Diaz-Diaz, and Mohammed El-Hafidi. “Glycine restores glutathione and protects against oxidative stress in vascular tissue from sucrose-fed rats.” Clinical Science126.1 (2014): 19-29. Web.
Papakonstantinou, Eleni, Michael Roth, and George Karakiulakis. “Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging.” Dermato-Endocrinology 4.3 (2012): 253-58. Web.
Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous Vegetable Intake and Cancer Prevention: Role of Nutrigenetics. Cancer Prevention Research. 2009;2(4):298-300. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.capr-09-0037.
Zhang X, Shu XO, Xiang YB, et al. Cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality. The American journal of clinical nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21593509. Published July 2011. Accessed July 21, 2017.
Banerjee SK, Maulik SK. Effect of garlic on cardiovascular disorders: a review. Nutrition Journal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC139960/. Published 2002. Accessed July 21, 2017.
Nicastro HL, Ross SA, Milner JA. Garlic and onions: Their cancer prevention properties. Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4366009/. Published March 2015. Accessed July 21, 2017.
Josling P. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey. Advances in therapy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022. Accessed July 21, 2017.