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Everybody loves pizza - It's just so high in carbs! Clearly, it's a big "no-no" for a low-carb diet.
The original cauliflower pizza crust comes from yourlighterside.com: truly an amazing recipe!
I have to admit I was slightly skeptical about using cauliflower. On the plus side, all the ingredients in this recipe are easily obtainable. So, I decided to try it out and after a few attempts and several adjustments, I came up with this recipe. It really smells and tastes surprisingly close to real pizza. Sure, it's not like the traditional delicious Italian pizza but it's a very good compromise... Verdict: I loved it!
The key with this recipe is to bake the crust separately before you add the toppings. This crisps up the cauliflower and cheese, so it is capable of holding the sauce and toppings. The whole pizza is about 820 kcal and 17 g of net carbs. Just for comparison, an average pizza has more than 1000 kcal and more than 100 g of net carbs! Also, this alternative pizza is suitable for those with gluten intolerance.
The biggest challenge during my pizza experiments was getting the base right. The dough just kept being wet, saggy and very fragile. It simply didn't hold together.
Here are my tips for this recipe:
- Dry the Cauli-rice well. Extra moisture is not good for baking and will cause the pizza to be soggy.
- Using whole eggs will only make the pizza base more fragile. Use just egg whites instead.
- Remember to bake the crust separately before adding any toppings!
- Cook the pizza base thoroughly for 15-20 minutes. This is important for the base to get crunchy and firm.
- As a topping I also tried fresh tomatoes. This unfortunately made the pizza too soggy. Be careful with toppings that contain moisture. Make sure the base is not too thick: 1/4-1/2 inch (1/2-1 cm) is enough!
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1 slice
Nutritional values (per serving, 1 slice)
Net carbs2.1 grams
Protein5.7 grams
Fat7.8 grams
Calories102 kcal
Calories from carbs 8%, protein 22%, fat 70%
Total carbs3 gramsFiber0.8 gramsSugars0.9 gramsSaturated fat2.8 gramsSodium325 mg(14% RDA)Magnesium13 mg(3% RDA)Potassium150 mg(8% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 1 pizza, 8 slices)
Pizza Base:
- 1 1/2 cup cauli-rice (175 g/ 6.2 oz)
- 1 egg large white
- 1/2 cup grated low-moist mozzarella (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil, for greasing
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (15 g/ 0.5 oz)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried flaked chilies
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh basil
Topping:
- 1/2 cup sliced brown mushrooms (36 g/ 1.3 oz)
- 10 slices pepperoni ham (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
- 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- First, rice the cauliflower. You can find the instructions here. Place the cooked Cauli-rice into a towel and squeeze all the water out of it. It is important to get the rice as dry as possible so that there won’t be extra moisture in the crust. Drying Cauli-rice will help the pizza maintain its crispiness.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). In a bowl, mix the riced cauliflower with the egg white, grated mozzarella cheese ("pizza type", low-moist) and Parmesan cheese, dried basil and oregano, garlic powder (you can also use one crushed garlic clove) and salt.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or place on a non-stick tray. Press the cauliflower mixture evenly on the prepared pan. I kept the crust pretty thin, about ¼ inch thick. Spray with some extra virgin olive oil. This will help the pizza get nice and brown. I made the pizza almost square but you can make any shape you like.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is firm and golden brown. After cooked, remove the tray from the oven and set aside. Keep the oven on.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pizza sauce. Mash the garlic, chop the basil and place with the rest of the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix with a spoon (or blend).
- When the pizza base is nice and brown, spread the sauce evenly all over it.
- Top with grated mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil leaves. Place in the oven and cook for an additional about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get burnt!
- Enjoy warm or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1 slice)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Cauliflower, fresh |
| 0.6 g | 0.4 g | 0.1 g | 5 kcal |
| Egg white, fresh |
| 0 g | 0.4 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 0.4 g | 1.8 g | 1.5 g | 22 kcal |
| Parmesan cheese |
| 0.1 g | 1.3 g | 1 g | 15 kcal |
| Spices, garlic powder |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Oregano, dried |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Spices, basil, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Tomato purée (unsweetened) |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Olive oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 3.4 g | 30 kcal |
| Garlic, fresh |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Spices, fennel seed |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Peppers, chile (chili), flaked and dried, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Parsley, fresh (spices) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Basil, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Mushrooms (brown), fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Pepperoni, beef and pork, sliced |
| 0 g | 0.5 g | 1.2 g | 13 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 0.2 g | 0.8 g | 0.7 g | 10 kcal |
| Basil, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Total per serving, 1 slice |
| 2.1 g | 5.7 g | 7.8 g | 102 kcal |
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