Hailey (16 months) eats and enjoys her vegetables. Usually. She is starting to display her preferences by eating a food one day, not eating the next, then eating it again on the third. Goes to show that continuing to offer food over and over is a good habit. But it never hurts to sneak in a few extra vegetables, right?
Like cauliflower! It’s not the easiest one to make delicious, is it?
That’s what I thought until I discovered you could turn it into pizza!
And what kid doesn’t love pizza?
I used a Brittany’s crust recipe from Eating Bird Food.
-
- ½ head cauliflower (about 2 cups riced)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
You’ll also need
-
- parchment paper
- toppings (I used peppers, onions and shredded mozzarella)
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees
Don’t be intimidated by the word riced. Wash and trim the cauliflower, then cut off half of the florets. Place them in a food processor.
Use the pulse feature until the cauliflower takes the form of rice- small, textured pieces.
Transfer the cauliflower “rice” to a nonstick pan. Sauté over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. The recipe says to sauté until translucent. I never noticed mine becoming translucent, so just 6-8 minutes is fine.
Meanwhile, mix together the mozzarella, garlic, egg, oregano and basil in a large bowl.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, add it to the bowl and stir to combine well.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. I highly recommend the parchment paper over a greased baking sheet. I tried both and the greased baking sheet did not turn out well.
Press and flatten the “dough” into a 9 inch diameter. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
Then the fun part- top it! I sautéed some peppers and onions because it’s all I had on hand, but just like any pizza, get creative! You could add pesto and fresh mozzarella or bbq sauce and cooked chicken.
Don’t add too many heavy toppings, though, or the crust won’t hold up well.
Broil until the cheese is melted and the pizza looks done. The recipe calls for you to broil for 5 minutes, but you may want to keep an eye on your pizza instead of just going by the 5 minute directions or you’re parchment paper may not make it.
Let the pizza cool for only a minute or two, then slice and serve warm.
The crust isn’t as hardy as regular pizza crust, so small slices or use of a fork is handy.
The taste? You won’t mistake it for real pizza crust, but as a healthy, low carb alternative, it’s quite good! (PS- I am NOT suggesting a toddler need to go low carb. It’s also a good way to sneak in more veggies!) It doesn’t taste overly cauliflowery (I know, my linguistic skills amaze you 
), but the texture is just softer than usual crust.
David didn’t know what had gone into it (though my dancing eyes told him I was up to something). He said it tasted more like a pasta dish than pizza and asked if it was an Amy’s pizza. He continued to eat over half of it even after he knew about the crust contents. I take that as a compliment!
But the real taste tester…
Success!
Next time I’ll add a few more veggie toppings and more cheese, but there will definitely be a next time.
If you’re child (or husband…) doesn’t like vegetables, give this a try! Heck, even if they do like vegetables, give it a try. When sliced into 8 pieces, each piece only has 50 calories, 2 carbs and 5 grams of protein.
What is your favorite way to “sneak” in extra vegetables?
Erica says
Lol – I like that you had to insert a disclaimer so people didn’t start harassing you for putting you kid on Atkins!
Karen says
She is too cute!! I recently got a picky eater on my hands. Keely is only 12 months but two weeks ago she had the flu and ever since then she is only eating the following for me: pb sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, fruit, yogurt, banana muffins & carrot cake muffins. I am going to try some other veggie muffins this week since it’s all she’s eating. I think I will have to give this pizza a try this week as well.
Parita @ myinnershakti says
My favorite way to sneak in more veggies first thing in the morning is to add spinach to our breakfast smoothies. Baked goods are another great vehicle for veggies. 🙂
Kelly @ Runmarun says
What an awesome recipe, Brittany! Thank you so much for sharing! I will have to give it a whirl someday!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
I LOVE cauliflower pizza crust. It is amazing, and you are right..it is very easy to make! I am also amazed that your toddler will eat peppers..impressive!
Chantal says
We love cauliflower pizza here! I should make some this week…
Amanda @ Sistas of Strength says
I tried this once and it came out awful, but you motivated me to try it again. I have been making buffalo cauliflower too (paleo recipe) and that is delicious!!
Amanda, RD- The Nutritionist Reviews says
I made cauliflower crust pizza this weekend too! I loved it as well.
Maria says
Let me honest and say that I usually skip over most recipe posts (in pretty much every blog I read). Not that they don’t look delicious, but I only cook a few times a week (and live off leftovers, sandwiches, and soup!)…BUT, I had to pin this one to try one weekend. I love raw cauliflower, but after a half a head of it, I’m over it and the rest goes to waste…this might be the answer. And hooray for it being toddler – and husband-approved!
christina says
I wonder if you could do this with broccoli too!!
lindsay @ fuelmyfamily says
I have made zucchini crust but not cauliflower. I think one of my kids (and mine and husbands) favorite foods is roasted caulflower so its always gone before i have a chance to get creative with it!
Angela says
Too cute! This actually looks delicious, I will have to try it.
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
This looks so good!
Andrea says
Looks yummy! I’m always looking for ways to sneak veggies into my 13 month old’s tummy! He’s sloooowly starting to try them more and more. I recently made a broccoli and cheddar cheese quesadilla on a whole wheat tortilla and he gobbled it up!
Jessie says
How funny, I actually used the same recipe on Saturday when I made my own cauliflower pizza. Great minds think a like 🙂
Brittney says
That’s really cool, I need to try that!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
I have seen these crusts all over the blog world, but have yet to try it out myself. I must say, I actually like a softer crust (but still thin) so this might be perfect. Of course, I also tend to like a LOT of sauce, so it might not hold up for me. Worth a try? Someday? When I remember to make it? 😉
Natalie says
Hi Brittany, just wanted to say thank you so much for your awesome recipe. I tried it last night, and we all loved it. My husband was totally blown away by it. Have a great day!
Brittany says
This makes me so happy! I’m glad you tried it. Thank you for sharing!
Rene says
I have never heard of this crust until today. I am soo glad I looked for low carb recipes and stumbled across your blog. I am totally inspired to make my own cauliflower-crusted pizza. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Emily says
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about this. (Cauliflower pizza? Really??) But it’s amazing! Cauliflower has never tasted so good! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Ella's mommy says
I HATE cauliflower. It is the one vegetable that I have avoided my entire life. But…I am quickly approaching my 40th birthday and am trying to lose my baby weight (Ella is 5!). I had heard about cauliflower mashed potatoes and finally tried them. Surprisingly, they were not bad. When I saw the recipe for cauliflower pizza, I was a little less reluctant to try it. IT WAS SO GOOD! I’m totally making your pizza bites for a football party at my house tomorrow (Go Packers!). I also subbed riced cauliflower for real rice in a big batch of turkey soup I made recently. It is so versatile and so good! I guess I didn’t know what I was missing!